License # 819914

Warrecker Brothers Vista Tree Service, Inc.                           Santa Barbara, CA    Ph: (805) 964-1653

Newsletter          Summer 2010

Contents:

Birds, Bees and Small Critters

Planting Fruit and Nut Trees

Fire Safety

Birds, Bees and Small Critters

Bird Nests and Bee Hives can create situations in tree pruning and removals where extra thought and care must be exercised. Bird nesting season generally runs from early spring to late summer. If you have nesting birds in a tree that you would like to remove, I will probably recommend waiting until the birds have fledged the nest unless the tree poses a danger.

Previously, the only option available to deal with Bee Hives was to hire a 'pest control company'. That all changed one day this summer when I met local Bee Man Paul Cronshaw. Paul specializes in Honeybee swarm capture and removal and he was nice enough to offer his services the next time I had a bee hive problem. Sure enough, a few weeks later we were pruning a tree with a large hive that needed to be removed. I called Paul and he met me right away. Without the use of bee suits or poison, I watched in awe as Paul removed the hive and set up a box for all the bees to relocate - and neither he nor I were stung once! He put the queen bee inside and said by the next day all the workers would follow.

This is truly an instance where a little extra time and thought can provide a much better outcome. If you have a bee hive problem, please call me and I will be happy to forward Paul's contact information to you. You might even get a free jar of excellent honey out of the deal (like I did)!

Trees for Food

Santa Barbaran's have always had a great appreciation for trees and beautiful landscaping, as is evidenced by driving around town. However, I have noticed that many of my clients and neighbors are also showing an increased interest in using their land to grow food. These homeowners are pleased to discover that you can have a yard that serves many functions - food production, composting, leisure and play space - all without sacrificing beauty.

After becoming involved with the Mesa Neighborhood project, where we planted a number of fruit trees as part of a beautification effort, my wife and I decided it was time to start a garden and plant some fruit trees on our own property. We soon added a compost area, herb garden, vegetables, and fruit trees. The process has been very enjoyable for us as a family and I would highly recommend it to others who want to live more sustainably and save money!

If you are interested in planting some new fruit trees on your property, here is some information to help you choose the right trees:

Choose local varieties

Local varieties will produce the best with the least amount of effort. According to Doug Zylstra of West Covina Nursery , there is a wide variety of fruit trees that do well in our area including oranges, lemons , tangerines, limes, peaches , apricots, plums, apples, figs, and pomegranate. Trees that do not do so well in our coastal area include pears, cherries, and most grapefruits.

Match the tree to your soil

Plums, for example, do well in damp soil conditions which might not be good for apples. Pears and apples can handle drier soil, but need good drainage. Peaches can get blight from too much rain, so they will do better in semi-protected areas, like alongside buildings under eaves which offer some protection. If you have a planting location in mind, consult with your favorite nursery or garden center.

Provide pollinators

Not all fruit tree varieties are self-pollinating. Often, the right combination of varieties are necessary for fruit trees to produce fruit. Most apples are partially self-pollinating and will set some fruit off their own pollen, however these varieties will set more fruit if cross-pollinated with another variety. Ask at your favorite nursery about the pollinating requirements for trees you are considering.

Extend the harvest

If planting a few trees, choose varieties which will give you fruit for a longer time. With apples, for example, you can plant one early variety like Gravenstein for summer eating, a late summer variety like King for fall eating, and a winter keeper which can be stored all winter. Stored properly, the fruit from winter keepers will last to the following March or April. With three trees of different harvest times, you'll enjoy your own organic fruit for 8 months of the year.

Fire Safety

Much of Santa Barbara is considered to be at high risk for fire hazards. Luckily, we've almost made it through the summer without a major fire, but we know that the question is not one of 'if' but 'when'.

Below you will find some information to help you reduce the risk of fire damage on your property. This is not a comprehensive list, so you should consult the websites at the bottom of this article if you would like more information.

Many preventative measures can be taken at no charge and simply require you to use the resources within our community and possibly commit to some yardwork. However, if you have a large property or it is very overgrown, you will probably want to get an estimate for fire clearance. During a fire clearance job, dead and highly flammible plants/trees are cut, chipped, and removed from your property. Specifically tree branches that hang over roof lines and flammible vegetation that comes too close to a structure will be removed. If you need an estimate for fire clearance, please call me (Tony) at 964-1653.

If you live within the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District, you can receive the following at NO CHARGE:

• Vegetation Road Clearance
  

• Defensible Space Chipping Services
  

• Vegetation Management
  

• Defensible Space and Fire Prevention Inspections
  

If you live outside the Assessment District, you can take the following steps to reduce the risk of fire damage:

1) Determine Defensible Space.

Defensible space is of critical importance should a fire occur near your home. The amount of defensible space you need depends on the terrain and vegetation that surrounds your home. The Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. website states that a "defensible space of 100 feet is required by law". Examine this Defensible Space diagram to determine the amount of space that is appropriate for your home.

2) Remove Dead Vegetation.

Remove all dead trees, plants, grasses, weeds and shrubs from your defensible space area.

3) Thin out your trees and dense plant cover.

If you have a dense layer of vegetation around your home, it is advisable to lighten the canopies on your trees and create some separation between your plants.

4) Remove ladder fuel.

Ladder fuel is defined as plants that create a 'ladder' to higher plants/trees, allowing the fire to spread vertically. Try to maintain a vertical space of three times the height of the lower 'ladder' fuel plant to reduce the risk of fire spreading vertically.

5) Maintain 30 feet of "lean, clean and green" landscaping around your home.

• Keep flammable vegetation to a minimum
  

• No debris or flammable piles of yardwaste
  

• Keep plants healthy and green
  

6) Keep your driveway clear for emergency vehicles.

Remember, fire maintenance should be performed annually and evaluated seasonally. For more information visit the City of SB Fire Dept. or The SB County Fire Dept. website.

FAMILY TREE

2010 is another busy year for the Warreckers! Here are the highlights so far:

Rea and Tony are in their second year as 'business partners'. In January of 2009, Wes Warrecker left the tree business and Tony's wife Rea joined the corporation. "Owning a business has really brought us together and we have discovered that we work very well together (luckily!).

Teddy Warrecker (Tony's brother) is the new Assistant Baseball Coach at Cal Poly! After 10 years coaching the Vaqueros at SBCC, Teddy was offered this wonderful opportunity and we couldn't be happier for him.

We went Veg as a family. For those of you who've had an estimate from Tony recently, you probably know about his new diet because he's so excited about it! We're feeling great and enjoying lots of new food and recipes.

CLICK above to see pictures of our family!

Highly Flammable Plants

If you live in an extremely high fire danger area or you are especially concerned about fire danger, you may wish to consider removing these highly flammable plants/trees from your property:

• Acacia
  

• Bamboo
  

• California Sagebrush
  

• Cedar
  

• Chamise
  

• California Buckwheat
  

• Cypress
  

• Eucalyptus
  

• Fir
  

• Fountain Grass
  

• Ironwood
  

• Juniper
  

• Pampas Grass
  

• Pine
  

• Redshank
  

A nest of baby squirrels that was discovered during a tree pruning job. All squirrels were unharmed and remained safely in their nest!

If you discover a baby bird or mammal in distress, call the Wildlife Care Network Rescue Hotline at 681-1080.

Tips for growing productive fruit trees

Thin the fruit

If the fruit is small, it may be due to an overabundance of fruit. By thinning the fruit, you will allow the tree to expend more energy producing large fruit.

Rake the leaves

Fruit tree leaves should not be used for mulch or ground cover due to the potential of spores developing on the leaves.

Prune during dormant season

All major pruning should be done in late winter or early spring. Fruit trees usually require some pruning to maintain shape and balance.

Defensible Space Diagram

(click to enlarge)