By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office in Logandale has received several calls lately regarding, what seems to be, an increase of dead branches on pine and ash trees in the valley.
Homeowners say that the problem begins to show itself with dead needles or leaves at the end of branches and then spreads throughout the trees. Often it results in the loss of the whole tree. Although this has been a problem for many years, reports of struggling trees have been increasing lately as the problem seems to be progressing.
Local certified horticulturalist, Master Gardener, and Cooperative Extension volunteer, Andrea Meckley visited local properties last week with homeowners to view the damage to the trees.
“This is a problem that is facing all of southern Nevada and not just Moapa Valley,” Meckley said. “We’ve seen it in Vegas for about the last ten years. The difference now is that the problem seems to be progressing.”
Part of the problem, Meckley went on to explain, may be the number of trees that are stressed. “Stressed trees attract problems and we are seeing more and more stressed trees,” she said. “The primary cause of stressed trees in this area is underwatering. When trees are stressed, they naturally become more susceptible to attacks from pests and/or diseases of any type.”
The increase in the number of people reporting such problems with their trees recently has prompted the local Cooperative Extension office to call in state professionals that will be touring some local residences this week to help determine the cause of the problem. Las Vegas Cooperative Extension horticulturalist ML Robison and State Entomologist Jeff Knight will be traveling to Moapa Valley and meeting with local UNCE staff to discuss the symptoms and to tour some affected properties in an effort to diagnose the problem.
“We had many homeowners volunteer their trees for examination and we’ll be traveling to several of them,” said local UNCE horticulturalist Peggy Raines. “I don’t know that we’ll have definitive answers right away, but at least we’ll be making inroads.”
Northeastern Clark County Extension Educator Carol Bishop said, “This has been a concern for so many people in the valley. We are working with our expert partners to find the cause of the problem and hopefully find a solution. The purpose of Cooperative Extension is to bring academic resources and research to the community and we’re very happy to be able to do that. We’re here to help.”
Although Bishop also is unsure if there will be an easy solution to the problem, she is certain that after this week, there will at least be more information to go by and more answers to what is happening. Bishop says that the information gleaned from this week’s examinations will be processed and released to the public as soon as it is ready. For more information, contact the local UNCE office at 702-397-2604.
