Fall & Winter Watering

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Sarah

WHY WATER?

Unlike some parts of the country, Colorado can experience periods of especially harsh fall and winter conditions characterized by dry air, low precipitation, little soil moisture, and fluctuating temperatures. When we experience extended dry periods, there is not enough soil moisture which puts the root system of trees, shrubs, perennials and lawns at risk if not given supplemental water. Plants that are affected may appear normal in the spring but die when temperatures rise in the late spring or summer because their resources have been depleted. Lack of winter water may also make plants susceptible to insect and disease problems.

WHEN TO WATER?

Monitor soil conditions closely from November through March and water during dry periods when there has been no snow cover for two weeks. You need to water when air and soil temperatures are above 40 degrees F, the soil is not frozen and there is no snow on the ground. You should also water mid-day so the water can soak into the ground before freezing nighttime temperatures occur. Don’t forget to disconnect the hose when you are finished watering.

WHAT TO WATER?

Newly planted trees or plants, transplanted plants, evergreens and broadleaf evergreens that loose moisture through their needles/leaves, and shallow rooted trees are especially vulnerable. Lawns, especially newly established ones, can also suffer winter damage and will need occasional supplemental watering to avoid susceptibility to winter grass mites and desiccation. Even established plants should be watered in times of winter drought but can go longer between watering than the categories mentioned above.

HOW MUCH TO WATER?

Most trees, especially when they are establishing their root systems during the first five years after planting, should get ten gallons per inch of trunk diameter. Smaller shrubs (under 3’ tall) should receive five gallons and larger shrubs (over 6’ tall) should receive 18 gallons of water.

WHERE TO WATER?

Water trees to a depth of 12” using a deep root watering device and apply water to all areas beneath the tree and its dripline. Shrubs should also be watered around the base and within the dripline. For newly planted perennials, check the soil conditions 2-3” deep and water around the root ball if the ground appears dry.

WHAT ELSE TO DO?

Winter mulching is another helpful practice to combine with watering. Plants in exposed areas, generally warmer south and west exposures, are subject to freeze-thaw conditions which open cracks in the soil that expose roots to cold and drying.

SOURCES: Colorado State Extension Fact Sheet 7.211 – Fall & Winter Watering http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07211.html

Planttalk Colorado™ – Script 1706 – Winter Watering http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1706.html

Street Tree Pruning

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Sarah

Unlike most major cities, in Denver, property owners are responsible for the care and maintenance of their street trees even though the trees are located within the public right-of-way. This requirement is established by the Revised Denver Municipal Code (Chapter 57).

Trees Obstructing Sidewalk Passage

As the street trees in Stapleton mature, trimming is beginning to become an issue as branches and foliage start to interfere with safety and ease of pedestrian sidewalk passage. Furthermore, passengers trying to get in and out of cars parked on the street may encounter interference from tree branches.

Many do not realize that the city requires tree clearance to be kept to a minimum of 8 feet over the surface of the public sidewalk and 13 feet 6 inches above the paved surface of the street. In addition, trunks of trees should be clear of foliage growth to a minimum height of 8 feet above ground level.

Improper Sidewalk Clearance

Exceptions are allowed for young trees which would be irreparably damaged by premature pruning. Trees require little if any pruning during the first five years after planting and that pruning should be limited to the removal of dead and broken branches. If pruning is done too soon or too severely, it slows root growth and encourages shoot growth which adds significant stress to the tree and makes it more vulnerable to insects, diseases, and stress from drought. After five years, if a tree is healthy, it should have a strong, established root system and should be pruned every three years, tapering down to less frequent pruning as the tree becomes more than ten years old. The amount of live branches that should be removed varies based on the age of the tree and the growth rate of the species.

Once your street trees are established enough to be pruned, consider hiring a licensed arborist with certification from the International Society of Arboriculture to trim your trees so that it is done correctly and does not cause damage to the tree, a valuable asset for your home. If you do undertake trimming yourself, please refer to the Existing Forestry Rules & Regulations governing Trees & Tree Care listed in the resource section below to ensure that proper techniques are followed for the health and wellbeing of your tree. Do not indiscriminately remove branches as this can add stress to the tree. Pruning should be based on pruning objectives (why to prune) and pruning methods (how to prune) which determine the type of pruning cuts to be made. Objectives include reducing the risk of breakage from wind and snow, improving the structure, maintaining health, improving aesthetics, providing clearance, improving view, reducing shade, and increasing flowering and fruiting.

Light pruning to remove a few small branches can be done at any time of year. More extensive pruning should be done in late winter to early spring. This is advantageous because wounds close more rapidly if done just prior to when new shoots emerge, there are few active insects and disease spores to infest pruning cuts, and deciduous trees have dropped their leaves so it is easier to see what you are pruning. Lastly, many tree companies offer discounts for winter pruning.

What Stapleton Streets & Sidewalks Might Look Like in the Future

For more information:

Revised Denver Municipal Code (Chapter 57) – The City Foresters Ordinance http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/Trees/City%20forester’s%20ordinance.pdf

Existing Forestry Rules & Regulations governing Trees & Tree Care – http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/Trees/Trees%20and%20tree%20care%20regs.pdf

CSU Extension, Colorado Master Gardener Program, CMG Garden Notes: http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes.shtml#pruning
#614 – Structural Training of Young Shade Trees
#616 – Pruning Maturing Shade Trees
#617 – Structural Pruning of Maturing Shade Trees

Home Work

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Sarah

By Kathy Epperson
April 2006 Front Porch newspaper www.stapletondenver.com

Adaptation and reinvention are common themes in the business world and guiding forces in entrepreneurship. Stapleton resident Sarah Christian originally developed a successful career in human resources for GTE (now Verizon) in Florida. She and her husband Steve were married thirteen years ago and just six months later moved to Denver for simultaneous midlife career changes. Now a successful landscape architect for over ten years, Sarah runs Urban Gardens from her home office. “We moved to Stapleton in February 2003, just six months after the first residents moved in,” she recounts. “We joke that we live in ‘Old Stapleton’. Stapleton is a good fit for us because, like the former airport, we have reinvented ourselves.”

This process of reinvention started when several reorganization and downsizing efforts in the corporate world forced Sarah to think about alternative career paths. She started by exploring what she loved to do as a child, which was imagining and creating environments. “Next, I tested the waters by taking a course in Landscape Architecture History and found my passion,” she says. “My acceptance into the masters program coincided with an across-the-board early retirement incentive offering. At age 35, I retired from the corporate world and began the path to my second career.”

Sarah received her Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver and initially began work with the City of Westminster Parks and Recreation. Shortly after her first child was born, she went to work for a small landscape architecture firm doing residential design. She slowly built her own clientele and now, with both children (Lauren, age 9 and Will, age 6) in school during the day, she runs her company full time.

Working on residential projects ranging from historic renovations to new homes with a clean slate, Sarah enjoys developing master plans for her clients that include hardscape and plant design. She loves that each project and client is unique and enjoys using her extensive training and experience to help them create an outdoor space that reflects their tastes and lifestyle. Asked for advice to Stapleton residents with a small yard, Sarah urges careful planning to make the most of that space. “Small gardens can be incredibly intimate; quality materials are more affordable in smaller quantities; and maintenance time is minimized. Every detail is seen closely in a small space and therefore has greater impact. A small space can be made to appear more spacious through the use of design principles and visual techniques that combine to give the illusion of more space.”

Watch for the building of Sarah’s garden design this spring for the Westerly Creek/Stapleton Community Garden, pending approval from DPS.

Kathy Epperson is a Stapleton resident who writes a monthly column about home businesses.

Making the Most of Your Small Outdoor Space

Posted on March 23, 2005 by Sarah

By Sarah Christian, ASLA, Landscape Architect
September 2004 Front Porch newspaper www.stapletondenver.com

A good small yard design has qualities of unity, simplicity, variety, balance and scale that combine to give the illusion of more space. Careful planning is essential in a small yard because every detail is seen closely. Small gardens can be incredibly intimate; quality materials are more affordable in smaller quantities; and maintenance time is minimized. Think of your yard as an extension of your home, an outdoor room, if you will, that can be decorated much like the interior.

A small space can be made to appear more spacious through the use of the following design principles and visual techniques:

Unity produces a single, harmonious effect. Unity can be achieved by choosing a style and repeating elements — including materials, plants and colors — that are consistent with the architecture and materials of your home. You should design your entire space at once, even if you phase the work.
To achieve simplicity, limit your hardscape palette (any non-plant material) to two materials and eliminate all unnecessary details, but don’t make it so simple that it is monotonous. Smaller paving materials like brick or cobbles will make the space feel more spacious than large flagstones.
Containers add seasonal variety, as do plants with multi-seasonal interest.
Achieve balance by distributing the visual weight equally around a focal point. There should be something interesting to look at from all viewpoints.
Finally, scale is achieved when plants, structures, and materials are in proper proportion to the house. The smaller the space, the greater should be the proportion of hardscape to planting areas. Scale down planting beds and instead use containers and raised beds that can double as seating. Use some dwarf or small plants to make the rest of the garden look more spacious by comparison but don’t make everything small or the house will dominate. Make sure you consider the mature size of plants. Colorado Blue Spruce, for example, can grow to 60’ tall and 30’ wide.

Adapted from Landscaping for Small Spaces: Making the Most of a Limited Area (Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Books, 1998).

Affordable Home Services

Posted on October 8, 2004 by Sarah

If the question is “How to turn an unattractive yard or an unfinished basement into an exciting new living space that adds to the value and enjoyment of a home,” Stapleton residents Gregg Schulman, Geoff Seale and Sarah Christian, ASLA, have the answers.

Gregg started Affordable Home Services in July of 2003 to create living spaces outdoors and in basements that are natural, esthetic and functional extensions to the home. His company offers a full range of services that include the design, installation and maintenance of landscape, the design and construction of custom decks and patios and state-of-the art basement & garage finishing. He also offers custom carpentry.

But it is the landscape that has brought the Stapleton neighbors together. Affordable Home Services has teamed up with Geoff Seale’s Showcase Landscaping and Sarah Christian’s Landscape Architectural Design to deliver what the three professionals say is one of the best home improvement investments.

“We take each customer through a complete process to help identify their unique needs and vision for their yard or basement, including such considerations as personal preferences, functional requirements, aesthetics, privacy, maintenance, budget, kids and pets,“ Gregg said. “At the end of our process, we will have created a highly customized plan for our clients that reflect their personality and lifestyle and that does not look mass produced.”

Together, Gregg, Geoff and Sarah possess a strong focus on environmental issues and “Built Green” standards. They believe careful planning is essential in smaller, urban yards because every detail is seen closely and has greater impact. The three also maintain a commitment to their community. Affordable Home Services and Showcase Landscaping are donating a percentage of their profits to the Westerly Creek Elementary School/Community Garden project pioneered by Sarah Christian.

Fall Bulb Planting Tips

Posted on September 8, 2004 by Sarah

By Sarah Christian, ASLA, Landscape Architect
September 2004 Front Porch newspaper www.stapletondenver.com

When is the best time to plant? – Fall is the time to purchase and plant spring flowering bulbs such as crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. Bulbs should be planted from late September through October so they can root well before the ground freezes. Plant as soon as possible after purchasing.

Selecting Bulbs – The earlier bulbs are purchased in the fall, the better the selection. Select the largest bulbs of a variety, as there is a direct correlation between bulb and flower size. A bulb should be plump, firm and heavy, not moldy or damaged. Bulbs can be selected from bulb catalogs or open bins. Select a variety of bulbs with different flowering times to lengthen bloom period. Crocuses, snowdrops, species tulips, dwarf iris and scilla are very early reliable bloomers. Early to late-spring bloomers include grape hyacinths. Late spring to early summer bloomers include alliums and bearded and dutch iris. Careful planning can lead to an outstanding bloom display from early March through early June.

Where to plant? – Research required growing conditions. Your site should have appropriate sunlight and show the flowers off to their best advantage. A southern exposure, especially when close to the foundation, induces early emergence that may result in freezing injury. Plant bulbs in groups of the same color and variety. This looks more impressive than a mixture of colors and varieties.

How to plant? – Soil preparation is key. Bulbs prefer a sandy or clay loam soil. To improve the soil, spread 2-3 inches of compost on the bed and spade or till it in 6 inches deep. Plant bulbs with the growing tip up at the directed depth, generally four times the height of the bulb. After the ground freezes, cover the bed with 3-4 inches of mulch to prevent frost heaving and prepare for a spectacular spring display!