Tree Top Times

Advantages of Pruning in Winter

The Advantages of Pruning Your Trees in Winter:In Colorado a major obstacle for trees is harsh winter storms that can bring dry Chinook winds with heavy, wet snows or “hurricane” force winds that damage tree structure. Besides getting a good look at the structure and form of a tree in winter there are other benefits […]

De-icing & Salt Landscape Damage in the Springs

Every winter, homeowners use a variety of de-icing salt products to combat ice as it builds up on sidewalks, steps, and driveways. Regardless of the type of salt product that is used the resulting damage is always the same.    Spalding in concrete caused by Salt for melting ice. Salt, by its nature, is acidic. Conversely, […]

2016 Notable Trees Calendar – Just Released

Mountain High is honored to be a sponsor of the 2016 Notable Trees of Colorado Calendar.  This commemorative edition celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Colorado Tree Coalition.  Becky Wegner again chaired the committee for the Colorado Tree Coalition that produced the calendar.  This 15 month (October 2015 to December 2016) colorful and informative calendar features […]

Pine Wilt Disease in Colorado

Pine Wilt Disease found in Scotch, Austrian and Mugo Pines in Colorado Springs As summer wanes, dead Scotch Pines have been appearing with more frequency in communities along the Front Range of Colorado. The culprit has been found to be the Pinewood nematode, a native to North America.  It does not generally cause death in […]

Summer Observations from the Springs

2015 is on track to be the wettest year recorded in Colorado Springs.  This along with an early Arctic freeze last November and cool/cold temperatures in May have created some unique problems for trees and shrubs. Following are some of Mountain High’s observations this summer. Douglas-Fir tussock moth populations blew up on Cheyenne Mountain and […]

Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth!

Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata) and Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura hebenstreitella) Populations of these two defoliating caterpillars continue to expand this year in the Colorado Springs area. Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir and White Fir are hosts to these insects.  Larvae were observed hatching in early June and evidence of feeding on new growth is just starting to show […]

Colorado Springs – The state of our trees.

The State of Our Trees – The rains have slowed and the sun has come out! Our office has been flooded over the past week with questions such as “what is wrong with my tree”?  Many Honey Locust, Ash and Elm trees seem like they will never leaf out.  Over the last year there have been several […]

Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth “They’re back”!

COLORADO SPRINGS BRANCH NEWS Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata) Populations of this defoliating caterpillar surged in 2014 in Colorado Springs.  You can see groups of partially or totally defoliated trees in many areas.  Especially noticeable were Spruce trees with a distinctive orange colorations along the Academy Blvd. corridor and a large area of Gray Fir trees […]

Emerald Ash Borer University

As Arborists in Denver, Mountain High Tree staff members attend and participate in many ongoing education programs so that we’re on the cusp of what is going on in the tree service industry. One of the biggest tree service topics today is the arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer in Boulder, Colorado in 2013. This devastating […]

Hail Damage in Colorado Springs

A swath of Colorado Springs was damaged by hail on May 21. A strong storm with 50 plus mile per hour winds and damaging size hail blasted through the Broadmoor, Ivywild, Downtown and the Old North End. It broke windows, damaged roofs and cars and stripped trees of their foliage. Spring is a critical time […]