February 2017

       Happy 
    Valentines 
         Day!
February may not have as many days as all the others, but it is special as all month long we celebrate, Black History, National Children’s Dental Health, American Heart Health and Potato Lovers to name a few.  We can’t forget Groundhog Day or Valentines Day either.  While these dates all make February a great month, the one date that should stand out is February 15th. This is the date that would love to have your proposals returned to us; we want to make sure that we are all ready for spring!
 
We recently awarded Kara Jahn with our Employee of the Year award; I could not think of a better person to receive this award!  There is an article on Kara a little further down in the newsletter, so read on for more about Kara!
 
We will be starting a new segment in the Tree Top Times that I hope you will enjoy  We will begin featuring a plant/tree of the month starting in March.  
 
We are excited for Spring to roll around this year and we are looking forward to a great season working with you.

Trees

Welcome to “almost spring” everyone!   We know that spring is still several weeks away, but as usual, we have begun sending out your Plant Health Care (PHC) Proposals for 2017. Please take a look at your proposals and call us if you have any questions.

Many of our treatments are time sensitive so please return your proposals as soon as possible so we can ensure that your landscape receives the attention it deserves in the most timely fashion.

Our Arborists are available to meet with you regarding any questions you may have.
 

Lawns

Getting your yard ready for spring!
With warmer weather and the spring fertilization season just around the corner, it’s a good idea to invest a little time getting your yard ready for the season. Here are a few tips on what you can do now to prepare your yard for spring.

Walk your yard:
Before you start to do any yard work, it’s a good idea to take a walk through your yard to survey any damage that has occurred over the winter. Look for any hanging branches or split limbs and see what other hazards winter may have created in and around your lawn and landscape.

Edge your garden beds:
Define the edge around your garden. As you work your way around, kick any of the edging materials into the bed so it can be raked off after. By doing this you will give our lawn care team a clear and easy way to define the area where you expect lush healthy grass to be and what areas you need a Rock, Bed & Border treatment done.
Clean your lawn & beds:

Remove any remaining leaves and other debris left over from winter. This allows the grass to have full access to air and sunlight. This is also a good time to look over your mulch and rock beds; look for dead leaves and branches. It’s important to remove as much of the old materials as possible so that it doesn’t build up and smother your plants. You should also check around the base of any woody trees and shrubs to make sure there is ‘breathing room’ around their trunks. If there is any buildup of leaves, remove them so that it doesn’t cause the wood to rot.

Click here to read more on bugs around the house!

February 2017
Tip of the Month:

Ice melt can be damaging not only to your lawn, but to your trees and shrubs as well.  When applying ice melt, be careful that it does not end up in your landscape.  Shovel the majority of the snow off first, then apply the ice melt to avoid spill over.

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 trees throughout the region. Most of these were large spruce trees notorious for their shallow roots and full evergreen canopies. This wind event kept our crews in emergency mode for two weeks.

These strong powerful winds are not unusual in winter. The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University explains it this way: “Episodic strong winds are a part of life for all areas in the immediate lee (just east of) the high Rocky Mountain chain. Most of these strong winds are relatively brief but severe and are associated with rapidly descending air cascading over the crest of the Rockies and racing out to the plains. These ‘down slope wind storms’ are most common from late autumn into spring and accompany upper level disturbances in the strong winter-time jet stream. The highest winds ever in Colorado? Longs Peak holds the record at 201 mph set in the winter of 1981. Boulder, one of the nation’s windiest cities, clocked 147 mph in 1971.”

January also offers many other records. The record low for January in Colorado Springs was -26 on January 31, 1951. The record high of 73 was set on January 2, 1997. In January of 1987 a record 28.7 inches of snow fell.


Call our office at 719-444-8800 if you’d like Mountain High to evaluate you trees.
Employee of the Year – Meet Kara Jahn!

Congratulations Kara Jahn for receiving the Employee of the Year award! This award was not easy to receive not to mention there was a lot of competition! Kara’s can do attitude, not to mention all of the knowledge that Kara has, makes her invaluable to MHTree. Rain, snow, hail, or sun, she’s as reliable as a postal worker!

Kara is a Colorado native that has over 24 years of industry experience. Pictured to the left are Craig Little, Kara Jahn and Ralph Bronk presenting Kara with her award!

She has 2 daughters (twins) and 5 grandchildren whom she adores. Halloween happens to be her favorite holiday; the haunted houses are a lot of fun!

Kara enjoys the challenges that each year brings and is happy to be part of the Mountain High Team. We are extremely fortunate to have Kara with us. Congratulations Kara!