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By Sherrie Chaparro, Resident Over the past year and a half my husband and I watched as three of our back yard trees sickened and die. Perhaps the trees were echoing our state of mind. But now, fully vaccinated and out and about, we made plans to replace the trees. We called in a professional for the dead tree removal and he discovered the problem was a bark beetle infestation. California now has 20 invasive species of bark beetles, of which 10 species have been discovered since 2002. There is a beetle for just about every type of tree. And apparently, there is not much you can do for your tree once the infestation has taken hold. Healthy trees are less likely to be attacked and are better able to survive attacks, so keep your trees properly mulched, watered, pruned and fertilized to lessen the chances of a bark beetle infestation. Mulching: Most sites recommend spreading two to three inches of organic (not rock) mulch around the base of the tree to the edge of the canopy. Keep the mulch evenly spread and do not allow it to pile up around the trunk. Watering: Irrigate around the outer canopy, not near the trunk. Avoid frequent, shallow watering. A general recommendation is to irrigate trees infrequently, such as twice a month during drought periods. However, a sufficient amount of water must be used so that the water penetrates deeply into the soil (about 1 foot below the surface). Pruning: Winter is a good time to prune most landscape trees. You can do it at other times, but in general, avoid pruning landscape trees in mid-to-late summer (July, August and September). Generally, prune trees during the dormant season (November, December, January). Fertilizing: The best times for fertilizing are in early spring, midyear and fall. I learned at Cagliero Nursery to fertilize on St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day. A "Triple 15" fertilizer has 15 parts nitrogen, 15 parts potassium and 15 parts phosphorus and is the perfect combination for trees. Fertilizers are available as liquids to spray or granular to spread. Being a lazy gardener, I prefer the fertilizer stakes which I hammer into the ground. I freely admit doing this research into proper tree care for my own knowledge in order save our remaining trees and keep our new trees healthy. I hope some of you may put what I've learned to good use and prevent bark beetle infestation in your own backyards. ATTACK OF THE BARK BEETLE By Theresa Rossetti, Resident One of my co-committee members occasionally writes about great books to read or TV shows to watch. Some of you may be delighted with the suggestions, others give them a pass. As my Dad used to say, "To each his own said the old lady as she kissed the cow ." Some of us just may have an obsession with home improvement shows, plotting and planning how to re-do some of the builder supplied features of our homes. HGTV and the DIY network to the rescue! Do you have a secret wish for the Property Brothers to redesign your home? Or Waco, TX residents Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame to arrive here and add shiplap everywhere? Perhaps Erin and Ben Napier of Home Town could show up and bring Laurel, Mississippi charm to our community? The possibilities seem endless! I confess that I am longing to re-do my kitchen cabinets. Taking a look at all these shows may give us some decorating ideas, a great chance to help us decide what we like and what we don't. Home Improvement shows are so popular that they now have a streaming service enabling us to pay even more money to watch TV (remember when it was free?)! The Discovery Plus channel, launched in January, carries their library of shows and those from Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, A&E, DIY and many more. T o confuse us even more, there is a report online that in January of 2022, the Magnolia Network (The Gaines' current streaming channel) will take over the DIY Network. Think this is all nonsense? It's reported that the Scott Brothers' net worth is $200 million, the Gaines are doing just fine at $20 mil, and the Napiers are comfortable at $5 million. The ancillary monetary benefit of these shows can't be discounted either. Both Waco, TX and Laurel, MS have reaped the rewards. Waco, formerly infamous for cult leader David Koresh, now draws four times the number of tourists monthly. Laurel as well has seen a big increase in tourists, coming to see, eat and spend their money, as well as new homebuyers, eager to live in their small town. In the meantime, will I ever do anything about my now-hated kitchen cabinets, or just keep dreaming? Obsession? I Think Not SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | JUNE 2021 13 Our Pet Food Drive for the Ramona Humane Society was very successful because of you! The shelter received over 1,000 lbs. of dog and cat food. You are true heroes to the dog and cats to help them stay healthy while trying to find their forever homes. Also, to be thanked, Linda Winstead and her sister Susan for collecting and transporting the food donations to RHS. Valarie Rahbany, Volunteer/Foster Coordinator at RHS sent the below "Thank You" on behalf of all the animals. Jim and I, Mary Ellen (on Corte Alamonte) want to say a special "thank you" to all our wonderful Solera community for your compassion and generosity.

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