lich landscape hawaii magazine - january/february 2014 issue
DESCRIPTION
LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine - January/February 2014 Issue Arboriculture Issue Stories: Right Tree Right Place, New LICT Classes, Little Fire Ants, Tree Care Industry Association, Kawananakoa Native Arboretum, Norfolk Pine Myth, Tree Climbing Championship, Managing Landscapes Using Recycled Water, Palm Pink Rot, Zoysia Grass Difference, Choosing Water Plants, The mission of the LICH Landscape Hawaii magazine is to support LICH’s mission to build industry unity by promoting high standards and professionalism through education, training, and certification and by providing a forum for the sharing of information and celebrating the success of its members. www.hawaiiscape.com www.facebook.com/hawaiiscape www.twitter.com/hawaiiscapeTRANSCRIPT
Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’iP. O. Box 22938 Honolulu HI 96823-2938
A R B O R I C U L T U R E I S S U ELandscape Industry Council of Hawai’iP. O. Box 22938 Honolulu HI 96823-2938
PRESORTEDSTANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE PAIDHONOLULU, HI
PERMIT NO. 1023
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
T h E V o i c E o F h A W A i i ’ S G R E E N i N D U S T R Y $5.00
RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE
NEw LICT CLAss & LICT TEsT DATEs
LITTLE fIRE ANTs
Planting under utility lines
leeward community college to offer lict classes and lict test dates announced
little fire ants invade oahu and maui
Hawaiiscape.com 3THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENTS
4 GUEST EDITOR
4 LICH NEWS
18 PEST COLUmN
19 LITTLE FIRE ANTS
23 TURFGRASS
24 CHOOSING WATER PLANTS
26 CERTIFICATION
30 TOOL TIPS
FEATURES
6 ARBOR DAY
8 TCIA
9 KAWANANAKOA
12 TREE CLImBING
13 NORFOLK PINE mYTH
14 mANAGING LANDSCAPES
20 mEmBERSHIP
21 mANAGING LANDSCAPES PART 2
28 CITY PROJECTS
COVER STORIES
10 RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE
19 LITTLE FIRE ANTS
26 NEW LICT CLASS & LICT TEST DATES
9
Formed in June 1986, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’i is a state wide alliance representing Hawaii’s landscape associations: Aloha Arborist Association, American Society of Landscape Architects Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Association of Nurserymen, Hawaii Island Landscape Association, Hawaii Landscape and Irrigation Contractors, Hawaii Society of Urban Forestry Professionals, Kauai Landscape Industry Council, Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Professional Grounds Management Society, Big Island Association of Nurserymen, and the Hawaii Professional Gardeners Association.
Landscape Industry Council of Hawai‘iP. O. Box 22938, Honolulu HI 96823-2938
EditorChristopher A. [email protected]
Advertising SalesMichael [email protected](808) 595-4124
membershipCheryl M. [email protected]
DesignerDarrell Ishida
Cover PhotoPhoto by Steve Connolly
2 0 1 4 B o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s
Chris Dacus Brandon AuPresident Vice PresidentMatt Lyum Rick QuinnTreasurer Secretary
Aaron Agsalda Chris McCulloughOrville Baldos Clifford MigitaChuck Chimera Karen OstborgCarl Evensen Edmundo ReyesRandy Liu Mark SuisoChristy Martin Josh Sand
Director EmeritusJay Deputy Steve NimzLelan Nishek Boyd ReadyGarrett Webb
Sharon’s Nursery, Ltd. Geotech Solutions, Inc.Hawaiian Turfgrass
mAHALO TO LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF HAWAII WEBSITE SPONSORS
The perfect escape since 1962.For over 50 years, Victor Stanley has designed, engineered, and manufactured timeless site furnishings so you can bring communities to life. Our new Perenne collection (patents pending) embodies elements in nature and classical settee furniture design while remaining slim, open, functional, and timeless.
V I C T O R S T A N L E Y . C O M
Pate
nts
pend
ing
Hawaiiscape.com 3THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENTS
4 GUEST EDITOR
4 LICH NEWS
18 PEST COLUmN
19 LITTLE FIRE ANTS
23 TURFGRASS
24 CHOOSING WATER PLANTS
26 CERTIFICATION
30 TOOL TIPS
FEATURES
6 ARBOR DAY
8 TCIA
9 KAWANANAKOA
12 TREE CLImBING
13 NORFOLK PINE mYTH
14 mANAGING LANDSCAPES
20 mEmBERSHIP
21 mANAGING LANDSCAPES PART 2
28 CITY PROJECTS
COVER STORIES
10 RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE
19 LITTLE FIRE ANTS
26 NEW LICT CLASS & LICT TEST DATES
9
Formed in June 1986, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’i is a state wide alliance representing Hawaii’s landscape associations: Aloha Arborist Association, American Society of Landscape Architects Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Association of Nurserymen, Hawaii Island Landscape Association, Hawaii Landscape and Irrigation Contractors, Hawaii Society of Urban Forestry Professionals, Kauai Landscape Industry Council, Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Professional Grounds Management Society, Big Island Association of Nurserymen, and the Hawaii Professional Gardeners Association.
Landscape Industry Council of Hawai‘iP. O. Box 22938, Honolulu HI 96823-2938
EditorChristopher A. [email protected]
Advertising SalesMichael [email protected](808) 595-4124
membershipCheryl M. [email protected]
DesignerDarrell Ishida
Cover PhotoPhoto by Steve Connolly
2 0 1 4 B o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s
Chris Dacus Brandon AuPresident Vice PresidentMatt Lyum Rick QuinnTreasurer Secretary
Aaron Agsalda Chris McCulloughOrville Baldos Clifford MigitaChuck Chimera Karen OstborgCarl Evensen Edmundo ReyesRandy Liu Mark SuisoChristy Martin Josh Sand
Director EmeritusJay Deputy Steve NimzLelan Nishek Boyd ReadyGarrett Webb
Sharon’s Nursery, Ltd. Geotech Solutions, Inc.Hawaiian Turfgrass
mAHALO TO LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF HAWAII WEBSITE SPONSORS
The perfect escape since 1962.For over 50 years, Victor Stanley has designed, engineered, and manufactured timeless site furnishings so you can bring communities to life. Our new Perenne collection (patents pending) embodies elements in nature and classical settee furniture design while remaining slim, open, functional, and timeless.
V I C T O R S T A N L E Y . C O M
Pate
nts
pend
ing
4 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 5THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
LIC.ABC-10825
808-245-7747
Mon. - Fri. 7:30-5 / Sat. 7:30-4WEB: www.kauainursery.comMAIL: [email protected]
Toll Free: 888-345-7747 Fax: 808-245-9289
3-1550 Kaumualii HwyLihue, Kauai, HI 96766
CERTIFIED EXPORT NURSERYINTERISLAND SHIPPING
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE& DESIGN/BUILD
RESORT, COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIALINSTALLATION / MAINTENANCE
CCERTIFIED LANDSCAPE TECHNICIANSARBORISTS
IRRIGATION DESIGNINSTALLATION/REPAIR
KAUAI NURSEY &LANDSCAPING, INC.
60,000 SF Greenhouses 150 Acres of Plants & MaterialLARGEST NURSERY SELECTION ON KAUAI
By the time you get this in your mailbox, it will be 2014 and the start of another excit-ing New Year. May it be a busy, productive, rewarding year for all of the Green Industry.
It’s easy to feel isolated in Hawaii. We are, after all, living on the most remote landforms on Earth. Not only that, but our tropical and subtropical plants can be quite different from their counterparts in the Mainland. However, as the steady influx of invasive species reminds us, the world is getting smaller all of the time. These days, we have many opportunities to network with others in our industry from both the Mainland and other countries. Sometimes these people come to us, such as when we bring in outside speakers for our workshops and conferences, and sometimes we attend conferences elsewhere. But perhaps the most efficient way to learn what’s going on is to join the international, national, and regional organizations in our industry, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Western Chapter ISA, the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), the American Society of Consulting Arborists, the American Society of Landscape Architects (national level), the na-tional Landscape Contractors Association, and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) – the organization that offers the LICT (formerly CLT) certifications. In this issue, we
AlohA Arborist AssociAtion 2014 MeMbership
MAR/APR 2014Theme: Erosion ControlStory Deadline: February 8th
MAY/JUN 2014Theme: Soil and Subsurface BMPsStory Deadline: April 11th
JUL/AUG 2014Theme: Landscape LightingStory Deadline: June 14th
Upcoming ISSUES:Tell a great story! Email the editor at [email protected].
By amy nichols
It is that time of year again! Don’t let your Aloha Arborist Association membership expire. You are not a member yet? Sign up and start re-ceiving the benefits of membership including reduced rates for workshops, books and other resources, networking opportunities, and your company list-ing on our website. Members also are kept in the loop on the most up to date information in the industry including new pests to be on the lookout for, new
methods, and any laws or regulations that may affect the industry.
Improve your business today. Be-come an Aloha Arborist Association member by completing a 2014 mem-bership application found on the “Be-come a Member” page at our website www.AlohaArborist.com.
Amy Nichols is a natural resource spe-cialist and certified arborist working with the Aloha Arborist Association to serve the needs of the public and the industry.
Calendar of eventsJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
www.hawaiiscape.com (For complete listing go to the website.)
HlICa annual MeetIngThe Hawaii Landscape and Irrigation Contractors Association will be having their annual meeting on February 21, 2014 from 6:00 – 9:00pm at the Seven Palms Bar & Grille at the Navy-Marine Club House in Honolulu. For more information call Madeleine Shaw at (808) 597-0708 or email [email protected].
The Field Test dates for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exams have been set for2014 with tests on four Islands, including Maui. By the end of January, the LICH website,hawaiiscape.com, will be updated with test information and Registration Forms.
May 24 - Maui Field TestJune 14 - Kona Field TestAugust 9 - Oahu Field TestSeptember 20 - Kauai Field Test
Get Certified. Be outstanding in your field!
highlight the advantages of membership in Western Chapter ISA and TCIA, but I would like to encourage everyone to check out the larger organizations that are most pertinent to his/her aspect of the Green Industry.
This issue of Landscape Hawaii has an arboricultural theme, but I hope everyone will find something of interest. Trees and palms are integral parts of our landscapes and everyone from nursery growers to landscape architects to installation and maintenance contractors to arborists and tree workers deal with them. Even the turf experts at golf courses deal with trees, although they may be primarily concerned about how to get the shade off of the grass. There’s also the Hawaii Tree Climbing Champi-onships coming up and we would like to invite everyone to turn out for this exciting event.
Mahalo nui loa to Chris Dacus, LICH president, for inviting me to be a guest editor for this issue.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the West-ern Chapter International
Society of Arboriculture.
Happy New Year!
Aloha and Hauoli Makahiki Hou! Guest Editor COLUmN
By carol Kwan
The University of Hawaii Press has released a new book, The Watersmart Garden: 100 Great Plants for the Tropical Xeriscape, by local horticulturists Fred Raugh and Paul Weissich. The plants included are readily available and fairly simple to maintain, making
it easy to design a beautiful landscape while conserving wa-ter. The book is well-organized, with plants listed by size and by water usage, and has photos of the plants in situ along with close-ups of flowers or foliage. The book retails for $24.99 plus shipping and is available through www.uhpress.hawaii.edu.
W h A t S h A p p E N i N G
NEWSlich
03-10-09/0000229489
KOOLAU SEEDS & SUPPLY R 2.00 X 2.00
3009 PMP-PENARO Proofed By: jmahoney
Susan OwenManager
Contact
(808) 239-1280 Office
(808) 239-2151 Fax
48-373 G Kamehameha HwyKaneohe, Hawaii 96744
Susan OwenManager
Contact
(808) 239-1280 Office
(808) 239-2151 Fax
48-373 G Kamehameha HwyKaneohe, Hawaii 96744By amy nichols
The (AAA) is now on Facebook! AAA is a state-wide organization of tree care pro-fessionals and private citizens concerned for trees and their environment.
Please like us on Facebook to learn more about the organization and be up to date on events being held, educa-tional opportunities, new information to improve the practice of arboriculture, and job opportunities. The Hawaii Tree Climbing Competition is coming up in February and you will be able to stay up to date on all the event happenings and see all the great photos from the event on Facebook.
To become a member in 2014, log on to our website www.AlohaArborist.com. Thanks for your support!
Amy Nichols is a natu-ral resource specialist and certified arborist working with the Aloha Arborist Association
to serve the needs of the public and the industry.
new lAndscApe reference book AvAilAble
follow Us on fAcebook!
This issue on arboriculture, we havea special guest editor and well known-arborist, Carol Kwan. Carol rose to thechallenge and brainstorming the articles,seeking the writers, writing a bunchof articles and proofing the issue. A bigmahalo to Carol Kwan for putting thisarboriculture issue together.
It’s also time to renew your LICH membership. Inside this issue is a mem-bership form or you can conveniently hop online and complete your member-
ship online at www.hawaiiscape.com. Now don’t forget to renew your mem-
bership :)
Chris Dacus LICH President
4 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 5THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
LIC.ABC-10825
808-245-7747
Mon. - Fri. 7:30-5 / Sat. 7:30-4WEB: www.kauainursery.comMAIL: [email protected]
Toll Free: 888-345-7747 Fax: 808-245-9289
3-1550 Kaumualii HwyLihue, Kauai, HI 96766
CERTIFIED EXPORT NURSERYINTERISLAND SHIPPING
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE& DESIGN/BUILD
RESORT, COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIALINSTALLATION / MAINTENANCE
CCERTIFIED LANDSCAPE TECHNICIANSARBORISTS
IRRIGATION DESIGNINSTALLATION/REPAIR
KAUAI NURSEY &LANDSCAPING, INC.
60,000 SF Greenhouses 150 Acres of Plants & MaterialLARGEST NURSERY SELECTION ON KAUAI
By the time you get this in your mailbox, it will be 2014 and the start of another excit-ing New Year. May it be a busy, productive, rewarding year for all of the Green Industry.
It’s easy to feel isolated in Hawaii. We are, after all, living on the most remote landforms on Earth. Not only that, but our tropical and subtropical plants can be quite different from their counterparts in the Mainland. However, as the steady influx of invasive species reminds us, the world is getting smaller all of the time. These days, we have many opportunities to network with others in our industry from both the Mainland and other countries. Sometimes these people come to us, such as when we bring in outside speakers for our workshops and conferences, and sometimes we attend conferences elsewhere. But perhaps the most efficient way to learn what’s going on is to join the international, national, and regional organizations in our industry, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Western Chapter ISA, the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), the American Society of Consulting Arborists, the American Society of Landscape Architects (national level), the na-tional Landscape Contractors Association, and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) – the organization that offers the LICT (formerly CLT) certifications. In this issue, we
AlohA Arborist AssociAtion 2014 MeMbership
MAR/APR 2014Theme: Erosion ControlStory Deadline: February 8th
MAY/JUN 2014Theme: Soil and Subsurface BMPsStory Deadline: April 11th
JUL/AUG 2014Theme: Landscape LightingStory Deadline: June 14th
Upcoming ISSUES:Tell a great story! Email the editor at [email protected].
By amy nichols
It is that time of year again! Don’t let your Aloha Arborist Association membership expire. You are not a member yet? Sign up and start re-ceiving the benefits of membership including reduced rates for workshops, books and other resources, networking opportunities, and your company list-ing on our website. Members also are kept in the loop on the most up to date information in the industry including new pests to be on the lookout for, new
methods, and any laws or regulations that may affect the industry.
Improve your business today. Be-come an Aloha Arborist Association member by completing a 2014 mem-bership application found on the “Be-come a Member” page at our website www.AlohaArborist.com.
Amy Nichols is a natural resource spe-cialist and certified arborist working with the Aloha Arborist Association to serve the needs of the public and the industry.
Calendar of eventsJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
www.hawaiiscape.com (For complete listing go to the website.)
HlICa annual MeetIngThe Hawaii Landscape and Irrigation Contractors Association will be having their annual meeting on February 21, 2014 from 6:00 – 9:00pm at the Seven Palms Bar & Grille at the Navy-Marine Club House in Honolulu. For more information call Madeleine Shaw at (808) 597-0708 or email [email protected].
The Field Test dates for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exams have been set for2014 with tests on four Islands, including Maui. By the end of January, the LICH website,hawaiiscape.com, will be updated with test information and Registration Forms.
May 24 - Maui Field TestJune 14 - Kona Field TestAugust 9 - Oahu Field TestSeptember 20 - Kauai Field Test
Get Certified. Be outstanding in your field!
highlight the advantages of membership in Western Chapter ISA and TCIA, but I would like to encourage everyone to check out the larger organizations that are most pertinent to his/her aspect of the Green Industry.
This issue of Landscape Hawaii has an arboricultural theme, but I hope everyone will find something of interest. Trees and palms are integral parts of our landscapes and everyone from nursery growers to landscape architects to installation and maintenance contractors to arborists and tree workers deal with them. Even the turf experts at golf courses deal with trees, although they may be primarily concerned about how to get the shade off of the grass. There’s also the Hawaii Tree Climbing Champi-onships coming up and we would like to invite everyone to turn out for this exciting event.
Mahalo nui loa to Chris Dacus, LICH president, for inviting me to be a guest editor for this issue.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the West-ern Chapter International
Society of Arboriculture.
Happy New Year!
Aloha and Hauoli Makahiki Hou! Guest Editor COLUmN
By carol Kwan
The University of Hawaii Press has released a new book, The Watersmart Garden: 100 Great Plants for the Tropical Xeriscape, by local horticulturists Fred Raugh and Paul Weissich. The plants included are readily available and fairly simple to maintain, making
it easy to design a beautiful landscape while conserving wa-ter. The book is well-organized, with plants listed by size and by water usage, and has photos of the plants in situ along with close-ups of flowers or foliage. The book retails for $24.99 plus shipping and is available through www.uhpress.hawaii.edu.
W h A t S h A p p E N i N G
NEWSlich
03-10-09/0000229489
KOOLAU SEEDS & SUPPLY R 2.00 X 2.00
3009 PMP-PENARO Proofed By: jmahoney
Susan OwenManager
Contact
(808) 239-1280 Office
(808) 239-2151 Fax
48-373 G Kamehameha HwyKaneohe, Hawaii 96744
Susan OwenManager
Contact
(808) 239-1280 Office
(808) 239-2151 Fax
48-373 G Kamehameha HwyKaneohe, Hawaii 96744By amy nichols
The (AAA) is now on Facebook! AAA is a state-wide organization of tree care pro-fessionals and private citizens concerned for trees and their environment.
Please like us on Facebook to learn more about the organization and be up to date on events being held, educa-tional opportunities, new information to improve the practice of arboriculture, and job opportunities. The Hawaii Tree Climbing Competition is coming up in February and you will be able to stay up to date on all the event happenings and see all the great photos from the event on Facebook.
To become a member in 2014, log on to our website www.AlohaArborist.com. Thanks for your support!
Amy Nichols is a natu-ral resource specialist and certified arborist working with the Aloha Arborist Association
to serve the needs of the public and the industry.
new lAndscApe reference book AvAilAble
follow Us on fAcebook!
This issue on arboriculture, we havea special guest editor and well known-arborist, Carol Kwan. Carol rose to thechallenge and brainstorming the articles,seeking the writers, writing a bunchof articles and proofing the issue. A bigmahalo to Carol Kwan for putting thisarboriculture issue together.
It’s also time to renew your LICH membership. Inside this issue is a mem-bership form or you can conveniently hop online and complete your member-
ship online at www.hawaiiscape.com. Now don’t forget to renew your mem-
bership :)
Chris Dacus LICH President
All Photos: CAROL KWAN
TREECIRCUS 2013
Arbor Day is the first Friday in November in Hawaii, but celebrations con-tinued for several days, including tree giveaways held across the state on
Saturday, November 2nd. Thousands of plants were given away thanks to sponsors Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Kaulu-nani Urban and Community Forestry Program, the University of Hawaii Urban Garden Center, Maui Electric Company, the County of Maui Department of Water Supply, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Kauai Landscape Industry Council, Gar-den Island Resource and Conservation & Development, Inc., Kua O Ka La Public Charter School, Hooulu Lahui, Hawai‘i
Electric Light Company, and Makuu Farmers Market. See below for photos of the Urban Garden Center giveaway.
In addition to giving away trees, school children were also taught about the ben-efits of trees thanks to the Western Chap-ter International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA) and a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. Timmy Womick put on a rollick-ing, interactive show about the benefits of trees in our communities on November 1st through 5th at Holy Family Catholic Academy, Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii at Nanakuli, Our Lady of Good Coun-sel School, Kainalu Elementary, and Lanikai Elementary.
TreeCircus, the performing moniker of edu-tainer Timmy Womick, helps
students understand how their local trees can lower the temperature and raise their spirits. Throughout assembly, the participants learned about trees, the value of trees, and why we should plant more of them. Most importantly, the students learned how they can grow up to be arborists themselves! This program was locally supported by the Aloha Arborist Association.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western Chapter International Society of
Arboriculture.
Arbor dAyCelebrationsBy carol Kwan
6 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
All Photos: DAvID LEONDARD ARBOR DAYTREE GIVEAWAYURBAN GARDEN CENTER
thE VOiCE OF hAWAii’S GREEN iNDUStRY Hawaiiscape.com 7
All Photos: CAROL KWAN
TREECIRCUS 2013
Arbor Day is the first Friday in November in Hawaii, but celebrations con-tinued for several days, including tree giveaways held across the state on
Saturday, November 2nd. Thousands of plants were given away thanks to sponsors Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Kaulu-nani Urban and Community Forestry Program, the University of Hawaii Urban Garden Center, Maui Electric Company, the County of Maui Department of Water Supply, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Kauai Landscape Industry Council, Gar-den Island Resource and Conservation & Development, Inc., Kua O Ka La Public Charter School, Hooulu Lahui, Hawai‘i
Electric Light Company, and Makuu Farmers Market. See below for photos of the Urban Garden Center giveaway.
In addition to giving away trees, school children were also taught about the ben-efits of trees thanks to the Western Chap-ter International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA) and a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. Timmy Womick put on a rollick-ing, interactive show about the benefits of trees in our communities on November 1st through 5th at Holy Family Catholic Academy, Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii at Nanakuli, Our Lady of Good Coun-sel School, Kainalu Elementary, and Lanikai Elementary.
TreeCircus, the performing moniker of edu-tainer Timmy Womick, helps
students understand how their local trees can lower the temperature and raise their spirits. Throughout assembly, the participants learned about trees, the value of trees, and why we should plant more of them. Most importantly, the students learned how they can grow up to be arborists themselves! This program was locally supported by the Aloha Arborist Association.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western Chapter International Society of
Arboriculture.
Arbor dAyCelebrationsBy carol Kwan
6 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
All Photos: DAvID LEONDARD ARBOR DAYTREE GIVEAWAYURBAN GARDEN CENTER
thE VOiCE OF hAWAii’S GREEN iNDUStRY Hawaiiscape.com 7
8 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
kAwAnAnAkoAnative arboretum
By carol Kwan
Photo courtesy of Steve Nimz & Associates
Vintage photo of The Tree People equipment and crew from the 1970’s.
Photo courtesy of Lester Inouye & Associates
ABOVE: Left to right: Prince David Kawananakoa, descendant of the Prince David Kawananakoa for whom the school is named, Governor Neil Ab-ercrombie, and Kawananakoa Middle School principal, Sandy Ishihara-Shi-bata, at the tree planting. RIGHT: It’s a tough job, but someone has to make sure the tree is planted straight.
You may have heard of the Tree Care Industry Associa-tion (TCIA) or you might remember its old name, the National Arborist As-sociation (NAA). But did
you know what this organization is all about? TCIA’s mission is to advance tree care businesses. This trade association of more than 2,000 commercial tree care and affiliated companies started back in 1938. TCIA develops safety and education programs, standards of tree care practice, and management information for arbo-riculture firms around the world – yes, even in Hawaii too. I spoke to a few people locally to find out what TCIA membership means to them.
For Tevita Tongotea, Jr. (Junior) of H.T.M. Contractors Inc., “TCIA is more on the management side of a tree care company. They have a great Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) and they helped us get a couple of our guys line clearance certified a few years ago. We or-der a lot of reading materials and supplies through them. There are good specials and catalogs from their advertisers.”
To Mike Kraus, owner of Tree Works, Inc. in Hilo, it’s all about safety: “I joined the NAA in 1991; it changed its name to TCIA in 2002. For these last 24 years my membership has meant one thing to me, education. Business education of all kinds; but the main focus has always been on safety. TCIA leads the way in improving the safety of the arboricultural industry.”
And last but not least, LICH Director Emeritus Steve Nimz, former owner of The Tree People tree care company, had plenty to say about TCIA:
“I’ve been a TCIA member for over 30 years, beginning when they were known as the National Arborist Association. They’re a business owner oriented organization. Their purpose is to provide the knowledge you need to run your business profession-ally. For me, one of the best things TCIA provided was the chance to network with other business owners on issues such as marketing, safety, managing employees, and dealing with regulations. We’re not
alone in Hawaii with the types of prob-lems that we encounter. Other states, like California, have much bigger challenges than we do with things like regulations and jurisdiction.”
“Some people think that TCIA is only for large companies, like Davey and Asplundh, but that’s not true. There are many smaller companies, with only 3-5 employees, that are members. The dues aren’t cheap but you get your money’s worth. I’ve attended many annual conferences and have gotten the opportunity to sit down at the same table with Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Asplundh, Mr. Farren, and Mr. Nelson, talking one-on-one with them. You really get a lot of dif-ferent ideas that transfer to your business. Years ago, tree care companies in Hawaii used to drive around in different colored pick-up trucks and employees would wear whatever. After talking to some of these industry leaders at the conferences in the ‘70s, I started painting all of our equipment the same color and having guys
wearing the same shirts. It gave us that professional look. Now pretty much all of the major tree care companies in Hawaii do this, but it was a novel concept back in the day.”
“TCIA also does things like lobbying for our industry with OSHA. We don’t have time to do that as business owners, but OSHA regulations have major impacts on our business. It helps having TCIA going to bat for us with government regulators.”
Want to learn more? Go to www.tcia.org and click on the Membership tab. You can register online or download an application and fax or mail it in.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western
Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
The second phase of devel-oping a native arboretum was held at Kawanana-koa Middle School in April-May 2013, thanks in large part to the efforts
of the school’s Rejuvenation Committee, including landscape architect and Certi-fied Arborist, Lester Inouye. The 6th-8th grade students were taught how to plant trees by a cross section of industry leaders including Certified Arborists Matt Lyum, Carol Kwan, Jackie Ralya, Steve Nimz, Brandon Au and Stan Oka; landscape architects Kyle Sasaki, Chris Dacus, and Rick Quinn; native plant nurseryman Rick Barboza; nurseryman/landscape contractor Fred Lau; irrigation specialist Allan Schildknecht; and Teresa Trueman-Madriaga of the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program. For the 8th graders, this was a refresher train-ing because they helped to plant the first phase of trees in 2011 when they were 6th graders. Working in shifts, over 900 students planted 24 native trees on May 10, 2013.
“I’d like to thank Green Thumb, who donated some of their time and materials for this project, as well as Abner Undan, Trees of Hawaii, who pruned the trees for free several weeks after the planting. It has been very rewarding, seeing the proj-ect come together between the school, the industry, and the students,” said Lester, “and in January 2014, the USDA Forest Service is coming to town to see this project that they’ve heard so much about. The school’s Rejuvenation Com-mittee and Administration really worked hard and made this all possible.”
“Teaching can occur outside too,” Lester continued. “This project teaches students so much more. It teaches them about native trees; it gives them shade in hot, sunny areas on campus; and it gives them gathering places for meeting with their friends. What we did was function-al, educational landscape, and hopefully that’s something these students will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
This project was funded in part by Kaulunani, an Urban & Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the USDA Forest Service.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western
Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
Hawaiiscape.com 9
tree cAreindustry assoCiation
By carol Kwan
8 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
kAwAnAnAkoAnative arboretum
By carol Kwan
Photo courtesy of Steve Nimz & Associates
Vintage photo of The Tree People equipment and crew from the 1970’s.
Photo courtesy of Lester Inouye & Associates
ABOVE: Left to right: Prince David Kawananakoa, descendant of the Prince David Kawananakoa for whom the school is named, Governor Neil Ab-ercrombie, and Kawananakoa Middle School principal, Sandy Ishihara-Shi-bata, at the tree planting. RIGHT: It’s a tough job, but someone has to make sure the tree is planted straight.
You may have heard of the Tree Care Industry Associa-tion (TCIA) or you might remember its old name, the National Arborist As-sociation (NAA). But did
you know what this organization is all about? TCIA’s mission is to advance tree care businesses. This trade association of more than 2,000 commercial tree care and affiliated companies started back in 1938. TCIA develops safety and education programs, standards of tree care practice, and management information for arbo-riculture firms around the world – yes, even in Hawaii too. I spoke to a few people locally to find out what TCIA membership means to them.
For Tevita Tongotea, Jr. (Junior) of H.T.M. Contractors Inc., “TCIA is more on the management side of a tree care company. They have a great Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) and they helped us get a couple of our guys line clearance certified a few years ago. We or-der a lot of reading materials and supplies through them. There are good specials and catalogs from their advertisers.”
To Mike Kraus, owner of Tree Works, Inc. in Hilo, it’s all about safety: “I joined the NAA in 1991; it changed its name to TCIA in 2002. For these last 24 years my membership has meant one thing to me, education. Business education of all kinds; but the main focus has always been on safety. TCIA leads the way in improving the safety of the arboricultural industry.”
And last but not least, LICH Director Emeritus Steve Nimz, former owner of The Tree People tree care company, had plenty to say about TCIA:
“I’ve been a TCIA member for over 30 years, beginning when they were known as the National Arborist Association. They’re a business owner oriented organization. Their purpose is to provide the knowledge you need to run your business profession-ally. For me, one of the best things TCIA provided was the chance to network with other business owners on issues such as marketing, safety, managing employees, and dealing with regulations. We’re not
alone in Hawaii with the types of prob-lems that we encounter. Other states, like California, have much bigger challenges than we do with things like regulations and jurisdiction.”
“Some people think that TCIA is only for large companies, like Davey and Asplundh, but that’s not true. There are many smaller companies, with only 3-5 employees, that are members. The dues aren’t cheap but you get your money’s worth. I’ve attended many annual conferences and have gotten the opportunity to sit down at the same table with Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Asplundh, Mr. Farren, and Mr. Nelson, talking one-on-one with them. You really get a lot of dif-ferent ideas that transfer to your business. Years ago, tree care companies in Hawaii used to drive around in different colored pick-up trucks and employees would wear whatever. After talking to some of these industry leaders at the conferences in the ‘70s, I started painting all of our equipment the same color and having guys
wearing the same shirts. It gave us that professional look. Now pretty much all of the major tree care companies in Hawaii do this, but it was a novel concept back in the day.”
“TCIA also does things like lobbying for our industry with OSHA. We don’t have time to do that as business owners, but OSHA regulations have major impacts on our business. It helps having TCIA going to bat for us with government regulators.”
Want to learn more? Go to www.tcia.org and click on the Membership tab. You can register online or download an application and fax or mail it in.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western
Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
The second phase of devel-oping a native arboretum was held at Kawanana-koa Middle School in April-May 2013, thanks in large part to the efforts
of the school’s Rejuvenation Committee, including landscape architect and Certi-fied Arborist, Lester Inouye. The 6th-8th grade students were taught how to plant trees by a cross section of industry leaders including Certified Arborists Matt Lyum, Carol Kwan, Jackie Ralya, Steve Nimz, Brandon Au and Stan Oka; landscape architects Kyle Sasaki, Chris Dacus, and Rick Quinn; native plant nurseryman Rick Barboza; nurseryman/landscape contractor Fred Lau; irrigation specialist Allan Schildknecht; and Teresa Trueman-Madriaga of the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program. For the 8th graders, this was a refresher train-ing because they helped to plant the first phase of trees in 2011 when they were 6th graders. Working in shifts, over 900 students planted 24 native trees on May 10, 2013.
“I’d like to thank Green Thumb, who donated some of their time and materials for this project, as well as Abner Undan, Trees of Hawaii, who pruned the trees for free several weeks after the planting. It has been very rewarding, seeing the proj-ect come together between the school, the industry, and the students,” said Lester, “and in January 2014, the USDA Forest Service is coming to town to see this project that they’ve heard so much about. The school’s Rejuvenation Com-mittee and Administration really worked hard and made this all possible.”
“Teaching can occur outside too,” Lester continued. “This project teaches students so much more. It teaches them about native trees; it gives them shade in hot, sunny areas on campus; and it gives them gathering places for meeting with their friends. What we did was function-al, educational landscape, and hopefully that’s something these students will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
This project was funded in part by Kaulunani, an Urban & Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the USDA Forest Service.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the Western
Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
Hawaiiscape.com 9
tree cAreindustry assoCiation
By carol Kwan
10 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 11THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
right tree, right PlaCe
By steve connolly
All Photos: STEvE CONNOLLY
Sidewalk uplift caused by root growth from a closely planted Italian cypress.
LEFT: Within this densely planted area is a pad mounted high voltage underground transformer. RIGHT: This Ficus benjamina will require frequent and costly pruning due to it’s planting location.
Hawaiian Cast Stone Veneer & Landscaping Stone products Made in Hawaii We’ve been Making Hawaii Rock for more than 30 years!
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Bamboo Fountain Kits
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In Hawaii we are blessed with a diversity of environments and growing conditions, which in turn has allowed us one of the broadest tree palettes in the world. While this provides us
with great opportunities to customize our landscapes, this array of tree choices can also present conflicts between our neigh-bors, hardscapes, and utilities. Planting the “Right Tree in the Right Place” is becoming an increasingly popular ideol-ogy for tree planting in densely populated urban areas. Simply put, this is a process of informing oneself of different tree species characteristics and identifying the potential for conflict at the planting site.
Here we are going to look at some of the information we should know as we select trees for our customers or personal properties to ensure that the species and location work together in a way that avoids future problems.
The PlaceA thorough assessment of the tree
planting area should be conducted ahead of tree selection. This determination of available space is what allows us to significantly narrow down our tree selec-tion. This space can easily be divided into two categories, above ground and below ground.
Overhead utilities are ubiquitous in our landscape and are a potential source of tree and infrastructure conflicts. Prior to planting, any overhead lines should be identified as to type and location. Local utilities can often assist contractors and property owners with these requests. A few general rules for planting near over-head utilities are as follows;
1) Trees that mature at heights below 10 feet may be planted under overhead conductors.
2) Trees that mature at height between
20 and 30 feet should be planted at least 10 feet away from overhead conductors
3) Taller trees with spreading crowns that mature at a height greater than 30 feet should be planted greater than 30 feet away from overhead conductors.
A more recent consideration for arbor-ists is tree shading of rooftop mounted solar panels in residential areas. In Hawaii we are currently seeing mature shade trees either removed or severely reduced to accommodate the installation of solar panels. This will become a more frequent determining factor in our species selec-tion process for future residential and commercial tree planting efforts.
Underground utilities need to be ac-
counted for and their locations clearly identified prior to planting. As with overhead infrastructure utilities compa-nies can come out and accurately locate below ground facilities. The distance between planting location and hardscapes also needs to be assessed. Large trees can cause significant and costly damage if planted too close to foundations, retain-ing walls and pavements.
The TreeSize at maturity should be the most
obvious characteristic when selecting a tree for a specific site. Professional arbor-ists know all to well that this can be a rare consideration as we are often called in to
mitigate a tree overhanging a neighbors’ property, causing conflicts with over-head utilities or uplifting a sidewalk. The first questions we should ask are; How tall does the tree get? How wide is the canopy? Is the tree excurrent or decur-rent? How fast does it grow?
In the tropics we have a few special considerations such as does the tree form buttress roots that could damage hard-scapes? Will aerial roots form (i.e. Ficus spp.) upon maturity? Is the desired “tree” a monocot?
Palms add greatly to our available selection of landscape plants and can often be planted in tight restricted spaces where there is clearly no room for a dicot. However, most palms have one single di-rection of growth and that is straight up. This presents a difficult situation when palms are planted under overhead utili-ties as there are no other ways to reason-ably mitigate this particular conflict aside from removal.
Fruit bearing trees can easily become a source of conflict in our landscapes as well. The fruit we so love to eat may also attract unwelcome human and animal guests or drop fruit into neighboring properties. One of the more popular neighbor disputes I come across as an arborist is what I call the “Rubbish Com-plaint”, where one properties large fruit tree is dropping fruit and leaves onto the adjacent property. Many of these situa-tions could be resolved before they were ever started through careful selection and research on available varieties.
Fruit trees that mature at a height greater than 10 feet should never be planted under or adjacent to overhead utilities as this can create a great poten-
tial for risk to personal safety. People often use highly conductive tools, such as aluminum ladders and fruit pickers, which can cause serious injury or death if contacted with energized conductors.
The combination of thorough site as-sessment and appropriate tree selection is a synergistic approach to tree planting.
Remember to ask yourself before you break out the shovel ‘Will this be the right tree in the right place?’
Steve Connolly is a Certified Utility Arborist and currently serves as President of Aloha Arborist Association.
10 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 11THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
right tree, right PlaCe
By steve connolly
All Photos: STEvE CONNOLLY
Sidewalk uplift caused by root growth from a closely planted Italian cypress.
LEFT: Within this densely planted area is a pad mounted high voltage underground transformer. RIGHT: This Ficus benjamina will require frequent and costly pruning due to it’s planting location.
Hawaiian Cast Stone Veneer & Landscaping Stone products Made in Hawaii We’ve been Making Hawaii Rock for more than 30 years!
Moss & Lava Pavers
1050 Kikowaena Place, Honolulu HI 96819 Call 834-7625 Toll 866-344-7625 www.bigrockhawaii.com
Weekly 8-4:30 Saturday 8-2:00 WE SHIP TO ALL ISLANDS!
Bamboo Fountain Kits
Made on Oahu with pride & aloha
Stock readily available . We ship weekly
Hundreds of items, a landscaper’s dream!
Wholesale pricing for business orders.
In Hawaii we are blessed with a diversity of environments and growing conditions, which in turn has allowed us one of the broadest tree palettes in the world. While this provides us
with great opportunities to customize our landscapes, this array of tree choices can also present conflicts between our neigh-bors, hardscapes, and utilities. Planting the “Right Tree in the Right Place” is becoming an increasingly popular ideol-ogy for tree planting in densely populated urban areas. Simply put, this is a process of informing oneself of different tree species characteristics and identifying the potential for conflict at the planting site.
Here we are going to look at some of the information we should know as we select trees for our customers or personal properties to ensure that the species and location work together in a way that avoids future problems.
The PlaceA thorough assessment of the tree
planting area should be conducted ahead of tree selection. This determination of available space is what allows us to significantly narrow down our tree selec-tion. This space can easily be divided into two categories, above ground and below ground.
Overhead utilities are ubiquitous in our landscape and are a potential source of tree and infrastructure conflicts. Prior to planting, any overhead lines should be identified as to type and location. Local utilities can often assist contractors and property owners with these requests. A few general rules for planting near over-head utilities are as follows;
1) Trees that mature at heights below 10 feet may be planted under overhead conductors.
2) Trees that mature at height between
20 and 30 feet should be planted at least 10 feet away from overhead conductors
3) Taller trees with spreading crowns that mature at a height greater than 30 feet should be planted greater than 30 feet away from overhead conductors.
A more recent consideration for arbor-ists is tree shading of rooftop mounted solar panels in residential areas. In Hawaii we are currently seeing mature shade trees either removed or severely reduced to accommodate the installation of solar panels. This will become a more frequent determining factor in our species selec-tion process for future residential and commercial tree planting efforts.
Underground utilities need to be ac-
counted for and their locations clearly identified prior to planting. As with overhead infrastructure utilities compa-nies can come out and accurately locate below ground facilities. The distance between planting location and hardscapes also needs to be assessed. Large trees can cause significant and costly damage if planted too close to foundations, retain-ing walls and pavements.
The TreeSize at maturity should be the most
obvious characteristic when selecting a tree for a specific site. Professional arbor-ists know all to well that this can be a rare consideration as we are often called in to
mitigate a tree overhanging a neighbors’ property, causing conflicts with over-head utilities or uplifting a sidewalk. The first questions we should ask are; How tall does the tree get? How wide is the canopy? Is the tree excurrent or decur-rent? How fast does it grow?
In the tropics we have a few special considerations such as does the tree form buttress roots that could damage hard-scapes? Will aerial roots form (i.e. Ficus spp.) upon maturity? Is the desired “tree” a monocot?
Palms add greatly to our available selection of landscape plants and can often be planted in tight restricted spaces where there is clearly no room for a dicot. However, most palms have one single di-rection of growth and that is straight up. This presents a difficult situation when palms are planted under overhead utili-ties as there are no other ways to reason-ably mitigate this particular conflict aside from removal.
Fruit bearing trees can easily become a source of conflict in our landscapes as well. The fruit we so love to eat may also attract unwelcome human and animal guests or drop fruit into neighboring properties. One of the more popular neighbor disputes I come across as an arborist is what I call the “Rubbish Com-plaint”, where one properties large fruit tree is dropping fruit and leaves onto the adjacent property. Many of these situa-tions could be resolved before they were ever started through careful selection and research on available varieties.
Fruit trees that mature at a height greater than 10 feet should never be planted under or adjacent to overhead utilities as this can create a great poten-
tial for risk to personal safety. People often use highly conductive tools, such as aluminum ladders and fruit pickers, which can cause serious injury or death if contacted with energized conductors.
The combination of thorough site as-sessment and appropriate tree selection is a synergistic approach to tree planting.
Remember to ask yourself before you break out the shovel ‘Will this be the right tree in the right place?’
Steve Connolly is a Certified Utility Arborist and currently serves as President of Aloha Arborist Association.
12 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 13THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
The Aloha Arborist Association will be hosting the 2014 Hawaii Tree Climbing Championship. The HTCC is a showcase of our local tree workers’ talents along with a strong focus on education, safety and industry camaraderie. The event will
once again be held at Oahu’s famed Moanalua Gardens on the weekend of February 22nd. This is a two day event with preliminary rounds on Saturday 2/22 and the mas-ters challenge on 2/23.
We are currently in need of volunteers for judging, time keeping, scoring and event setup and breakdown. Volunteers who are ISA certified can earn CEU’s for their participation. We are also seeking sponsorship from companies and individuals involved in Hawaii’s green in-dustry. It is through the help of our sponsors we are able to provide prize packages for our climbers and send our top competitors to the Western Chapter ISA Champion-
ship. Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to [email protected].
Entrance fees for competitors will be $50 for AAA members and $75 for non-members. Those interested in volunteering and climb-ers wishing to preregister can contact me directly at [email protected].
Spectators are encouraged to attend. Moanalua Gardens is an easily accessed, family friendly park with spectacular trees and landscaping. Our climb-ers will be putting on a show and we need as many voices as possible to cheer them on. I look forward to seeing you there!
Steve Connolly is a Certified Utility Arborist and currently serves as President of Aloha Arbor-ist Association.
treecliMbing
norfolk pine myth
ChamPionshiPBy steve connolly
By susan scott
ABOVE: Vernon Gutina scoring points during the work climb. RIGHT: Dan Severino descending during the Secured Footlock. A
common conifer in Hawai‘i is the columnar pine, also called Cook pine. Although they look like pines from a distance and produce seed-bearing
cones, these trees aren’t really pines. Columnars belong to a different family, called Araucaria (are-o-CARE-ia). Mem-bers of this family produce, instead of needles, thin twigs covered with tiny, scale like leaves. Mature trees grow to 200 feet.
Many people believe that a mixture of columnar and their close relatives, Norfolk Island pines, grow in Hawai‘i. Several Hawai‘i plant books give detailed explanations about how to tell these two species apart by the length and shape of branches, and the state is a lead in exporting “Norfolk Island” pine seeds. In truth, researchers can’t find any mature Norfolk Island pines growing in Hawai‘i. Regardless of shape, all the familiar pines we see in parks and gardens are appar-ently columnar pines. Researchers know this because the seeds and seedlings of columnars and Norfolks are distinct, and, so far, botanists have found only those of columnar pines.
These trees grow in several shapes, from straight column like pillars to the pyramid-shaped “Christmas trees.” Wind may have something to do with shaping the trees. When hurricane Ewa [sic] hit Kaua‘i, the wind stripped all the branches off both column and pyramid-shaped trees. The young branches that sprouted all grew to the same length, and all trees became columns rather than pyramids.
Columnar pines are good reforesting trees in Hawai‘i. People have used the
wood for lumber; attractive knotty pine paneling covers the walls of some restau-rants in Maui.
Susan Scott is a Wisconsin native who moved to Hawaii in 1983 and never left. Susan writes a weekly newspaper column, “Ocean Watch,” which has been running in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser since 1987 and written three books about nature in Hawaii and three medical guidebooks with her physician husband. Today she lives on the wind-
ward side of Oahu with her husband and their dog Lucy.
This excerpt is reprinted from Plants and Animals of Hawai‘i by Susan Scott, from the section Conifers (La‘au Ka‘a) pp. 56-57, copyright 1991 by Bess Press. Used with permission. While this book is out of print, other books of interest to the landscaping industry can be found at www.besspress.com under “Gardening”.
Photo : CAROL KWAN
Despite one of these trees looking columnar and the other looking pyramidal, they are both Cook pines (Araucaria columnaris).
The local columnar pine looks like a pine but isn’t a pine
12 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 13THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
The Aloha Arborist Association will be hosting the 2014 Hawaii Tree Climbing Championship. The HTCC is a showcase of our local tree workers’ talents along with a strong focus on education, safety and industry camaraderie. The event will
once again be held at Oahu’s famed Moanalua Gardens on the weekend of February 22nd. This is a two day event with preliminary rounds on Saturday 2/22 and the mas-ters challenge on 2/23.
We are currently in need of volunteers for judging, time keeping, scoring and event setup and breakdown. Volunteers who are ISA certified can earn CEU’s for their participation. We are also seeking sponsorship from companies and individuals involved in Hawaii’s green in-dustry. It is through the help of our sponsors we are able to provide prize packages for our climbers and send our top competitors to the Western Chapter ISA Champion-
ship. Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to [email protected].
Entrance fees for competitors will be $50 for AAA members and $75 for non-members. Those interested in volunteering and climb-ers wishing to preregister can contact me directly at [email protected].
Spectators are encouraged to attend. Moanalua Gardens is an easily accessed, family friendly park with spectacular trees and landscaping. Our climb-ers will be putting on a show and we need as many voices as possible to cheer them on. I look forward to seeing you there!
Steve Connolly is a Certified Utility Arborist and currently serves as President of Aloha Arbor-ist Association.
treecliMbing
norfolk pine myth
ChamPionshiPBy steve connolly
By susan scott
ABOVE: Vernon Gutina scoring points during the work climb. RIGHT: Dan Severino descending during the Secured Footlock. A
common conifer in Hawai‘i is the columnar pine, also called Cook pine. Although they look like pines from a distance and produce seed-bearing
cones, these trees aren’t really pines. Columnars belong to a different family, called Araucaria (are-o-CARE-ia). Mem-bers of this family produce, instead of needles, thin twigs covered with tiny, scale like leaves. Mature trees grow to 200 feet.
Many people believe that a mixture of columnar and their close relatives, Norfolk Island pines, grow in Hawai‘i. Several Hawai‘i plant books give detailed explanations about how to tell these two species apart by the length and shape of branches, and the state is a lead in exporting “Norfolk Island” pine seeds. In truth, researchers can’t find any mature Norfolk Island pines growing in Hawai‘i. Regardless of shape, all the familiar pines we see in parks and gardens are appar-ently columnar pines. Researchers know this because the seeds and seedlings of columnars and Norfolks are distinct, and, so far, botanists have found only those of columnar pines.
These trees grow in several shapes, from straight column like pillars to the pyramid-shaped “Christmas trees.” Wind may have something to do with shaping the trees. When hurricane Ewa [sic] hit Kaua‘i, the wind stripped all the branches off both column and pyramid-shaped trees. The young branches that sprouted all grew to the same length, and all trees became columns rather than pyramids.
Columnar pines are good reforesting trees in Hawai‘i. People have used the
wood for lumber; attractive knotty pine paneling covers the walls of some restau-rants in Maui.
Susan Scott is a Wisconsin native who moved to Hawaii in 1983 and never left. Susan writes a weekly newspaper column, “Ocean Watch,” which has been running in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser since 1987 and written three books about nature in Hawaii and three medical guidebooks with her physician husband. Today she lives on the wind-
ward side of Oahu with her husband and their dog Lucy.
This excerpt is reprinted from Plants and Animals of Hawai‘i by Susan Scott, from the section Conifers (La‘au Ka‘a) pp. 56-57, copyright 1991 by Bess Press. Used with permission. While this book is out of print, other books of interest to the landscaping industry can be found at www.besspress.com under “Gardening”.
Photo : CAROL KWAN
Despite one of these trees looking columnar and the other looking pyramidal, they are both Cook pines (Araucaria columnaris).
The local columnar pine looks like a pine but isn’t a pine
14 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 15THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
MAnAginglAndscApes
using reCyCled Water
Use of secondary- or tertiary-treated sewage effluent for landscape irrigation is increasing as supplies of potable water become limited.
Recycled water can be an abundant source of inexpensive water or in some cases, the only source available for irriga-tion. Landscape managers and arborists, however, often are concerned about the effects recycled water may have on plant appearance and growth. They may be asked to help select plants for sites where recycled water is used or to diagnose problems arising from its application. This article discusses important factors to
consider and management techniques to accommodate use of recycled water.
What is Recycled Water?Recycled water, also called effluent or
reclaimed water, is water that has been previously used for municipal purposes, in-dustry, or agriculture, and has been treated for reuse. Wastewater is the liquid waste collected in sanitary sewers and treated in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Pettigrove and Asano 1985). The waste-water is subjected to several treatments to make it suitable for irrigation:
Preliminary: course screening and grit removal by sedimentation
Primary: removing settleable organic
and inorganic solids by sedimentation and materials that float by skimming
Secondary: removing biodegradable dissolved and colloidal organic mat-ter using aerobic biological treatment processes.
Advanced (tertiary): removing specific wastewater constituents such as nitrogen, heavy metals, or dissolved solids using chemical coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, or reverse osmosis
Disinfection: killing organisms in water using injection of chlorine (most common), ozone, or ultraviolet light.
In California, the State Code of Regula-tions allows primary effluent for surface irrigation of orchards, vineyards, fodder,
By nelda matheny and James r. clarK
fiber, and seed crops. Secondary effluent may be used for surface irrigation of food crops, pasture for milking animals, and landscape irrigation of golf courses and cemeteries. Tertiary treatment, including coagulation, filtering, and disinfection, is required for irrigation of parks and playgrounds and for spray irrigation of food crops.
Assessing Recycled-Water Quality
Water may contain ions or salts toxic to certain plants. While good-quality water is suitable for use for irrigation of almost any plant, poor-quality water may inhibit plant growth or reduce health. For recycled water, the quality depends on the components of the water entering the treatment path, as well as the type of use before treatment. For example, recycled water from municipal sources in which water softeners are used has a higher level of sodium than the water entering the system. During sewage treatment, many of the inorganic compounds are retained, including salts and heavy metals. Salts can be removed from recycled water through the process of reverse osmosis, although that is an advanced treatment not normally performed for water used for landscape irrigation.
The quality of a given recycled water source may vary throughout the year. In California, the quality of recycled water usually is better during the rainy season (winter) than during the periods of sum-mer and fall drought. You can request water-quality data from the treatment facility, or you can collect a sample and have it analyzed by a laboratory. When requesting water-quality data from the treatment facility, ask for the range in measurements as well as the annual aver-ages normally reported. Water-quality reports usually emphasize constituents of concern for human health. In some cases, additional testing may need to be performed.
In the context of landscape irrigation, water quality refers to the presence and concentration of total salts as well as sev-eral specific ions (chloride, sodium, and boron), bicarbonate, pH, trace elements, and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) (Table 1). Guidelines for interpreting water-quality data are found in Matheny and Clark (1998).
Total SaltsSalinity is the most important measure
of water quality for landscape plants. It
is expressed as total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity.
When water is applied to soils, some of the salts in the water – notably sodium, chloride, and boron – remain in the soil. As these salts accumulate in the soil, plant toxicity may occur. Salt toxicity is first expressed as stunting of growth and yellowing of foliage. Burning of the edge of the leaves and defoliation usually follow. In severe cases, plants are killed. The degree of the problem depends on the sensitivity of the plant to salts and the concentration of the accumulated salts in the soil.
Specific Ion ToxicityAlthough salinity expresses the total
salt content, it does not adequately iden-tify potential toxicities from specific ions. Chloride, sodium, and boron concentra-tions in recycled water can and often do cause injury to sensitive plants. Boron in particular must be evaluated indepen-dently of other salts. It is toxic in such low concentrations (less than 1 ppm) that its presence is not reflected in the general salinity measurement.
Sodium and chloride concentrations are particularly important if irrigation
is supplied by sprinkler. Plants absorb both ions through their foliage. Toxicity through foliar absorption occurs at much lower concentrations than through soil absorption, particularly under conditions of high evapotranspiration.
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14 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 15THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
MAnAginglAndscApes
using reCyCled Water
Use of secondary- or tertiary-treated sewage effluent for landscape irrigation is increasing as supplies of potable water become limited.
Recycled water can be an abundant source of inexpensive water or in some cases, the only source available for irriga-tion. Landscape managers and arborists, however, often are concerned about the effects recycled water may have on plant appearance and growth. They may be asked to help select plants for sites where recycled water is used or to diagnose problems arising from its application. This article discusses important factors to
consider and management techniques to accommodate use of recycled water.
What is Recycled Water?Recycled water, also called effluent or
reclaimed water, is water that has been previously used for municipal purposes, in-dustry, or agriculture, and has been treated for reuse. Wastewater is the liquid waste collected in sanitary sewers and treated in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Pettigrove and Asano 1985). The waste-water is subjected to several treatments to make it suitable for irrigation:
Preliminary: course screening and grit removal by sedimentation
Primary: removing settleable organic
and inorganic solids by sedimentation and materials that float by skimming
Secondary: removing biodegradable dissolved and colloidal organic mat-ter using aerobic biological treatment processes.
Advanced (tertiary): removing specific wastewater constituents such as nitrogen, heavy metals, or dissolved solids using chemical coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, or reverse osmosis
Disinfection: killing organisms in water using injection of chlorine (most common), ozone, or ultraviolet light.
In California, the State Code of Regula-tions allows primary effluent for surface irrigation of orchards, vineyards, fodder,
By nelda matheny and James r. clarK
fiber, and seed crops. Secondary effluent may be used for surface irrigation of food crops, pasture for milking animals, and landscape irrigation of golf courses and cemeteries. Tertiary treatment, including coagulation, filtering, and disinfection, is required for irrigation of parks and playgrounds and for spray irrigation of food crops.
Assessing Recycled-Water Quality
Water may contain ions or salts toxic to certain plants. While good-quality water is suitable for use for irrigation of almost any plant, poor-quality water may inhibit plant growth or reduce health. For recycled water, the quality depends on the components of the water entering the treatment path, as well as the type of use before treatment. For example, recycled water from municipal sources in which water softeners are used has a higher level of sodium than the water entering the system. During sewage treatment, many of the inorganic compounds are retained, including salts and heavy metals. Salts can be removed from recycled water through the process of reverse osmosis, although that is an advanced treatment not normally performed for water used for landscape irrigation.
The quality of a given recycled water source may vary throughout the year. In California, the quality of recycled water usually is better during the rainy season (winter) than during the periods of sum-mer and fall drought. You can request water-quality data from the treatment facility, or you can collect a sample and have it analyzed by a laboratory. When requesting water-quality data from the treatment facility, ask for the range in measurements as well as the annual aver-ages normally reported. Water-quality reports usually emphasize constituents of concern for human health. In some cases, additional testing may need to be performed.
In the context of landscape irrigation, water quality refers to the presence and concentration of total salts as well as sev-eral specific ions (chloride, sodium, and boron), bicarbonate, pH, trace elements, and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) (Table 1). Guidelines for interpreting water-quality data are found in Matheny and Clark (1998).
Total SaltsSalinity is the most important measure
of water quality for landscape plants. It
is expressed as total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity.
When water is applied to soils, some of the salts in the water – notably sodium, chloride, and boron – remain in the soil. As these salts accumulate in the soil, plant toxicity may occur. Salt toxicity is first expressed as stunting of growth and yellowing of foliage. Burning of the edge of the leaves and defoliation usually follow. In severe cases, plants are killed. The degree of the problem depends on the sensitivity of the plant to salts and the concentration of the accumulated salts in the soil.
Specific Ion ToxicityAlthough salinity expresses the total
salt content, it does not adequately iden-tify potential toxicities from specific ions. Chloride, sodium, and boron concentra-tions in recycled water can and often do cause injury to sensitive plants. Boron in particular must be evaluated indepen-dently of other salts. It is toxic in such low concentrations (less than 1 ppm) that its presence is not reflected in the general salinity measurement.
Sodium and chloride concentrations are particularly important if irrigation
is supplied by sprinkler. Plants absorb both ions through their foliage. Toxicity through foliar absorption occurs at much lower concentrations than through soil absorption, particularly under conditions of high evapotranspiration.
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The toxicity symptoms of the specific ions are often difficult to distinguish from each other. Leaf chlorosis and marginal burning are typical. Necrosis associated with boron is often black in color and may appear as small spots near the leaf margin.
As with salinity, plant tolerance to individual ions is highly species specific. Some plants, such as Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis indica) can tolerate boron in excess of 7 ppm. Others, such a photinia (Photinia x Fraseri), are injured at 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, a plant may be relatively tolerant of boron but highly sensitive to chloride.
Little information is available to help develop lists of sensitivity of plants to specific ions. You must rely primarily on experience and observation.
Sodium Adsorption RatioIn addition to affecting plants directly,
sodium can have negative effects on soil structure. It may cause dispersion of soil aggregates if present in high concentra-tions. This decreases both drainage and soil aeration, which may cause plant decline and death. Soils high in clay are particularly susceptible to breakdown of aggregates by sodium. Sodium hazard to soils is usually assessed from the sodium adsorption ration (SAR), a value calculat-
ed from the sodium, calcium, and mag-nesium concentrations. The permeability problems that can be caused by a high SAR, however, can be partially offset by salts in the water. A more accurate mea-sure of potential problems in irrigation water is the adjusted sodium adsorption ratio calculated from concentrations of salts, bicarbonate, calcium, sodium, and magnesium in the water.
BicarbonateBicarbonate affects plants through its
influence on pH and interaction with so-dium. High bicarbonate levels can cause iron chlorosis symptoms in plants.
Water high in bicarbonate, carbonate, calcium, or magnesium, or a combination those elements, can cause white precipi-tate on foliage under sprinkler irrigation. Irrigation hardware is also susceptible to damage from bicarbonates because the precipitate can clog drip emitters.
When bicarbonate combines with calcium or magnesium in soils, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate precipitate out. Consequently, the SAR of the soil increases, and permeability to water may become a problem. The bicarbonate hazard to soils can be evalu-ated by calculating the residual sodium carbonate (RSC) – the sum of the carbon-ate and bicarbonate ions minus the sum of
the calcium and magnesium ions. Water with an RSC greater than 2.5 mEq/L (milli-equivalents per liter) can develop perme-ability problems.
Heavy MetalsHeavy metals are rarely present in wa-
ter in sufficient quantities to be directly toxic to plants. Most metals, however, become tied up in the soil and their concentrations increase over time. Water-quality criteria take the accumulation of the elements with many years of irriga-tion into account and provide maximum concentrations with long-term use in mind. Effluent derived from domestic sources does not usually have problems with trace elements.
NutrientsOne of the advantages of using re-
cycled water for landscape irrigation is that it contains plant nutrients, thereby reducing the need for fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are the constitu-ents of greatest benefit; their concentra-tions are considered when evaluating recycled water to determine fertilization needs (Harivandi 1988). Recycled water usually contains most of the micronutri-ents required by plants.
A negative aspect of this fertility in-volves storage of recycled water. Ponded
Nutrient rich recycled water will develop algae and other aqatic weeds faster then potable water.
Table 1. Constituents of recycled water that affect landscape plants and soils (after Pettygrove and Asano 1985)
Constituent Measured Parameter Reason for Concern
Dissolved inorganics Total dissolved solids; Excessive salinity may damage some plants. Specific ions such as chloride, electrical conductivity; sodium, and boron are toxic to some plants. Sodium may pose soil specific elementsa permeability problems.
Hydrogen ion activity pH The pH of water affects metal solubilityb as well as alkalinity of soils
Heavy Metals Specific elementsc Some heavy metals accumulate in the environment and are toxic to plants. Primary concern is for plants with high levels that are ingested by animals.
Nutrients Nitrogen, phosphorus, Essential nutrients for plant growth; their presence normally enhances potassium the value of water for irrigation. When discharged into the aquatic environment, nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to the growth of undesirable aquatic life. When discharged in excessive amounts on land, nitrogen can lead to the pollution of groundwater.
Residual chlorine Free and combined Excessive amounts of free available chlorine (>0.05 mg/L) may cause chlorine leaf-tip burn and damage sensitive plants. However, most chlorine in recycled water is in a combined form, which does not cause plant damage.
Suspended solids Suspended solids Excessive amounts of suspended solids cause plugging in irrigation systems
aSodium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, boron.bFor example, iron, manganese, zinc, and aluminum.cFor example, cadmium, zinc, nickel, and mercury.
nutrient-laden water develops algae and other aquatic weed problems more rapidly than potable water.
Nelda Matheny is president and founder of HortScience, Inc. As an international leader in arboriculture, she specializes in tree evalua-tion and management, problem diagnosis, and
landscape suitability assessment. Dr. James Clark is vice president of HortScience, Inc. and is an in-
ternationally renowned arborist. He has twenty years of technical, research, and practical expe-rience in tree risk assessment, tree preservation, and urban forest planning and management.
ReferencesHarvandi, A. 1988. Irrigation water quality and turfgrass
management. California Turfgrass Culture 38(3,4):1-4.Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes us-
ing recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II. Neely, D., and G. Watson, eds. International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. 265 pp.
Pettygrove, G., and T. Asano. 1985. Irrigation with Re-claimed Municipal Wastewater – A Guidance Manual. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI.
The authors wish to thank Larry Costello and Katherine Jones, University of California Cooperative Extension, for their contribu-tion to development of Tables 4 and 5. This article was condensed from Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II.
This article was first published in the December 1999 issue of Arborist News. Reprinted with permission.
16 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 17
• Specimen Trees in Boxes• Fruiting Trees• Palms• Topiaries• everything else
in Kona329-5702
The toxicity symptoms of the specific ions are often difficult to distinguish from each other. Leaf chlorosis and marginal burning are typical. Necrosis associated with boron is often black in color and may appear as small spots near the leaf margin.
As with salinity, plant tolerance to individual ions is highly species specific. Some plants, such as Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis indica) can tolerate boron in excess of 7 ppm. Others, such a photinia (Photinia x Fraseri), are injured at 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, a plant may be relatively tolerant of boron but highly sensitive to chloride.
Little information is available to help develop lists of sensitivity of plants to specific ions. You must rely primarily on experience and observation.
Sodium Adsorption RatioIn addition to affecting plants directly,
sodium can have negative effects on soil structure. It may cause dispersion of soil aggregates if present in high concentra-tions. This decreases both drainage and soil aeration, which may cause plant decline and death. Soils high in clay are particularly susceptible to breakdown of aggregates by sodium. Sodium hazard to soils is usually assessed from the sodium adsorption ration (SAR), a value calculat-
ed from the sodium, calcium, and mag-nesium concentrations. The permeability problems that can be caused by a high SAR, however, can be partially offset by salts in the water. A more accurate mea-sure of potential problems in irrigation water is the adjusted sodium adsorption ratio calculated from concentrations of salts, bicarbonate, calcium, sodium, and magnesium in the water.
BicarbonateBicarbonate affects plants through its
influence on pH and interaction with so-dium. High bicarbonate levels can cause iron chlorosis symptoms in plants.
Water high in bicarbonate, carbonate, calcium, or magnesium, or a combination those elements, can cause white precipi-tate on foliage under sprinkler irrigation. Irrigation hardware is also susceptible to damage from bicarbonates because the precipitate can clog drip emitters.
When bicarbonate combines with calcium or magnesium in soils, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate precipitate out. Consequently, the SAR of the soil increases, and permeability to water may become a problem. The bicarbonate hazard to soils can be evalu-ated by calculating the residual sodium carbonate (RSC) – the sum of the carbon-ate and bicarbonate ions minus the sum of
the calcium and magnesium ions. Water with an RSC greater than 2.5 mEq/L (milli-equivalents per liter) can develop perme-ability problems.
Heavy MetalsHeavy metals are rarely present in wa-
ter in sufficient quantities to be directly toxic to plants. Most metals, however, become tied up in the soil and their concentrations increase over time. Water-quality criteria take the accumulation of the elements with many years of irriga-tion into account and provide maximum concentrations with long-term use in mind. Effluent derived from domestic sources does not usually have problems with trace elements.
NutrientsOne of the advantages of using re-
cycled water for landscape irrigation is that it contains plant nutrients, thereby reducing the need for fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are the constitu-ents of greatest benefit; their concentra-tions are considered when evaluating recycled water to determine fertilization needs (Harivandi 1988). Recycled water usually contains most of the micronutri-ents required by plants.
A negative aspect of this fertility in-volves storage of recycled water. Ponded
Nutrient rich recycled water will develop algae and other aqatic weeds faster then potable water.
Table 1. Constituents of recycled water that affect landscape plants and soils (after Pettygrove and Asano 1985)
Constituent Measured Parameter Reason for Concern
Dissolved inorganics Total dissolved solids; Excessive salinity may damage some plants. Specific ions such as chloride, electrical conductivity; sodium, and boron are toxic to some plants. Sodium may pose soil specific elementsa permeability problems.
Hydrogen ion activity pH The pH of water affects metal solubilityb as well as alkalinity of soils
Heavy Metals Specific elementsc Some heavy metals accumulate in the environment and are toxic to plants. Primary concern is for plants with high levels that are ingested by animals.
Nutrients Nitrogen, phosphorus, Essential nutrients for plant growth; their presence normally enhances potassium the value of water for irrigation. When discharged into the aquatic environment, nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to the growth of undesirable aquatic life. When discharged in excessive amounts on land, nitrogen can lead to the pollution of groundwater.
Residual chlorine Free and combined Excessive amounts of free available chlorine (>0.05 mg/L) may cause chlorine leaf-tip burn and damage sensitive plants. However, most chlorine in recycled water is in a combined form, which does not cause plant damage.
Suspended solids Suspended solids Excessive amounts of suspended solids cause plugging in irrigation systems
aSodium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, boron.bFor example, iron, manganese, zinc, and aluminum.cFor example, cadmium, zinc, nickel, and mercury.
nutrient-laden water develops algae and other aquatic weed problems more rapidly than potable water.
Nelda Matheny is president and founder of HortScience, Inc. As an international leader in arboriculture, she specializes in tree evalua-tion and management, problem diagnosis, and
landscape suitability assessment. Dr. James Clark is vice president of HortScience, Inc. and is an in-
ternationally renowned arborist. He has twenty years of technical, research, and practical expe-rience in tree risk assessment, tree preservation, and urban forest planning and management.
ReferencesHarvandi, A. 1988. Irrigation water quality and turfgrass
management. California Turfgrass Culture 38(3,4):1-4.Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes us-
ing recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II. Neely, D., and G. Watson, eds. International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. 265 pp.
Pettygrove, G., and T. Asano. 1985. Irrigation with Re-claimed Municipal Wastewater – A Guidance Manual. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI.
The authors wish to thank Larry Costello and Katherine Jones, University of California Cooperative Extension, for their contribu-tion to development of Tables 4 and 5. This article was condensed from Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II.
This article was first published in the December 1999 issue of Arborist News. Reprinted with permission.
20 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 21THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
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This is the conclusion of a two-part article about managing landscapes using recycled water.
Selection of Sites Suitable for Irrigation with Recycled Water
The ability of an existing landscape to accommodate irrigation with recycled water depends on the degree to which soil becomes degraded and the tolerance of plant materials to salts. The relationship of water quality to soil texture, drainage, and plant sensitivity is summarized in Table 2. Consider these five factors when evaluating site suitability for irrigation with recycled water.
1. Salt-sensitivity of plants in the landscape. Plants vary widely in their tolerance to salts (Table 3). Plants sensi-tive to salt or boron have less tolerance of recycled water than do more salt-tolerant species. Turf usually is more tolerant of salts than many woody plants because leaf tips (where salts accumulate) are regularly removed during mowing.
2. Soil texture. Sandy soils can tolerate poor-quality water better than clayey soils can. As previously noted, as sodium accu-mulates in the soil it can cause dispersion of aggregated soils and reduce soil perme-ability. The potential for such problems is greater in clayey soils than in sandy soils.
3. Soil drainage. Soils that do not drain well accumulate salts and cannot be leached, so the poorer the drainage, the better the quality of water required. Un-less highly salt-tolerant plants are used, soils with poor drainage (for example, hardpan, compaction, high water table) are not suitable for irrigation with poor-quality water.
4. Irrigation method. Plants are more sensitive to sodium and chloride toxicity when the water is applied to the foliage rather than to the soil; therefore, sensitive plantings irrigated by sprinklers require water lower in sodium and chloride. Drip irrigation emitters can become clogged by calcium carbonate precipitates and suspended solids in the water. Tertiary treatment will eliminate the particulates.
5. Irrigation frequency. Drought stress occurs at a higher soil moisture as water quality declines because the salts in-
crease the osmotic pressure. When using poor-quality water, increase irrigation frequency to maintain a moist soil. As the soil drives, the salts in the soil solution become more concentrated, and plant damage is more likely to occur.
Managing Landscapes Irrigated with Recycled Water
The potential problems of using recycled water for irrigation can be minimized in a variety of ways, includ-ing both management and design. All of the management techniques require monitoring soil chemical and moisture characteristics, as well as plant responses. The main concerns are salinity and pH. Check the range of recycled water quality before beginning irrigation. In addition, monitor water quality regularly because constituents can vary seasonally. Close cooperation with the treatment facility manager is essential to knowing about changes in recycled-water composition that might adversely affect plants.
When managing existing sites that will be converted from potable water to recycled water for irrigation, consider the following:
1. Minimize salt accumulation in the root zone. Minimizing salt accumulation helps avoid leaf burn and salt stress, both of which can predispose plants to other problems. Minimize salt by leaching with heavy irrigations to flush accumulated salts below the roots. Annual rains may be adequate to maintain soil salinity within tolerable levels in some cases (heavy rainfall, well-drained soil). Where soils are heavier, you may need to leach with good-quality water during the growing season. Do not use recycled water in areas with poor drainage because those areas cannot be leached.
2. Lower sodium concentrations in soils. If sodium concentrations become too high, drainage is impaired. Incorporat-ing calcium (in the form of gypsum) into the soil and leaching can reclaim soil struc-ture. Routine light applications of gypsum may help reduce sodium problems.
3. Decrease fertilizer applications. Be-cause recycled water contains significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, applications of fertilizer can be reduced and in some cases, eliminated.
4. Increase irrigation frequency. When
using recycled water, irrigate frequently to dilute soil solutes, avoid water stress, and minimize toxicity.
5. Moderate soil pH. Most plants toler-ate a wide range in soil pH. As the pH of the soil begins to rise, however, acid-re-quiring plants may develop iron deficien-cy. Should chlorosis symptoms develop, lower the soil pH by applying sulfur, or you can fertilize individual plants with iron to alleviate symptoms.
6. Install filters on irrigation equip-ment. Tertiary-treated water is filtered and will not cause clogging problems. If the water is ponded, however, algae may develop and interfere with equipment. Filter such water before it enters the ir-rigation system. Drip systems should have 80-mesh filter screens, or be designed to be cleared by flushing.
7. Monitor plant health. Consider additional stress factors caused by salts. Plant health must be monitored closely to identify stress-related problems that may develop. Some examples are bark beetles (Ips) on pines (Pinus), borers on alder (Alnus), and canker (Seridium cardinale) on cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa).
8. Maintain a backup irrigation sys-tem. To allow irrigation with good-qual-ity water for leaching sensitive plantings, maintain a dual irrigation system when possible. The dual system also provides backup in case the supply of recycled water is interrupted. If the recycled water source has acceptable quality throughout the year and will always be in adequate supply, the expense of a backup system probably is not justified.
9. Monitor soil chemical changes. Monitor soil conditions through sampling programs to identify leaching or other soil treatment that may be needed. In most cases, sample the soils at the beginning and end of the irrigation period.
When designing new landscapes that will be irrigated with recycled water, con-sider the following in the design.
1. Avoid using salt-sensitive species. A partial list of species to avoid is provided in Table 3. If salt-sensitive plantings can-not be avoided, group such plants and irrigate them on a separate system using potable water.
2. Identify and solve drainage problems before planting. Good drainage is essential
Part 2 part 1 in Jan/Feb issue
managing landsCaPe using reCyCled WaterBy nelda matheny and James r. clarK
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to using recycled water. Adjusting finish grades, eliminating hardpans, and improv-ing soil structure improves drainage.
3. Evaluate soil characteristics before planting. Before planting, test soils for chemical and physical characteristics to evaluate their suitability for irrigation with recycled water.
4. Design irrigation systems with ad-equate filtration. Install filters to remove particulates, especially algae.
Recycled water can be an abundant, cost-effective source for irrigation. Land-scape designers and managers should consider the quality of the water, soil chemical and physical conditions, and sensitivity of landscape species to water constituents when planning and manag-ing landscapes irrigated with recycled water.
Nelda Matheny is president and founder of HortScience, Inc. As an international leader in arboriculture, she special-
izes in tree evaluation and management, problem
diagnosis, and landscape suitability assessment. Dr. James Clark is vice president of HortScience,
Inc. and is an internation-ally renowned arborist. He
has twenty years of technical, research, and practical experience in tree risk assessment, tree preservation, and urban forest planning and management.
ReferencesHarvandi, A. 1988. Irrigation water
quality and turfgrass management. Cali-fornia Turfgrass Culture 38(3,4):1-4.
Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Man-aging landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II. Neely, D., and G. Watson, eds. International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. 265 pp.
Pettygrove, G., and T. Asano. 1985. Irrigation with Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater – A Guidance Manual. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI.
The authors wish to thank Larry Costello and Katherine Jones, University of California Cooperative Extension, for their contribu-tion to development of Tables 4 and 5. This article was condensed from Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II.
DR. MiLt ENGELKE
COLUmNturf
ZoysiAgrAss differenCe
Zoysiagrass is well adapted to the climate of the Hawaiian Islands when it comes to temperature range, the range in soil types, and precipitation
patterns. Some of the newer varieties such as Zeon Zoysia have superior shade tolerance when compared to presently utilized bermudagrasses, st. augustine, or paspalums. With the newer variet-ies of zoysiagrass (Zeon Zoysia, JaMur Zoysia, and L1F Zoysia) the quantity and quality of water required to produce performance is on par with most of the
state-of-the-art paspalums and bermu-dagrasses.
Zoysiagrasses have highly functional salt glands (sg) on their leaves, mak-ing them unique among most turfgrass species. These glands are involved in an internal mechanism allowing the plant to remove salt from the soil, and trans-port it through the stems to the leaves. Salt crystals (squares) develop on the leaf surface where it can be removed with simple mowing. We have recorded levels exceeding 10,000 ppm on clippings. It is important to remove clippings from sensitive sites otherwise the salt will
accumulate in the soil as with any other turf.
Zoysiagrasses are environmentally friendly as they can be grown with less water, nutrients, and pesticides; can tolerate poor quality water sources; offer a dense canopy to choke out weeds; and generally have superior shade tolerance to other grasses being grown for fine turf surfaces.
Dr. Milt Engelke is Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University.
This article was first published in the December 1999 issue of Arborist News. Reprinted with permission.
Table 2. The quality of recycled water that can be used at a site depends on the degree to which soil becomes degraded and the tolerance of the plant materials to salts. The poorer the water quality, the less suitable it is for use at sites with heavy soils and salt-sensitive plants. This table identifies the quality of the water required for sites depend-ing on soil texture, drainage, and plant sensitivity to salts.
Plant Sensitivity to Saltsa
Soil Texture/Drainage Sensitive Moderate Tolerant Sandy/good drainage Goodb Moderate Poor Loam/good drainage Good Moderate Moderate Clay or poor drainage Very Good Good Moderate
aRefer to water-quality interpretive guide, Matheny and Clark (1998) bRefer to salt and boron tolerance ratings of tree species, Tables 3 and 4
Table 3: Salt tolerance of selected tree species (species in bold text appear in more than one column). [NOTE: This table has been modified to delete species not found in Hawaii. Also, some of the species listed are invasive in Hawaii. Editor]
High Tolerance Moderate Tolerance Low Tolerance to Salt to Salt to Salt
Araucaria heterophylla Acacia spp. Bauhinia purpurea Callistemon rigidus Araucaria heterophylla Catalpa spp. Cinnamomum camphora Bauhinia purpurea Cinnamomum camphora Cupressus sempervirens Casuarina Citrus spp. x Cupressocyparis leylandii Chrysobalanus icaco Cupressus macrocarpa Eucalyptus camaldulensis Cupressus sempervirens Cupressus spp. ‘Glauca’ Eucalyptus citriodora Eucalyptus tereticornis Ficus benjimina Eucalyptus globulus compacta Ficus carica Ficus microcarpa nitida Eucalyptus spp. Ficus spp. Ficus rubiginosa Ficus microcarpa Magnolia grandiflora Ginkgo biloba Grevillea robusta Melaleuca quinquenervia Lagestroemia indica Jacaranda acutifolia Olea europaea Magnolia grandiflora Koelreutaria paniculata Pinus taeda Persea Americana Metrosideros excelsus Pinus thunbergiana Platycladus orientalis Nerium oleander Plumeria rubra Podocarpus macrophyllus Olea europaea Punica granatum Persea americana Podocarpus macrophyllus Salix babylonica Schinus molle Schinus terebinthifolius
Table 4. Boron tolerance of selected tree species (species in bold appear in more than one column). [NOTE: This table has been modified to delete species not found in Hawaii. Also, some of the species listed are invasive in Hawaii. Editor]
High Tolerance Moderate Tolerance Low Tolerance to Boron to Boron to Boron Acacia spp. Lagerstroemia indica Bauhinia purpurea Cupressus sempervirens Olea europaea Catalpa spp. Eucalyptus camaldulensis Pinus thunbergiana Citrus spp. Eucalyptus citriodora Podocarpus macrophyllus Ficus carica Eucalyptus globulus compacta Magnolia grandiflora Jacaranda acutifolia Persea americana Olea europaea Sequoia sempervirens Podocarpus gracillior Salix babylonica Schinus molle Schinus terebinthifolius
18 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 19THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
pAlM PinK rot
littlefire Ants
on oahu and maui
Recognizing and dealing with the problem of pink rot in Hawaii
CAROL KWAN
COLUmNpest
COLUmNpest
Although Gliocladium blight, or pink rot of palms, has a reputation for being a problem in cooler climates than Hawaii’s, LICH Director Emeritus
Garrett Webb has reported encountering pink rot more often lately in the Kona area. Perhaps there’s a new variety that’s adapted to subtropical regions. Mean-while, it’s best to be able to recognize the problem and know what to do about it.
■ Pathogen: Gliocladium vermoeseni (fungus) (recently renamed Nalanthamala vermoeseni)
■ Hosts: Chamaedorea spp, Dypsis spp. (Areca palms, etc.), date palm, queen palm, Mexican fan palm, others.
■ Symptoms: Invasive rot of buds, peti-oles, leaf blades, and trunks/stems, dark brown necrotic areas near the base of the stem, gummy exudates, premature death of fronds, plant death
■ Signs: Pink- to salmon-colored spore masses on the surface of diseased plants
■ IPM: Minimize plant wounding, use fungicides as prophylactic during transplanting, minimize water splash-ing between plants, remove dead leaves from plants, use increased plant spacing, provide air movement, decrease relative humidity, irrigate in the morning to avoid prolonged periods of wetness
■ Fungicides: Dithane, Thiophanate
Photo : SCOT NELSON
Pink rot on Areca palm.
methyl. Apply after removing diseased leaves.
References: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/
palms/Gliocladium.htm by Scot Nelson
http://itp.lucidcentral.org/id/palms/symptoms/Gliocladium_Blight_and_Gliocladium_Trunk_Rot.htm, website provided by University of Florida, Insti-tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (USDA/APHIS/PPQ/CPHST).
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Associa-
tion and the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
NEWS ALERTBREAKING
On December 23, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) re-ceived a call regarding a suspicious ant found in a hapu‘u log pur-
chased from a nearby garden shop. After receiving the samples, Hawaii Depart-ment of Agriculture (HDOA) confirmed the presence of little fire ant (LFA), an ant species known for its aggressive spread, tiny size and potent sting.
Upon further investigation, the LFA were traced back to a nursery on the Big Island who had made shipments to sev-eral nurseries and garden shops on Oahu and one on Maui in early December. While HDOA treated the areas found to be impacted with LFA, some items had been purchased prior to HDOA’s sweep. Each of the businesses agreed to stop sale of the infested logs and are fully cooperat-ing with control staff.
Anyone who has recently purchased hapu`u logs or planters, or other items from garden shops that the ants may have moved to, should inspect for the presence of LFA.
To conduct an inspection, lightly coat chopsticks with peanut butter and place the prepared chopsticks every few feet around your yard or nursery, focusing around the new hapu‘u or other newly-acquired materials, in and around pots and other shady spots. Wait 30-45 min-utes, and inspect the stick. Several species of ants are attracted to peanut butter, so you will need to look for very small, reddish-orange or amber colored ants, less than 3 mm long (1/8 inch).
If you suspect you have found LFA, place the chopstick with the ants in a zip top bag, label the bag with your name, address and contact information and
place the sealed bag in your freezer. Do NOT move live samples! Contact HDOA for help. On Maui call 808-872-3848 and on Oahu 643-7378. The Oahu and Maui Invasive Species Committees may be able to help property owners survey for LFA, please call the hotline numbers to arrange for this.
LFA is of particular concern because of the extremely high populations, their ability to farm scale insects, and their potent stings. Once established, they can nest on the ground and in tree canopies, making it very difficult and expensive to treat established colonies. The ants’ stings can result in itchy to painful welts on peo-ple. Where present in large numbers, LFA are correlated with blindness in exposed pets and animals. Agricultural workers and children are most vulnerable to LFA exposure. The ants are very aggressive and can quickly take over an area, so early detection and response is crucial in order
to control or eradicate LFA.Currently, LFA is known to be on the
Big Island, as well as in an isolated area on Kauai’s north shore currently being treated by HDOA and the Kauai Invasive Species Committee. LFA was detected on Maui in 2009, but the infestation appears to have been contained and controlled.
For more about the recent LFA intro-ductions, see: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/lfaonhapuu/
For a fact sheet about LFA, see: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2013/01/npa99-02-lfireant.pdf
For a primer on how to survey, visit: http://www.littlefireants.com/fact%20sheet%203%20-%20lfa%20survey.pdf
Amanda Skelton is the Weed Risk As-sessment and Plantpono.org liaison for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS).
By amanda sKelton
Photos courtesy : HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ABOVE: To identify which ants are found, place the chopstick with ants into a tightly sealed and labeled zip top bag, and refrigerate until HDOA is able to look at your sample. RIGHT: LFA are very small and many of them will fit on a chopstick.
Entomologist, William D. Perreira,is working on the early detectionof newly arrived insectspecies and the identificationof these invasive pests whiletheir numbers are below thresholds in order towarrant the best chancesfor the eradication of theseharmful species.
PLEASEHELP! We areurgently inneed offunding.
Contact:Dana Anne Yee,FASLA(808) 521-1049
Thank you to our many supporters for their encouragement of our important work, including our many Green Industry partners:Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai‘i (LICH) Chris Dacus, Stanley Oka (C&C of Honolulu), Kelvin M. Kanegawa, Entomologist (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa), Aloha Arborist, the American Society of Landscape Architects Hawai‘i Chapter, Scenic Hawai‘i, Inc., the Friends of Honolulu Botanical Gardens, O‘ahu Nursery Growers Association, the International Society of Arboriculture, Certified Arborist, Kevin Eckert, Entomologist, Teresa Trueman-Madriaga, Po-Yung Lai, Seven City and County of Honolulu Councilmembers. President Barrack Obama, and many governmental and community leaders have also been alerted to the necessity of our work for the Early Detection of Invasive Insect Pest Species.
Sadly, the harmful and destructiveCoconut Rhinoceros Beetles
are NOW in Hawai‘i.
Invasive insects constitute a serious ongoing threat to our Islands ecosystem.
IMAGinE OURHAWAIIAN ISLANDS
WITHOUT COCONUT PALMS OR NATIVE PLANTS
Thank you for helping to protect our beautiful Hawai‘i.
18 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 19THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
pAlM PinK rot
littlefire Ants
on oahu and maui
Recognizing and dealing with the problem of pink rot in Hawaii
CAROL KWAN
COLUmNpest
COLUmNpest
Although Gliocladium blight, or pink rot of palms, has a reputation for being a problem in cooler climates than Hawaii’s, LICH Director Emeritus
Garrett Webb has reported encountering pink rot more often lately in the Kona area. Perhaps there’s a new variety that’s adapted to subtropical regions. Mean-while, it’s best to be able to recognize the problem and know what to do about it.
■ Pathogen: Gliocladium vermoeseni (fungus) (recently renamed Nalanthamala vermoeseni)
■ Hosts: Chamaedorea spp, Dypsis spp. (Areca palms, etc.), date palm, queen palm, Mexican fan palm, others.
■ Symptoms: Invasive rot of buds, peti-oles, leaf blades, and trunks/stems, dark brown necrotic areas near the base of the stem, gummy exudates, premature death of fronds, plant death
■ Signs: Pink- to salmon-colored spore masses on the surface of diseased plants
■ IPM: Minimize plant wounding, use fungicides as prophylactic during transplanting, minimize water splash-ing between plants, remove dead leaves from plants, use increased plant spacing, provide air movement, decrease relative humidity, irrigate in the morning to avoid prolonged periods of wetness
■ Fungicides: Dithane, Thiophanate
Photo : SCOT NELSON
Pink rot on Areca palm.
methyl. Apply after removing diseased leaves.
References: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/
palms/Gliocladium.htm by Scot Nelson
http://itp.lucidcentral.org/id/palms/symptoms/Gliocladium_Blight_and_Gliocladium_Trunk_Rot.htm, website provided by University of Florida, Insti-tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (USDA/APHIS/PPQ/CPHST).
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Associa-
tion and the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.
NEWS ALERTBREAKING
On December 23, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) re-ceived a call regarding a suspicious ant found in a hapu‘u log pur-
chased from a nearby garden shop. After receiving the samples, Hawaii Depart-ment of Agriculture (HDOA) confirmed the presence of little fire ant (LFA), an ant species known for its aggressive spread, tiny size and potent sting.
Upon further investigation, the LFA were traced back to a nursery on the Big Island who had made shipments to sev-eral nurseries and garden shops on Oahu and one on Maui in early December. While HDOA treated the areas found to be impacted with LFA, some items had been purchased prior to HDOA’s sweep. Each of the businesses agreed to stop sale of the infested logs and are fully cooperat-ing with control staff.
Anyone who has recently purchased hapu`u logs or planters, or other items from garden shops that the ants may have moved to, should inspect for the presence of LFA.
To conduct an inspection, lightly coat chopsticks with peanut butter and place the prepared chopsticks every few feet around your yard or nursery, focusing around the new hapu‘u or other newly-acquired materials, in and around pots and other shady spots. Wait 30-45 min-utes, and inspect the stick. Several species of ants are attracted to peanut butter, so you will need to look for very small, reddish-orange or amber colored ants, less than 3 mm long (1/8 inch).
If you suspect you have found LFA, place the chopstick with the ants in a zip top bag, label the bag with your name, address and contact information and
place the sealed bag in your freezer. Do NOT move live samples! Contact HDOA for help. On Maui call 808-872-3848 and on Oahu 643-7378. The Oahu and Maui Invasive Species Committees may be able to help property owners survey for LFA, please call the hotline numbers to arrange for this.
LFA is of particular concern because of the extremely high populations, their ability to farm scale insects, and their potent stings. Once established, they can nest on the ground and in tree canopies, making it very difficult and expensive to treat established colonies. The ants’ stings can result in itchy to painful welts on peo-ple. Where present in large numbers, LFA are correlated with blindness in exposed pets and animals. Agricultural workers and children are most vulnerable to LFA exposure. The ants are very aggressive and can quickly take over an area, so early detection and response is crucial in order
to control or eradicate LFA.Currently, LFA is known to be on the
Big Island, as well as in an isolated area on Kauai’s north shore currently being treated by HDOA and the Kauai Invasive Species Committee. LFA was detected on Maui in 2009, but the infestation appears to have been contained and controlled.
For more about the recent LFA intro-ductions, see: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/lfaonhapuu/
For a fact sheet about LFA, see: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2013/01/npa99-02-lfireant.pdf
For a primer on how to survey, visit: http://www.littlefireants.com/fact%20sheet%203%20-%20lfa%20survey.pdf
Amanda Skelton is the Weed Risk As-sessment and Plantpono.org liaison for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS).
By amanda sKelton
Photos courtesy : HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ABOVE: To identify which ants are found, place the chopstick with ants into a tightly sealed and labeled zip top bag, and refrigerate until HDOA is able to look at your sample. RIGHT: LFA are very small and many of them will fit on a chopstick.
Entomologist, William D. Perreira,is working on the early detectionof newly arrived insectspecies and the identificationof these invasive pests whiletheir numbers are below thresholds in order towarrant the best chancesfor the eradication of theseharmful species.
PLEASEHELP! We areurgently inneed offunding.
Contact:Dana Anne Yee,FASLA(808) 521-1049
Thank you to our many supporters for their encouragement of our important work, including our many Green Industry partners:Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai‘i (LICH) Chris Dacus, Stanley Oka (C&C of Honolulu), Kelvin M. Kanegawa, Entomologist (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa), Aloha Arborist, the American Society of Landscape Architects Hawai‘i Chapter, Scenic Hawai‘i, Inc., the Friends of Honolulu Botanical Gardens, O‘ahu Nursery Growers Association, the International Society of Arboriculture, Certified Arborist, Kevin Eckert, Entomologist, Teresa Trueman-Madriaga, Po-Yung Lai, Seven City and County of Honolulu Councilmembers. President Barrack Obama, and many governmental and community leaders have also been alerted to the necessity of our work for the Early Detection of Invasive Insect Pest Species.
Sadly, the harmful and destructiveCoconut Rhinoceros Beetles
are NOW in Hawai‘i.
Invasive insects constitute a serious ongoing threat to our Islands ecosystem.
IMAGinE OURHAWAIIAN ISLANDS
WITHOUT COCONUT PALMS OR NATIVE PLANTS
Thank you for helping to protect our beautiful Hawai‘i.
20 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 21THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
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This is the conclusion of a two-part article about managing landscapes using recycled water.
Selection of Sites Suitable for Irrigation with Recycled Water
The ability of an existing landscape to accommodate irrigation with recycled water depends on the degree to which soil becomes degraded and the tolerance of plant materials to salts. The relationship of water quality to soil texture, drainage, and plant sensitivity is summarized in Table 2. Consider these five factors when evaluating site suitability for irrigation with recycled water.
1. Salt-sensitivity of plants in the landscape. Plants vary widely in their tolerance to salts (Table 3). Plants sensi-tive to salt or boron have less tolerance of recycled water than do more salt-tolerant species. Turf usually is more tolerant of salts than many woody plants because leaf tips (where salts accumulate) are regularly removed during mowing.
2. Soil texture. Sandy soils can tolerate poor-quality water better than clayey soils can. As previously noted, as sodium accu-mulates in the soil it can cause dispersion of aggregated soils and reduce soil perme-ability. The potential for such problems is greater in clayey soils than in sandy soils.
3. Soil drainage. Soils that do not drain well accumulate salts and cannot be leached, so the poorer the drainage, the better the quality of water required. Un-less highly salt-tolerant plants are used, soils with poor drainage (for example, hardpan, compaction, high water table) are not suitable for irrigation with poor-quality water.
4. Irrigation method. Plants are more sensitive to sodium and chloride toxicity when the water is applied to the foliage rather than to the soil; therefore, sensitive plantings irrigated by sprinklers require water lower in sodium and chloride. Drip irrigation emitters can become clogged by calcium carbonate precipitates and suspended solids in the water. Tertiary treatment will eliminate the particulates.
5. Irrigation frequency. Drought stress occurs at a higher soil moisture as water quality declines because the salts in-
crease the osmotic pressure. When using poor-quality water, increase irrigation frequency to maintain a moist soil. As the soil drives, the salts in the soil solution become more concentrated, and plant damage is more likely to occur.
Managing Landscapes Irrigated with Recycled Water
The potential problems of using recycled water for irrigation can be minimized in a variety of ways, includ-ing both management and design. All of the management techniques require monitoring soil chemical and moisture characteristics, as well as plant responses. The main concerns are salinity and pH. Check the range of recycled water quality before beginning irrigation. In addition, monitor water quality regularly because constituents can vary seasonally. Close cooperation with the treatment facility manager is essential to knowing about changes in recycled-water composition that might adversely affect plants.
When managing existing sites that will be converted from potable water to recycled water for irrigation, consider the following:
1. Minimize salt accumulation in the root zone. Minimizing salt accumulation helps avoid leaf burn and salt stress, both of which can predispose plants to other problems. Minimize salt by leaching with heavy irrigations to flush accumulated salts below the roots. Annual rains may be adequate to maintain soil salinity within tolerable levels in some cases (heavy rainfall, well-drained soil). Where soils are heavier, you may need to leach with good-quality water during the growing season. Do not use recycled water in areas with poor drainage because those areas cannot be leached.
2. Lower sodium concentrations in soils. If sodium concentrations become too high, drainage is impaired. Incorporat-ing calcium (in the form of gypsum) into the soil and leaching can reclaim soil struc-ture. Routine light applications of gypsum may help reduce sodium problems.
3. Decrease fertilizer applications. Be-cause recycled water contains significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, applications of fertilizer can be reduced and in some cases, eliminated.
4. Increase irrigation frequency. When
using recycled water, irrigate frequently to dilute soil solutes, avoid water stress, and minimize toxicity.
5. Moderate soil pH. Most plants toler-ate a wide range in soil pH. As the pH of the soil begins to rise, however, acid-re-quiring plants may develop iron deficien-cy. Should chlorosis symptoms develop, lower the soil pH by applying sulfur, or you can fertilize individual plants with iron to alleviate symptoms.
6. Install filters on irrigation equip-ment. Tertiary-treated water is filtered and will not cause clogging problems. If the water is ponded, however, algae may develop and interfere with equipment. Filter such water before it enters the ir-rigation system. Drip systems should have 80-mesh filter screens, or be designed to be cleared by flushing.
7. Monitor plant health. Consider additional stress factors caused by salts. Plant health must be monitored closely to identify stress-related problems that may develop. Some examples are bark beetles (Ips) on pines (Pinus), borers on alder (Alnus), and canker (Seridium cardinale) on cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa).
8. Maintain a backup irrigation sys-tem. To allow irrigation with good-qual-ity water for leaching sensitive plantings, maintain a dual irrigation system when possible. The dual system also provides backup in case the supply of recycled water is interrupted. If the recycled water source has acceptable quality throughout the year and will always be in adequate supply, the expense of a backup system probably is not justified.
9. Monitor soil chemical changes. Monitor soil conditions through sampling programs to identify leaching or other soil treatment that may be needed. In most cases, sample the soils at the beginning and end of the irrigation period.
When designing new landscapes that will be irrigated with recycled water, con-sider the following in the design.
1. Avoid using salt-sensitive species. A partial list of species to avoid is provided in Table 3. If salt-sensitive plantings can-not be avoided, group such plants and irrigate them on a separate system using potable water.
2. Identify and solve drainage problems before planting. Good drainage is essential
Part 2 part 1 in Jan/Feb issue
managing landsCaPe using reCyCled WaterBy nelda matheny and James r. clarK
22 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 23THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
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to using recycled water. Adjusting finish grades, eliminating hardpans, and improv-ing soil structure improves drainage.
3. Evaluate soil characteristics before planting. Before planting, test soils for chemical and physical characteristics to evaluate their suitability for irrigation with recycled water.
4. Design irrigation systems with ad-equate filtration. Install filters to remove particulates, especially algae.
Recycled water can be an abundant, cost-effective source for irrigation. Land-scape designers and managers should consider the quality of the water, soil chemical and physical conditions, and sensitivity of landscape species to water constituents when planning and manag-ing landscapes irrigated with recycled water.
Nelda Matheny is president and founder of HortScience, Inc. As an international leader in arboriculture, she special-
izes in tree evaluation and management, problem
diagnosis, and landscape suitability assessment. Dr. James Clark is vice president of HortScience,
Inc. and is an internation-ally renowned arborist. He
has twenty years of technical, research, and practical experience in tree risk assessment, tree preservation, and urban forest planning and management.
ReferencesHarvandi, A. 1988. Irrigation water
quality and turfgrass management. Cali-fornia Turfgrass Culture 38(3,4):1-4.
Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Man-aging landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II. Neely, D., and G. Watson, eds. International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. 265 pp.
Pettygrove, G., and T. Asano. 1985. Irrigation with Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater – A Guidance Manual. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI.
The authors wish to thank Larry Costello and Katherine Jones, University of California Cooperative Extension, for their contribu-tion to development of Tables 4 and 5. This article was condensed from Matheny, N., and J.R. Clark. 1998. Managing landscapes using recycled water. In the Landscape Below Ground II.
DR. MiLt ENGELKE
COLUmNturf
ZoysiAgrAss differenCe
Zoysiagrass is well adapted to the climate of the Hawaiian Islands when it comes to temperature range, the range in soil types, and precipitation
patterns. Some of the newer varieties such as Zeon Zoysia have superior shade tolerance when compared to presently utilized bermudagrasses, st. augustine, or paspalums. With the newer variet-ies of zoysiagrass (Zeon Zoysia, JaMur Zoysia, and L1F Zoysia) the quantity and quality of water required to produce performance is on par with most of the
state-of-the-art paspalums and bermu-dagrasses.
Zoysiagrasses have highly functional salt glands (sg) on their leaves, mak-ing them unique among most turfgrass species. These glands are involved in an internal mechanism allowing the plant to remove salt from the soil, and trans-port it through the stems to the leaves. Salt crystals (squares) develop on the leaf surface where it can be removed with simple mowing. We have recorded levels exceeding 10,000 ppm on clippings. It is important to remove clippings from sensitive sites otherwise the salt will
accumulate in the soil as with any other turf.
Zoysiagrasses are environmentally friendly as they can be grown with less water, nutrients, and pesticides; can tolerate poor quality water sources; offer a dense canopy to choke out weeds; and generally have superior shade tolerance to other grasses being grown for fine turf surfaces.
Dr. Milt Engelke is Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University.
This article was first published in the December 1999 issue of Arborist News. Reprinted with permission.
Table 2. The quality of recycled water that can be used at a site depends on the degree to which soil becomes degraded and the tolerance of the plant materials to salts. The poorer the water quality, the less suitable it is for use at sites with heavy soils and salt-sensitive plants. This table identifies the quality of the water required for sites depend-ing on soil texture, drainage, and plant sensitivity to salts.
Plant Sensitivity to Saltsa
Soil Texture/Drainage Sensitive Moderate Tolerant Sandy/good drainage Goodb Moderate Poor Loam/good drainage Good Moderate Moderate Clay or poor drainage Very Good Good Moderate
aRefer to water-quality interpretive guide, Matheny and Clark (1998) bRefer to salt and boron tolerance ratings of tree species, Tables 3 and 4
Table 3: Salt tolerance of selected tree species (species in bold text appear in more than one column). [NOTE: This table has been modified to delete species not found in Hawaii. Also, some of the species listed are invasive in Hawaii. Editor]
High Tolerance Moderate Tolerance Low Tolerance to Salt to Salt to Salt
Araucaria heterophylla Acacia spp. Bauhinia purpurea Callistemon rigidus Araucaria heterophylla Catalpa spp. Cinnamomum camphora Bauhinia purpurea Cinnamomum camphora Cupressus sempervirens Casuarina Citrus spp. x Cupressocyparis leylandii Chrysobalanus icaco Cupressus macrocarpa Eucalyptus camaldulensis Cupressus sempervirens Cupressus spp. ‘Glauca’ Eucalyptus citriodora Eucalyptus tereticornis Ficus benjimina Eucalyptus globulus compacta Ficus carica Ficus microcarpa nitida Eucalyptus spp. Ficus spp. Ficus rubiginosa Ficus microcarpa Magnolia grandiflora Ginkgo biloba Grevillea robusta Melaleuca quinquenervia Lagestroemia indica Jacaranda acutifolia Olea europaea Magnolia grandiflora Koelreutaria paniculata Pinus taeda Persea Americana Metrosideros excelsus Pinus thunbergiana Platycladus orientalis Nerium oleander Plumeria rubra Podocarpus macrophyllus Olea europaea Punica granatum Persea americana Podocarpus macrophyllus Salix babylonica Schinus molle Schinus terebinthifolius
Table 4. Boron tolerance of selected tree species (species in bold appear in more than one column). [NOTE: This table has been modified to delete species not found in Hawaii. Also, some of the species listed are invasive in Hawaii. Editor]
High Tolerance Moderate Tolerance Low Tolerance to Boron to Boron to Boron Acacia spp. Lagerstroemia indica Bauhinia purpurea Cupressus sempervirens Olea europaea Catalpa spp. Eucalyptus camaldulensis Pinus thunbergiana Citrus spp. Eucalyptus citriodora Podocarpus macrophyllus Ficus carica Eucalyptus globulus compacta Magnolia grandiflora Jacaranda acutifolia Persea americana Olea europaea Sequoia sempervirens Podocarpus gracillior Salix babylonica Schinus molle Schinus terebinthifolius
24 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 25THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
DOROthY MULKERN
SCAPESwater
OAHU HILO KONA KAUAI MAUI 91-1831 Franklin D. Roosevelt 111 Silva Street 74-592B Hale Makai Pl. 3651F Lala Rd. 485 Waiale Road Kapolei, HI 96707 Hilo, HI 96720 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 Lihue, HI 96766 Wailuku, HI 96732 808-682-8282 808-961-6673 808-329-5574 808-246-0097 808-242-4664
Low Rate Financing 0% for 48 monthsSkid steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavatorsProgram expires April 30 2014
Low Rate Financing 0% for 48 monthsSkid steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavatorsProgram expires April 30, 2014
Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see American Machinery for details and other financing options. 0.0% for 48 months.
choosingWATER FEATURE PLANTS
Choosing water plants for your feature is easy. All of the following plants are puzzle pieces that form a complete, self-sustaining ecosystem.
Remember, water plants should not cover more than 2/3s of the water’s sur-face. Over crowding aquatic plants limits air circulation and light. These factors make disease more likely to occur.
Water Lilies ex: Dauben, Jackwood, Chromatella….
Water lilies are one of the most well known aquatic plants because of their beautiful, colorful flowers. Water lil-ies are rooted in the soil and have long stems with a single, waxy leaf at the end each that reaches the surface. Water lilies usually need a three to five foot area in a pond, depending on the variety. Most water lilies bloom during the day, opening in the morning and closing in the late afternoon.
Night blooming water lilies are a great choice for the busy homeowner. Night bloomers open in the early evening and close in the late morning, depending on how much sunlight there is. A word of caution, these plants tend to grow larger and be more aggressively than other wa-ter lilies. It’s important to thin them out regularly, or face them killing off other va-rieties in the water feature. Depending on the size of the pond, I like to incorporate at least one night bloomer.
Marginal or Bog Plantsex: Taro, Horsetail Rush, aquatic Canna…
Bog plants thrive in shallow water or mud and love to have their roots sub-merged. Most bog plants have a verti-cal growth pattern that gives another
dimension to a water feature, as most water lilies and other plants tend to grow across the surface of the water. Bog plants also serve as a biological filter and help maintain water quality.
Floating Plantsex: Water Hyacinth, Water Cabbage…
Floating plants freely float on the wa-ter’s surface. These plants develop large root systems that help filter nutrients
from the water and provide a habitat for fish. Floating plants block sunlight, which also cuts down on algae growth.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plantsex: Hornwort, Cabomba, Anacharis…
Submerged plants live underneath the surface of the water, providing oxygen for plants and fish. Many oxygenating plants are free floating, but some root in soil and can be hard to get rid of. Submerged plants are instrumental in maintaining a high level of water quality by using nitrogen in the water and depriving it from algae. Nitrogen is produced from
fish waste and when plant material starts to decay. Oxygenating plants also make it easier to physically remove algae growth, which gets stuck on the plant’s leaves. Since submerged plants grow rapidly and need to be thinned regularly, algae is eas-ily removed when thinning too.
Aquatic Plant DisposalPlease remember, aquatic plants and
their waste should never be disposed of in streams or lakes. Since aquatic plants grow quickly, they can easily take over the native ecosystems. Many people may remember the 2002 incident where the aquatic weed Salvinia molesta took over
ABOVE: Water lily and floating miniature water cabbage. RIGHT: Close up, floating miniature water cabbage.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Surfrider Water Lily, Parrot’s Feather, bog plant, Woods White Knight, night blooming water lily.
Wahiawa’s 325-acre Lake Wilson. It took $1 million dollars from the state and countless volunteer hours to eradicate it. On the bright side, aquatic plants are rich in nitrogen and make a great addition to your compost pile.
Dorothy Mulkern is Assistant Vice president at Mulkern Landscaping & Nursery. In early 2014, she will be a certified Master
Gardener after completing the University of Hawaii Master Gardener program.
Piecing together a self-sustaining ecosystem
24 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 25THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
DOROthY MULKERN
SCAPESwater
OAHU HILO KONA KAUAI MAUI 91-1831 Franklin D. Roosevelt 111 Silva Street 74-592B Hale Makai Pl. 3651F Lala Rd. 485 Waiale Road Kapolei, HI 96707 Hilo, HI 96720 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 Lihue, HI 96766 Wailuku, HI 96732 808-682-8282 808-961-6673 808-329-5574 808-246-0097 808-242-4664
Low Rate Financing 0% for 48 monthsSkid steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavatorsProgram expires April 30 2014
Low Rate Financing 0% for 48 monthsSkid steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavatorsProgram expires April 30, 2014
Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see American Machinery for details and other financing options. 0.0% for 48 months.
choosingWATER FEATURE PLANTS
Choosing water plants for your feature is easy. All of the following plants are puzzle pieces that form a complete, self-sustaining ecosystem.
Remember, water plants should not cover more than 2/3s of the water’s sur-face. Over crowding aquatic plants limits air circulation and light. These factors make disease more likely to occur.
Water Lilies ex: Dauben, Jackwood, Chromatella….
Water lilies are one of the most well known aquatic plants because of their beautiful, colorful flowers. Water lil-ies are rooted in the soil and have long stems with a single, waxy leaf at the end each that reaches the surface. Water lilies usually need a three to five foot area in a pond, depending on the variety. Most water lilies bloom during the day, opening in the morning and closing in the late afternoon.
Night blooming water lilies are a great choice for the busy homeowner. Night bloomers open in the early evening and close in the late morning, depending on how much sunlight there is. A word of caution, these plants tend to grow larger and be more aggressively than other wa-ter lilies. It’s important to thin them out regularly, or face them killing off other va-rieties in the water feature. Depending on the size of the pond, I like to incorporate at least one night bloomer.
Marginal or Bog Plantsex: Taro, Horsetail Rush, aquatic Canna…
Bog plants thrive in shallow water or mud and love to have their roots sub-merged. Most bog plants have a verti-cal growth pattern that gives another
dimension to a water feature, as most water lilies and other plants tend to grow across the surface of the water. Bog plants also serve as a biological filter and help maintain water quality.
Floating Plantsex: Water Hyacinth, Water Cabbage…
Floating plants freely float on the wa-ter’s surface. These plants develop large root systems that help filter nutrients
from the water and provide a habitat for fish. Floating plants block sunlight, which also cuts down on algae growth.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plantsex: Hornwort, Cabomba, Anacharis…
Submerged plants live underneath the surface of the water, providing oxygen for plants and fish. Many oxygenating plants are free floating, but some root in soil and can be hard to get rid of. Submerged plants are instrumental in maintaining a high level of water quality by using nitrogen in the water and depriving it from algae. Nitrogen is produced from
fish waste and when plant material starts to decay. Oxygenating plants also make it easier to physically remove algae growth, which gets stuck on the plant’s leaves. Since submerged plants grow rapidly and need to be thinned regularly, algae is eas-ily removed when thinning too.
Aquatic Plant DisposalPlease remember, aquatic plants and
their waste should never be disposed of in streams or lakes. Since aquatic plants grow quickly, they can easily take over the native ecosystems. Many people may remember the 2002 incident where the aquatic weed Salvinia molesta took over
ABOVE: Water lily and floating miniature water cabbage. RIGHT: Close up, floating miniature water cabbage.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Surfrider Water Lily, Parrot’s Feather, bog plant, Woods White Knight, night blooming water lily.
Wahiawa’s 325-acre Lake Wilson. It took $1 million dollars from the state and countless volunteer hours to eradicate it. On the bright side, aquatic plants are rich in nitrogen and make a great addition to your compost pile.
Dorothy Mulkern is Assistant Vice president at Mulkern Landscaping & Nursery. In early 2014, she will be a certified Master
Gardener after completing the University of Hawaii Master Gardener program.
Piecing together a self-sustaining ecosystem
26 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 27THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
Purchase open land, build a dwelling, operating loans, line of credit, equipment purchase, truck or automobile purchase, refinance a mortgage or agree-ment of sale, etc.
Both the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCA and Hawaii Production Credit Association can custom design a
loan to meet your needs.
We offer: Long term loans, short term loans, competitive interest rate programs, flexible repayment schedules, excellent loan servicing options, etc. We also have programs for Young, Beginning, Small and Minority Farmers.
C A L L O N E O F O U R LOA N O F F I C E R S AT :
Oahu Office 99-860 Iwaena Street, Suite A Aiea, HI 96701 Phone: 808-836-8009 Fax: 808-836-8610 www.hawaiifarmcredit.com
Hilo Office 988 Kinoole Street Hilo, HI 96720 Phone: 808-961-3708 Fax: 808-961-5494
From the Neighbor Islands Call Toll Free 1-800-894-4996
FCS of Hawaii, ACA is part of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide system of leading agricultural financial institutions which started in 1917. FCS of Hawaii, ACA has been doing business in Hawaii since 1966 through its subsidiary the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCA. The FCS of Hawaii, ACA is not a Federal Agency of the Federal Government.
LOAN?LOAN?AGRICULTURALAGRICULTURALNEED ANNEED AN
Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCAHawaii Production Credit Association
FARM CREDIT SERVICES OF HAWAII, ACA
JAY DEpUtY
CERTIFICATIONlandscape
leewArdoAhU
liCt Class
Green Industry Pro magazine’s Fall 2012 Landscape Contrac-tor’s Business Outlook showed that 53% of com-panies nationally expect
to be more profitable in 2013, recording increases in lawn care providers, irriga-tion, maintenance and installation. Rec-ognizing the local need for qualified and highly trained landscape technicians, Leeward Community College’s Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development (OCEWD) is offering a new landscape basic training course to supplement the training courses offered once a year by LICH.
The 15-week non-credit course called “Basic Training in Landscape Mainte-nance & Installation” will meet every Thursday evening 4 pm to 7:30 pm from February 13 - May 15 and has a participant cost of $450. The course blends classroom learning with hands-on experience, based on the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Training manual. The course will cover:
■ Landscape maintenance equipment safety and operation
■ Safety, health and personal protec tive equipment
■ Address and prevent common accidents and injuries
■ Read and understand a landscape plan
■ Identify common landscape plants and pests
■ Proper safety and application methods for using pesticides
■ Repair and maintain irrigation systems
■ Assess soil problems and select proper amendments & irrigation practices
■ Properly install and maintain ornamentals and turf
■ Become familiar with sustainable landscape maintenance practices
The course is intended to provide entry level students with a good funda-mental background in landscape main-tenance, and may be used as an excellent study guide for experienced landscapers preparing to take the Landscape Industry Certified Technician (LICT) exam series that aims to raise industry standards by upgrading the status of landscape professionals in the areas of installation, maintenance and irrigation.
Interested individuals must have a minimum of 8th grade math and reading level and will be assessed to determine eligibility. Those who may not meet the entrance requirements will be able to take a free support program designated to increase their skills in math and reading. For more information and the assessment schedule visit www.ocewd.org/lict-training.
This training was made available as
part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training Grant, better known as C3T Hawai‘i.
C3T Hawai‘i is a $24.6 million grant awarded to the University of Hawai‘i Com-munity Colleges through the U.S. Depart-ment of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The grant will fuel the development of education and training curriculum and student academic/career coaching, which targets certificate and degree programs specific to the needs of agriculture, energy and health industries.
These industry-focused employer-driven programs are designed to provide job op-portunities to the C3T participants.
For more information about C3T Hawai‘i visit: http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/c3t.
Jay Deputy is the state administrator for the Certified Landscape Technician program and a Director Emeritus on the LICH Board of Directors.
Leeward Community College will offer 15-week course starting in February
The Field Test dates for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exams have been set for 2014 with tests on four Islands, including Maui. By the end of January, the LICH website, hawaiiscape.com, will be updated with test information and Registration Forms.
May 24 .......................... Maui Field Test
June 14 ......................... Kona Field Test
August 9 ........................Oahu Field Test
September 20 ............... Kauai Field Test
Get Certified. Be outstanding in your field!
26 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 27THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
Purchase open land, build a dwelling, operating loans, line of credit, equipment purchase, truck or automobile purchase, refinance a mortgage or agree-ment of sale, etc.
Both the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCA and Hawaii Production Credit Association can custom design a
loan to meet your needs.
We offer: Long term loans, short term loans, competitive interest rate programs, flexible repayment schedules, excellent loan servicing options, etc. We also have programs for Young, Beginning, Small and Minority Farmers.
C A L L O N E O F O U R LOA N O F F I C E R S AT :
Oahu Office 99-860 Iwaena Street, Suite A Aiea, HI 96701 Phone: 808-836-8009 Fax: 808-836-8610 www.hawaiifarmcredit.com
Hilo Office 988 Kinoole Street Hilo, HI 96720 Phone: 808-961-3708 Fax: 808-961-5494
From the Neighbor Islands Call Toll Free 1-800-894-4996
FCS of Hawaii, ACA is part of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide system of leading agricultural financial institutions which started in 1917. FCS of Hawaii, ACA has been doing business in Hawaii since 1966 through its subsidiary the Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCA. The FCS of Hawaii, ACA is not a Federal Agency of the Federal Government.
LOAN?LOAN?AGRICULTURALAGRICULTURALNEED ANNEED AN
Federal Land Bank Association of Hawaii, FLCAHawaii Production Credit Association
FARM CREDIT SERVICES OF HAWAII, ACA
JAY DEpUtY
CERTIFICATIONlandscape
leewArdoAhU
liCt Class
Green Industry Pro magazine’s Fall 2012 Landscape Contrac-tor’s Business Outlook showed that 53% of com-panies nationally expect
to be more profitable in 2013, recording increases in lawn care providers, irriga-tion, maintenance and installation. Rec-ognizing the local need for qualified and highly trained landscape technicians, Leeward Community College’s Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development (OCEWD) is offering a new landscape basic training course to supplement the training courses offered once a year by LICH.
The 15-week non-credit course called “Basic Training in Landscape Mainte-nance & Installation” will meet every Thursday evening 4 pm to 7:30 pm from February 13 - May 15 and has a participant cost of $450. The course blends classroom learning with hands-on experience, based on the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Training manual. The course will cover:
■ Landscape maintenance equipment safety and operation
■ Safety, health and personal protec tive equipment
■ Address and prevent common accidents and injuries
■ Read and understand a landscape plan
■ Identify common landscape plants and pests
■ Proper safety and application methods for using pesticides
■ Repair and maintain irrigation systems
■ Assess soil problems and select proper amendments & irrigation practices
■ Properly install and maintain ornamentals and turf
■ Become familiar with sustainable landscape maintenance practices
The course is intended to provide entry level students with a good funda-mental background in landscape main-tenance, and may be used as an excellent study guide for experienced landscapers preparing to take the Landscape Industry Certified Technician (LICT) exam series that aims to raise industry standards by upgrading the status of landscape professionals in the areas of installation, maintenance and irrigation.
Interested individuals must have a minimum of 8th grade math and reading level and will be assessed to determine eligibility. Those who may not meet the entrance requirements will be able to take a free support program designated to increase their skills in math and reading. For more information and the assessment schedule visit www.ocewd.org/lict-training.
This training was made available as
part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training Grant, better known as C3T Hawai‘i.
C3T Hawai‘i is a $24.6 million grant awarded to the University of Hawai‘i Com-munity Colleges through the U.S. Depart-ment of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The grant will fuel the development of education and training curriculum and student academic/career coaching, which targets certificate and degree programs specific to the needs of agriculture, energy and health industries.
These industry-focused employer-driven programs are designed to provide job op-portunities to the C3T participants.
For more information about C3T Hawai‘i visit: http://uhcc.hawaii.edu/c3t.
Jay Deputy is the state administrator for the Certified Landscape Technician program and a Director Emeritus on the LICH Board of Directors.
Leeward Community College will offer 15-week course starting in February
The Field Test dates for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exams have been set for 2014 with tests on four Islands, including Maui. By the end of January, the LICH website, hawaiiscape.com, will be updated with test information and Registration Forms.
May 24 .......................... Maui Field Test
June 14 ......................... Kona Field Test
August 9 ........................Oahu Field Test
September 20 ............... Kauai Field Test
Get Certified. Be outstanding in your field!
28 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 29THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
By Brandon au
the process of obtAining final aCCePtanCe for City ProjeCts
When a City park or facility, a new subdivision, commercial, or even a residential property is being
developed or renovated, there are require-ments that must be met prior to closing out a project. The Division of Urban Forestry (DUF), Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in the City and County of Honolulu, is the agency responsible for the inspection and acceptance of trees in a City park and trees along City streets or streets that will be dedicated to the City. There is a systematic process in obtaining final acceptance.
In general, there are two City agencies that contract or approve work for City and private projects. The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). DDC usually contracts work for City parks, facilities, and infrastructure. DPP approves permits for the develop-ment or renovation of subdivisions, com-mercial and residential properties.
When a General Contractor is con-tracted to perform work for either DDC or DPP projects, they usually hire a landscape subcontractor to do the landscaping and the installation of trees. The landscape contractor should receive, read, and understand the most current approved plans, and the DPR Notes for DDC projects, or the Street Tree Notes for DPP projects.
Although there is standard language for landscape specifications, additional requirements may be tailored to a specific project. It’s been about fifteen years or so, that the Qualified Arborist has been a part of the specifications. However, tree health assessments, tree protection plans, and pre-installation tree inspections have now been included. Therefore, changes and additions are to be anticipated.
For DPP projects, street trees are part of the requirements in the development or renovation of a subdivision, commer-cial, or residential property. Prior to start
of a project, the developer is required to provide a construction bond, which is a large amount of money (at least fifty percent of the cost of all work). To get the
construction bond released at the end of the project, the developer must ensure that all of the essential agencies certify the completion of improvements. For the most part, certification from DPR has been missing due to deficiencies in the project. There are projects ten to fifteen years or older that should have been, but have not yet been accepted by City.
In reality, this causes a lot of prob-lems for the developer (loss of money), new property owners (confusion over maintenance responsibility for the street trees), and the City (outstanding projects). Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that the project is accepted by the City. On the other hand, the landscape contractor is hired to com-plete the project as stated on the plans and may be held liable.
The process is simple, but requires a number of steps:
1. Pre-Installation Tree Inspection. When preparing to start work, look for trees in your own nursery or a private nursery as specified on the plans. Notify DUF to request a pre-installation tree inspection at the nursery. This is a cour-tesy provided to the landscape contractor prior to the installation of the trees. In the end, this will save time and money by avoiding planting replacement trees for trees that DPR deems unacceptable. Pre-installation tree approval does not nullify responsibility for damage that occurs during removal, transport, and instal-lation of the trees, and does not consti-tute approval for the pre-maintenance inspection.
2. Pre-Maintenance Inspection. After the completion of tree installation, notify DUF to request a pre-maintenance inspection. Prior to the inspection date, the landscape contractor should check that the work is ready for inspection. At the inspection, if the trees require cor-rective work, it will delay the start of the maintenance period. The most common deficiencies are improper staking and tie straps, broken branches, missing tree trunk guards, and leaning trees. If the trees are accepted, the start of the mainte-nance period shall begin on the date of inspection. Usually, a maintenance period is (90) calendar days.
3. Maintenance Period. The landscape contractor should provide proper main-tenance during the course of the mainte-nance period. This would include proper watering, restaking or retying if necessary, minimal pruning for broken or damaged branches, pest control, and the preven-
tion of mechanical damage (girdling). If a tree declines in health, it should be replaced immediately and reported to DUF.
4. Final Inspection. Prior to the end of the maintenance period, notify DUF to request a final inspection. Prior to the inspection date, the landscape contractor should check that the work is ready for inspection. Be sure that structural and corrective pruning has been performed, replace missing tree trunk guards, and most importantly, check that the overall condition of the tree is good. Final approval will be delayed if the trees require replacement or corrective work at the final inspec-tion. Replacement trees will require an additional maintenance period at no ad-ditional cost to the City. If acceptable, a final inspection letter will be sent to the landscape contractor and to DPP.
5. Letter of Acceptance. This is for DPP projects only. As stated in the Street Tree Notes, it is a requirement to submit reproducible As-built plans to DUF. Generally, As-built plans are submit-ted by the developer or the consultant. When the final inspection is completed and As-built plans are received, DUF will send a Letter of Acceptance to DPP to certify the completion of the project.
Again, the process is simple. With a good work ethic, quality work, and proper scheduling, a project can be completed acceptably and on time. To schedule an inspection, please call DUF at 971-7151 at least seven days prior to the requested inspection date.
The Division of Urban Forestry man-ages over 240,000 trees on the island of O‘ahu within the City’s rights-of-way and in City parks. This is the largest inventory of trees managed by an entity in the urban environment in Hawai‘i. And this inventory grows every year due to inspected trees accepted through projects from other government agencies and from new subdivisions, commercial, and residential properties. On average, more than 2,000 trees are added annually.
Brandon Au is the head of the Nursery and Landscape Section for the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Di-vision of Urban Forestry,
O‘ahu Co-Chair for the LICT program, and Vice President for LICH.
YOU’RE MAKING A LIVING. WE’RE
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*Offer valid from October 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014 on select new models of machines manufactured by Caterpillar Building Construction Products Division. Flexible payment terms available. Offer excludes Cat-erpillar Telehandlers. Offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Financing and published rate are subject to credit approval through Cat Financial. Offer subject to machine availability. Offer may change with-out prior notice and additional terms and conditions may apply. © 2013 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trade-marks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
800.437.4228hawthornecat.com
All Photos: BRANDON AUStreet tree in a newly developed subdivision
28 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 29THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
By Brandon au
the process of obtAining final aCCePtanCe for City ProjeCts
When a City park or facility, a new subdivision, commercial, or even a residential property is being
developed or renovated, there are require-ments that must be met prior to closing out a project. The Division of Urban Forestry (DUF), Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in the City and County of Honolulu, is the agency responsible for the inspection and acceptance of trees in a City park and trees along City streets or streets that will be dedicated to the City. There is a systematic process in obtaining final acceptance.
In general, there are two City agencies that contract or approve work for City and private projects. The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). DDC usually contracts work for City parks, facilities, and infrastructure. DPP approves permits for the develop-ment or renovation of subdivisions, com-mercial and residential properties.
When a General Contractor is con-tracted to perform work for either DDC or DPP projects, they usually hire a landscape subcontractor to do the landscaping and the installation of trees. The landscape contractor should receive, read, and understand the most current approved plans, and the DPR Notes for DDC projects, or the Street Tree Notes for DPP projects.
Although there is standard language for landscape specifications, additional requirements may be tailored to a specific project. It’s been about fifteen years or so, that the Qualified Arborist has been a part of the specifications. However, tree health assessments, tree protection plans, and pre-installation tree inspections have now been included. Therefore, changes and additions are to be anticipated.
For DPP projects, street trees are part of the requirements in the development or renovation of a subdivision, commer-cial, or residential property. Prior to start
of a project, the developer is required to provide a construction bond, which is a large amount of money (at least fifty percent of the cost of all work). To get the
construction bond released at the end of the project, the developer must ensure that all of the essential agencies certify the completion of improvements. For the most part, certification from DPR has been missing due to deficiencies in the project. There are projects ten to fifteen years or older that should have been, but have not yet been accepted by City.
In reality, this causes a lot of prob-lems for the developer (loss of money), new property owners (confusion over maintenance responsibility for the street trees), and the City (outstanding projects). Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that the project is accepted by the City. On the other hand, the landscape contractor is hired to com-plete the project as stated on the plans and may be held liable.
The process is simple, but requires a number of steps:
1. Pre-Installation Tree Inspection. When preparing to start work, look for trees in your own nursery or a private nursery as specified on the plans. Notify DUF to request a pre-installation tree inspection at the nursery. This is a cour-tesy provided to the landscape contractor prior to the installation of the trees. In the end, this will save time and money by avoiding planting replacement trees for trees that DPR deems unacceptable. Pre-installation tree approval does not nullify responsibility for damage that occurs during removal, transport, and instal-lation of the trees, and does not consti-tute approval for the pre-maintenance inspection.
2. Pre-Maintenance Inspection. After the completion of tree installation, notify DUF to request a pre-maintenance inspection. Prior to the inspection date, the landscape contractor should check that the work is ready for inspection. At the inspection, if the trees require cor-rective work, it will delay the start of the maintenance period. The most common deficiencies are improper staking and tie straps, broken branches, missing tree trunk guards, and leaning trees. If the trees are accepted, the start of the mainte-nance period shall begin on the date of inspection. Usually, a maintenance period is (90) calendar days.
3. Maintenance Period. The landscape contractor should provide proper main-tenance during the course of the mainte-nance period. This would include proper watering, restaking or retying if necessary, minimal pruning for broken or damaged branches, pest control, and the preven-
tion of mechanical damage (girdling). If a tree declines in health, it should be replaced immediately and reported to DUF.
4. Final Inspection. Prior to the end of the maintenance period, notify DUF to request a final inspection. Prior to the inspection date, the landscape contractor should check that the work is ready for inspection. Be sure that structural and corrective pruning has been performed, replace missing tree trunk guards, and most importantly, check that the overall condition of the tree is good. Final approval will be delayed if the trees require replacement or corrective work at the final inspec-tion. Replacement trees will require an additional maintenance period at no ad-ditional cost to the City. If acceptable, a final inspection letter will be sent to the landscape contractor and to DPP.
5. Letter of Acceptance. This is for DPP projects only. As stated in the Street Tree Notes, it is a requirement to submit reproducible As-built plans to DUF. Generally, As-built plans are submit-ted by the developer or the consultant. When the final inspection is completed and As-built plans are received, DUF will send a Letter of Acceptance to DPP to certify the completion of the project.
Again, the process is simple. With a good work ethic, quality work, and proper scheduling, a project can be completed acceptably and on time. To schedule an inspection, please call DUF at 971-7151 at least seven days prior to the requested inspection date.
The Division of Urban Forestry man-ages over 240,000 trees on the island of O‘ahu within the City’s rights-of-way and in City parks. This is the largest inventory of trees managed by an entity in the urban environment in Hawai‘i. And this inventory grows every year due to inspected trees accepted through projects from other government agencies and from new subdivisions, commercial, and residential properties. On average, more than 2,000 trees are added annually.
Brandon Au is the head of the Nursery and Landscape Section for the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Di-vision of Urban Forestry,
O‘ahu Co-Chair for the LICT program, and Vice President for LICH.
YOU’RE MAKING A LIVING. WE’RE
MAKING IT EASIER.
0%FOR 48 MONTHS
NO DOWN PAYMENTNO PAYMENT FOR 90 DAYS
*Offer valid from October 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014 on select new models of machines manufactured by Caterpillar Building Construction Products Division. Flexible payment terms available. Offer excludes Cat-erpillar Telehandlers. Offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Financing and published rate are subject to credit approval through Cat Financial. Offer subject to machine availability. Offer may change with-out prior notice and additional terms and conditions may apply. © 2013 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trade-marks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
800.437.4228hawthornecat.com
All Photos: BRANDON AUStreet tree in a newly developed subdivision
30 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 31
MAn vs. Chain saW
thE VOiCE OF hAWAii’S GREEN iNDUStRY
PERMEABLE PAVERS MAKE PROJECTS POSSIBLE
GO GREEN WITH THE AQUAPAVE PERMEABLE ON SITE STORMWATER SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM
WHEN IT POURS …… IT STORES
BENEFITS NO SLOPING REQUIRED INFILTRATES UP TO 354 INCHES OF RUNOFF AN
HOUR ROOF WATER MANAGEMENT GROUNDWATER TABLE RECHARGING WATER HARVESTING OIL CONTAMINATES MANAGEMENT FILTERING & TREATMENT OF POLLUTANTS LOWER CONSTRUCTION & LIFE CYCLE COSTS 30-40 YEAR LIFESPAN SLIP AND SKID RESISTANT UP TO 12 LEED POINTS GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS CONSIDERED A BMP COMPLIES WITH NPDES PAVERS CAN BE ENGRAVED FOR FUNDRAISING
APPLICATIONS PARKING LOTS RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS COMMERCIAL ENTRANCES SIDEWALKS PLAZAS LOW SPEED RESIDENTIAL ROADS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT FUTURA STONE OF HAWAII
WWW.FUTURASTONEHAWAII.COM
841-7433 C23741
p h Y L L i S J O N E S
TIPStool
Why does every man think they can use a chain saw?? (Is it one of those “gender things”??) Let’s be absolutely
clear, chain saws are the most danger-ous, gas-powered, hand-held tools in your shop, and should not be taken for granted, nor disrespected. If you know anyone who has been injured or died from chain saw injuries you will be able to relate. (More about this later.) Not only do saws require regular maintenance, but there are several components which need to be checked carefully before each use—for safety reasons and maximum cutting efficiency.
MAINTENANCE. Saws run at high RPM’s, and collect a lot of rubbish and debris. After every use the saw should be washed, particularly between the bar cover and the saw body where most of the rubbish accumulates. The air cleaner should be removed and cleaned. It is critical that the saw get enough air through the air cleaner in order for it to run properly. If there is any sawdust on
the air cleaner or
the air cleaner is discolored, it should be replaced. The air cleaner body (where the air cleaner sits) should be blown out so there is no debris in the area.
Check the fuel tank to insure that no rubbish has accidently gotten into the tank. ALWAYS check your fuel mix. Insufficient two-cycle oil can damage the piston and cylinder. When in doubt, dump your fuel and re-mix the fuel. (Your gas should be fresh—less than 2 weeks old.)
The bar and chain should be removed and washed with soap or degreaser. If there is any sticky material on the chain, brush the chain with a wire brush. Sharpen the chain using either a file with a guide or an electric sharpener. The angle on the cutter teeth should be the same on every tooth.
Check the drive links (the part of the chain that goes into the bar). There should not be any burrs or dings. If there is damage, the drive links will not “ride” smoothly in the rail of the bar, and will jam in the rail. If the chain is damaged replace it.
Clean the bar by remov-ing any rubbish in the rail: paper clips work well for
this. Check the nose of the bar
that it has not flared. Be sure that there are no chips or cracks in the bar. DO NOT USE A DAMAGED CHAIN OR BAR. Put the bar and chain on the saw, making sure that the chain is properly adjusted and is moving smoothly on the bar. Start the saw to check the oiler. Run the saw at full throttle over a piece of cardboard and you should see a line of oil on the cardboard. The bar and chain oil lubricates the chain under extreme heat, and preserves the life of the chain. If your oiler is not working properly, it may be clogged and needs to be cleaned out.
The maintenance procedure may seem tedious, but should become routine when done on a regular basis. A properly serviced saw saves time spent on the job and may be a factor in preventing saw accidents. CHAIN SAW ACCIDENTS DO NOT ONLY HAPPEN TO NOVICES;
many seasoned users do not take proper precautions. When working with chain saws SAFETY FIRST.
One afternoon while I was at work, I received a call from a landscaper friend. He very calmly told me that he was tak-ing my son, who was working with him, to the hospital. My son had cut his leg open with a chain saw. Fortunately, he missed the bone by 1/4”, but 15 stitches later he developed a new respect for saws.
Late in the afternoon, I received a call from a customer and friend. He informed me that one of his associates (another friend) had been killed that afternoon in a chain saw accident. He was in a bucket lift cutting a tree. He was not an experienced tree trimmer. The branch he was cutting fell on him and severed his arm. He died at the hospital. I had spoken with him the week before, and even after the accident, I could still hear his voice.
BE SURE YOUR SAW IS WORKING PROPERLY AND ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST!!
Phyllis Jones is with A to Z Equipment and Sales, formally A to Z Rental Center, in business for over 25 years.
30 LaNDscape Hawaii JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Hawaiiscape.com 31
MAn vs. Chain saW
thE VOiCE OF hAWAii’S GREEN iNDUStRY
PERMEABLE PAVERS MAKE PROJECTS POSSIBLE
GO GREEN WITH THE AQUAPAVE PERMEABLE ON SITE STORMWATER SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM
WHEN IT POURS …… IT STORES
BENEFITS NO SLOPING REQUIRED INFILTRATES UP TO 354 INCHES OF RUNOFF AN
HOUR ROOF WATER MANAGEMENT GROUNDWATER TABLE RECHARGING WATER HARVESTING OIL CONTAMINATES MANAGEMENT FILTERING & TREATMENT OF POLLUTANTS LOWER CONSTRUCTION & LIFE CYCLE COSTS 30-40 YEAR LIFESPAN SLIP AND SKID RESISTANT UP TO 12 LEED POINTS GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS CONSIDERED A BMP COMPLIES WITH NPDES PAVERS CAN BE ENGRAVED FOR FUNDRAISING
APPLICATIONS PARKING LOTS RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS COMMERCIAL ENTRANCES SIDEWALKS PLAZAS LOW SPEED RESIDENTIAL ROADS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT FUTURA STONE OF HAWAII
WWW.FUTURASTONEHAWAII.COM
841-7433 C23741
p h Y L L i S J O N E S
TIPStool
Why does every man think they can use a chain saw?? (Is it one of those “gender things”??) Let’s be absolutely
clear, chain saws are the most danger-ous, gas-powered, hand-held tools in your shop, and should not be taken for granted, nor disrespected. If you know anyone who has been injured or died from chain saw injuries you will be able to relate. (More about this later.) Not only do saws require regular maintenance, but there are several components which need to be checked carefully before each use—for safety reasons and maximum cutting efficiency.
MAINTENANCE. Saws run at high RPM’s, and collect a lot of rubbish and debris. After every use the saw should be washed, particularly between the bar cover and the saw body where most of the rubbish accumulates. The air cleaner should be removed and cleaned. It is critical that the saw get enough air through the air cleaner in order for it to run properly. If there is any sawdust on
the air cleaner or
the air cleaner is discolored, it should be replaced. The air cleaner body (where the air cleaner sits) should be blown out so there is no debris in the area.
Check the fuel tank to insure that no rubbish has accidently gotten into the tank. ALWAYS check your fuel mix. Insufficient two-cycle oil can damage the piston and cylinder. When in doubt, dump your fuel and re-mix the fuel. (Your gas should be fresh—less than 2 weeks old.)
The bar and chain should be removed and washed with soap or degreaser. If there is any sticky material on the chain, brush the chain with a wire brush. Sharpen the chain using either a file with a guide or an electric sharpener. The angle on the cutter teeth should be the same on every tooth.
Check the drive links (the part of the chain that goes into the bar). There should not be any burrs or dings. If there is damage, the drive links will not “ride” smoothly in the rail of the bar, and will jam in the rail. If the chain is damaged replace it.
Clean the bar by remov-ing any rubbish in the rail: paper clips work well for
this. Check the nose of the bar
that it has not flared. Be sure that there are no chips or cracks in the bar. DO NOT USE A DAMAGED CHAIN OR BAR. Put the bar and chain on the saw, making sure that the chain is properly adjusted and is moving smoothly on the bar. Start the saw to check the oiler. Run the saw at full throttle over a piece of cardboard and you should see a line of oil on the cardboard. The bar and chain oil lubricates the chain under extreme heat, and preserves the life of the chain. If your oiler is not working properly, it may be clogged and needs to be cleaned out.
The maintenance procedure may seem tedious, but should become routine when done on a regular basis. A properly serviced saw saves time spent on the job and may be a factor in preventing saw accidents. CHAIN SAW ACCIDENTS DO NOT ONLY HAPPEN TO NOVICES;
many seasoned users do not take proper precautions. When working with chain saws SAFETY FIRST.
One afternoon while I was at work, I received a call from a landscaper friend. He very calmly told me that he was tak-ing my son, who was working with him, to the hospital. My son had cut his leg open with a chain saw. Fortunately, he missed the bone by 1/4”, but 15 stitches later he developed a new respect for saws.
Late in the afternoon, I received a call from a customer and friend. He informed me that one of his associates (another friend) had been killed that afternoon in a chain saw accident. He was in a bucket lift cutting a tree. He was not an experienced tree trimmer. The branch he was cutting fell on him and severed his arm. He died at the hospital. I had spoken with him the week before, and even after the accident, I could still hear his voice.
BE SURE YOUR SAW IS WORKING PROPERLY AND ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST!!
Phyllis Jones is with A to Z Equipment and Sales, formally A to Z Rental Center, in business for over 25 years.
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