Spring/Summer 2015

Letter from the CEO

As I write this article, summer is finally approaching after a long and cold winter and equally dry, late and hot spring. The record-breaking winter temperatures, which never allowed a thawing, along with the 2nd warmest May on record for our region, truly have tested our landscapes. The abundance of salt applied this winter didn’t help this situation and you can clearly see where this impact was greatest.  Plant material planted later in the fall, or material that may have been under some stress or decline to begin with, took the blunt of these extremes. We’ve seen more damage than usual in our landscapes along with opportunistic pests that thrive on stressed trees and shrubs.

What can you do?  Schedule a walk-through of your property with your Almstead arborist. Although much can be communicated through photos and emails nowadays, I still encourage this face-to-face interaction and partnership where expectations and goals of the landscape can be discussed and reviewed with long-term plans developed.

Other topics I wanted to highlight in this issue are two invasive pests, the Emerald Ash Borer and the Southern Pine Beetle, which are threatening the trees and forests in our region. Both these destructive species are relatively new to this area and should be on your radar for monitoring and treatment especially for any prized Ash tree which you would like to preserve.

Arbor Day activities are always important to us, and this year we participated in several all across our service region (see our lead article on the front page). Our arborists always look forward to sharing their knowledge and getting their communities, especially children, interested in tree care and being responsible caretakers of our natural resources.

Thank you for your continued support! If you have any issues or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me personally by email at kalmstead(at)almstead(dot)com. I hope you have a wonderful summer with your family, friends and green surroundings.

Sincerely,

Ken Almstead, CEO

International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist NY0335