Home and Garden Spring 2015

Home and Garden 2015 SPRING

INSIDE

Cleaning Gutters

Fighting Oak Wilt

Summer Storm Safety

Hardscaping Made Easy

Picking Paint Colors

Electronic Pet Fencing

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Care for your battered gutters

S

ummer is the perfect season to keep up with gutter care. Rain can absolutely batter your gutters during the spring, while the fall and winter bring falling leaves, ice and snow into the mix.

Protective homeowners use the summer season to give their ­gutters some TLC before and after the elements come into play. Doing so can help identify leaks, cracks or blocked downspouts that can lead to costly repairs once the weather turns.

So between vacations or trips to the beach, be sure to spend a Saturday afternoon checking in on one of the most important ­structural aspects to your home: The gutter system.

Cleaning Safety

A simple cleaning can go a long way to extending the life of your gutters. If you choose to undertake this project yourself, keep in mind some safety tips: • Make sure you have a sturdy standalone ladder – one that you don’t have to lean against the home or gutter system.

• Always take your time heading up and

down a ladder, and make sure to let a family member know that you will be doing ­ladder work.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help in studying the ladder as you use it.

• Also, remember a durable pair of gloves and protective eyewear. The last thing you want to happen is to poke one of your eyes with a twig or small branch.

Check Your Work

Once you clean out all of the leaves, sticks and other obstructions, check for leaks.

Rinse the gutter downspout with a garden hose to remove all leftover items and check for smooth water flow. Crank the hose up a bit, allowing you to really test your gutters for leaks or blockages.

Obstructed downspouts can lead to water and, eventually, ice buildup once the weather turns colder. This can contribute to shingle damage and even interior leaks – both potentially costly issues that can be mitigated with some simple gutter care.

Be prepared for summer storms

A

s the temperature heats up, most people will identify tornadoes and hurricanes as the most dangerous aspects of the summer storm ­season. But what about the potential threat of fire that can occur both during and after a summer storm?

The U.S. Fire Administration encourages Americans to recognize the danger that exists by not preparing to protect themselves from such an incident. Preparedness, the organization says, is key to ensuring optimum safety.

Here are a few tips from the group regarding various aspects of fire safety:

Electrical Safety

• Safely turn off the power to your home if it has sustained flood or water damage.

• Avoid touching any wires on the ground or floor – treat them all as live.

• Report downed or damaged power lines to the utility company or emergency services.

• Have a licensed electrician check your home for damage.

Gas Safety

• Smell and listen for leaky gas connections.

• If there are signs of a gas leak, immediately leave your home and leave the door open.

• Never strike a match, as any size flame can cause a deadly explosion.

Other Tips

• Never use a candle for emergency lighting.

• Keep your smoke alarms furnished with charged batteries.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, as well as inside and outside of sleeping areas.

• Keep any nearby fire hydrants clear of debris for easy access by the fire department.

• Lightning associated with thunderstorms can electrocute on contact, split trees and cause fires.

. april | 2015 u page 4

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Beware of Oak Wilt O

ak Wilt is a devastating tree disease in central Texas. Without intervention, the mortality rate is 100% for

trees in the Red Oak family (Texas Red Oak, Shumard Oak, Blackjack and Spanish Oak) and 85% for Live Oaks.

Oak Wilt is caused by a fungus and is spread in two ways: via sap feeding beetles carrying spores on their bodies and through the interconnected roots among the trees.

Overland transmission begins with an infected Red Oak. When the tree dies, Oak Wilt spore mats may form under the bark.

The spore mat emits odors that attract sap feeding beetles. When they come into contact with the mat, spores stick to the insect.

These beetles then travel to other trees and deposit the spores on fresh wounds possibly infecting the tree. Experiments show these insects can travel a mile or more and can be on open wounds in minutes.

Large areas of Live Oak death are caused by root transmission of Oak Wilt. The fungus can readily travel through the interconnected root system of a Live Oak forest. Live Oaks have far ranging roots systems and are most likely connected via their roots to adjacent trees. Depending on rainfall and the number of trees in a certain area, Oak Wilt can spread through the roots at a rate of approximately 75 feet per year. Thankfully, spore mats do not form on Live Oaks.

Cutting down or bulldozing Live Oaks does not eliminate root transmission of the disease. The only way to prevent root transmission is to completely sever the root system between diseased and healthy areas.

Human activity continues to enhance the overland spread of Oak Wilt. This occurs by promoting infection by beetles through wounding of Oaks during pruning and land clearing operations.

Even though we cannot completely stop new Oak Wilt infections, we can greatly reduce our risk by following a few simple rules.

Immediately use pruning sealer to cover all fresh wounds that occur on any Oak at any time of the year. This applies to all cuts regardless of limb size, outside temperature or whether the limb is dead or alive. Cut down and destroy Red Oaks suspected to have died from Oak Wilt to eliminate spore mats that start the overland transmission. Removal of Live Oaks that die from Oak Wilt is not necessary as spore mats do not form on them.

Be knowledgeable about firewood. There may be Red Oak wood in that pile that harbor spore mats. Cover firewood with clear plastic for one year before using it, causing spore mats in the wood to dry out and die.

If Oak Wilt is already present on a property, there are two proven methods that can

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Oak Wilt safety rules • Immediately cover all fresh wounds with pruning sealer • Cut down and destroy Red Oaks suspected to have died from Oak Wilt • Cover firewood with clear plastic for one year before using it, causing spore mats in the wood to dry out and die. be employed to fight the disease. The first method involves the protection of individual trees with fungicide injections. The second method utilizes a root severing trench to separate healthy trees from sick trees.

Macro Flare Root Injection is the preferred method used to introduce fungicide into a tree. The most commonly used fungicide is ALAMO®. While injections can be made on either healthy or sick trees, results are better when the chemical is used

on a healthy tree as a preventative measure.

Treatments must be repeated every 15-24 months until the disease has progressed past an area (usually 2 to 3 treatments). Fungicide treatments only help the tree it is injected into and do not stop the progression of the disease through the root system.

Trenching is the method used to combat the root transmission of Oak Wilt. Guidelines developed by the Texas Forest Service over the last 30 years indicate a trench be

installed at least 100 feet from the nearest diseased tree at a depth greater than 48 inches. In order for the trench to be effective, all of the roots must be severed. This means that depths greater than 48 inches must be dug in certain areas. The best results occur if a trench can be installed completely around an Oak Wilt disease center. If that is not possible, other configurations such as a blocking trench or a encirclement of a group of healthy trees may be the best approach.

The science behind Oak Wilt protocols is well established. However, Oak Wilt is a difficult problem and neither trenching nor fungicide injections are 100% effective. The long-term remediation of Oak Wilt requires vigilance and quick response on an ongoing basis.

Courtesy of the Oak Wilt Specialists of Texas www.StopOakWilt.com

MOST TOLERANT TO OAK WILT

Bur Oak

WHITE OAKS

White oaks include post oak (Q. stellata), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Mexican white oak (Q. polymorpha), white shin oak (Q. sinuata var. breviloba), Durand oak (Q. sinuata), Lacey oak (Q. laceyi), and chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii). Although white oaks show some tolerance of the disease, all oaks are susceptible to the fungus.

LEAST TOLERANT TO OAK WILT

Live Oak

Shumard Oak

RED OAKS

Red oaks, particularly Texas (a.k.a. Spanish) oak (Q. buckleyi), Shumard oak (Q. shumardii), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), and water oak (Q. nigra) are extremely susceptible and may play a unique role in the establishment of new oak wilt infections.

LIVE OAKS

Live oaks (Q. virginiana and Q. fusiformis) are intermediate in susceptibility to oak wilt, but are most seriously affected due to their tendency to grow from root sprouts and form vast interconnected root systems that allow movement (or spread) of the fungus between adjacent trees.

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Hardscaping can be easy

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ardscaping doesn’t have to be hard at all. In fact, with a little creativity and sweat equity, hardscaping can be an enjoyable experience that adds serious style points to your home’s outdoor areas.

So what is hardscaping? It involves all of the design elements on your property that aren’t plants, grass or flowers. This sector of your landscaping strategy includes retaining walls, fire pits, decks, fences, paved walkways and sculptures.

Many hardscaping-specific specialty stores and contractors have popped up in recent years, as the practice has become big business.

And because so many projects involve factors that can effect yard slope, water drainage and electrical add-ons, it may be your best bet to hire an accredited professional to help safely and compliantly achieve your outdoor vision.

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Do It Yourself

If you’re feeling handy and confident in handling certain projects, you can certainly save some money in your budget by doing the work yourself. If you do decide to go the DIY route, there are some things to remember as you prepare.

Research is key. Watch tutorials, talk with trained professionals, ask your hardware specialist – feeling comfortable scouting out a project will help you cover your bases before you jump in.

Also, check with your municipality to see if you need a permit and to ensure that you’re complying with local bylaws.

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Cater to the Space

Do you live in a country setting with ample space for outdoor additions? Or is your living situation more suburban with a limited yard? Either option can be greatly enhanced with strategically added touches.

Outdoor kitchens, family rooms, barbecue areas, fire pits and greenhouses can all be awe-inspiring additions, if space allows.

Smaller quarters may require only a stone walkway or outdoor sitting area to spruce things up.

Analyze your space to make an educated decision on your hardscaping plans.

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Planning is Key

When adding outdoor elements, it isn’t necessary to build everything at once or incorporate all items at the same time.

As long as you have a plan for how the entire space will eventually be laid out, you can save yourself some time – and money – by waiting for great deals on certain items before purchasing them for your hardscaping purposes.

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Spruce up your home’s exterior

W

orn-down wood? Chipped siding?

Rain-damaged panels? It may be time to invest in a little exterior painting to liven up your home’s exterior.

Slapping on some new, bright color to the outside of your house can add immediate curb appeal and value, as well as protection from the rain, snow and other elements.

The project can be expensive if you choose to hire professionals, while it can be tedious, time-consuming and logistically difficult for the average homeowner to take on.

Prep the Project

If home’s exterior has damage, such as rotting wood or deteriorated window trim, you should consider replacing it before the painting process begins. You may as well spend a little extra time and money completing prepping your home for its new paint job to get full value out of the improvement.

Also, if you’re changing from siding to paint, you will have to either remove it yourself or be prepared to pay extra to have it taken care of professionally.

Choose the Right Color

Your best bet in choosing color is picking one similar to your present exterior color. This will ensure the least amount of coats, therein saving you time and money in the process.

If you’re thinking about pulling a complete 180, be sure to consider your existing landscaping, foundation color and even neighborhood color scheme before settling on a final color.

If you plan on re-selling your home in the coming years, an earth-toned color may be your best bet in keeping things neutral for when your home hits the market.

Spray or Hand-Painted?

The technique you decide to use can play a major factor in the final product looking good.

Most paint companies you will find prefer to spray, which saves them time and money.

Check with prospective contractors to see how much they will charge for hand-painting.

They may ask for more based on the added amount of time it would take to complete the project, but the final result may be worth it.

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Electronic pet fencing

Keep your furry friends safe in any situation

T

raffic, wild animals and stray dogs.

There are countless distractions in your surrounding area that could cause your dog to run off of your property.

This can lead to potentially negative situations, including injuries, unhappy neighbors or even fatal car-dog collisions.

An electronic fence might be the answer to keeping your dog safe and sound in its own yard. Depending on how much space you have and how you decide to set up your boundaries, you could still allow your pet plenty of room to roam and explore.

What is Electronic Pet Fencing?

An electronic fence typically consists of boundary wire, a transmitter and a receiver.

The receiver is attached to your pet’s collar while the boundary wire is buried around the perimeter of your property.

The transmitter sends a radio signal along the wire, which is picked up by your pet’s collar and emits a warning sound when the boundary is approached.

Multiple pets can usually be placed on the same system, but each pet needs its own programmed collar to work.

april | 2015 u page 10

Train Your Pet

Many fencing companies offer tips for training – which can take two to three weeks to complete – as part of their installation package.

Depending on the system you settle on, the correction your pet will feel when he gets too close to the ­boundary is generally comparable to a carpet-caused household shock.

There are different variances, so be sure to talk over your options with your pet fencing professionals to make sure are comfortable with the system and its warnings.

System Maintenance

In order for the system to run properly, you will need to check it regularly.

Inspect the boundary wire to make sure it is still intact and has a working power supply. Also, test the battery in your dog’s collar to make sure it is functioning properly.

Many fencing models include ­warning lights or sounds to let you know if a battery is running low in any of the parts.

Again, consult your electronic pet fencing expert on any system-related questions.

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