Trees: Once again, the weather this early spring has driven how we care for our landscapes. The first three months of 2017 have been very dry and much warmer than normal so we have been telling everyone to get outside and water their landscapes. Over the last two weeks we have begun to see the […]
Tree Top Times
Spring has Sprung!
March was mild and warm with Colorado Springs breaking several record high temperatures. Just today I saw flowering Forsythia, Plum and Crabapple trees. This is easily 3 weeks ahead of a normal year. The National Phenology Network tracks the start of spring, called the Spring Leaf Index, by measuring the appearance of leaves, blossoms and […]
A Wild and Wacky January!
January is a month that surprises us. It is one of the driest months of the year, but in many ways it is the most exciting. January 2017 has set many records for both Mountain High and the Pikes Peak region. Record breaking winds peaking over 100 mph hit on January 9 and 10 toppling […]
Pine Wilt Disease found in Scotch and Austrian Pines
As winter approaches, dead Scotch and Austrian Pines have been appearing with more frequency in Colorado Springs. The culprit has been found to be the Pinewood nematode, a native to North America. It does not generally cause mortality in native Pines, but in exotic Pines it causes a fatal wilt disease. It can be deadly […]
Winter Watering – Put on your to-do list!
We may sound like a broken record when we talk about watering trees in the winter, but somehow this crucial practice remains one of the most overlooked tasks of caring for trees in Colorado. Maintaining adequate soil moisture helps to prevent unnecessary root loss due to desiccation. It is always our hope that Mother Nature […]
Fall is Here!
The leaves are beginning to change and Mother Nature is putting on a show. As the caretakers of our landscapes we can assist our trees and shrubs in order to put on the best display of fall color possible. The key is water, which in Colorado is no surprise. Our trees require water to go […]
Vole Damage is Rapidly Appearing
Now that temperatures are warming, the chewing and feeding done by voles this winter is showing up with a vengeance. Especially hard hit are areas of Monument and the Broadmoor. Many spreading and mounding junipers are yellowing and browning rapidly. Quick facts on voles: • Often called meadow, […]
Colorado Springs hit hard by snow!
Springtime in Colorado never ceases to amaze us. April 29th was National Arbor Day for planting trees, yet Colorado Springs got a dose of wet sloppy snow. It brought wonderful moisture and an anticipation of flowers and a green up of our trees and shrubs in May. The heavy snow caused some breakage in Elms, […]
Celebrate Arbor Day ~ Plant a Tree!
Celebrate Arbor Day – Plant A Tree In the world of trees, April is the month for Arbor Day and planting trees. Julius Sterling Morton started Arbor Day in April of 1872 in Nebraska. Today, Arbor Day is recognized in every state on various dates, usually coinciding with a good time of year to plant […]
In Colorado Springs, Mountain High is proud to be a sponsor and partner with Pikes Peak Urban Gardens (PPUG).
Spring time preparation! March is the time to start prepping your vegetable gardens for planting in later spring. PPUG offers the following suggestions. Apply a layer of compost now so soil organisms have time to break it down so it is ready for plants. A general rule is to add a 2-inch layer of compost […]