A letter from the President
Re: Arbor Care Hurricane Preparedness
Before Hurricane Season Begins, the State and Counties of Florida Forestry Division encourage preventive steps that will help to reduce any damage from trees should a tropical system make landfall near you. If a storm assessment is performed by a licensed and qualified Arbor Company, it is possible that a tree can be pruned to become storm-ready. Such a tree may serve as a wind buffer to your home, providing it is structurally sound and has an intact root structure.
It may be worth while to begin looking for a licensed arborist that can be of assistance before hurricane season and or in the days prior to the hurricane hitting landfall.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office for additional information.
Marc J. Terwilliger
President
@ ONETWOTREE everyday is EARTHDAY
NEW WATER ALERT !
Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage Order
Although rainfall levels have improved in Miami-Dade County , water levels in Lake Okeechobee continue to be low. Because of the recent rains, Water Restrictions have been modified throughout South Florida, including Miami-Dade County as follows:
Residents with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate lawn and landscapes on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. and/or 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Residents with even-numbered addresses may irrigate lawn and landscapes on Thursdays and Sundays from 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. and/or 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Please notice these times differ slightly from the times allowed by SFWMD because a Miami-Dade County ordinance prohibits lawn watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. So the restrictions listed above ONLY apply to Miami-Dade residents.
It is recommended the efficient use of water, which includes placing a maximum of about three quarters of an inch to an inch of water once per week on lawn and accomplishing irrigation during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest to reduce evaporation losses.
Hand watering with one hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle is allowed for 10 minutes per day for landscape stress relief and to prevent plant die-off.
Low-volume irrigation, including the use of drip and microjet systems that apply water directly to plant root zones, is not restricted but should be voluntarily reduced.
Additional watering days and times are allocated for the establishment of new lawns and landscapes.
No restrictions apply to other outside water uses, such as for car and boat washing, pressure cleaning of paved surfaces, decorative fountains and water-bases recreation.
In addition to the modified water use restrictions where applicable we encourage you to voluntarily save water, both inside and outside the home.
FICUS WHITEFLY
Ficus Whitefly : Singhiella simplex
Ficus Whiteflies are small, winged insects that belong to the Order Hemiptera which also includes aphids scales, & mealybugs. These insects typically feed on the underside of leaves by penetrating the tissue and removing plant sap with their “needle-like” mouthparts. Whiteflies can seriously injure host plants by sucking juices (sugars & carbohydrates) from the vascular system causing defoliation, wilting, yellowing, stunting, necrosis, and then death.
The leaves of Ficus infested with whiteflies begin to turn yellow before the leaves are dropped from the plant. Ficus defoliation & necrosis ( die back ) are one of the most obvious symptoms of a whitefly infestation. So far they seem to be host specific to the: Ficus benjamina / Weeping fig, Ficus altissima / Lofty fig, Ficus bengalensis / Banyan, Ficus aurea / Native Strangler fig, Ficus microcarpa / Cuban laurel, Ficus maclellandi / Banana-leaf fig, Ficus lyrata / Fiddle-leaf fig, Ficus ali / Snailseed fig.
When the foliage is disturbed the small, white gnat-like adult whiteflies can be seen flying from the foliage. The adult whitefly is a very small moth with a yellow body and white wings with a faint grey band in the middle of the wings. Immature stages (eggs and nymphs) can be found primarily on the underside of the leaves.
Prior to adult emergence, the nymphs are tan to light green discs with red eyes. The underside of infested leaves look like they are dotted with small, silver or white spots which are actually the empty “skin” of the pupae after the adult emerges.
Eggs which are usually laid on the underside of leaves hatch into a crawler stage. The crawler wanders around the leaf until they begin to feed. From this point until they emerge as adults, they are immobile and remain in the same place on the plant. These feeding, non-mobile stages (nymphs) are usually oval, flat, and simple in appearance.
The life cycle of the whitefly , from egg to adult, requires 2 to 3 weeks in warm weather, but may take as long as 2 months under cool conditions. The number of eggs produced per female is also greater in warm weather than in cool weather. The rates of reproduction for whitefly vary with the host plant, but the average is 160 eggs per female (with an approximate range of 50 to 400), with female crawlers emerging from about two-thirds of the eggs. This high reproductive potential explains in part how whitefly populations can increase so rapidly
(1 female -> 100 females -> 10,000 females -> 1,000,000 equaling the approximate number of adult females resulting from three generations).
They do appear to be more active during the sunny daylight periods, and do not fly as readily during the early morning, late evening, or night hours.
Please monitor your Ficus for any signs of defoliation & infestation because it will be easier to manage the pest before it builds to high populations causing major damage & death to your beautiful Ficus .
BEFORE ONE TWO TREE / PEST FREE TREATMENT
AFTER ONE TWO TREE / PEST FREE TREATMENT
We have had great success with our preventative programs. If your Ficus has already been infested we can stop the defoliation & destruction of your Ficus . Our highly trained technicians spray a contact insecticide on the foliage & a systemic drench of the root systems to provide protection from re-infestation .
Don't wait until it's too late! Call Now!
ONE TWO TREE / PEST FREE
305-235-8333
Save Your Plants!
Minimize Water Stress Due to Water Restrictions
It may become increasingly difficult to maintain adequate moisture levels in our landscapes due to the combined effects of the “dry season” and current water restrictions. Localized dry spots and fluctuations in plant available water due to evaporation, leeching and transpiration cause flowers, trees and ornamentals to experience drought stress unfortunately by the time the first visible sign of drought appears, the plants' internal processes have ceased. This complete shutdown of the plants' physiological processes result in weak, under-developed plants that are prone to diseases, pests, nutrient deficiencies and root shrinkage. Ultimately, the overall quality of your landscape suffers.
The solution is Hydretain . This product manages root zone moisture, making the most efficient use of applied watering, rain, etc. Its simple mechanism protects plants from the harmful effects of drought stress. Hydretain will aide in maintaining healthy turf, plants, shrubs and trees that will improve the overall quality of your landscape.
Hydretain has the unique ability to attract, hold and then transfer water molecules into the plant roots. One end of the Hydretain molecule anchors itself to soil particles and root hairs coating their surface. The other end is available to “grab” free water molecules from humid air circulating in the soil, applied waterings, rainfall, etc… Once Hydretain has “grabbed” a water molecule, it releases it into the plants' root through osmosis, preventing it from being lost to evaporation or leeching. Because the Hydretain molecule is too large to fit through the cell wall of the root, it is left behind where it is free to “grab” another water molecule. This process is repeated over and over again, continually supplying your landscape with water up to 3 months.
Contact One Two Tree, Pest Free for information about our Water Management Program.
Dusty Montiel
Quality Control Manager
The Red Palm Mite has Landed
In a press release, the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner, Charles H. Bronson, said his department was closely monitoring the migration of the red palm mite. This mite, native to the Middle East Area, was detected in Martinique in 2004. This tiny pest has island hopped over the past years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this invasion represents the biggest mite explosion ever observed in the Americas. It has just been announced that it’s presence has been confirmed in Palm Beach, Florida.
The red palm mite causes serious leaf damage. This damage ruins the commercial value of palms, significantly detracts from the appearance of landscape palms, may reduce coconut production by as much as 50 percent as well as infest and damage other plants.
Identification – these mites are small and flat, red in color and are usually found feeding on the underside of leaves. They are slow moving and do not produce silk. They can complete their life cycle in less than 30 days.
Symptoms – on coconut palms, small yellow spots appear on leaflets which in time develop into larger chlorotic spots. Fronds will turn from a dark green to light green, then yellow and finally copper-brown. Symptoms can be confused with nutritional deficiencies, lethal yellowing or other unrelated diseases. In ornamental plants, the bottom leaves begin to yellow and then turn brown.
Dispersal – Transportation of infected plants of plant material appear to be the major mode. Under natural conditions strong winds may distribute this mite over large areas.
Hosts – 32 palm species have been recorded to be infected, plus banana, ginger, screw pine and heliconia species.
Control – Chemical control is difficult and expensive when palm trees are tall. Common miticides will have to be tested for their effectiveness. Natural predators and biological controls will have to be evaluated, but are expected to be slow to develop.
We will continue to monitor all information available and continue to post updates. |
