LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine Jul Aug 2014 Issue

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Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’i P. O. Box 22938 Honolulu HI 96823-2938 PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 1023 JULY | AUGUST 2014 THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY $5.00 BANYANS UNDER ATTACK LICT PROGRAM REIGNITES ON MAUI FOOD OF THE GODS LOBATE LAC SCALE SPREADING 12 YEARS SINCE MAUI’S LAST LICT TEST THE MOST POPULAR FRUIT YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF

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LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine - July/August 2014 Issue Conference Issue Feature stories: LICT Program Reignites on Maui, Banyans under Attack, Food of the Gods, Australian Tree Fern, Corpse Flower, Drywell and Water Plants. The mission of the LICH Landscape Hawaii magazine is to support LICH’s mission to build industry unity by promoting high standards and professionalism through education, training, and certification and by providing a forum for the sharing of information and celebrating the success of its members. www.hawaiiscape.com www.facebook.com/hawaiiscape www.twitter.com/hawaiiscape

Transcript of LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Page 1: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’iP. O. Box 22938 Honolulu HI 96823-2938

Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’iP. O. Box 22938 Honolulu HI 96823-2938

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDHONOLULU, HI

PERMIT NO. 1023JULY | AUGUST 2014

T h e V o i c e o f h A W A i i ’ S G R e e N i N D U S T R Y $5.00

Banyans under attack

LIct PrOGraM reIGnItes On MauI

FOOd OF the GOds

Lobate Lac ScaLe Spreading

12 yearS Since Maui’S LaSt Lict teSt

the MoSt popuLar fruit you have never heard of

Page 2: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF HAWAIIRenew your membership online at www.hawaiiscape.com

Privacy Disclaimer – LICH reserves all rights to contact all magazine subscribers via mail or electronic with option to opt out of communications. LICH reserves all rights to print contact information for an industry directory. LICH will not sell or provide contact information to any third party unless legally mandated.

Individual Membership: $40 per year | Corporate Membership: $250 per year unlimited employees

Company: Individual member names: Circle Renew or New Address: 1. R N City: State: Zip: 2. R N Phone: Fax: 3. R N E-Mail: 4. R N Web Site: Add more on additional sheet if necessary

Make check payable to LICH You may also pay by credit card, (Master or VISA only)

Name on card: Amount to charge $: Card number: Card Code: Expiration date:

Mail to: LICH Membership, P.O. Box 22938, Honolulu, HI 96823-2938

Renew your membership online at www.hawaiiscape.com

2014 Membership New / Renewal ApplicationValid through December 2014M

▪ Arborist/Tree Worker▪ Botanist/Conservation ▪ Facility/Site Manager▪ Landscaper

▪ Owner▪ Landscape Architect/Designer▪ Manufacturer▪ Pesticide Applicator

▪ Researcher/Student▪ Retailer/Wholesaler

Other: _______________________________

▪ Botanical Garden▪ Conservation Agency▪ Golf Course▪ Government Agency

▪ Landscape Design Firm▪ Landscape Construction ▪ Landscape Maintenance ▪ Plant Nursery

▪ Retailer▪ School/University▪ Wholesaler▪ Tree Trimming

▪ LICH ▪ AAA▪ ASLA▪ BIAN

▪ GCSAA▪ HAN▪ HFBF▪ HFNA

▪ HILA▪ HLICA▪ ISA▪ KLIC

▪ MALP▪ ONGA▪ USGBC

Others: ________________Others: ________________Others: ________________Others: ________________

5 How many full-time and part-time employees in your company?

▪ 1 to 10 ▪ 11 to 25 ▪ 26 to 50 ▪ 50 to 100 ▪ 101+

4 Company’s Specialization: *Required Field _________________________________________________________________________

3 Associations: *Required Field (Select all that apply):

2 My Company or Department is: *Required Field (Select all that apply):

1 I Am A: *Required Field (Select all that apply):

Page 3: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

DEPARTMENTS

4 PRESIDENT COLUMN

12 CERTIFICATION CORNER

18 WATER PLANTS

22 TURFgRASS

30 TOOL TIPS

FEATURES

2 MEMBERSHIP

5 LICH NEWS

6 MAUNA KEA

9 AUSTRALIAN TREE FERN

10 DRYWELL

14 gREEN(INg) OUR CITY

20 CORPSE FLOWER

21 IDEA HOUSE

COVER STORIES

13 LICT PROgRAM REIgNITES ON MAUI

24 BANYANS UNDER ATTACK

26 FOOD OF THE gODS

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Formed in June 1986, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’i is a state wide alliance representing Hawaii’s landscape associations: Aloha Arborist Association, American Society of Landscape Architects Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Association of Nurserymen, Hawaii Island Landscape Association, Hawaii Landscape and Irrigation Contractors, Hawaii Society of Urban Forestry Professionals, Kauai Landscape Industry Council, Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Professional Grounds Management Society, Big Island Association of Nurserymen, and the Hawaii Professional Gardeners Association.

Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’iP. O. Box 22938, Honolulu HI 96823-2938

EditorChristopher A. [email protected]

Advertising SalesMichael [email protected]

MembershipCheryl M. [email protected]

DesignerDarrell Ishida

Cover PhotoPhoto by Garrett Webb

2 0 1 4 b o a r d o f d i r e c t o r S

Chris Dacus Brandon AuPresident Vice President

Matt Lyum Rick QuinnTreasurer Secretary

Norman Allen Clifford MigitaOrville Baldos Dorothy MulkernChuck Chimera Karen OstborgCarl Evensen Edmundo ReyesRandy Liu Mark SuisoChristy Martin Josh SandChris McCullough

Director emeritusJay Deputy Steve NimzLelan Nishek Boyd ReadyGarrett Webb

Proudly self published by

Hawaiiscape.com 3

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4 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

AlohA MeMbers And Friends,It’s time to grow…

The Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii has come a long way in the past 14 years and we continue to provide leadership and services to promote our industry and our communities.

In order to continue to deliver the state’s foremost landscape professional training, research, policymaking, certification and networking, it is occasionally necessary to increase our membership fees.

The LICH Board of Directors gave thoughtful consideration to the issue of increas-ing membership dues and effective June 30, 2015, LICH membership dues increase to $40 for individuals and $250 flat rate for corporate membership that includes all company staff. Keep in mind that we have not asked our members for a dues increase for more than a decade. It’s time to grow.

LICH will continue to deliver these valued member benefits:

Provide a communications network through the self published Landscape Hawaii magazine.

� Maintain liaison with PLANET and conduct LICT test administration. � Develop industry leading national standards and guidelines including

invasive species, irrigation water conservation, construction specifications, and plant spacing guidelines.

� Technological platforms including online resources at www.hawaiiscape.com and breaking news at www.facebook.com/hawaiiscape.

� Policymaking and industry representation at the state capitol. � Annual statewide landscape conference & tradeshow � 10% discount on LICH event fees � Provide event insurance to registered landscape organizations � LICH Ohia logo window decal

Let’s continue to grow by being part of something larger than ourselves, support your community, use the membership form in this issue or hop online and complete your membership or your corporate membership at www.hawaiiscape.com/join-lich/.

It’s time to grow :)

Chris Dacus LICH President

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014Theme: Resort Landscaping/LICH ConferenceStory Deadline: August 1

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014Theme: Equipment & VehiclesStory Deadline: October 3

Upcoming ISSUES:

Tell a great story! Email the editor at [email protected].

W h A T S h A p p E N i N G

NEWSlich

by dr. carL evenSen

I grew up with a horticulturist/nurs-eryman grandfather and a botanist mother and have enjoyed plants and gardens my whole life. After studying botany in college and serving as a hor-ticultural volunteer in the Peace Corps in Kenya, I decided to spend my career working in agriculture.

I joined CTAHR in 1993 as an Ex-tension Specialist in Environmental Quality. In addition to working with Hawaii’s farmers on environmental protection, I have also taught children and communities about managing soils, plants and water.

As a member of the LICH Board and with my recent appointment as Director of Lyon Arboretum I feel that I have returned to my “roots” in botany and my appreciation of planted landscapes.

InspireWhat inspired me to become a Landscape professionaL?

Mahalo to lanDscaPe InDustry councIl of haWaII sPonsors

Platinum SPonSorS WebSite SPonSorS

Page 5: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

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Susan OwenManager

Contact

(808) 239-1280 Office

(808) 239-2151 Fax

[email protected]

48-373 G Kamehameha HwyKaneohe, Hawaii 96744

July 16Netafim Drip Irrgation IntroductionKauai Nursery & Landscaping, Kauai

July 17Chainsaw Safety TrainingKauai Community College, Kauai

July 18Basic Tree FellingKauai Community College, Kauai

July 19Mangos at The MoanaMoana Surfrider Hotel, Oahu

July 23-25MidPac Horticultural Conference & ExpoWaikoloa, Big Island

July 26Waterlily WorkshopMulkern Nursery, Oahu

July 27Kona Daifukuji Orchid ShowKailua-Kona, Big Island

July 29LICT Written test: Turf, Oahu

July 30LICT Written test: Ornamental, Oahu

July 31LICT Written test: Irrigation, Oahu

August 9LICT Field Test Waimanalo Research Station, Oahu

August 18-19Pesticide Risk Reduction EducationHonokaa, Big Island

September 12-19Hawaii International Tropical Fruit ConferenceStatewide

October 92014 LICH Conference & TradeshowNeal Blaisdell, Oahu

October 9-10The Hawaiian Botanical ForumKoolau Golf Club, Oahu

LocaL Landscape architect, tom Witten honored as asLa FeLLoW

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 4

The American Society of Landscape Architects has elevated 32 members to the ASLA Council of Fellows for 2014. Fel-lowship is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and recog-nizes the contributions of these individu-als to their profession and society at large based on their works, leadership and management, knowledge, and service. The 2014 class of new Fellows will be rec-ognized at the 2014 ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO, November 21-24 in Denver.

Thomas Witten of PBR HAWAII & Associates received his nomination in Leadership/Management from the

Hawaii Chapter. He leads a preeminent design firm skillfully and has advanced the profession through his fervent ef-

forts to establish a professional degree program at the University of Hawai’i. He works in an island ecosystem where the people have long valued the land and its resources. And he has built a reputation as the very best in planning communities and landscapes that address cultural and environmental sensitivities effectively while delivering complex, high quality projects to developers, landowners, and state and county agencies. He has suc-cessfully raised the position and role of landscape architecture for projects of all sizes with his extensive knowledge and professionalism. His BLA is from Univer-sity of California, Berkeley.

The designation of Fellow is conferred on Tom in recognition of exceptional accom-plishments over a sustained period of time.

Congratulations Tom Witten, FASLA!!

ASLA elevates 32 landscape architects to the Council of Fellows

Thomas Witten

Calendar of events

Page 6: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

6 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

by chriStopher MccuLLough

Mauna Kea is con-sidered one of the most sacred mountains in the Pacific. Dominat-ing the Hawai‘i

Island landscape at over 33,000 feet high when measured from the sea floor to the summit, it is the tallest mountain in the world. Mauna Kea is also a place of spiri-tual contemplation and healing. National Geographic recently named it as one of the Holiest Places on Earth

The summit of Mauna Kea represents many things to the indigenous people of Hawai‘i. The ancient name of this moun-tain is Mauna a Wakea (Mountain of Sky Father). The upper regions of Mauna Kea reside in Wao Akua, the realm of the Akua-Creator. It is home of Na Akua (the Divine Deities), Na ‘Aumakua (the Divine Ancestors), and the meeting place of Papa (Earth Mother) and Wākea (Sky Father)

who are considered the progenitors of the Hawaiian people. Mauna Kea in every respect represents the zenith of the Na-tive Hawaiian people’s ancestral ties to Creation itself.

In the Hawaiian cultural understanding and cosmology, Mauna Kea is a temple of the highest order. This temple differs from other temples because it was not created by man. Akua built it for man, to bring the heavens to man. Therefore, the laws of man do not dictate its sanctity, the laws of the Creator do. It is here where the heavens open so that man can be received, blessed, freed and transformed. For Native Hawaiians, Mauna Kea is also a temple connected to Aloha and peace. A place where Hawaiians of the past and present engage in ceremonies and cul-tural practices. In addition, it is the burial ground of the most revered of Hawaiian ancestors. It was also a place that Hawai-ians relied on its former extensive forests for food and quarried the dense volcano-glacial basalts to produce the precious

adz stones for wa‘a (canoe) production, statue carvings, and house construction. Also located on Mauna Kea is Lake Waiau, considered one of the most sacred bodies of fresh water in Hawai‘i. Early Hawaiians as well as those today, ascended to this sacred lake to deposit their children’s piko (umbilicus) there.

When Europeans arrived in the late 18th century, explorers and settlers in-troduced cattle, sheep and game animals, many of which became feral and began to damage the mountain’s ecology. Mauna Kea can be ecologically divided into three sections: an alpine climate at its summit, a māmane–naio forest on its flanks and a koa–‘ōhi‘a forest, now mostly cleared by the sugar / ranching industry at its base. In recent years, concern over the vulnerability of the native species has led to court cases that have forced the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to eradicate all feral species on the mountain.

The next violation of this sacred mauna

SacreddisregArd

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came at the hands of the astronomy industry. With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea’s summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation, and one of the most controversial. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, thir-teen telescopes funded by eleven coun-tries have been constructed at the summit comprising the world’s largest telescope facilities. The existing astronomy devel-opment and construction has drastically altered the once pristine natural environ-ment, sacred landscape, and tranquility at the summit. Replete with endangered species such as the wekiu bug and ongo-ing Native Hawaiian cultural practices, these impacts continue to be a topic of debate and protest.

A new project is being proposed atop Mauna Kea to construct the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). This enormous obser-vatory would be over 18 stories high with a dome over 216 feet in diameter (equal to 2/3 the length of a football field). If built, it

Photos: CHRISTOPHER McCULLOUGH

Page 8: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

would be the tallest building on the island and it would excavate over 8 acres of pristine natural landscape. The industrial footprint of this massive project would also be situated amongst the hundreds of Hawaiian cultural sites and shrines on the northern plateau. Although a permit was initially approved by the State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources in February 2011, this has not deterred concerned Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners and community members, opposed to what they see as further de-struction, desecration, and disturbance of a sacred as well as environmentally fragile place. Six petitioners, including Kealoha Pisciotta of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Paul K. Neves, Deborah J. Ward, E. Kalani Flores and Pua Case of the Flores-Case ‘Ohana, Clarence Kukauahi Ching and KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance brought attention to the issue by filing for a contested case hearing and legal appeals on behalf of the moun-tain. They have since been referred to in the community as the Mauna Kea Hui seeking protection from further develop-ment and desecration of Mauna Kea and strongly opposed to the massive new ob-servatory. At the moment, a legal appeal of the TMT permit is still ongoing in the State courts.

The Mauna Kea Hui has also written an open letter to Intel co-founder Gor-

don Moore, whose Palo Alto nonprofit Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is one of the key funders for the proposed 18-story TMT. Caltech, the University of California and the University of Hawai‘i also have a stake in the new complex, along with partners from China, Japan, India and Canada. According to the Mauna Kea Hui, the even larger European Extremely Large Telescope (39 meter) under construction in Chile, where the dry, unpopulated Atacama desert pro-vides equal or better viewing conditions and makes it less imperative to build on Mauna Kea that holds many shrines, burial grounds and other cultural sites still venerated by Hawaiians.

The unifying cry of the Flores-Case ‘Ohana is “Idle No More Hawai‘i, Warriors Rising” joining a movement that started in Canada and spread around the world in part to protect the land and the water. Pua Case’s profound message about this issue can be seen online at YouTube and Vimeo, Sacred Mountain – Mauna Kea.

Hawai‘i Island recording artist Hawane Rios, who is a member of the Flores-Case ‘Ohana, wrote the original composition, Poli’ahu i ke kapu, as a tribute to Poli‘ahu, snow goddess of Mauna Kea. Hawane states that her song speaks of the natural beauty of Mauna Kea and compares the snowfall, bright stars, soft clouds, cool mist, and mountain itself to this divine

goddess. This song is a representation of the unwavering connection to the natural world that must be rekindled in these changing times. Hawane advises that it is our responsibility to protect and care for this land as we do ourselves. Hawane released this piece in 2011 on iTunes and other online music stores to bring aware-ness about the further desecration of our sacred and beautiful Mauna a Wäkea that would occur with the proposed construc-tion of the TMT on its summit.

As a Hawai’i Island resident of more than twenty years, I have made many spiritual journeys to sacred Mauna Kea and know and have felt its mana. I too am opposed to any further development of this sacred place, and have always felt that the observatories were an unwelcome and unsightly presence on this sacred mauna. It feels to me that an astronomy center was built on the top of a place of wor-ship, defiling sacred ground. The time has come for all Hawai‘i to stand together and oppose high impact desecration of our precious ‘aina (land).

Christopher McCullough is the Hawaii Island Landscape Association President, a Board Member of LICH, Head Horticultur-ist for DFI Resources LLC, a member of Na Kalai Wa’a and a supporter of all things pono in Hawai‘i

8 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

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THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY Hawaiiscape.com 9

by aManda SKeLton

Although many industry professionals are aware of the Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) system, they may not be aware that the HPWRA

is a dynamic tool. The HPWRA predicts the likelihood a plant species will become invasive in Hawaii by using objective, mea-surable characteristics. The dynamic aspect is that as our collective knowledge base grows and we learn more about a plant species, the HPWRA score can change to reflect more current information. A good example of this is the Australian Tree Fern (ATF), Sphaeropteris cooperi.

During a site visit in Waimanalo last month, a nursery manager called out the HPWRA ranking for Australian Tree Fern (ATF) in comparison to a species they were marketing. In light of the discus-sion, Chuck Chimera, Hawaii’s Weed Risk Assessment Specialist, reviewed the ATF ranking to see if it accurately reflected the state-wide impact of the non-native fern.

“Higher WRA scores don’t always mean that a plant is going to have more negative impacts, or be more invasive; the score sometimes reflects that more questions were answered due to the avail-ability of information,” Chimera explains.

“As we learn more about a plant’s charac-teristics, we can more accurately assess the species. Over the last decade, we have learned more about the Australian tree fern’s invasive qualities and negative impacts, so the score has increased from 8 to 16,” he added.

The ATF produces thousands of spores that are dispersed by wind or water. Ac-cording to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council website, spores can travel more than 7 miles from the parent plant; on Maui, ATF spread from Hana nurser-ies into Kipahulu Valley. Additionally, it

tolerates shade and diverse environments and grows and reproduces rapidly. These traits, among others, have caused the ATF to spread from landscaped areas into otherwise pristine native forests.

It is a targeted weed among multiple conservation organizations state-wide. LICH advocated for the industry to stop using ATF, and nurseries all over Hawaii have ceased propagation and sales, de-spite popularity as an ornamental plant. Alternative species to ATF include native hapu‘u ferns (Cibotium sp. and Glaucum sp.) and native loulu palms (Pritchardia sp).

The HPWRA is a tool that enables industry professionals to make educated choices about a plant’s potential to harm the environment, agriculture, or health. No one wants to be responsible for intro-ducing a harmful weed or pest. Dialogue and feedback between the nursery indus-try and invasive species groups is critical, and the HPWRA aims to offer the most accurate and objective data to enable sound decision-making. More informa-tion about the HPWRA and assessments are posted on the Plant Pono website (www.plantpono.org/hpwra.php) or by emailing [email protected].

Amanda Skelton is the Plant Pono and Weed Risk Assessment Liaison

AUSTRALIAN

UpdAtetree Fern

“As we learn more about

a plant’s characteristics, we can more

accurately assess the species”

Page 10: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

10 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

Drywells can help with rain run-off to prevent lawns from puddling and getting soggy.

by richard Quinn

It’s such a simple and old idea that it can be easily forgotten. Almost any home with a rain gutter can incorporate a small drywell to help mitigate storm water run-off in urban areas. Landscape design-

ers should look for opportunities to use them more often in the typical residential or small commercial projects, as in their own small way a dry well can do a lot to help our environment and reduce storm water pollution. It is also great for the low spots in lawns that seem to always remain soggy after a rain or from irrigation. Small dry wells in urban landscapes are a simple and practical way to incorporate a Low Impact Development (LID) tool that can work with nature to help manage storm-water as close to its source as possible.

Benefits of drywells can include: ■ Reduces puddling and keep lawns

from getting soggy ■ Helps re-charge ground water ■ Reduces pollutants to streams

and oceans ■ Provides deep water to plants

and trees ■ Reduces the potential for soil

erosion

In terms of helping the environment, a drywell could be considered as a simple “first flush” device to help remove pol-

lutants (such as oils, fertilizers, and other chemicals) from paving, lawns, and roof run-off that would otherwise go into our

A Micro Scale Storm Water Management Tool

drYWells

Page 11: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

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streams and ocean. A drywell can also help to recharge our aquifers and provide sustained moisture to trees and plants in our garden that better mimicks natural processes. Diverting roof runoff can make for a less slippery and soggy lawn in low spots or areas without adequate slope to drain well. Drywells can reduce the need for irrigation for trees by creating a deep watering system that saturates the sub-soil resulting in a persistent moisture source for plants.

The management of storm water is typically the realm of the civil engineer, as well it should be, as calculating and managing large volumns of water can be a very real public safety issue. But often times, on a micro scale in residential or small commercial settings, the use of small landscaped storm water solutions can be an opportunity to enhance the sustainability of a landscape and can complement the larger scale engineered solutions. Small efforts can add up and make a big difference over the long run.

Locations for drywells can vary, but in general they should be located at least 10ft away from building foundations. Roof top gutters can be extended into drywells, rather than day-lighting at the base of buildings. Gravel borders along building foundations can have perforated pipe that leads to drywells. Or a low spot in a lawn or groundcover area can be a good location for a drywell. Use a dry-well to capture water from impermeable surfaces. Impermeable surfaces are not just paving and roof tops, but can also be dense lawn or compacted soils that have limited permeability. Consider incorpo-rating a bio-swale or rain garden in with a drywell to further enhance storm water management.

The design of drywells can be simple and affordable. They are basically gravel filled holes, wrapped in fabric, with a con-nection to drain lines or surface drains. They can be buried under soil with grass or groundcovers on top so that they are completely invisible.

A river stone swale or groundcover is a form of surface drywell and can be connected to a sub-surface drywell for greater capacity. If you have gravel strips adjacent to house foundations, be sure to connect them to drywells or to daylight to lower areas in the landscape, to insure that the gravel strips don’t become moats for water saturation rather than water elimination.

If you expect a lot of debris that would clog a simple gravel drywell or a slow

percolation rate for the soil, or only have a limited area for a drywell, than a pre-fabricated drywell (such as NDS Flo-Well TM ) may be the way to go, as it would facilitate a larger cavity and water capac-ity in the same size drywell area.

Here are some guidelines to using dry-wells in small landscapes:

■ Be careful that the drywell is not on or near a slope, or adjacent to a retaining wall, as under conditions of soil saturation a dry well can lead to failure of the slope, resulting in a mud slide or slippage of the hillside.

■ Incorporate a drain outlet over the drywell, to allow for water and air to escape without water backing up into downspout piping.

■ Wrap drywell in drainage fabric to prevent infill.

■ If silting is anticipated, use a settling box or other means to allow the occasional clean out of silt and debris that would otherwise clog a drywell over time.

■ Don’t expect drywells to manage high volumes of storm water, but

consider them as secondary resources that can have positive effects on low water storm and rainfall events (the most common kind!). Drywells typically cannot take the place of a properly engi- neered storm water management system required to handle major storm events and to prevent flooding.

■ If practical, keep them at least 10 feet away from building foundations.

■ Do a percolation test to insure that water will drain from a dry well. If needed, punch deeper holes into the sub-soil below a dry well to improve drainage.

Richard Quinn is a landscape architect and is a principal in the firm of Helber Hastert & Fee

Planners. He has over 30 years of experience with

landscape design in Hawaii and has a special interest in the use of native Hawaiian plants in landscaping.

Page 12: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

12 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

hAWAii, lict innovAtor

G A R R E T T W E B B

CORNERcertification

Photo courtesy: GARRETT WEBB

Pruning Judge, elaine Malina and candidate tracy Bos, lIct, using a laser at the Pruning Problem

Did you know that an Hawaii Landscape Architect, Brenda Lam, changed the format of the Timecard the LICT candidates carry to

navigate the field test and that her format is now used in every state and Canadian province that holds LICT Test? Or that Hawaii was the first state to have a train-ing program, developed by Diana Duff, LICT and Garrett Webb, LICM, to help candidates prepare for the certification test? The list of innovations continues, with smaller test revisions that have been proposed by Hawaii over the years, but this year a Maui landscaper and Certi-fied Arborist, Terry Nutt, who taught the Pruning class in Maui and was a Prun-ing Judge at the recent Maui LICT test, made his contribution. For the Pruning test problem, Terry proposed an alternate

method for the candidate to demonstrate for the judge where to make cuts on an established tree using a laser pointer. This alternate method of testing will be incorporated by PLANET into all future tests in the US and Canada. Using the laser improves on the old method by: replacing the use of a ladder (possible safety hazard); and replaces tying flagging tape where pruning cuts should be made--which is time consuming and limits the number of pruning cuts that can be shown to the Judge. Hawaii is physi-cally isolated from the other states and provinces certifying landscapers, but she continues to have an impact on the inter-national landscape certification scene!

LICT TestimonialJason Ezell, LICT-Irrigation, recently

wrote about how becoming certified changed his life here in Hawaii:

“…Wow, what a difference becoming a Hawaii LICT has made in my life! You have no idea what a positive effect and lifestyle change my family has experienced…I be-lieve that I’m the so-called “poster-child” of LICH/LICT Certification. My family and I were about to give up on living in Hawaii. I was the part-time electrical and plumbing professional at Lowe’s Home Improvement making pennies. After obtaining several Hawaii certifications in 2013, including the LICT-Irrigation, I am now making a decent salary and we have purchased a home for the first time. Once my name was pub-lished in the Hawaii Landscape magazine, I have received at least two job offers a week. I was even one of the four people from Hawaii that Hunter Industries invited to attend an all expense paid factory tour at their facility in California. Crazy!”

Let Landscape Certification bring changes in your life Get Certified!

Page 13: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 13THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

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It has been twelve years since Maui last staged a Land-scape Industry Certification Test (LICT). When land-scape managers from major resorts and businesses asked the Maui Association of Landscape Profession-als (MALP) to consider bringing the program back to Maui, the MALP board responded in a big way. An

LICT Maui Committee was formed; Allison Wright, LICT, and Sidney Sparkman played key roles in rallying financial support and volunteers. Norman Nagata, UH Extension Agent and Advisor to MALP accepted the challenge of organizing training classes as well as setting up the field at Maui College as the test site; and Kevin Gavagan, Landscape Manager at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, became the Island Chair for the LICT Test.

Twenty two landscapers signed up for the twelve class training program and registered for the LICT Test. The test was held on May 24th at Maui College, Kahului. The LICT test requires a serious commitment by the local landscape industry and Maui responded in style. Sixteen Judges, two Judges Technical Advisors (JTAs), a timekeeper and extra volunteers all contributed to make the test day a memorable one; a day not only to test and certify but to celebrate our common purpose as landscapers to work together to raise the work standards and professionalism of our industry. Ev-ery participant I talked to, whether Judge or Candidate, was taken up with the positive energy and enthused about the future of the LICT program and it’s future on Maui.

Besides the candidates and volunteers, the test’s success was made possible by an impressive list of Sponsors: Four Seasons Resort, Hawaii Grower Products, HISCO, Honua Kai Resort at Kanapali, Irrigation Systems, Inc., Island Plant Company, LLC, Lokahi Landscaping, Pacific Pipe Company (Pearl City), Service Rentals and Supplies, Slim’s Power Tools, SGS Hawaii Inc (Landscape Management), University of Hawaii-Maui College, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Maui Cooperative Extension, and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Maui County. Brand new machinery for the test was generously supplied by He-Man Landscaping.

New Landscape Industry Certified Technicians in Orna-mental Maintenance, Maui Test:Chris Baker, Island Plant Company, LLCTracy Bos, Island Plant Company, LLCCasey Foster, Island Plant Company, LLCKassie Haake, Four Seasons Resort Maui at WaileaMatthew King, Island Plant Company, LLCSauileauo Mamea Jr., Sunshine Landscape Company (Oahu)Fred Rindlisbacher, Four Seasons Resort Maui at WaileaAllison Wright, Island Plant Company, LLC

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Page 14: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

14 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

GREEN(ING)oUr citY

Photo courtesy: WWW.JORDONCOOPER.COM

children enjoying a small parklet in a downtown neighborhood of Vancouver British colombia

by bernice fieLding

In February 2014 the City and County of Honolulu followed the lead of many other national and international cities and passed a resolution to allow for parklets to become a permanent fixture on our

city streets. That’s great news, very innova-tive, but what does that ultimately mean? … What is a parklet? How do they work? And why do we want them in our city?

What is a Parklet?The term parklet originated in San

Francisco to describe the process of converting a parking space into a small public “park.” Parklets are an extension of the sidewalk into the street, essentially exchanging a private or public auto space for a public gathering space.

The innovative idea of creating parklet spaces comes to Honolulu

Page 15: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 15THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

It all started in 2005, when ReBar, a San Francisco based design company, descended on a downtown parking stall, fed the meter and created a pop-up park complete with grass, benches and shade trees. The entire event took only a couple of hours, but it went viral immediately and has since been credited for launching PARK(ing) Day. PARK(ing) Day is now a worldwide annual event, which occurs on the third Friday of September and during which, anyone can create a one-day mini-park. The enormous success of PARK(ing) Day led San Francisco planners to con-sider longer lasting, permanent parklets, and that led the city to adopt a formal “Pavement to Parks” program in 2009. “Pavement to Parks” is a program that utilizes underused areas of urban land by quickly and inexpensively converting them into new, pedestrian friendly spaces.

San Francisco cut the ribbon on its first permanent parklet in March 2010, and to-day, the city boasts 27 completed parklets with another 40 in the pipeline. Parklets have sprung up in New York, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Jose, Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver and now Honolulu can be next forward think-ing city to implement these creative and dynamic public gathering spaces!

How do Parklets work?Parklets can be either permanent

fixtures, or a temporary addition to an urban space. They are designed to provide a public place for passersby to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the city around them, in locations where either cur-rent urban parks are lacking, or where the existing sidewalk width is not large enough to accommodate vibrant street life activities.

For the most part, parklets are an extension of a private business and are component of public/private partner-ship between cities and private business owners. Officials in different cities began working with local businesses to convert parking spaces into public usable green spaces. The business owners pay for the construction and maintenance of the parklets, while cities help with the red tape and give up their metered parking revenues. For businesses, it’s a way to beautify their block and help attract more foot traffic, while cities see it as a next-to-nothing investment for new innovative public spaces. “For very little or no dollars, we can change the shape of our city,” says Andrew Stober, chief of staff in the May-or’s Office of Transportation and Utilities

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in Philadelphia, “It’s part of a larger move-ment in the city as we think about how to make it a more livable place.”

Why do we want parklets in our city?

The streets of our cities and towns are an important part of the livability of our communities. Urban dwellers across the country are starting to recognize the ‘green’ potential of their neighbor-

hoods, and the citizens of Honolulu have ackowledged that they could benefit greatly from the implementation of green infrastructure such as Parklets. Between the years of 2003 to 2012, 262 people were killed while walking in Hawai`i, and this is partially due to the design of our city. Much of Honolulu is designed for cars, not for people, so by introducing ‘green’ spaces such as parklets, we are promoting more walkable, livable communities and

Page 16: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

16 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

in return make it a safer city by helping to reduce automobile usage.

Parklets are, in effect, functioning “Art”, each one unique, thus can become a tourist attraction and have the potential to make a great impact on a city. Many cities choose to install them in order to create more public space by implement-ing “places for people to sit, relax and enjoy the city.” The Vancouver 2013 Parklet Pilot Program Guide explains parklets’ purpose and design as “ a benefit to local businesses, residents, and visitors by providing unique public spaces that attract customers and foster community conversation.

Parklets can be an educational tool for citizens to help them learn about the value of public spaces. They foster a sense of belonging by providing a welcoming locale for people to stop and appreciate their city. A network of these “mini-parks” can cre-

ate metropolitan cohesion by connecting neighborhoods and can become integrated into the urban lifestyle, making com-munities more useable and livable. They add an over all social life, street culture and initiate a sense of care and ownership within individual neighborhoods. They can also make cities a safe place to live, by becoming the “eyes of the street”, instead of otherwise being unused spaces.

“The best aspect of parklets is that, because they’re so simple and inexpen-sive, cities can easily experiment with what works and what doesn’t”, says David Alumbaugh, the director of the city de-sign group in the San Francisco Planning Department. “The beauty of parklets is that they’re very transformative yet not very difficult.” Alumbaugh notes that the city renews each parklet’s permit annual-ly, although so far none has been revoked.

“It’s a chance for us to say, ‘Let’s just try it. If it doesn’t work, we’ll take it out.’”

The author, Bernice Fielding, is the Di-rector of Design and Project Management for Ki Concepts Landscape Architecture. On Mothers day 2013, Ki Concepts, along with many other local businesses and nonprofits, helped to initiate the Hele on Kaka‘ako event that highlighted the need for ‘green’ infrastructure, including parklets. The event was well attended and appreciated by many, including Senator Brian Schatz and Gov-ernor Abercrombie and received so much positive feedback that it got her thinking … why not do it again? Stay tuned and watch for something special from Ki Concepts this PARK(ing) day Friday September 19th 2014.

References:(http://pavementtoparks.sfplanning.org)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parklet)(www.seattle.gov/transportation/ seattleparkingday.htm)

Photo courtesy: WWW.SEATTLE.GOV

Wave - located in robson square in downtown Vancouver British columbia, this parklet, named picnurbia, is a popular attraction to tourists as well as local residents.

“The beauty of parklets is that

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Page 17: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 17

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Page 18: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

18 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

Lotus flowers are common sym-bols of purity, beauty and re-birth in Buddhism and Hindu-ism. The lotus also has cultural significance across Asia and the Middle East. Although lotuses

are presented with varying colors by artists throughout the ages, lotus flowers only come in white, pink, red and yellow.

Lotuses grow in shallow, muddy water. These plants prefer full sun and hot, still weather. During the summer they grow rapidly often filling up their pots with roots. Lotus is a seasonal plant and will go dor-mant during the winter. When grown as a farm crop, ponds are dug up annually and roots sold at markets as hasu, a starchy root vegetable similar to a potato. Fields often regenerate without replanting.

Planting/Re-potting Instructions:1. Select Tuber: Use water to wash the soil

off roots and gently remove the best tubers. Cut into pieces with 3 links and make sure one has new growth on the end. Throw away any tubers that are soft and rotten.

2. Prep Pot: Fill pot with 1/3 soil and fertil-izer tablets. Add water to top of pot.

3. Plant Lotus: Place healthy tuber on surface of soil growth tip up and weight with

DOROThY MULKERN

COLUMNwater

LOTUS101Ph

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Steps for caring for the symbolic and mystical lotus flower

Page 19: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 19THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

large stone or brick. When plants start growing remove the brick. (Usually after 2 months.)

4. Add Fish: Add a couple guppies to control mosquitos or use BT product.

5. We recommend planting or repotting in February before tubers start to sprout for best success.

Caring for Lotus is simple. Flush your lotus pot with new water weekly for a couple minutes to overflow debris that accumulates on the surface and give fish some air. Trim off dead leaves a few inches above the water line as often as desired – we recommend at least every two weeks. Fertilize monthly during the growing season (May – September) with aquatic fertilizer. Don’t forget to repot every 2 – 3 years. Just like water lilies, do not throw lotus away during winter even if it looks sad, as it may just be sleeping.

Many people mistake lotus for water lilies but they are very different plants. Clues for telling the difference between the two are: leaf texture – water lilies have a waxy leaf and lotus leaves are like a

fine sand paper; roots – the roots on lotus look like sausage links while water lilies have one main central tuber, and flowers – un-like water lilies, lotus have a big seed pod in the center of the flower that will turn brown and remain upright after all the petals have fallen away.

Last but not least, AL-WAYS PROTECT THE AINA. Dispose of aquatic waste in the green bin or mulch pile; never throw waste into local streams or ponds.

Dorothy Mulkern is the Assistant Vice President for Mulkern Landscaping & Nurs-ery and a certified Master

Gardener. You can visit Dorothy at Mulkern Nursery any Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Page 20: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

20 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

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Last week was an exciting one at Foster Botanical Garden since three of our Corpse flowers (Amorpho-pallus titanum) bloomed. This spectacular plant with

its giant flower and horrid smell is always a crowd pleaser. Hundreds of people came to the garden to have this unique experience.

I will share with you some fun facts that raised a few eyebrows on our guests. The Corpse Plant or Titan Arum is in the same plant family as Taro (Kalo), and it actually has an edible underground tuber! Have you ever eaten konnyaku in a Japa-nese stew or soup? Konnyaku comes from the tuber of Amorphophallus konjac, a different species in the same genus as our Corpse plant.

The unusual flower may be better understood if you think of an anthurium flower – another member of this Aroid family (Araceae). The long pointy part is called a spadix and the large petal is called a spathe. Technically, this whole struc-ture is called an inflorescence as the tiny true flowers are hidden at the base of the spadix, protected by the spathe.

Why does it make such a horrible smell? Similar to other flowers that make stinky smells, this odor attracts carrion beetles to pollinate the flowers. Not only does the plant smell of rotting meat, but it actually

heats up to disperse the aroma! People most commonly describe the smell to be like finding a dead rat or rotting fish. In fact, chemical analysis has shown that the stench shares similar compounds with limburger cheese, sweaty socks, and rot-ting fish.

Why is this a rare event? Corpse plants do not produce a flower every year. One plant takes about ten years to gather the “strength” it needs to send up such an ornate flower, and for these ten years the plant produces only a single large leaf each year. The plant stores energy in its ever-growing starchy tuber. When it has reached reproductive size, the plant might flower every three to five years, with a leaf produced during non-flowering years.

Please come visit Foster Botanical Garden to see these amazing plants in the Conservatory! Even if you missed these Corpse plants in bloom, you can still see others in their vegetative or leaf stage. It is quite an impressive leaf, like a small tree with a spotted trunk!

Naomi Hoffman is a Botanist for the Honolulu Botanical Gardens (Foster Lili‘uokalani,

Ho‘omaluhia, Wahiawa, and Koko Crater Botanical Gardens)

by naoMi huffManCORPSEFloWer

Photo courtesy: HONOLULU BOTANICAL GARDEN

corpse flower

Page 21: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 21THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

Sunset Magazine creates at least one Idea House each year to showcase the latest trends in home building, interior decor, and landscape design. The House of Innova-

tion built in Northern California utilizes a water saving landscape that grows to maturity much faster, without wasting water.

Built into an Alamo hillside overlook-ing Mount Diablo and San Ramon Valley, this 6,500-square-foot, two-story home has a beautiful, thoughtful landscape. The landscape designer chose elements to cre-ate comfort, ease of maintenance, energy savings and be stunningly beautiful.

The sloping site of the house has an un-rivaled sense of place. The towering form of Mt. Diablo and the tawny-colored hills punctuated by live oaks have the postcard look of Northern California. Designed by NUVIS Landscape Architecture and Plan-ning of Costa Mesa, the plan divides the site into different zones and destinations. Some areas are meant for people, while others create a backdrop that responds to the challenges and unique weather patterns of this very western site. The plantings are not only good looking, but

also water-conserving. The single expanse of lawn is a No

Mow Fescue. This fine textured grass with a distinctive look and feel is popular in areas that are difficult to mow or with restrictions on water use. To maximize on water conservation, but not compromise on plant health, growth and beauty, NU-VIS installed Netafim USA’s Techline® CV dripline, using 0.6 GPH flow rate emit-ters spaced 12” apart and buried 6” deep beneath the ground’s surface.

Techline CV subsurface irrigation was chosen primarily because it conserves water. “With subsurface irrigation, we expect to use 50 percent less water when compared to pop-up sprinklers, because water seeps into the root zone and isn’t wasted through evaporation, wind or overspray,” said Leslie Temple, Vice Presi-dent of NUVIS. She added, “As an added bonus, when watering with Techline CV, landscapes can be irrigated during periods of drought and stay within the state water conservation guidelines.”

NUVIS also selected Techline CV dripline because it is pressure compensat-ing. That means each dripper supplies the same amount of water evenly across the sloping terrain, allowing for uniform cov-

erage and a lush yet water-saving lawn.Orientation to the sun at different

times of the day was a factor in creating some outdoor living areas. Early morn-ing sun strikes the east facing side of the house – here the designers have placed a terrace and vegetable garden. For effi-cient use of water, the vegetable garden is irrigated with Netafim’s flow-regulated micro-sprinklers.

Pathways notched into the hill en-courage exploring the upper property. At the top of the hill, you can discover a 270-degree view that sweeps from Mt. Diablo to the east, south down a long val-ley – and west to the low mountain range over which the fog winds spill. From this vantage point you can also see how this thoughtful landscape plan not only settles the house into its site but makes it feel a part of the natural design of the region. Yet for all its forward-thinking concepts, the house inconspicuously blends into a neighborhood filled with custom homes.

Cari Snyder is a District Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest/Hawaii for Neta-fim USA. She has over 20 years of experience in the landscape irrigation industry.

IDEAhoUse

by cari Snyder

Photos courtesy: NETAFIM USA

Sunset Magazine innovative home spotlights water saving drip irrigation landscaping

Page 22: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Its time to bring your lawn out of the winter and into the summer mainte-nance mode. If your lawn has become soft and spongy due to heavy thatch buildup, removing that excess under-lying growth by verticutting, followed

by core aeration to improve air and water penetration on a heavy clay soil, is the first Spring job to consider. And consider apply-ing a yearly top dressing of compost to the lawn. This will help condition the soil, reduce thatch buildup and provide a long lasting source of slowly released organic nitrogen. Spread a layer no more than ½ inch thick, rake and water in well. This is particularly beneficial following verticutting and soil aera-tion.

Spring is also the time to fertilize the lawn and garden. This will help to control new weeds by encouraging a thick healthy lawn. In addition, if spraying herbicides, healthy grass is less likely to be damaged and existing weeds are more susceptible to herbicides when they are young and growing rapidly.

Fertilizer requirements for the lawn are quite different than those of trees, shrubs and many groundcovers. Because the green leafy portion of grass is constantly being removed by mowing, turfgrasses need much more ni-trogen, which promotes rapid green leafy top growth. Adequately fertilized grass clippings maintain a high nitrogen content, which can be recycled back into the soil if left on the lawn. Frequent mowing with a mulching ro-tary mower is very effective. You are throwing away a good portion of your fertilizer if the clippings are bagged.

Fertilizers come in many different formulations. It is best to use one that contains all three of the major nutrients of nitrogen (N), phos-phorus (P) and potassium (K). The percentage of these nutri-

ents is always given by the three numbers on the label, such as 27-5-10, representing N, P & K in that order. Fertilizer formulations for turf will always contain more N than P & K, usually by a ratio at least 3:1:1. Use a more bal-anced ratio for fertilizing trees and scrubs, 15-15-15 is commonly used.

The chemical form of the nitrogen is the most important consideration when decid-ing on which turf fertilizer to use. Some forms of nitrogen, such as ammonium sulfate, are very water-soluble and can burn the lawn if over applied or not wa-tered in well. These types of nitrogen enter the soil very quickly and result in a rapid burst of green leafy top growth, which will require more frequent mowing for a while. In four or five weeks the nitro-gen levels will decrease and the grass will begin to grow more slowly, lose some of its nice green color and you need to fertilize again. These “peaks and valleys” in growth rate are common when the fertil-izer con-tains all of the

22 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

FERTILIZINGlAWns

frequent mowing with grass clippings

left on lawn will maintain a high

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JAY DEpUTY

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Page 23: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 23THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

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nitrogen in the very soluble forms of am-monium sulfate or urea.

To avoid these problems, many turf fertilizers contain a form of nitrogen that does not rapidly dissolve when watered. These are called time release or slow release nitrogen sources. This type of fertilizer can be applied at a higher rate without the danger of burning the grass, will be released slowly producing a more even growth rate, and will last much longer. There are several forms of slow release nitrogen. The most commonly used form is sulfur coated urea or SCU. Other forms are the urea-formaldehydes such as MU and UF, and IBDU. The total ingredients of a fertilizer are always listed on the back of the bag. Look for the sec-tion called “Analysis”. Many formulations will contain a combination of water-soluble nitrogen such as ammonium

sulfate and slow release forms. Look for those that have a high percentage of slow release N, usually in the form of SCU.

Fertilizer application requirements are different for each species of turf. Bermu-dagrasses have the highest demand for nitrogen, zoysiagrasses, St Augustine-grass and seashore paspalum are inter-mediate, and centipedegrass needs the least. Each application should contain one pound of nitrogen for every 1000 square feet of lawn. The actual amount of fertilizer will depend on the percent-age of N and the total area of lawn. If using 25-5-5 on 2000 sq ft for example, you will need 8 pounds of fertilizer. Slow release forms can be applied at more than one pound N/1000 and less often.

The main purpose of fertilizing your lawn is to maintain a slow steady growth and nice green color. Over-

fertilizing with N will require more frequent mowing and can lead to rapid thatch buildup.

A few other hints: Always use a spread-er to apply the fertilizer. Hand spreading on grass always results in uneven applica-tion and usually results in areas that are burned and others that do not get covered at all. Water the grass well im-mediately after application, particularly if using a water-soluble type of N. Best results are produced when fertilizer is ap-plied one day after mowing. If you want just a green up without increased growth rate, use an application of iron. It is avail-able in granular and liquid forms.

Jay Deputy is a Direc-tor Emeritus of the LICH Board of Directors.

FERTILIZING

Page 24: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

24 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

For years, banyans have been huge, tough trees that were almost impossible to kill – even when you wanted to, like in the case of the inva-sive Chinese banyan (Ficus

microcarpa). Well, now the strangler that sometimes engulfs other trees is under attack itself.

There are currently three pests that are commonly found on Chinese banyans on Oahu: 1) the leaf gall wasp that was first discovered in 1989 and does relatively minor damage, 2) the stem gall wasp that was discovered in 2012, and 3) Lobate Lac Scale (LLS), also discovered in 2012. The stem gall wasp in particular has been killing Chinese banyans. It attacks and kills the young stems, giving trees a thin, sparse look with a grayish tinge to the crown. The stem gall wasp was found throughout Oahu, in Kahului on Maui, and in Hilo on the Big Island as of late 2012. It likely has spread since then.

In addition to the Chinese banyan, many weeping banyans (Ficus benjimina), have been dying on Oahu due to LLS. Bernarr Kumashiro, insect taxonomist for Hawaii Department of Agriculture, has been asking arborists and other landscape professionals to report locations on Oahu where they’ve found LLS and on what species. So far it has been found from Waikiki to Ewa Beach, in Mililani and Ha-leiwa, and in Kaneohe. He believes that it’s likely to be all over Oahu at this point. If you know of other areas and species, please pass the information on to Aloha Arborist Association (AAA) at [email protected]. AAA is compiling the reports for Bernarr. Because the popula-tion of LLS is particularly high around the Honolulu International Airport, landscape professionals on the Neigh-bor Islands are asked to pay attention to plants around their airports. Weeping banyans seem to be a sentinel plant for LLS, since that seems to be a preferred species. It’s possible that LLS may be on the Neighbor Islands already but the trees aren’t symptomatic as yet. Black sooty

mold in the crown can be a sign of LLS infestation. This usually proceeds dieback of branches. Many Oahu trees have died even after treatment, but that may be because they were too far gone by the time the pest was detected. There’s more likelihood of saving trees with early de-tection and treatment. Regular irrigation in addition to treatment seems to help in long term survival of trees.

So if these are new pests, how do we know how to treat them? There’s been some trial and error going on for Oahu trees, but fortunately we have Zhiqiang Cheng, Ph.D. who works with turfgrass and urban landscape pest management for the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Cheng has been conducting research to determine what pesticides work best us-ing 45 Chinese banyans at the UH Manoa campus. He began testing injections of imidacloprid and emamectin benzoate in July 2013, for treatment of the leaf and stem gall wasps, both with and without phosphorous acid as a tree nutrient. The infestations on leaves and stems are being evaluated monthly for up to two

years after treatment. Preliminary results indicate that “1) both imidacloprid and emamectin benzoate have effects against stem gall wasps, but emamectin benzo-ate is more effective than imidacloprid; 2) imidacloprid and emamectin benzoate have similar effects against leaf gall wasp; 3) phosphorous acid as tree nutrient did not provide additional benefit to trees against both wasps.” (Cheng, personal correspondence)

Cheng is also researching the effective-ness of pesticides in combatting LLS. Be-ginning in December 2013, five weeping banyans were injected with imidacloprid and five were left uninjected as a control, followed by monthly measurements of the LLS infestation levels up to one year after the injection. “Our results so far have shown that imidacloprid delivered through truck injection is effective in controlling lobate lac scale on weeping banyan trees.” (Cheng, personal corre-spondence)

While the long term survival of ban-yans being treated regularly for these pests is possible, how many clients are

Photo: CAROL KWAN

Dead and dying weeping banyan with lobate lac scale along Monsarrat avenue. these trees were scheduled to be removed shortly after this photo was taken.

BANYANSUnder AttAcK

by caroL KWan

Page 25: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 25THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

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willing to devote the resources necessary to do this indefinitely? Many organiza-tions, including the military and Hawaii Department of Transportation, have just been letting the trees die and then cutting them down. This has a devastat-ing impact on our urban forest but is an economic reality, particularly during times of budgetary constraints. At this point, I cannot recommend planting either the Chinese banyan or weeping banyan, or even other Ficus spp. for that matter, since other Ficus have been found to be infested with LLS and their long term survival outcomes are unknown at this point.

So what else can we plant? Monkey-pods, which have a similar height and spreading crown like the Chinese and weeping banyans, are already overused in our landscapes. No one has been planting Indian coral trees since the Erythrina gall wasp (EGW), although the native wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) is an option since HDOA released the EGW biological control and significantly reduced the pest populations. It generally doesn’t get as large as a banyan, however, to effectively take its place in the landscape. Kamani

could be another option, but only in areas where the round fruits won’t be a fall haz-ard. Earpod might work but it is a much larger tree and needs a larger planting space. Narra is another option, although it is more vertical and has significantly less spread. Perhaps it’s time to revisit

our botanical gardens and arboretum for new ideas for landscape plants. Monocul-ture is never a good thing, as history has taught us with the EGW and now these banyan pests. Planting native species is no guarantee of success either, because LLS has been found on over 20 species in Hawaii, including koa and the native white hibiscus.

We should also be pushing our legis-lature to increase funding to HDOA, the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) and the other organizations who protect our state from new pests. Considering the damage costs that our government and private organizations are incurring, it seems ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ to not adequately fund the pest detection, pre-vention, and eradication efforts that pro-tect our environment and our economy.

Carol Kwan is the President of Carol Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and a Director of Aloha Arborist Association and the West-

ern Chapter International Society of Arboriculture.

Photo: CAROL KWAN

close up of a chinese banyan twig with lobate lac scale, leaf gall wasp damage, and stem gall wasp damage.

Page 26: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

26 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

Pataxte and Cupuaçu are relatives to the popular Cacao, is a fleshy, heavenly fruit

Food of the gods… sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Well this isn’t some creative metaphor of mine or another literary hyperbole meant to exaggerate an obscure rare

fruit. Its actually a direct translation for the genus, Theobroma, Latinized but apparently derived from Greek, mean-ing “God” (theo) and “Food” (broma). If you’re even remotely interested in reading this article there’s a good chance you’ve probably already heard of this genus’ most famous member, the one Linnaeus anointed with the divine title Theobroma cacao. Yes, I am talking about xocolātl, the heavenly food we call chocolate! Ok, so you hardcore chocolate lovers out there already knew the botanical name for your sweet indulgence, and maybe you already knew it meant “food of the gods.” But did you know that T. cacao is

only one of some twenty different species in the genus? (The number of species varies depending on whose taxonomy you trust). Of course I’m not writing this article about Cacao; that would be way too ordinary for a column dedicated to non-ordinary fruits. I am hoping to

expand your horizons and introduce you to two of Cacao’s relatives: Pataxte and Cupuaçu. For too long these two great fruits have taken a backseat to Cacao, and are certainly deserving of wider recogni-tion beyond their native ranges. Besides, there is already so much information out

Photo: ADAM M. WILLIAMS

cupuaçu, after cracking open with hammer to reveal pulp

Photo: ADAM M. WILLIAMS

Pataxte fruit split open revealing its tasty innards

ADAM M. WiLLiAMS

FRUITlow hanging

FOOD OF ThE

gods

Page 27: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 27THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

there on Cacao and every aspect of its his-tory, cultivation, processing into choco-late, etc. Which is actually why this first fruit is so interesting, not just because it’s delicious, but because of its close histori-cal relationship to Cacao, dating back to pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica.

Theobroma bicolor has gone by many different names over the course of its long association with people. Like all the species of Theobroma it originates in the humid tropics of the Americas, where it can grow up to twenty-five to thirty meters tall as a component of either open or dense rainforest. The tree prefers wind protection and some shade, especially when young, and typically grows best in well drained or loamy clay soil. Scientists haven’t decided exactly where in tropical America it is native, with some believing its from Central America, others saying South America, as it is found growing from Southern Mexico all the way down to Brazil. The center for diversity of the genus is the Amazon Basin, but just like Cacao, T. bicolor has been cultivated and closely associated with the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica for millennia. Pataxte seems to be the most common name for the tree and its fruit (pro-nounced with a soft x, like Patashte; also sometimes spelled this way), but this remarkable fruit has picked up all kinds of other names across its wide range, like Macombo, Cacao Silvestre (Wild Cacao), Cacao Blanco (White Cacao), and most interestingly Balamte, from Mayan mean-ing Jaguar Tree.

I was first turned on to this delectable obscurity from Frankie’s Nursery in Waimanalo. I knew it was a Cacao relative from the botanical name, but the tree and its fruit look quite different from Cacao. The leaves are dark green on top, and grayish white below (probably the reason for the specific epithet, bicolor), while the bizarre fruit looks something like a brain. It’s about the size and shape of a nerf football, greenish in color, but ripening to yellow green or fully yellow, with deep grooves and fissures. When ripe the fruit simply falls off the tree, and its super thick “shell” is very hard, requir-ing a hammer to crack open (or perhaps a long fall from the upper canopy of a rainforest!). Upon opening one finds five rows of seeds covered by tasty pulp and arranged around a central core; in this respect it is quite like Cacao (and all the other Theobroma species). But unlike Cacao, which only has a thin mucilagi-nous veneer around its seeds, the Pataxte

seeds are padded thickly with plenty of delicious flesh. Tender, sweet, creamy and mild, perfect for eating fresh, exactly the kind of fruit I love.

In my naïveté I had thoroughly en-joyed the fresh fruit and discarded the seeds, thinking that was all there was to it. Not until years later, researching this

article, did I come to find out that in fact this fruit can provide much more than a sweet, tasty treat. When the Spanish had first arrived in Mexico they had found Pataxte fruits being sold along side Cacao in the Aztec (Mexica) markets, but for some reason had dismissed it as merely an inferior version of Cacao, having much

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28 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

the same uses but being of lesser quality. There is some speculation that this may have actually been a bias of the Aztec to-wards a fruit that was more important to peoples whom the Aztec themselves had conquered. But whether it was an Aztec bias, or just a misinterpretation of the Spanish, Pataxte was in fact a very impor-tant crop and had been cultivated and ap-preciated by many Mesoamerican peoples as its own unique plant, valued like Cacao for both medicinal and sacred properties. Its prominence is further exemplified through archaeological and ethnographic evidence, and even a mention in the famous Mayan creation myth, the Popol Vuh. In most of the historical references Pataxte is rarely mentioned alone, but usually in association with Cacao, such as “Pataxte and Cacao,” further supporting the idea of similar but separate. Again, like Cacao, the seeds were oftentimes ritually used to prepare frothy drinks as either the primary ingredient, or blended with Cacao. In fact both the seeds and the flesh can be prepared in a variety of differ-ent traditional drinks and desserts.

Despite having been relegated to obscu-rity in favor of Cacao over the centuries since European conquest, Pataxte contin-ues to be cultivated throughout much of its original range in mixed agroforestry plantings and home gardens. What I had first taken to be a nice fresh fruit has seen recent international interest for the potential of its beans as an alternative to cacao for the production of chocolate (or chocolate-like confections), or as an addi-tive in artisan chocolate delicacies. Cacao and Pataxte are the only Theobroma spe-cies to contain caffeine, but Pataxte has less alkaloids overall compared to Cacao,

and chocolate made from its white seeds is said to be much milder, even preferred by some because of its lack of bitterness. As the local Hawaiian chocolate industry continues to develop, will the popularity of Pataxte blossom as well? It is certainly cultivated by occasional rare fruit enthu-siasts across the islands, though I have never seen the plant or its fruits for sale. I would love to see this tree cultivated more widely alongside cacao, and the development of a local market for both its unique fresh fruit as well as processed Pataxte chocolate.

Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflo-rum) may be one of the most popular fruits that the average American has never heard of. I had been told about this amazing fruit, had someone who has visited its native Brazil describe to me the otherworldly deliciousness of the juice made from its flesh, but had never actually seen it in person till just recently. I was at a Farmer’s market on Kaua‘i and on one particular vendor’s table I spotted a strange fruit that I didn’t recognize among the Mangoes, Avocados, Bananas, and Rambutan. Out of the piles of familiarity was what appeared to be a most unremarkable oblong brown fruit, roughly 8” long. No ridges or furrows, it looked something like a giant smooth russet potato crossed with a melon. Upon inquiring what it was the vendor con-fessed she didn’t know its name, other than that it was sour. I had a feeling that it might be the legendary Cupuaçu, but wasn’t sure till I got it home and cracked it open with my hammer. Ahhhh yes, the familiar appearance of a Theobroma, and yes, very sour. But when the pulp was stripped from the seeds and blended with

a little water and a lot of sugar, voila! A complex yet sublime flavor difficult to de-scribe: hints of chocolate with pineapple, passionfruit, and bananas.

Native to the Amazon basin, Cupuaçu has been cultivated by indigenous peoples of the area for a very long time. And like Cacao and Pataxte, it has traditional uses as food, medicine, and sacrament. But in the last several decades its popularity has apparently exploded across Brazil. The pulp is used for making fresh juices and ice creams, and processed into every manner of candies, jellies, preserves, and powders. Although the tree has been introduced to a few countries outside of Brazil (Colom-bia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Costa Rica), within Brazil the demand far outstrips the supply. And even as production expands across the rural states, so too does the demand in the country’s urban centers. Thus almost all the fresh fruit continues to be consumed domestically, there is little to no supply beyond the areas of produc-tion, and it remains a very profitable crop for farmers small and large.

Not only is this fruit delicious, it sup-posedly is the hottest new “superfood” too. Personally, I disdain nutritional fads, and feel that a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is all the “superfood” one needs. That being said, Cupuaçu has a very favorable nutrient profile, extremely high in vitamins, anti-oxidants, and flavonoids, and also comes fully loaded with all kinds of health claims relating to immune system, libido, and circulation, among many others. You can probably find supplements in your local health food store.

But although juices and such made from the pulp are wildly popular, just

Page 29: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 29THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY

and Pataxte, the seedlings and young trees will do their best with protection from wind and hot sun. Even as an adult the tree will be happier with some shade in hot, dry climates. Eventually the trees may reach up to twenty meters in the wild, but typically only eight meters or less in culti-vation. Plant into fertile, well-drained soil, and expect to wait five to six years before getting fruit. However, you might achieve fruiting faster if you are able to obtain a plant grown from either cuttings or grafts.

With all of the supposed health benefits of Cupuaçu, the extremely high demand for all of its many potential products, and the limited supply of fresh fruits in Hawai‘i, I don’t see why this can’t be the next big thing. No one else is exporting it, and once the word gets out how good Cu-puaçu is the demand will probably spread like wildfire just like it has in Brazil.

Adam M. Williams is an avid gardener, native plant advocate, and tropical fruit enthusiast.

References and further reading: Kufer, Johanna, and Cameron L. Mc-

neil. The Jaguar Tree (Theobroma bicolor Bonpl.). In Chocolate in Mesoamerica. Ed. Cameron L. Mcneil. Gainesville: Univer-sity Press of Florida. 2009. Print.

Lim, T. K. Theobroma bicolor. In Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants: Vol-ume 3, Fruits. Ed. T. K. Lim. Netherlands: Springer. 2012. 204-207. Print.

Hellmuth, Nicholas M. Introduction to the Pataxte form of cacao in Mayan Ethnobotany. www.Maya-Archaeology.org. 13 January, 2010. Web. 10 June, 2014. <http://www.maya-archaeology.org/Mayan_anthropology_ethnog-raphy_archaeology_art_history_ico-nography_epigraphy_ethnobotany/pataxte_pataste_pataschte_Belize_Mex-ico_Guatemala_Honduras_sacred_flow-ers_fruits_religion_cacao_choco-late_Theobroma_bicolor_balamte_jag-uar_tree.php>

Giacometti, D. C. Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum). In Neglected Crops: 1492 from a Different Perspective. Ed. Hernán-do Bermejo and J León. Plant Production and Protection Series No. 26. Rome: FAO. 1994. 205-209. Online. Accessed 10 June, 2014. <http://www.hort.purdue.edu/new-crop/1492/cupuacu.html>

like other Theobroma species the seeds can also be processed into another kind of chocolate. Locally known as cupulate, there are various initiatives across Brazil to develop a Cupulate industry. Interest-ingly, Japanese business interests have also seized on this opportunity and there are even some international patent con-flicts involving cupulate and the market-ing of products with the name Cupuaçu, or even the methods of fat extraction from the seeds (more on that at http://www.amazonlink.org/biopiracy/cupuacu.htm). Doubtless the health claims for Cu-puaçu figure into the marketing of cupu-late, promoting it as a healthy alternative to chocolate. I have never seen Cupulate for sale in Hawai‘i, but I would certainly be eager to try it. However, I would still prefer a fresh exotic fruit to a processed form of chocolate, but that’s just me.

This time, I saved my Cupuaçu seeds and have them happily growing in pots. All the Theobroma species produce recalcitrant seeds so don’t save them too long or let them dry out. Keep them moist and, after removing the pulp and cleaning them, plant as soon as possible into evenly moist, well drained media. Just like Cacao

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30 LaNDscape Hawaii JULY | AUGUST 2014

Remember those power equip-ment questions from the last issue? Let’s see how well you did, and review some engine basics.

Question 1—2 cycle engines don’t have valves. True/False

FALSE—Do you know if your 2-cycle engine has valves? Traditional 2-cycle engines do not have valves. However, in order to meet EPA compliance regula-tions some manufacturers have designed a 2-cycle engine with valves. (These are called hybrid 2-cycle engines. They still use mixed fuel.) Essentially, it is an attempt to create a “cleaner burning, reduced emis-sions, more fuel efficient engine” without sacrificing torque and the power and versatility of the 2-cycle engine. However, these engines are heavier, and require ad-ditional maintenance. Because they have more moving parts, there are more parts that need to be checked and potentially be replaced.

Most buyers do not realize (because they do not read the operator’s manual) that the valve adjustments must be checked after specified hours of usage. For commercial users, this means that valve adjustments must go on the list of maintenance items to be checked. (Valve cover gaskets should be stocked so when the valve cover is removed, the gasket should be replaced regardless of whether the valves need to be adjusted.)

Question 2—All small engines require air, fuel, spark, and compression to operate properly. True/False

TRUE, TRUE, TRUE! The absence of any of these means that your machine either will not start and/or will not run. These should be a guide for troubleshoot-ing the machine. Each should be evalu-ated in a systematic fashion. When going through the process of troubleshooting your machine, each of these components must be checked for any problems, and replaced/repaired if necessary. Check-ing some of these factors require special

tools which should be made available to the mechanic so that he can do his job adequately.

Question 3 – All small engines require at least 100 lbs. of compression to operate properly. True/False

TRUE – Hint: small engines will not start with low compression (under 100 lbs). First, do you have a compression tester? (They are available at most auto-motive stores.) Hint 2: Your recoil starter can be difficult to pull, but the engine still may not have sufficient compression. If your compression is low this is probably an indication of internal engine problems, which will require repair. In some cases a short-block replacement (if available) is a more practical alternative than just a top-end rebuild.

Question 4 – No mower, riding or walk-behind, with a 4-cycle engine, should be used on a slope greater than 45 degrees. True/False

p h Y L L i S J O N E S

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Page 31: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

Hawaiiscape.com 31ThE VOiCE OF hAWAii’S GREEN iNDUSTRY

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Again,TRUE,TRUE – This is a safety, as well as a mechanical issue. When driv-ing on Pali Highway, I frequently see the state’s road crew on their riding mowers mowing the grass on the slope. They are hanging on to the roll cage frame with one hand, and steering with the other. How long will the engine last? Four-cycle engines are not meant to be used on applications with slopes greater than 45 degrees, no matter what the application. The greater the incline, the less lubrication to the engine parts; the greater the risk for engine damage.

Question 5—The operation-al life expectancy of any piece of equipment will depend on frequency of use; the applica-tion; and the quality and regularity of a maintenance program. True/False

Always TRUE – This question relates

to the purchasing of equipment, and the developing of a maintenance program by people who are knowledgeable and will diligently maintain the maintenance program. NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, but you will get longer life when there is greater attention paid to the maintaining

of the equip-ment.

When purchasing equipment make a list of things you need based on time us-age, and application. Then, when talking to the salesman, ask questions based on your list. Check on those things, which are the most important to your particu-lar situation. Ask to see the operator’s manual, which will give you an idea of the maintenance routine each machine requires. (Should warranty issues arise, maintenance routines are critical when determining whether or not a warranty

will be approved.)How did you do?? These questions

were meant to draw your attention to some basic engine principles, that have a huge impact on your equipment. In a future article we will address another misunder-stood topic—warranty.

Phyllis Jones is with A to Z Equipment and Sales, formally A to Z Rental Center, in business for over 25 years.

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Page 32: LICH Landscape Hawaii Magazine  Jul Aug 2014 Issue

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