Tuesday, March 30, 2010

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Spring Break Updates Butterfly Gardening

by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010


BUILD A BETTER BUTTERFLY GARDEN (See Plant list at end of this blog!)

• Install native flowering plants – Because many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved over time and depend on each other for survival and reproduction, it is particularly important to install native flowering plants local to your geographic area. Native plants provide butterflies with the nectar or foliage they need as caterpillars and adults.


Adult butterflies could possibly mistake a non-native, invasive plant for a good egg-laying site, which could prevent the survival of its offspring. Grow your nectar-producing native plants in sunny areas that are protected from strong winds.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has lists of recommended native plants by region and state at www.wildflower.org/ collections.

Better Butterfly Garden Checklist:


• Plant type and color is important – Adult butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered, and have short flower tubes.


• Plant for continuous bloom - Butterflies need nectar throughout the adult phase of their life span. Try to plant so that when one plant stops blooming, another begins.


• Get them to stay – To ensure that butterflies will take up residence in your habitat rather than just pass through, your garden should include “host plants” that serve as larval (caterpillar) food.


• Avoid herbicides and pesticides – These types of lawn care and plant maintenance products contain chemicals that will kill butterflies and other beneficial insects in both their adult and larval phases.


• Provide a place to rest – Butterflies need sun for orientation and to warm their wings for flight. Place flat stones in your garden to provide space for butterflies to rest and bask in the sun.
Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.


Common Butterflies and the plants they eat (This is for Missouri and most of the lower Midwest)

American Painted Lady- cudweed, everlast
Black Swallowtail- parsley, dill, fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, common rue, zizia
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - wild black cherry, tulip tree, willow, sweetbay, basswood
Giant Swallowtail - prickly ash, citrus, common rue, hoptree
Monarch - milkweeds
Painted Lady (Cosmopolite) - thistles, mallows
Red Admiral/White Admiral- wild cherries, black oaks
Silver-spotted Skipper- locusts, other legumes
Spicebush Swallowtail- sassafras, spicebush
Sulphurs- clover, alfalfa, asters
Viceroy- willows, cottonwood
Western Tiger Swallowtail- willow, plum, alder, sycamore, hoptree
Zebra Swallowtail- pawpaw

To search for butterflies in your state or county, visit www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map.
For more information about MaryAnn's favorite projects, speaking engagement details or Eco-audit/ Landscape consultations, contact MaryAnn at http://www.maryannfink.com/.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Spring Break Plant of the WeekMarch 27th 2010

by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010



(Am I the only one still working?)





Golden Threadleaf False Cypress



Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ – A hardy and beautiful golden false cypress with soft weeping foliage that adds casual elegance to any landscape year round!



She does well in either full sun or part shade. She even tolerates clay quite well as long as it is very well drained. Heavy shade may cause the foliage to be thinner, slightly sparce and be shades of apple green.



Even when well placed and perfectly happy, she is a still a slow grower in Missouri requiring at most a gentle and minimal heading back pruning every few years to maintain height . She can be easily kept under 4’. She needs at least two full growing seasons to become established enough to be fairly drought tolerant.





Remember Missouri is not a good candidate for xeriscaping unless you want Zero-landscaping. A typical season in Missouri requires our plants to appreciate spring rains, hot and usually humid summer, variable falls and both wet and dry winters! Water tolerance is as necessary of requirement for plants in this area as heat and drought tolerance!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Special Weekday Edition March 25 2010


by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010

Missouri’s native Redbud welcomes spring with contagious enthusiasm. Her giddy pink buds are not confined to just her outer branches, but also collect in condensed crowds in less likely places! This includes her branch crooks, crannies, and trunks! This random sprinkling of bud clusters seem like fairy size cheerleader squads preparing for this season’s playoff. The shade of pink is very noisy as it peaks and shouts for competition! (I do think I can hear some whispering shouts- or is that me wanting to join the color parade when the sign of warmer weather arrives!)

The Redbud likes living near her family and getting situated in her permanent home as early as possible. She is most adaptable when purchase her as a young sapling tree that has been sourced locally for best hardiness! Always ask your nursery professional about his plant sources and background details! Reputable nurseries keep that information, are willing to share and even brag about these green details of their native plants and are proud to offer their customers the most viable options to insure success!

Her placement is critical for both for viewing and longevity. The best location for her is where there is early season full sun and summer filtered shade. She is fine with average soil but wants fairly consistent moisture.

She can get sick especially when she is too stressed. For long life and significant contribution to the landscape, be sure to site her right. Help her have her best vigor by monitoring her growth responses and her moisture needs in extended drought situations. By the way, she has a reputation for being very chemically sensitive, so avoid using any turf products with 2-4D type ingredients.

Her growth needs to be managed during her formative years, so she does not develop crowded branching and weak forks. She has a natural tendency to develop a low branching habit sometimes with multiple trunks. In nature this shape allows her to adapt to best possible option for sunlight in an understory situation, but in a cultivated space, she may be able to retain her low set “v” and irregular growth habit and develop into a beautiful and graceful spreading ornamental tree.

You must stay watchful for irregular complex, congested growth and branching habits as your Redbud develops. I typically avoid purchasing specimens with these "growing" characteristics as they may lead to complicated pruning decisions. I have found from personal experience that specimens with these strong tendencies frequently "grow" to be structural issues that lead to un-repairable breakage and even early death.
Formative pruning become a challenge to reduce the size of lateral branches to less then half the diameter of the main trunk. It is recommended to always choose trees with ‘U’-shaped crotches, instead of those with narrow ‘V’ formations which will cause too “tight” crotches. Take time to look at the branching habit and compare trees to each other before making your selection. Look for branches spaced about 6 to 10 inches apart along the main trunk. Also note Redbuds have thin bark so be sure to create a "relief zone" at the time of planting-see previous blog entry about "relief zone" for trees!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

KTRS 550 INside Out Show Relief From Tree Root Erosion in Turf


Relief From Tree Root Erosion in Turf ?
by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010

Tired Of Dealing With Tree Surface Roots?

One of the problems with having established trees in a landscape / turf setting is the potential to create an unattractive, unhealthy and unnatural situation for the tree, the grass, and the soil. Even the water percolation / runoff becomes a factor when trees mature the once nice lawn becomes shaded, and the soil’s organic matter cycle is disrupted.

Once air pockets collapse and no new micro-particles develop, and the sun loving grass falters in the shade and competes with the tree for water, the ground becomes exposed, the soil collapses sinks and erodes away and the tree’s roots are exposed and damaged by lawn mowers. Not to mention as the settling occurs hazards and expenses develop including buckled sidewalks and driveways, which increases the potential for tripping over roots and worst of all the uncared unsightly look surfaces too!

Why Surface Roots?Roots typically “appear “(they were most likely there sooner but were just smaller) after a few years or when tree trunks are 5” in diameter or larger. Many trees have a “reputation” for this but all trees need to breathe, just some are more visible and are commonplace. Because of their durability and availability, they are used often enough that they are frequently seen as the “guilty party” at these challenge sites

There may be some value in being sure to avoid very fast growing trees where there is a combination of grading issues; off road foot traffic and minimal care (this fits the description of many subdivisions’s common ground area)

Certainly Maples are frequently blamed. Skinned roots, mechanical damage to their naturally thin bark from weed whackers and lawn mowers and victimization from poorly timed and armature pruning techniques from either the management company’s repair crew or the fortunate neighbor who has to look at the site every day is the tree’s typical punishment- along with dog feces and urine.

This is the price adaptable trees pay for being easy, having great fall color and being favored by humans that sometimes err on best selection for some sites. For the Association Boards and other “with good intentions” and “out of necessity stewardship” volunteers, there is a learning curve which looks more like an assending graph chart in stead of a curve. It is a visual for what “too little, too late” knowledge looks like and what it can that mean in dollars to residents who want to have an attractive green space. And, this is a also the cost curve and poor reputation peak for the ever challenged mowing company. It is a sad fact of guilty by “association”. Both by being seen to close to “the problem” and by being all the Association” has to point a finger.

Here is my thoughts and what I might do in a situation, some facts and thoughts about what can be done!

Surface rooting appears to be promoted by heavy, poorly drained, and/or shallow soils,(clay) which has low oxygen (because no new organic matter has been cycled into the soil making air pockets for water and air. The roots need oxygen to grow, and so tend to form near the surface of the soil, then the soil sinks and erodes, and they become visible at and sometimes even above the soil surface as they become larger.

Can You Prune The Roots-I don’t Recommended it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To me this is a radical approach to a poor situation. End the tree’s misery may seem less painless than struggling to cut the roots off cleanly (and not just cut off their aboveground parts-ouch) this procedure could invite infection and decay organisms! Even the best possible job of pruning large roots seems like it would result in severe damage to the tree—maybe even death! There is a faster way to kill a tree-trust me I have seen it all

I have heard the advice “never cut off more than half of a tree's functioning roots” I think this is an interesting idea- who knows which ones are functioning? And why would a tree grow a root it didn’t need? And no doubt some roots die off- but I hardly wonder-why!

I like the recommendation on removing roots that “one fourth or less is better.” Can anyone really “know” how much is 1/4th ? I do not have access to a tree’s total underground mass- to measure it- probably there is a way- but I doubt that whoever is doing the root pruning is using such refined technology.
“After care” must be important too- since it is always mentioned- is that like "after the accident or after fact-you hurt it? Like an apology for cutting off someone’s legs and lungs.
“After pruning, pamper the tree by treating it as if it had just been transplanted”- Gee, one night mare after another! I was hoping most of them forgot their transplant nightmares.
Also I suggest being careful any time there is a suggestion to “ give lots of water” this isn’t a de-hydrated jogger- this is a tree that has no way to modify-you or adjust to any change except try to adapt. A passing thought of concern on this is : less plant roots, less ability to pick up water, more chance to rot. Heaven only know what else happens as well. I would rather “better planning” rather than latent and injurious care!

Solutions? Not as Good as My Recommendation “Just Don’t Do this!”

Bare Minimum is BEST

I think a less drastic way to solve the problem if it is not a major erosion or slope issue is to determine the outer perimeter / boundaries where the grass just begins to thin and the situation starts to degrade and create an “under canopy relief zone” for the tree.

I am going to describe how I would approach this situation. There maybe many other ways to do this, I guess but I have done this many times in the past and I was always satisfied with the end result- both immediate and long term.

Forgive me is I don’t explain it all right, I have done this more often than described it and it varies from situation to situation. This is what I might do- your situation might be different. Please be responsible for your own actions, read and proceed alwasy with with care-no results are implied or guaranteed-ever! (I always worry when anyone says they can guarentee the life of anything -who do they think they are?)

Using a hose or rope, I would create a puddle /organic shape that is practical shape to mow around. Be sure to extend it extends to where you have confidence that the grass grows well-in August- not June!
With marker paint, outlinethe area , remove the hose (hopefully I did this with minimal paint overspray( iave ruinedgloves, shoes, etc!) - and use it! Yes, I suggest to my friends to always water the entire area well and wait one to two days. I never work with any plant in a “thirsty” condition-in a container or the ground (hint: the tree is a plant!). Also working with evenly moist soil is easier on everyone- including me!

Next create a shallow shovel edgewhere at the paint outline. This creates a dip between the turf area and the relief zone and where the mulch edge will meet the grass. Pitch the soil from the newly created small ditch into the shaded failed turf area. If more soil is needed, which is possible- try to use real soil from the surface of somewhere on the same property (perhaps from another “property situation”)

Topcoat no more than 1-2 inches with soil only the area between and around the exposed surface roots with the same native soil, all the while avoid putting soil on, around or against the trunk.
Next do a gentle clearing of debris such as bigger twigs. Remove hopeless grass patches and make a shallow clawing effort to break the soil surface wherever there is no evident of roots inside the “zone”. This will help renew the soil’s percolation ability and integrate the newly added soil with the existing soil. Protect this area's integrity- do not walk on this! I use boards- moving them around where I need to work so I don’t re-compact the now loosened soil. I look at the trunk flare to visualize what I can about the root pattern as it spreads away from the trunk. I love doing this type of apologetic activity as it frequently increases: everyone’s awareness of the problem. Informing the residents if this is a public / common ground situation can also help be aware of similar problems elsewhere- more eyes are always good! It also increases their awareness of the time and cost issues.

This “under canopy relief zone” will help Nature restart what needs to be an ongoing effort to constantly recreate micro and macro pore space for air / water exchange. Hopefully doing this has caused minimal damage. I have never lost a tree doing this yet- but I am very careful and very sensitive to the area. Under trees is to me sort of sacred ground!

IMPORTANT: Don't use ever use a tiller under a tree canopy/ drip line –even farther away can cause serious damage! Don’t cover the roots when adding the soil-put it around them in the sunken craters. Don’t add more than 1-1/2-2” of soil MAX. If it looks like it needs more than that- make plans to do this again- NEXT YEAR!

This is not “the solution” if I have major erosion issues. Many combined activities may be needed to deal with degraded and unstable soil. Creating a “under canopy relief zone” for a tree is best done early in the post establishment phase of a landscape, before there is a huge problem. My prefered option is make a relief zone at planting!!!!!
This make-up activity is a “help” for small scale tree root erosion problems in turf situation! (Hear them yell “HELP”)
Final step: Now add a 1-2” layer of coarse hardwood mulch to the entire "relief zone" to the perimeter-/ trenched edge-still being careful to minimize foot work. Follow this immediately with a gentle watering of the entire area and its bordering turf! This will give the whole project some relief. (Relief for all parties involved-including the tree and those who didn’t know what could be done outside of removing a tree! Next time, you’ll know a better way!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Bonus Tip DO NOT TOP TREES


TREE TOPPING IS A NO NO!!!!!!
by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010


TREE TOPPING DECREASES YOUR TREE’S ENERGY, VALUE, AND CHANCE OF SUCCESS

Although “topping” is done-it is not a recommended practice for reputable tree service companies (click here for more information on tree topping) ….PERIOD!

By the way, topping is not pollarding, although both are expensive, pollarding is a repeated process, which also creates weakly attached branches. Both methods create weak wood that becomes susceptible to ice storm and snow load damage.
Tree topping is a money makers for less reputable tree companies! Stressed trees get sick too! Pollarding pruning cuts must be done every one-to-two years! Also the trees have a very unique and brutalized winter appearance! Better option- reconsider the tree, the area, the placement and the desired results! You will always save money in the long run-with the right tree!

ARE YOU WILLING TO ASSUME THE JOB AND/ OR THE EXPENSE OF PRUNING YOUR TREE (TO DEATH ) EVERY ONE-TO-TWO YEARS FOR THE “LIFE” OF THE TREE?

Click here for link with image and similar opinions

Monday, March 1, 2010

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Follow Up Tips for the Month of MUD March


Don’t Crab about Pruning Crabs -Just Do It!
by MaryAnn Fink
Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010

Remove suckers (vertical shoots growing around the base of the tree). These can be removed now and throughout the entire growing season as they appear. I do not recommend using chemicals to reduce this tendency; instead use it as a flexing and bending healthy life opportunity. Take care not to damage the trunk’s bark in the process!
This tendency is not limited to crab apple trees but many cane shrubs also sucker at the base and may require some management as well!