These oils are a very important tool to integrate into biological pest control programs as they pose very few risks to people or beneficial insects.  Toxicity is minimal, especially compared to alternative pesticides.  Oils control pests through asphyxiation, by interfering with normal metabolism or by disrupting how an insect feeds.

 When used in late winter or early spring before plants break dormancy, they are usually mixed at a higher concentration and referred to as dormant oil sprays.  These sprays are effective in treating holly, spruce, fir, hemlock and other evergreen species for pests like mites, scale, and adelgids. You should not spray blue spruces as the oils can strip the coloration from the plant. Once plants are in active growth, oils should be mixed at a lower rate and are referred to as summer oil or superior oil sprays.  Seasonal outbreaks of aphids, mealybugs and lacebugs can be controlled quite easily. However, caution should be taken with higher temperatures, with certain plant species and plants under stress.  Used properly, horticultural oils can play a safe and vital role in pest management.  Let Snow Creek Landscaping provide these applications for you.

You may be amazed at how much rain runs through your gutter downspouts in a year's time.  You probably will be surprised at how much water your irrigation system uses in just one cycle.  Why not use one to reduce the other?  A home in Asheville, NC with a 2500 square foot roof can potentially harvest a total of approximately 55,000 gallons per year.  This water can be harvested in cisterns and reused to irrigate landscapes, wash vehicles, and even be recycled into the home for flushing toilets.  Another potential use of the water is for supplement fire protection, as many of us live in rural areas that are hard to reach in times of emergency.  This, in turn, reduces the amount of potable water that is wasted.  When you factor in the droughts of the last several years, recycling rain water can do a lot to help reduce the stress on municipal water supplies and local wells

 Several local developments now require the installation of rain harvesting systems, and we expect it to become common practice within a few years.  
There are several different types of systems used to harvest rainwater.  Above ground cisterns have a lower initial investment, and are most suitable in areas that will not obscure the aesthetic values of the home.  These cisterns can range from 55 gallon rain barrels to 5,000 gallon plus containers. 

Below ground cisterns require a higher initial investment, but are able to be placed in almost any area around the home.  Ranging in size from 325 gallons to 2500 gallons, these systems are the most versatile for long term water supplement.  These cisterns can be plumbed together to create more storage capacity, which extends the period of use in drought conditions.  Another system that has been developed is a group of load bearing containers that are sealed in a waterproof membrane.  This system allows for the cistern to be located under driveways or drive courts, which reduces the amount of site disturbance.  On steep slopes, this type of system can be especially helpful.  These systems can range from 2000 gallons up to 50,000 gallons plus.  All of these systems are eligible for LEED certification points, and can be a sustainable element in any construction project.

Depending on the intended use of the captured water, several different methods of conveyance are employed.  A simple system may use gravity alone to water landscape plantings through drip irrigation.  Submersible pumps are typically used if the cistern is located below the areas of use, or if the water is to be used in a traditional irrigation system with spray heads.  A simple system to consider is to have several yard hydrants located throughout the property in areas that may require irrigation.  These on-demand systems are easily maintained and winterized, and provide the most flexibility in use.  

A properly designed rain harvesting system starts by assessing the amount of water required for the various uses of the homeowner.  By totaling these amounts and working backwards, the required capacity of the system can be determined.  Another important factor in system design is the average monthly rainfall.  When you include this data into the design process, you can determine whether or not the supply will meet the demands throughout the year.  

No matter how large or small the roof area of a home is, a rain harvesting system can dramatically reduce our dependence on the potable water supply.  Whether you are planning to build a new home, or want to add a system to an existing home, rainwater catchment is an easy way to reuse a resource that we all have access to.  In many cases, these systems can pay for themselves in less than 10 years.  Snow Creek offers system design, consultation, feasibility studies, and installation for all of your water harvesting needs.  Give us a call today to discuss your specific needs or schedule a site visit.  

Rob Dull, Landscape Designer
Snow Creek Landscaping, LLC
rjdull@snowcreekinc.com

Your trees can add a lot to your landscape; shade, beauty, a sense of permanence and landscape maturity, or a place to hang your hammock.

Trees have evolved for millions of years and can do pretty well without our help, but if they're growing close to where people live, work or play, then they require a little maintenance to keep them safe and healthy. Usually just some routine maintenance can prevent or remedy many problems that trees might have, while neglecting it can be the source of heartache later on.

As important and helpful as good maintenance is, poor practices and bad work can be worse than doing nothing at all. Soil disturbance, bad pruning cuts, climbing with spurs, or over-pruning all cause more problems than they might solve.

One of the worst offenses is the practice of “topping.” Topping is when the ends of all limbs in the crown of a tree are cut off, usually to stubs. The most common reason for topping is that the tree is getting “too big”. It's an understandable fear that as a tree gets larger it gets taller and heavier and has more potential to do damage.

Proper maintenance and monitoring can almost always prevent that from happening, and there are better ways to reduce trees when necessary. If you're still just too worried about a tree, it's better to remove and replace it with a smaller-growing tree than to top it. Besides being unsightly and defacing the natural beauty of trees, topping can cause severe health issues and a long series of detrimental consequences.

For example, leaves are what trees use to produce food. Topping removes most, if not all of a tree's leaves, and therefore its source of food production. The tree will have to use stored energy to produce a new set of leaves, leaving it weaker and with a lack of reserve energy. Like people, when weakened they become more susceptible to secondary afflictions.

Another consequence of topping is decay at the point where large cuts are made. Trees respond to injury by trying to wall it off to prevent decay and grow new tissue to encase the wound. Large stub cuts in trees are difficult for them to compartmentalize in that way and as a result there is often decay that spreads down into the limbs from the cuts. The tree forces out multiple sprouts to create foliage as quickly as possible; those sprouts are often dense, tangled, poorly attached to the tree, vigorously long from trying to compete with other sprouts, and are now growing from a decayed area on the limb.

The sprouts expand into each other and become weaker over time, and the wood in sprouts is not as strong as normal wood. What you're left with years down the road is an ugly, dangerous tree with terrible structure and decay. Why put yourself and your tree through the pain? Take good care of them instead; it will pay dividends for years to come.

Michael Davie is natural resource manager for Snow Creek Landscaping in Arden. Contact him at mdavie@snowcreekinc.com.

Outdoor Lighting

The lights are drilled with a 1/2" auger bit at an angle for most of their length so the wiring is hidden when the light fixture is mounted. The bollard is installed like a post so that at least a third is buried and tamped. Generally, the bottom of the light is about 18" inches off the ground but can be raised slightly to broaden and soften the light's beam. This treatment works well along trails or at the steps of stone walkways where a very natural appearance is appropriate. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to meet with you to discuss creative lighting needs for your landscape.

Snow Creek is pleased to announce that Rob Dull, our lead designer, has completed the Residential Rain Garden Certification presented by NC State University's Dept of Biological and Agricultulural Engineering. This certification adds to Snow Creek's leadership in the areas of residential stormwater management and low-impact, sustainable design.

In addition, under Rob's leadership, Snow Creek is proud to announce that they have recently become a Registered Education Provider for the American Insititute of  Artchitects (AIA). With this acomplisment we are able to provide educational seminars and progams that qualify for educational credits that are required for license renewal for area architects. Please contact our office if you are interested in hosting a program for your firm or organization.

 The hemlock woolly adelgid is a strange insect. Unlike most insects that are dormant during the winter and become active when it's warm, adelgids prefer cool weather, and actually go dormant during the summer. Their most active times are in the early spring, and late into the fall.

They do this to coincide their activity with that of their only host, the hemlock tree. Hemlocks, being evergreens, are able to function whenever the weather is not extremely cold, but they have cycles in their production of defensive chemicals, and in water use. While we treat hemlocks much of the year when soil moisture is adequate, late winter into early spring is the optimal time, because water is available and the trees are active, and the chemical can get into the tree to coincide with the rise in feeding as weather warms slightly.

Remember: if you have hemlock trees, they must be managed now for adelgid. They have no immunity at all to this non-native insect. Please call Snow Creek to help you with your hemlocks, and with all of your tree care needs.