Arbor Doctor November 2022 client update and latest blog postings
It’s November, almost the end of meteorological autumn, and we already have our first snowfall under our belt with snow totals ranging from 1 inch to 3 inches across the area. The very cold nighttime temperatures is putting any late vestige of the growing season to rest for the season.
Fall Colors were spectacular this year, as characterized by this Persian parrotia (Parrotia persica) photographed in Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum.
A special thank you to all veterans as Veteran’s Day is just past and, can you believe it, Happy Thanksgiving to all as that holiday will be here in less than 2 weeks.
Besides the special day for our nation to thank God for all He has blessed us with, that busy weekend also includes holiday shopping and the Ohio State-Michigan football game. Many of you know I am a graduate of The Ohio State University, but I know we have some faithful fans of that team up north in our client base too.
With the colder weather we are rapidly accumulating below freezing hours. Our early winter dormant oils commence after we have accumulated 48 hours below freezing, and we will get there this week. That said, we have plenty of time to still plant trees, prune, do air knife work as long as the ground is not frozen, and even do any fall fertilizations so we are by no means done for the year. Early winter dormant oils must be done when the temperature is above freezing and there is no precipitation.
Speaking of precipitation, that has been in short supply this fall. The remnants of Hurricane Nicole brought soaking rains to many of us but it is doubtful that the entire soil profile was moistened. Here is my latest update on soil moisture conditions:
Most of you have had your irrigation systems winterized so if you haven’t watered lately, I would still water some trees, especially evergreens, one last time. Remember my general watering instructions:
Please remember to water…correctly!
Water once per week, one inch per week, under the entire branch spread, in the absence of rain, May through November. Either rainfall or your watering should equal the one inch per week. Put out a sprinkler and a straight sided soup can or rain gauge and measure one inch per week. Measure the rainfall which falls in your yard. Your trees don’t care what fell at the airport!
Make your autumnal chores easier, and your trees happier!
To the extent possible recycle fallen leaves back into the soil around your trees and maintain mulch around the trees to a radius of at least 3-5 feet. Keep mulch off trunks. Use a coarse textured mulch. Avoid triple shredded mulch. Aged arborist wood chips, mulched and composted leaves, pine bark, and pine straw are all good. Very finely ground mulches such as triple ground hardwood mulch are not beneficial and may inhibit moisture and oxygen exchange.
Inflation, Supply Chain and Postal Service Issues
The supply chain issues and labor shortages which are affecting everyone continue to affect us as well. One of our trucks was down for 3 months due to the lack of available parts. Besides supply chain issues, things have gotten a bit better with the postal service but we are still experiencing delays. This has slowed receipt of payments and other correspondence. If we call you regarding a late payment even though you sent it some time ago, this may be the reason. It is as frustrating for us as it is for you. We apologize for the inconvenience but it is largely out of our control.
Inflation continues at a very high rate. We are looking at our rising costs and will need to make adjustments accordingly as costs continue to rise. We will do our best to be as kind as possible but with some commodities increasing over 200% there is only so much we can do.
Our team updates
We have a great core horticultural team this year of Steve Middleton, Noah Riggs, and Ali Randall.
We would like to thank Josh Pawlowski for his many years of service as he leaves to pursue other opportunities. Wesley Yauch will also be leaving us to move out west (like western US) . We wish both of them well.
Camille Rechel has joined our team as the Director of Operations. Camille has decades of experience in business and will be overseeing scheduling and most non-horticultural areas of our business. Welcome, Camille.
I was blessed to be invited to do a series of segments this fall on In The Garden With Ron Wilson. Ron’s show is broadcast locally on 550 WKRC and 35 stations nationwide, as well as iHeart Radio. Here is a blog posting with links to all the segments, including the winter weather outlook:
The Ron Rothhaas and Ron Wilson Tree Shows in October and November 2022
Since we talked trees a lot, I put together a special blog posting with links to many of my favorite trees:
Arbor Doctor recommended trees and shrubs
Here are updates posted on our blog page over the past couple months:
Thanksgiving Forecast – by Meteorologist Elliot Abrams
Po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to: Let’s call the whole yam thing off!
Nature Paints a Colorful Leaf Palette
The Fruit Of The Gods From An Indiana Tree?
One Man’s Mission to Revive the Last Redwood Forests
SAMPLE TREE PLANTING SPECIFICATIONS
Weather and Climate Summary for October 2022. Drought with normal temperatures
Building a better hurricane ‘cone of uncertainty’
Hurricane Ian Destroyed Retirees’ Life Savings
Not Your Childhood Water Cycle
Thanksgiving is upon us. It has always been my favorite holiday but as I grow older and have experienced loss and brokenness, I recognize it can be a challenging time as well. God never promised we would not have trials and challenges in life. If fact, Jesus promised, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Indeed, He has overcome the world. So, I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving. Remember that God loves you even in the midst of pain, suffering, or loss.
Here is a Thanksgiving message entitled Hopes and Longings.
