blue lake hoa abroricultrual management...ash, dogwood, elm, euonymus, pine. rose tip moths larve...
TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 2017
PREPARED BY: ANDREW PLENINGER
1111 Village Road, Carbondale CO 81623 (970) 063‐3070
BLUE LAKE HOAABRORICULTRUAL MANAGEMENT
PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction & Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Abroricultural Needs & Treatments........................................................................................................................ 4
Water ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Watering Prescription .................................................................................................................................... 4
Managing Soil Moisture .................................................................................................................................. 5
Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Soils ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Poor Drainage ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Build the Top Soil ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Insect Pests & Disease ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Treatments .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Physical Damage ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Treatments .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Other Plant Health Treatments ........................................................................................................................ 10
Pruning ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Staking ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Tree Removal ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Professional Tree & Lanscape Services ............................................................................................................. 10
Tree Survey Methodologies, Findings & Recommendations ................................................................................. 12
Methodologies ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Management Survey .................................................................................................................................... 12
Tree Risk survey ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Management Survey Results ............................................................................................................................ 12
Mature hybrid Cottonwood Population ........................................................................................................ 13
Young Tree Health ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Tree Pruning ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Plant Health Care ......................................................................................................................................... 20
Planting Program ......................................................................................................................................... 22
Tree Risk Survey Results .................................................................................................................................. 23
Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 24
Summary of Management Recommendations & Closing ..................................................................................... 25
Mature Hybrid Cottonwood Mitigation Plan & Tree Risk Management ............................................................ 25
Young Tree Health ........................................................................................................................................... 26
Tree Pruning .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Plant Health Care ............................................................................................................................................. 27
Tree Planting Program ..................................................................................................................................... 28
Attachment 1 – Management unit map ................................................................................................................ 29
Attachment 2 – Blue Lake Tree Species List ......................................................................................................... 30
Attachement 3 – Risk Tree Survey Data & Maps ................................................................................................... 31
Attachment 4 – Aspen Tree Service Recommended Tree List .............................................................................. 32
INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE
The Blue Lake Home Owners Association (HOA) is responsible for management of the landscape on the
properties located within the HOA.
The trees are a significant asset to the Blue Lake community. Protecting this asset and realizing the
benefits of a healthy landscape are goals of the HOA. To that end, the HOA hired Aspen Tree Service to
complete an assessment of the trees and develop an arboricultural management plan to help guide the
HOA in the management of this valuable asset.
ABRORICULTURAL NEEDS & TREATMENTS
What are the critical factors influencing tree health in the landscape? The first and most important is
water. Too much or too little water will lead to plant stress. Second is the soil. Soil is where plants get
the water and nutrients they need to sustain life. Third are insect pests and disease. Finally, there is
physical damage. Damage can be caused by animals and storms but more commonly by humans.
It is true that any one of these factors can led to poor plant health, in the most severe cases, death.
However, in the majority of cases, the causes are a combination of these factors and like humans, if you
are generally healthy, you can survive a health stressing event. Therefore, the most effective strategy
to protect our trees and realize all the benefits they provide is monitor plant health needs and employ
treatments that will enhance tree health and minimize tree stress and damage.
WATER
There are three important factors in influencing the water needs of the landscape. The most obvious is
the quantity and frequency the landscape receives water, either by Mother Nature or irrigation. Second,
poor water quality can impact tree health. Finally, is the soil. Plants get the water they need from the
soil and the physical texture and chemistry of the soil will dictate the moisture that is available to a
plant. Discussion regarding this factor will be reserved for the soils section.
Too much or too little water will return the same result; plant stress, decline and possibly death. How
much water does a plant need? Monitoring the soil moisture is a simple task to measure water needs
and then a watering prescription can be applied.
WATERING PRESCRIPTION
Trees should receive 10 gallons of water per inch of diameter per week during the growing
season.
Winter watering is recommended when the irrigation system is off, soil temperatures are above
freezing, and the soil is dry and un‐snow covered.
Irrigation Systems – Irrigation systems are convenient, however without knowledge of the
frequency and volume of water they are applying water problems can arise.
o Inspect and test the irrigation system at least once a year.
o Irrigation Program
It is best to program the irrigation system on a frequency of 2 to 3 times a week
for durations of 20 to 30 minutes versus higher frequencies and shorter
durations. This will promote deeper plant rooting and drought tolerance.
Keeping the watering prescription in mind, monitoring the soil moisture is the most effective way to
access the need for water. Tree roots need oxygen. Ideally, the soil around a plant should be moist but
never wet and in fact dry periods are beneficial. Our native clay textured soils also present challenges in
moisture management. Clay soils are poorly drained, holding moisture which can keep it from a plant
or even drown the plant.
Monitoring soil moisture is even more important on newly planted plants. Plants obtain the majority of
their water needs from the soil through their roots. Transplants have lost as much as 75% of their root
zones in the digging process. Therefore, they will need to receive supplemental watering until they
have “established”; replaced lost roots and root have grown into the undisturbed native soils.
MANAGING SOIL MOISTURE
The treatments for managing soil moisture on a plant are as follows.
Mulching – a layer of mulch around the base of trees and covering a plant bed helps maintain
soil moisture by reducing evaporation.
o Maintain a 3‐inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree but not touching the tree
trunk or plant stems
Monitor Soil Moisture
o Inspect the Plant Foliage
Drooping foliage and death of interior foliage are initial signs of a possible
moisture problem; it can mean there may be too much or too little water. If you
see these symptoms complete a soil moisture sampling.
o Soil Moisture Sampling.
Take 6‐8” deep soil core samples around the root ball.
Ball the soil in your hand;
o Soil Crumbles/dry – water the plant
o Soil Balls – good, allow to dry out before watering
o Soil Wet – bad, allow to completely dry before watering
Chronic Soil Moisture Problems Trees on well drained site
o Poorly Drained Sites.
Remove any berming, mulch or debris under the plant.
Auger drainage sumps around the tree
Install drainage tile system
WATER QUALITY
Most water quality issues come from untreated water sources such as wells or irrigation ditches.
Common water quality issues that affect plant health are high pH, and the high presence of minerals
such as calcium and salts.
SOILS
The soil provides, or adversely does not provide, nutrients and water for plant growth. Ideally, soils
should be well drained, rich in organic matter and have a pH less than 7.0. The two factors that dictate
the health of the soil for plant growth are texture and chemistry.
Roaring Fork Valley soils are typically clay in texture. Clay is a very small particle. As a result, the space
between soil particles is very small and this restricts the movement of water and nutrients through the
soil. They also typically have a high pH, above 7.0. High pH soils chemically “tie up” plant nutrients and
water. These factors make water and nutrients less available for plant uptake. These soils do not drain
well and can also be high in salts which will actually draw moisture out of plants.
That said, all plants benefit from periodic nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium and organic matter
fertilization. In the natural setting, these “macro” nutrients, as well as organic matter and associated
beneficial microorganisms, are supplied by the decaying vegetative matter (leaves & wood debris) which
is regularly removed from the landscape in urban areas.
Treating poor soil conditions is a long‐term process of treatment and testing. If soil issues are
suspected,.the soil should be tested to be sure the soil drains and then tested to determine the soil
texture and chemistry. If any deficiencies are found a treatment program can be developed to address
these deficiencies; improve drainage and build the topsoil. The following is a list of common deficiencies
and treatments.
POOR DRAINAGE
Install root wells, drainage sumps or tile system.
BUILD THE TOP SOIL
Aeration
o Aeration ‐ soil improves gas exchange, water penetration and introduces organic matter
building topsoil.
Add Organic Matter
o Adding organic matter with a compost product will introduce organic matter, nutrients
and beneficial microorganisms building the topsoil.
Improve Soil Chemistry
o Based on the soil test results use soil injection technics to add treatments to adjust the
pH, leach salts, and add nutrients, organic matter and microorganisms.
INSECT PESTS & DISEASE
Maintaining plant health is the best strategy to minimizing the impact of insect pests and disease.
Depending on an owner’s tolerance for these problems, insect pests and diseases can be treated
passively or aggressively, using organic or chemical treatments. The most passive approach is to let
nature take its course and apply no treatments. A better approach is to ensure plants have the water
and nutrients they need to remain healthy and treat pests and disease as they become a problem.
There are pests and diseases common in the Roaring Fork Valley and the following are the pests,
diseases and hosts.
Table 1. Common Insect Pests & Diseases in the Roaring Fork Valley Leaf Feeding Insects Aphids Sucking insect, leaf curling and
death Aspen, Birch, Elm, Dogwood, Juniper, Pine, Rose, Spirea, Spruce
Elm Leaf Beetle Larvae feed on leaves Elm
Leaf Miner Mines the interior of leaves Aspen, Birch, Elm, Lilac, Oak, Pine,
Mites Galls, curling and damage to leaves or flowers
Aspen, Cottonwood, Elm, Honeylocust, Juniper, Maple, Oak, Pine, Polar, Spruce, Willow
Scale Sucking insect, leaf curling and death
Juniper, Pine, Spruce
Stem Feeding Insects
Borers Bore live wood tissue leading to stem and plant death
Aspen, Birch, Cottonwood, Dogwood, Douglas‐fir, Elm, Juniper, Pine, Spruce, Rose
Galls
Scale sucking insect, shoot & stm death
Ash, Dogwood, Elm, Euonymus, Pine. Rose
Tip Moths Larve feed on new shoots killing the shoot
Pine,
White Pine Weevil Larve feed on new shoots killing the shoot
Blue Spruce, White Pine
Diseases
Cankers Fungal or bacteria causing stem wounds
Aspen, Cherry, Dogwood, Cottonwood, Elm, Honeylocust
Fireblight Bateria, "burned" look of leaves and stem.
Apple, Crabapple, Mountain‐Ash, Cherry
Rusts Powdery rust on leaves Hawthorn, Juniper, Serviceberry
Leaf Spot Fungal, black spotting Dogwood, Maple, Rose
Nutrient Deficiencies Chlorosis ‐Yellowing of leaves Hackberry, Maples, Oaks
TREATMENTS
Treating pest problems can be accomplished two ways; culturally or using pesticides.
CULTURAL
Cultural practices are really “mechanical treatments”. They are also categorized as organic treatments.
Monitor plants for signs of insect and disease.
If insect pests are observed simply physically remove them or hose them off with water.
Pruning
o Prune infested or infected branches.
o Make sure proper pruning cuts are used to help ensure speedy wound closure
PESTICIDE TREATMENTS
ORGANIC
Cultural practices are organic treatments. An organic treatment should also include managing plant
fertility. The following examples are organic “chemicals” that will provide some control of insect pests.
Insecticidal Soaps & Arboriculural Oils – both of these treatments essentially suffocate the
insect. The application must be timed to coincide with the time the insect is most susceptible.
CHEMICAL PESTICIDES
The have been significant advancements in the science of chemical products and application methods
to enhance the safety of pesticide use.
Regulation & Information – Commercial pesticide applicators must be certified by the State of
Colorado. They are required to take an proficiency exam and complete ongoing education to
maintain the certification.
Pesticide Mode of Action – All pesticides are very specifically designed to control a particular
insect, to be applied when the insect is most susceptible and when the impact on beneficial
insects is minimized.
Application Methods – In the “old days” all pesticides were applied by spraying it on the plant.
Today, application methods are used that reduce the amount of pesticide applied and the
exposure of the pesticide “outside’ of the plant. The following are the application methods and
descriptions used today
o Drenching – the pesticide is poured around the base of the plant and is quickly
absorbed by the plant’s root mass around the base of the plant.
o Soil Injection – the pesticide is injected into the soil and absorbed by the plant’s roots.
o Trunk Injection – the pesticide is injected into the trunk of the tree.
o Spraying – reserved for pests or diseases that this is the only effective control method.
PLANT HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
Plant Health Care is the industry term that encompasses plant fertility, soil enhancement, and insect &
disease treatment services. A Plant Health Care Program is a program to monitor and treat plant
fertility, soil enhancement and insect & disease problems. A qualified technician visits the site based on
an annual plant health care schedule corresponding to pest and fertility treatment schedules. The
technician applies specified fertility treatments and pesticide treatments only if necessary.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE
Physical damage creates wounds that allow for the introduction of disease and almost all physical
damage is avoidable. The most common human caused damage is caused by lawn mowers and string
trimmers striking the plant. Low hanging branches or branches striking permeant structures can also
lead to damage. Mother nature, storm events, is probably the most common cause of damage.
Structurally defective branches and stems can be ripped from a tree.
TREATMENTS
Create mulch rings around trees in lawn areas to avoid lawn mower and string trimmer damage.
Pruning
o Properly prune low hanging or branches conflicting with structure to ensure they are
not damaged.
o Proper and regular structural pruning, primarily on trees but also shrubs, will
significantly reduce the majority of storm related damage.
OTHER PLANT HEALTH TREATMENTS
PRUNING
Trees shed branches as a natural process. Branches that are inefficient at capturing energy die and are
shed. Weakly attached or defect branches can be “ripped” from a tree during normal weather events.
Regular pruning mimics the natural shedding process by removing dead, dying and defective branches
in a controlled way and will prolong the lifespan of a tree. Pruning dead branches reduces the
probability of the introduction of disease. Removing defective branches will ensure the catastrophic
damage that can occur when a branch is “ripped” is avoided. In the “residential” setting, pruning is also
completed for safety reasons. We don’t want these branches to fail and cause personal injury or
property damage.
A regular pruning schedule is determined by the age of the trees. Young trees are growing vigorously,
requiring more frequent and “aggressive” pruning. Young tree pruning focuses on promoting sound
branching structure to ensure defective branching structure is not present at maturity. Growth of
mature trees slows, the amount of pruning that can be completed is limited and pruning focuses on
removing deadwood and severely defective branches. Conifers will require limited pruning, primarily
when they are young to eliminate any structural issues that may develop. Deciduous trees will need to
pruned regularly throughout their life.
STAKING
Large transplanted trees will require staking until they become established. The guying should allow
the tree trunk to sway as much as 3 inches. This helps develop root anchoring and trunk strength.
Staking should be removed after 3 years.
TREE REMOVAL
At a certain point, the cost to maintain a declining plant or aesthetics make removal and replacement
of the plant a better short and long‐term treatment.
PROFESSIONAL TREE & LANSCAPE SERVICES
The generic term, “green industry” is used to identify companies that provide all landscape care service
from lawn mowing, landscape design to tree care. This broad range of services and the variability of
expertise available can be confusing for the consumer. An educated consumer is the best consumer. To
that end, the following are the professional organizations that have certification programs for the
company and employees that consumers of “green services” should look to when choosing a service
provider.
International Society of Arboriculture (www.isa‐arbor.com )
National Association of Landscape Professionals (www.landscapeprofessionals.org )
State of Colorado Department of Agriculture (www.colorado.gov/pacific/agplants/commercial‐
pesticide‐applicators )
Tree Care Industry Association (www.tcia.org )
TREE SURVEY METHODOLOGIES, FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS
METHODOLOGIES
The property was divided into 9 management areas (See Attachment 1). Management units divide the
work geographically and larger numbers of needs into smaller more manageable numbers of needs.
This facilitates organizing and completing work more efficiently.
Each of the management area was walked and two types of management surveys were completed; a
management survey and a tree risk survey.
MANAGEMENT SURVEY
The objective of the management survey was to identify short and long‐term arboricultural
management issues. Information collected included the tree species present, the approximate number
of each tree species, the size/age, insect and disease presence, and management needs. This survey
was completed first and based on findings of the survey, the tree risk survey was organized to be
consistent with those findings.
TREE RISK SURVEY
The objective of the tree risk inventory was to identify trees that pose a risk to people or property and
make management recommendations to reduce these risks.
Each risk tree identified was tagged with a numbered aluminum tag and management information
collected for the tree. Management information collected for each tree inventoried included the
management area, tag#, tree species, # of stems, diameter, health and structure, management need
and GPS coordinates. The location of each tree was mapped by Tag#.
MANAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS
The survey revealed there
are approximately 880 trees
including 33 different
species of trees (See
Attachment 2).
Cottonwood, numbering
369 trees is by far the most
populous followed by
spruce and crabapple (Chart
1).
369
129
127
59
55
52
5141
Chart 1. Tree Genus Distribution
COTTONWOOD
SPRUCE
CRABAPPLE X FLOWERING
OTHERS
WILLOW
AUTUMN OLLIVE
PINE
ASH
The management issues/challenges revealed by the survey are as follows.
The large population and condition of the mature hybrid cottonwoods
The poor health of young trees.
Tree pruning needs
Plant Health Care needs
Tree Planting Program
MATURE HYBRID COTTONWOOD POPULATION
The HOA faces a significant challenge in managing the cottonwoods. 338 of the cottonwood are
believed to be a hybrid and 31 are the native narrowleaf cottonwood. The hybrid cottonwood is a large
tree species, exceptionally fast growing, relatively short lived and when they reach the end of their
lifespan they decline quickly. The life expectancy of these hybrids in Colorado is and estimated 40 and
50 years. Ninety‐five percent of these suspected hybrid cottonwood are mature, an estimated 30‐40
years old and symptoms of decline are beginning to appear.
Photo 1. The 3 trees on the right are exhibiting varying symptoms of decline. Note the crowns of the trees
versus the trees on the left.
Contributing to the decline of these trees are insect pests and disease that can attack a healthy tree but
most often attack trees that are under stress. These insects and diseases are common on trees that are
showing symptoms of decline.
In addition, these trees have not received regular structural
pruning. As a result, the majority of these trees have poor
branching structure. These branches are prone to failure in
normal storm events. Structural pruning can be performed
to reduce the risks of these branches failing, however the
size and rate of recurrence of these defective branches
within these trees would require extensive and aggressive
pruning. This is compounded by high frequency of these
problems in the majority of the cottonwood population,
the health of these trees and their long‐term sustainability.
Photo 2. The brown spots on this limb are exit
holes of the poplar borer. This tree (Tag# 65)
is in Mgmt Unit 1 adjacent to the pond.
Photo 3. This wound was cause by cytospora
and it has compromised the structure of this
stem should be removed.
Photo 4. This double stem union in Mgmt
Unit 2 is structurally weak and prone to
failure.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The combination of these problems presents significant challenges for the HOA. Those challenges
include managing the risk these trees present to people and property, the removal of declining trees
and the aesthetic impact, the replacement of the trees and the cost to mitigate these issues. The
following is the recommended management strategy.
Annual Tree Risk Survey ‐ Hire a consulting arborist to complete an annual risk tree inventory of
the entire HOA property to identify the following.
o Priority Pruning Needs ‐ Relatively healthy trees with structural defective branches
present that have a high failure risk.
o Removal – Trees in poor health and declining trees.
o Prioritize the needs – focus resources on high use areas first, such as along roadways,
and then lower use areas.
The survey will provide all tree risk management needs in addition to the current status of
individual hybrid cottonwoods. The status of the cottonwoods will provide an estimate of the
rate of decline of these trees to anticipate future needs in addition to the management needs of
the trees that year. This first of these surveys was completed and the results are detailed in the
Tree Risk Survey Results section.
Develop an Hybrid Cottonwood Mitigation Plan & Budget based the findings of the Annual Risk
Survey.
o Number of removals per year
o Years until all hybrid cottonwoods are removed.
Allocate sufficient financial resources to fund the annual risk survey, safety pruning, tree
removal and replacement. Utilize the findings of this year’s Tree Risk Survey as a “tool” in
developing an annual budget.
YOUNG TREE HEALTH
The majority of “recently” planted trees are in poor health. These
plantings represent a significant financial and aesthetic
investment for the HOA and the community.
Photo 5. These recently planted
cottonwoods on the western border of
Mgmt Unit 2 are unfortunately common
examples of poorly performing recent
plantings. Lack of regular watering is the
most likely cause.
Photo 6. This oak tree located in Mgmt
Unit 2 is performing poorly. Regular
watering as well as a young tree fertility
treatment would enhance tree health and
long‐term viability.
Photo 7. The base of this maple tree has
been damaged by mowing equipment.
The turf around trees should be removed
and replaced by mulch to protect trees
from this type of damage and help
maintain soil moisture for the tree.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Fortunately, simple and relatively low costs treatments and management strategies can be employed
to realize improvements. These can be divided into tasks/treatments that HOA staff can complete and
those more suitable for an arboricultural service provider to perform.
HOA Tasks
Install mulch rings around the bases trees – Mulch rings around the bases of young trees, and
older trees, will help retain soil moisture and help protect the trees from accidental damage.
o Remove the turf around the tree to the dripline, install and maintain 3 inches of mulch.
Watering ‐ Trees require 10 gallons of water per inch of tree diameter each week throughout
the growing season and when soil temperatures are above freezing in the winter.
o Purchase and install tree watering Gator Bags (http://www.treegator.com/ ) on new
plantings. Use for at least 3 years after planting.
Planting – At a minimum the root crown of a new planting should be planted at grade. Ideally,
given the soil conditions in the Valley, a tree should be planted with the root crown above
grade.
o Excavate the top of the root ball to locate the root crown
o Plant trees with root crown between 3 & 6 inches above grade.
Pruning – Provide structural pruning every 3 years until pruning cannot be completed from the
ground with hand tools.
Arboricultural Service Provider
Fertility
o Apply a young tree establishment package that includes soil wetting agents, soil
microbes and the appropriate fertilizers (low/slow release nitrogen & high phosphorus).
Watering
o Professional deep watering services are available to augment in‐house watering as
needed and include added benefits such as soil wetting agents to improve plant uptake.
TREE PRUNING
As was discussed in the Arboricultural Needs & Treatments section and noted as an issue with the
cottonwood and young trees, tree pruning is a management task that should be completed on a regular
basis. Observations made during the survey revealed this task is has not been completed on a regular
basis. The result is poor branching structure that is prone to failure.
Photo 10. Small trees such as this
crabapple located in Mgmt Unit 3 benefit
from regular pruning too. In addition the
structural issues, regular pruning includes
pruning dead, diseased and for under
canopy clearance.
Photo 8. This narrowleaf cottonwood
tree located in Mgmt Unit 4 has very poor
branching structure that could have been
corrected by regular pruning. Tight, V‐
shaped branch unions are structurally
weak and prone to failure. The willow
trees, most are located in Mgmt Unit 5,
have similar structural problems.
Photo 9. A single central stem, like on
this cottonwood in Mgmt Unit 3, is a
desirable structural feature.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Pruning needs are grouped into age/size classes specifying the frequency pruning should be completed
and the skill level required to complete the pruning.
Young Trees – prune every 3 years until their annual growth falls to or below 6 inches a year or
cannot be pruned from the ground with hand tools.
o With proper training this task can be performed by HOA staff or volunteers with proper
training.
Small Trees – A small tree is defined as a tree that can be pruned from the ground with hand
tools throughout its lifespan.
o Small trees should every 5 to 7 years.
Large Trees – A large tree is defined as a tree that cannot be pruned from the ground with hand
tools.
o Trees located along HOA streets should be pruned every 5 years.
o Trees located on the open space properties should be pruned every 7 years.
Meeting these needs can be completed by organizing the trees and needs into two pruning programs
and allocating sufficient resources to complete the work annually.
Priority Pruning Program
Pruning to reduce the risk of branch failures. Trees to be pruned would be identified in an annual tree
risk survey discussed in the Tree Risk Survey Results section.
Rotational Pruning Program
Perform maintenance pruning on a set number trees based on the pruning frequency of the population
of young, small and large trees in a localized area (Mgmt Unit) each year. This program spreads the
workload and cost over the number of years of the pruning frequency.
Young Trees – Approximate Population 100 trees, 3‐year rotation, prune 33 trees per year
Small Trees ‐ Approximate Population 116 trees, 5‐year rotation, prune 24 trees per year
Large Trees (Excluding Hybrid Cottonwoods) ‐ Approximate Population 300 trees, 5‐year
rotation, prune 60 trees per year
PLANT HEALTH CARE
Plant Health Care is the industry term used to group plant health needs including moisture
management, fertility and insect & disease treatment. The survey revealed watering, fertility and insect
& disease issues.
MOISTURE MANAGEMENT (WATERING)
Watering deficiencies on recently planted trees were observed, discussed and recommendations made
above in the Young Tree Health section. There were no significant moisture management issues
observed on the mature trees. However, maintaining providing sufficient and consistent water for the
mature trees is a critical plant health objective. Different species of trees have different moisture
requirements to maintain health. Lodgepole and Ponderosa pine prefer dry conditions. The rest of the
tree species present (95%) require regular watering to maintain tree health. Changes in a watering
source and frequency will also stress a tree. Changes such as significant alterations of the irrigation
cycles will impact trees in those areas or suspending the flow of water in irrigation ditches will impact
the cottonwood that line the ditches.
Portions of the community properties are irrigated and some are not irrigated. Given the majority of
the trees have higher water requirements irrigated areas should receive long duration, less frequent
irrigation cycles to maintain tree health recognizing that dryland trees species present in these areas
may suffer. Trees located on non‐irrigated areas will require supplemental watering to maintain tree
health. Any tree plantings on non‐irrigated areas should be tree species with low water requirements.
SOILS & FERTILITY
Ideally, we would like to see at least 12 inches of topsoil,
however this is rare in Roaring Fork Valley landscapes.
Random soil probing revealed there is between 3 and 10
inches of topsoil. In areas such as Mgmt Unit 1, where the
topsoil depth is low, reduced tree health and symptoms of
nutrient deficiencies were more common.
Photo 11. Off‐color leaves, such as on this
maple located on Mgmt Unit 1 is a
symptom of nutrient deficiencies.
INSECT PESTS & DISEASE
Insect pests and disease problems were observed. Poplar borer and cytospora canker were observed on
the cottonwood trees throughout the property and two aspen tree recommended for removal in Mgmt
Unit 6. Limited infestations of cooley spruce gall (brown galls on twig ends, largely aesthetic problem)
were observed on the Colorado spruce Other significant issues observed are as follows.
Crabapple trees are susceptible to a large number of insect pests and disease. The best crabapple
management practice is to remove very susceptible selections and plant tolerant selections. There are
treatments for select problems that can be applied if preservation of a select tree or group of trees is
preferred.
There are 41 green ash trees representing 4.7% of the population. This is not an excessive percentage of
the population, however ash does have some chronic pest problems, one of which is fatal. Two
common pests, scale and lilac/ash borer, were observed
active on the trees and are treatable Emerald Ash Borer
(http://www.emeraldashborer.info/) is a fatal insect
pest that is present on the front range, yet to be found
on the western slope however it is only a matter of
time. There is a preventative trunk injection treatment
but it must be reapplied ever 2 to 3 years. Because of
these problems, we do not recommend planting ash
trees.
Photo 12. Crabapple suffering from
fungal apple scab disease. Some
selections of crabapple are very
susceptible to this disease.
Photo 13. Green ash tree infested with lilac/ash
borer. Preventative treatments should be applied
on health trees. Damaged and infested branches
should be pruned and a preventative treatment
applied to if preservation is desired on infested
the trees.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Water/Moisture Management
o Provide regular supplemental watering for tree plantings and trees in non‐irrigated
areas
o Irrigated Areas – irrigate on long‐duration irrigation every 3 days during the growing
season
Soils/Fertility
o General
Aerate root zone & apply organic matter such as Nutri Mulch or Pro Peat
o Tree Specific Deficiencies
Preform soil testing if necessary and treat deficiencies
Insect Pests & Disease
o Provide regular preventative treatments on ‘high value’ trees
o Monitor for insect pests and disease and treat as necessary
Plant Health Care Program
The simplest approach to managing fertility and insect pest and disease problems is to secure a
Plant Health Care Program contract with a qualified service provider. The services to be
provided could be customized to meet the HOA’s needs based on the desired levels of
management and budget.
PLANTING PROGRAM
A simple planting program would set goals to regularly plant trees to maintain or increase the tree
population, and meet landscape design and management objectives.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A tree planting program is recommended. The program should have the following objectives.
Maintain or Increase the tree population
o Annual Tree Planting Number – number of trees removed in the year plus 10% to
maintain the present population number.
o Allocate an annual budget figure to meet this tree planting goal.
Tree Species Selection
There is a large selection of tree species that can be planted in the Valley (Attachment 4). Some
are more tolerant of the environmental conditions of the Valley versus others and some are
more disease and insect pest resistant versus others. The less tolerant tree species are more
costly to maintain. Given the large number of trees the HOA manages, avoiding planting these
less tolerant trees species will simplify management and will be less costly.
o Select dryland tree species for non‐irrigated areas.
o Select tree species that tolerate the high pH, clay soil conditions.
o Select insect pest and disease resistant tree species
o Integrate Tree Species Diversity – avoid planting tree species that have a high
representation in the population to avoid the potential impact of insect pests, disease
or other tree species specific management problems that may arise.
Tree genus does not exceed 10% of the population
Tree species does not exceed 5% of the population
TREE RISK SURVEY RESULTS
The tree risk survey identified 43 trees requiring priority management (Table 2 & Attachment 3). These
work needs represents 4.9% of the population of trees which is not an excessive finding. One of three
management recommendations were made for each tree. Thirty‐seven of these trees are hybrid
cottonwoods.
Prune Safety – Perform a safety prune on a
tree in fair health or better
Prue Safety/Remove – Perform a safety prune
or if the tree is a hybrid cottonwood consider
removal.
Prune Reduce – Perform reduction pruning to
reduce the risk of tree or scaffold branch
failure on a tree in fair health or better
Remove – Remove tree, poor health and
structure
Table 2. Risk Tree Mgmt Needs
Mgmt Need # of
Trees
Prune Safety 12 Prune Reduce 5 Prune Safety/ Remove
13 Remove 13 Total 43
RECOMMENDATIONS
These findings can be used to estimate the number of annual removals and priority pruning needs
property wide as well as the hybrid cottonwood needs and the annual cost to meet these needs.
Fund and Complete an Annual Tree Risk Survey
The work identified in this survey should be completed within a year.
Develop a budget to meet the findings of the risk survey
Hybrid Cottonwood Management Plan
The number of hybrid cottonwoods and their management recommendations found in the risk survey
can be used to develop a hybrid cottonwood management strategy and budget.
Secure unit price cost estimates to complete all the work and two costs for the following Mgmt
Need Designations
o Pruning trees designated Prune Safety/Remove
o Remove Pruning trees designated Prune Safety/Remove
Develop an annual removal plan. The risk survey results will indicate if trees are declining slowly
or quickly and will assist in setting the number of removals per year and years to completion.
o For Example
Photo 14. Typical tree recommended for
removal. Severely declining aspen infested with
poplar borer and cytospora infected.
9 trees are recommended for removal in this survey and 13 are
declining/possible removal candidates
Assign a 20‐year plan to remove all hybrid cottonwood
Remove 18 trees per year
Develop an Annual Hybrid Cottonwood Removal Budget
SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS & CLOSING
Managing a large population of trees, like any asset, presents challenges and competes for the limited resources the HOA has to manage all of the community assets. The purpose of this arboricultural assessment and report was to find deficiencies and make recommendations to correct those deficiencies. This report provides a lot of information and the challenges presented in this report should not be seen as an indication of substandard management. The HOA staff recognized they are not arboricultural professionals and secured qualified expertise to assist the HOA in managing this valuable asset. The objective of this report is to provide the HOA with a reference document that has the information necessary for the HOA to make informed decisions. The following summarizes the recommendations.
MATURE HYBRID COTTONWOOD MITIGATION PLAN & TREE RISK MANAGEMENT
Managing the Blue Lake community tree population includes identifying trees that may pose an
unacceptable risk to people and property and mitigating those risks. Completing an annual tree risk
survey and completing the work found in that survey will fulfill this obligation. It will also provide the
HOA with the information necessary to plan and budget to meet tree risk and the hybrid cottonwood
management needs.
We anticipate the hybrid cottonwood tree population is going to decline at an accelerating rate. This
will result in higher pruning and removal costs. Time will tell how quickly these trees decline and the
actual impact. Developing a management strategy will help mitigate the impact and cost of meeting
this challenge.
Fund and Complete an Annual Tree Risk Survey
Complete the work identified in the Annual Tree Risk Survey within a year.
Develop an annual budget to meet the findings of the Annual Tree Risk Survey
Develop an Hybrid Cottonwood Mitigation Plan & Budget based the findings of the Annual Risk
Survey.
YOUNG TREE HEALTH
HOA Tasks
Install mulch rings around the bases trees – Mulch rings around the bases of young trees, and
older trees, will help retain soil moisture and help protect the trees from accidental damage.
o Remove the turf around the tree to the dripline, install and maintain 3 inches of mulch.
Watering ‐ Trees require 10 gallons of water per inch of tree diameter each week throughout
the growing season and when soil temperatures are above freezing in the winter.
o Purchase and install tree watering Gator Bags (http://www.treegator.com/ ) on new
plantings. Use for at least 3 years after planting.
Planting – At a minimum the root crown of a new planting should be planted at grade. Ideally,
given the soil conditions in the Valley, a tree should be planted with the root crown above
grade.
o Excavate the top of the root ball to locate the root crown
o Plant trees with root crown between 3 & 6 inches above grade.
Pruning – Provide structural pruning every 3 years until pruning cannot be completed from the
ground with hand tools.
Arboricultural Service Provider
Fertility
o Apply a young tree establishment package that includes soil wetting agents, soil
microbes and the appropriate fertilizers (low/slow release nitrogen & high phosphorus).
Watering
o Professional deep watering services are available to augment in‐house watering as
needed and include added benefits such as soil wetting agents to improve plant uptake.
TREE PRUNING
Pruning needs are grouped into age/size classes specifying the frequency pruning should be completed
and the skill level required to complete the pruning.
Young Trees – prune every 3 years until their annual growth falls to or below 6 inches a year or
cannot be pruned from the ground with hand tools.
o With proper training, this task can be performed by HOA staff or volunteers with
proper training.
Small Trees – A small tree is defined as a tree that can be pruned from the ground with hand
tools throughout its lifespan.
o Small trees should every 5 to 7 years.
Large Trees – A large tree is defined as a tree that cannot be pruned from the ground with hand
tools.
o Trees located along HOA streets should be pruned every 5 years.
o Trees located on the open space properties should be pruned every 7 years.
Meeting these needs can be completed by organizing the trees and needs into two pruning programs
and allocating sufficient resources to complete the work annually.
Priority Pruning Program
Pruning to reduce the risk of branch failures. Trees to be pruned would be identified in an annual tree
risk survey discussed in the Tree Risk Survey Results section.
Rotational Pruning Program
Perform maintenance pruning on a set number trees based on the pruning frequency of the population
of young, small and large trees in a localized area (Mgmt Unit) each year. This program spreads the
workload and cost over the number of years of the pruning frequency.
Young Trees – Approximate Population 100 trees, 3‐year rotation, prune 33 trees per year
Small Trees ‐ Approximate Population 116 trees, 5‐year rotation, prune 24 trees per year
Large Trees (Excluding Hybrid Cottonwoods) ‐ Approximate Population 300 trees, 5‐year
rotation, prune 60 trees per year
PLANT HEALTH CARE
Water/Moisture Management
o Provide regular supplemental watering for tree plantings and trees in non‐irrigated
areas
o Irrigated Areas – irrigate on long‐duration irrigation every 3 days during the growing
season
Soils/Fertility
o General
Aerate root zone & apply organic matter such as Nutri Mulch or Pro Peat
o Tree Specific Deficiencies
Preform soil testing if necessary and treat deficiencies
Insect Pests & Disease
o Provide regular preventative treatments on ‘high value’ trees
o Monitor for insect pests and disease and treat as necessary
Plant Health Care Program
The simplest approach to managing fertility and insect pest and disease problems is to secure a
Plant Health Care Program contract with a qualified service provider. The services to be
provided could be customized to meet the HOA’s needs based on the desired levels of
management and budget.
TREE PLANTING PROGRAM
Maintain or Increase the tree population
o Annual Tree Planting Number – number of trees removed in the year plus 10% to
maintain the present population number.
o Allocate an annual budget figure to meet this tree planting goal.
Tree Species Selection
There is a large selection of tree species that can be planted in the Valley (Attachment 4). Some
are more tolerant of the environmental conditions of the Valley versus others and some are
more disease and insect pest resistant versus others. The less tolerant tree species are more
costly to maintain. Given the large number of trees the HOA manages, avoiding planting these
less tolerant trees species will simplify management and will be less costly.
o Select dryland tree species for non‐irrigated areas.
o Select tree species that tolerate the high pH, clay soil conditions.
o Select insect pest and disease resistant tree species
o Integrate Tree Species Diversity – avoid planting tree species that have a high
representation in the population to avoid the potential impact of insect pests, disease
or other tree species specific management problems that may arise.
Tree genus does not exceed 10% of the population
Tree species does not exceed 5% of the population
ATTACHMENT 1 – MANAGEMENT UNIT MAP
Attachment 1 - Tree Management Units
7
8
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
ATTACHMENT 2 – BLUE LAKE TREE SPECIES LIST
Blue LakeTree Species List
Aspen Tree ServiceSeptember 2017
Species# of
Trees
% of
PopAPPLE COMMON 4 0.46%
ASH GREEN 41 4.68%
ASPEN QUAKING 25 2.85%
AUTUMN OLLIVE 52 5.94%
BIRCH EUROPEAN 1 0.11%
BUCKEYE OHIO 4 0.46%
CHERRY SPECIES 1 0.11%
CHOKECHERRY ‐ CANADA RED 1 0.11%
COTTONWOOD, NARROWLEAF 31 3.54%
COTTONWOOD, HYBRID 338 38.58%
CRABAPPLE X FLOWERING 127 14.50%
ELM SIBERIAN 3 0.34%
HONEYLOCUST 16 1.83%
HORNBEAM EUROPEAN 2 0.23%
JUNIPER ROCKY MOUNTAIN 5 0.57%
LINDEN LITTLELEAF 4 0.46%
MAPLE AMUR 4 0.46%
MAPLE NORWAY 8 0.91%
MAPLE ROCKY MOUNTAIN 2 0.23%
MAPLE SILVER 2 0.23%
MAPLE X FREEMAN 1 0.11%
MOUNTAIN‐ASH 2 0.23%
OAK BUR MOSSY CUP 4 0.46%
PEAR CALLERY 2 0.23%
PINE AUSTRIAN 4 0.46%
PINE LODGEPOLE 24 2.74%
PINE PONDEROSA 15 1.71%
PINE SCOTCH 8 0.91%
PLUM PURPLELEAF 8 0.91%
POPLAR WHITE UPRIGHT 3 0.34%
SERVICEBERRY 2 0.23%
SPRUCE COLORADO BLUE 129 14.73%
WILLOW BABYLON WEEPING 55 6.28%
Total 883
ATTACHEMENT 3 – RISK TREE SURVEY DATA & MAPS
Blue Lake HOATree Risk Survey Trees
Aspen Tree Service September 2017
Mgmt Unit
SiteTypeTag
#Species
# of Stems
DBH Health Structure Mgmt Need Priority Comments
1 Open Space 61 WILLOW BABYLON WEEPING
1 22 Good Fair Prune Safety Moderate
1 Open Space 62 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 14 Good Poor Remove Low Retain 1 good stem. Remove defective stem and others
1 Open Space 63 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
7 24 Fair Fair Prune Safety Low DEADWOOD OVER WALK-Total of 7 trees west of Tagged tree
1 Open Space 65 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Poor Fair Prune Safety Moderate POPLAR BORER
1 Open Space 66 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
2 36 Good Poor Prune Reduce
High
2 Open Space 69 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 26 Fair Poor Prune Reduce
High POSSIBLE UPROOT
2 Open Space 71 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Fair Fair Prune Safety Moderate DEADWOOD
2 Open Space 72 ASH GREEN 1 11 Poor Poor Remove Low3 Roadside 135 COTTONWOOD,
HYBRID1 10 Poor Poor Remove High CYTOSPORA CANKER ON
TRUNK4 Roadside 137 COTTONWOOD,
NARROWLEAF1 20 Very PooPoor Remove Moderate
4 Roadside 99 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
High
4 Roadside 100 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 26 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
Moderate
4 Roadside 102 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Fair Poor Prune Reduce
High
4 Roadside 107 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Fair Poor Prune Reduce
High
4 Roadside 109 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
Moderate
Page 1 of 3
Blue Lake HOATree Risk Survey Trees
Aspen Tree Service September 2017
Mgmt Unit
SiteTypeTag
#Species
# of Stems
DBH Health Structure Mgmt Need Priority Comments
4 Roadside 110 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Poor Poor Prune Safety/ Remove
High
4 Roadside 112 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 36 Poor Poor Prune Safety/ Remove
High
4 Roadside 113 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 34 Poor Poor Prune Safety/ Remove
High
4 Roadside 115 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 34 Poor Poor Remove High
4 Roadside 126 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 34 Poor Poor Remove High
4 Roadside 133 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Fair Fair Prune Safety Moderate
5 Open Space 74 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 16 Poor Poor Remove Moderate TRUNK DECAY
5 Open Space 75 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 18 Poor Poor Prune Safety/ Remove
Moderate
5 Open Space 76 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 7 Fair Poor Remove Moderate TRUNK DECAY
5 Roadside 98 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 23 Poor Poor Remove High
6 Open Space 77 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 26 Very PooPoor Remove Moderate
6 Open Space 78 ELM SIBERIAN 1 18 Poor Poor Prune Safety Low6 Open Space 79 ASPEN
QUAKING1 16 Very PooPoor Remove Moderate
6 Open Space 80 ASPEN QUAKING
1 12 Very PooPoor Remove Moderate
6 Roadside 82 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 26 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
High
Page 2 of 3
Blue Lake HOATree Risk Survey Trees
Aspen Tree Service September 2017
Mgmt Unit
SiteTypeTag
#Species
# of Stems
DBH Health Structure Mgmt Need Priority Comments
6 Roadside 84 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 26 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
Moderate
6 Roadside 85 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Poor Poor Remove High
6 Roadside 87 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 30 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
High
6 Roadside 88 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Fair Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
Moderate
6 Roadside 90 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 28 Fair Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
High
6 Roadside 94 COTTONWOOD, HYBRID
1 32 Poor Fair Prune Safety/ Remove
High
Page 3 of 3
ATTACHMENT 4 – ASPEN TREE SERVICE RECOMMENDED TREE LIST
Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Deciduous
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Acer MapleAcer campestre Hedge
Acer x freemanii Freeman ‐ 'Armstrong', Autumn
Blaze®, Autumn Fantasy®,
Celebration®, Sienna Glen®
X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Acer ginnala Amur/ Ginnala ‐ 'Flame' X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Acer glabrum Rocky Mountain
Acer grandidentatum Big Tooth ‐ Manzano™ X
Acer negundo Boxelder/ Ash‐leaved ‐ 'Sensation' X
Acer platanoides Norway ‐ 'Columnare', 'Crimson
King', 'Crimson Sentry', 'Deborah',
Emerald Lustre®, 'Emerald Queen',
Fairview®, 'Royal Red'
X
Acer tataricum Tatarian ‐Hot Wings®, Pattern
Perfect™
X
Aesculus Buckeye/HorsechestnutAesculus arguta Texas
Aesculus glabra Ohio X
Aesculus hippocastanum Common Horsechestnut X
Aesculus octandra(flava) Yellow X
Aesculus x carnea Red Hybrid ‐ 'Briotti', 'Fort McNair' X
Alnus AlderAlnus glutinosa Common /Black X X leaf miner
Alnus tenuifolia Thinleaf/ Mountain X X leaf miner
Amelanchier ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon
Amelanchier canadensis Shadblow
Amelanchier laevis Allegheny ‐'Snowcloud', Spring
Flurry®
X
Amelanchier lamarckii Lamarck X
Amelanchier x
grandiflora
Autumn Brilliance®, 'Princess Diana',
'Robin Hill'
X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Betula BirchBetula nigra River ‐ Heritage® X X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils, birch
borer
Betula occidentalis Rocky Mountain/ Water X X birch borer
Carpinus HornbeamCarpinus betulus European ‐ 'Frans Fontaine',
'Fastigiata' ('Pyramidalis')
X
Celtis HackberryCeltis occidentalis Common X
Celtis Laegigata Sugar, Sugarberry X
Cercis RedbudCercis canadensis Eastern ‐ 'Alba', 'Forest Pansy',
Lavender Twist™
X
Crataegus Hawthorn
Page 1 of 6
Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Crataegus crusgalli Cockspur var. inermis X
Crataegus ambigua Russian
Crataegus douglasii River/Douglas X
Crataegus laevigata English ‐ 'Crimson Cloud', 'Pauls
Scarlet'
X X fireblight disease
Crataegus mollis Downy X X rust disease
Crataegus x mordenensis Hybrid ‐ 'Toba' X
Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington X
Crataegus viridis Green ‐ 'Winter King' X
Crataegus x lavallei Lavalle X
Fraxinus Ash X DO NOT PLANT ‐ Emerald Ash
Borer
Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo/ Maidenhair X
Gleditsia HoneylocustGleditsia triacanthos v.
inermis
Thornless Common ‐Halka™,
Imperial®, Shademaster®, Skyline®,
Sunburst®
X
Gymnocladus Kentucky CoffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus Kentucky Coffeetree ‐ 'Espresso' X
Hibiscus syriacus Rose‐of‐Sharon ‐
'Aphrodite','Ardens','Coelistis',
'Lucy','Red Heart','Woodbridge'
X
Maackia amurensis Amur Maackia X
Malus Apple X
Malus 'Gala' Gala X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Granny Smith' Granny Smith X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Haralred' Haralred X X codling moth
Malus 'Honeycrisp' HoneyCrisp X X codling moth
Malus 'Jonathan' Jonathan X X codling moth, fireblight
Malus 'Liberty' Liberty X X codling moth
Malus 'McIntosh' McIntosh X X codling moth, fireblight
Malus 'Red Delicious' Red Delicious X X codling moth
Malus 'Royal Gala' Royal Gala X X codling moth, fireblight
Malus 'Sweet Sixteen' Sweet Sixteen X X codling moth
Malus 'Yellow Delicious' Yellow Golden Delicious X X codling moth
Malus 'Zestar' Zestar X X codling moth
Malus Crabapple X
Malus 'Adams' Adams X
Malus x 'Branzam' Brandywine® X X fire blight disease
Malus x 'Centzam' Centurion® X
Malus x 'Coralcole' Coralburst™ X
Malus 'David' David X X
Malus 'Dolgo' Dolgo X X
Malus x 'Schmidtcutleaf' Golden Raindrops® X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Hopa' Hopa X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Indian Magic' Indian Magic X
Malus 'Indian Summer' Indian Summer X
Malus ioensis Bechtel 'Plena' X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Prairiefire' Prairiefire X fire blight disease
Page 2 of 6
Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Malus ' Prairie Rose' Prairie Rose X
Malus ' Profusion',
'Radiant'
Profusion, Radiant X
Malus 'Red Barron' Red Barron X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Red Jade',
'Royalty'
Red Jade, Royalty X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Robinson', 'Royal
Raindrops'
Robinson, Royal Raindrops X
Malus sargentii Sargent X
Malus sargentii 'Tina' Sargent Tina X
Malus 'Spring Snow' Spring Snow X X fire blight disease
Malus 'Thunderchild' Thunderchild X
Malus 'Velvetcole' Velvet Pillar™ X X
Populus Poplar (cottonwood & aspen) X
Populus angustifolia Narrowleaf Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus deltoides Eastern Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus sargentii Plains Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus sargentii Sargent, Straight Plains 'Jeronimus' X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus tremula European, Aspen ‐ 'Erecta' Upright X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus tremuloides Quaking Aspen X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus x acuminata Lanceleaf Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus x acuminata x
sargentii
Highland Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Populus x canescens
'Tower"
Tower Cottonwood X X Prone to failures, many pests &
disease
Prunus Apricot X
Prunus armeniaca Chinese X
Prunus armeniaca Chinese ‐ 'Moongold', 'Moorpark' X
Prunus Plum & Cherry X
Prunus avium 'Bali' Bali Cherry X
Prunus avium 'Bing' Bing Cherry X
Prunus avium 'Stella
Compact'
Stella Compact Cherry X
Prunus cerasifera Plum Newport (Kankakee) X X borer
Prunus cerasifera Plum Newport (Minnesota) X X borer
Prunus cerasus Cherry ‐'Montmorency', 'North Star' X
Prunus 'Frankthrees' Cherry ‐ Mt. Saint Helens® X X
Prunus maackii Amur Chokecherry X X
Prunus 'Mount Royal' Cherry ‐Mount Royal X
Prunus padus European Birdcherry ‐ Summer
Glow®
X
Page 3 of 6
Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Prunus persica 'Elberta',
'Polly'
Peach ‐ Elberta, Polly X
Prunus persica 'Reliance' Peach ‐ Reliance X
Prunus 'Santa Rosa' Plum ‐ Santa Rosa X
Prunus 'Stanley' Plum ‐ Stanley X
Prunus 'Superior' Plum ‐ Superior X
Prunus 'Toka' Plum ‐ Toka X
Prunus virginiana Common Chokecherry ‐ 'Canada
Red', 'Schubert'
X X
Prunus x fontanesiana Plum ‐ Des Fontaines X
Ptelea trifoliata Wafer ash, Hoptree X
Quercus OakQuercus alba White X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Quercus bicolor Swamp White X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Quercus buckleyi Texas Red
Quercus ellipsoidalis Northern Pin X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Quercus gambelii Gambel X
Quercus macrocarpa Bur X
Quercus muehlenbergii Chinkapin X
Quercus robur English ‐ 'Columnaris','Skyrocket',
'Skymaster'
X
Quercus rubra Red X X Develops leaf yellowing
(chlorosis) in hich pH soils
Quercus shumardii Shumard X
Quercus undulata Wavyleaf X
Quercus alba x robur Crimson Spire® X
Quercus robur x bicolor Regal Prince® X
Robinia pseudoacacia Black Locust ‐ 'Purple Robe' X X borer
Salix Willow X
Salix alba Niobe Weeping ‐ 'Tristis' X X ahpids, canker disease
Salix alba 'Vitellina' Russian Golden ‐ 'Vitellina' X X ahpids, canker disease
Salix amygdaloides Peachleaf X X ahpids, canker disease
Salix matsudana Globe ‐ 'Navajo' X X ahpids, canker disease
Salix x 'Prairie Cascade' Prairie Cascade X X ahpids, canker disease
Sophora japonica Japanese Pagodatree X
Sorbus Mountain‐ash X X
Sorbus intermedia Swedish Whitebeam X
Sorbus aucuparia European ‐ Cardinal Royal® B x x m X X fireblight disease
Sorbus x hybrida Oak Leaf X X fireblight disease
Syringa Lilac X
Syringa pekinensis Peking ‐ 'Summer Charm' X
Syringa reticulata Japanese ‐'Ivory Silk' X
Tilia Linden X
Tilia americana American‐ 'Legend', 'American
Sentry'
X X aphids
Tilia cordata Littleleaf ‐ Greenspire® X X aphids
Page 4 of 6
Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Tilia tomentosa Silver ‐ 'Sterling Silver' X X aphids
Tilia cordata x mongolica Harvest Gold' X X aphids
Tilia x flavescens Glenleven' X X aphids
Tilia x euchlora 'Redmond' X X aphids
Ulmus Elm X X
Ulmus americana American ‐ 'Princeton' X X scale, elm leaf beatle
Ulmus wilsoniana Prospector' X scale, elm leaf beatle
Ulmus japonica x U.
wilsoniana
Accolade' 'Triumph' X scale, elm leaf beatle
Ulmus 'Urban' x U.
wilsoniana
Patriot' X scale, elm leaf beatle
ConifersAbies concolor White Fir
Juniperus JuniperJuniperus chinensis Chinese ‐ 'Blue Point', 'Spartan',
‘Spearmint’, 'Hetzi Columnaris'
X
Juniperus monosperma One‐Seed
Juniperus osteosperma Utah
Juniperus scopulorum Rocky Mountain ‐ 'Welchii', 'Gray
Gleam', ' Cologreen', 'Sky Rocket',
'Wichita Blue', 'Moonglow', 'Medora'
Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar ‐ 'Hillspire',
‘Idyllwild,’ 'Blue Arrow', 'Taylor',
'Manhattan Blue'
X
Larix decidua European Larch X
Picea Spruce X
Picea abies Norway ‐ 'Cupressina' X
Picea glauca Black Hills 'Densata' X
Picea omorika Serbian X
Picea pungens Colorado X X
Picea pungens glauca Colorado Blue ‐ 'Baby Blue Eyes',
'Bakeri', 'Fastigiata', 'Fat Albert',
Hoopsii, 'Colorado Weeping'
,'Sester's Dwarf'
X X Tussock moth,
Pinus PinePinus aristata Bristlecone(foxtail)
Pinus bungeana Lacebark X
Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine X
Pinus contorta Lodgepole X bark beatle
Pinus edulis Pinyon bark beatle, tip moth
Pinus flexilis Limber ‐ 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'
Pinus heldreichii Bosnian var. leucodermis ‐ 'Emerald
Arrow', 'Iseli Fastigiata'
X
Pinus monophylla Singleleaf Pinyon
Pinus mugo Mugo ‐ ' Big Tuna','Tannenbaum' X
Pinus nigra Austrian ‐ 'Arnold's Sentinel' X
Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa bark beatle
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Aspen Tree Service
Recommended Tree List
As of:
September 2017
Botanical Name (GenuCommon Name ‐ CultivarsNeeds
Irrig
Soils
Issue
Insect &
Disease Comments
Pinus strobus Eastern White X X
Pinus strobiformis Southwestern White X
Pinus sylvestris Scotch X bark beatle
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