Landscape Hawaii May June 2015

LandscapeIndustry
CouncilofHawai’i
P.O.Box22938
HonoluluHI96823-2938
D E S I G N I S S U E
LandscapeIndustry
CouncilofHawai’i
P.O.Box22938
HonoluluHI96823-2938
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UH ROOF
DESIGN
GOING
VERTICAL
HOW
COLORS
AFFECT
DESIGNCOLOR AFFECTS PEOPLE’S
RESPONSES TO LANDSCAPES
DESIGNING GREEN WALLS
TIPS ON DESIGNING
ROOF GARDENS
MAY | JUNE 2015

THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENTS
4 PRESIDENT COLUMN
14 CERTIFICATION COLUMN
24 PEST COLUMN
26 TURFGRASS
30 TOOL TIPS
FEATURES
4 LICH NEWS
10 NATURAL PEST CONTROL
12 GREEN PRODUCTS
18 INVASIVE SPECIES AWARDS
23 TREE CLIMBING
27 LOW VOLTAGE LANDSCAPE LIGHTING
COVER STORIES
6 HOW COLOR AFFECTS DESIGN
14 GOING VERTICAL
20 UH ROOF DESIGN
23
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‘i
P. O. Box 22938, Honolulu HI 96823-2938
Editor
Christopher A. Dacus
chris.dacus@gmail.com
Advertising Sales
Michael Roth
rothcomm@lava.net
Membership
Jason Ezell
jason.ezell@gmail.com
Designer
Darrell Ishida
Cover Photo
Andy Kaufman
B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S
Chris Dacus Brandon Au
President Vice President
Matt Lyum Rick Quinn
Treasurer Secretary
Norman Allen Clifford Migita
Orville Baldos Dorothy Mulkern
Carl Evensen Karen Ostborg
Jason Ezell Edmundo Reyes
Mark Fukui Josh Sand
Randy Liu Allan Schildknecht
Christy Martin Mark Suiso
Chris McCullough
Director Emeritus
Jay Deputy Steve Nimz
Lelan Nishek Boyd Ready
Garrett Webb
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PHOTO BY DAVID GRAHAM, COURTESY OF ISA

4 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015 HAWAIISCAPE.COM 5THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
Beachside Lighting
905 Kalanianaole Hwy. #29A
Kailua, HI 96734 USA
(808) 263-5717
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W H AT S H A P P E N I N G
NEWS
lich
UPCOMING ISSUES
Jul/Aug 2015
Theme: Site Furniture
Story Deadline: June 5
Sept/Oct 2015
Theme: Conference
Story Deadline: August 7
Nov/Dec 2015
Theme: Historical Landscapes
Story Deadline: October 2
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
HAWAIIDESIGNERSCHANGED
THETROPICALWORLD
2015HAWAIIASLA
DESIGNAWARDS
COMPETITION
Although Hawaii is the most isolated islands in the world we have a lot to be proud of
as designers. Our state has been the source for fashion, resort architecture and tropical
landscape design that has changed the world.
We created what is now a billion dollar industry in surf and aloha wear. Travel anywhere
in the world to surf destinations and Hawaii designs are everywhere. It’s cool to wear
Hawaii inspired clothes.
We can be equally proud of the impact of Hawaii landscape design. Hawaii’s landscape
design has been imitated in every tropical destination in the world. Much of the credit
belongs to Hawaii’s first designers – Richard Tonng, George Walters, Catherine Jones
Richards and Robert Oliver Thompson. In 1936, Richard C. Tongg and Loraine E.
Kuck, wrote the iconic book that documented tropical design - “The Tropical Garden:
Its Design, Horticulture, And Plant Materials.” It became the gold standard for tropical
landscape design worldwide. For 40 years, Hawaii landscape designers spread Ha-
waii-based tropical design around the world. Travel anywhere in the tropics and you
will see the influence of Hawaii tropical landscape design.
Now almost 80 years after the birth of tropical design, the University of Hawaii School
of Architecture is preparing to launch Hawaii’s first Masters of Landscape Architecture.
Hawaii has been the leader in designing the tropical world and the future is even bright-
er as we prepare to produce a new generation of designers.
Enjoy our issue on landscape design and get inspired!
Aloha,
Chris Dacus
President
MAHALO TO LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF HAWAII SPONSORS
WEBSITE SPONSORS
BY CAROL KWAN
Jamilee Kempton did Hawaii proud
by winning the International Tree
Climbing Championship women’s di-
vision in Kissimmee, Florida on March
22, 2015. Here’s a short interview with
Jamilee, our star of tree climbing:
Where did you grow up?
North of Seattle, Washington
What did you like to do as a kid?
I liked to play sports – basketball, volley-
ball, and soccer
What brought you to Hawaii?
Sunshine. Seriously! It’s warm here and
you actually get to see the sun!
How did you get into tree climbing?
When did you start?
I got into tree climbing by accident. I
didn’t know this job existed until around
August 2011 when I joined the Aloha
Arborist Association (AAA). I found AAA
online. I was talking to Dave Ringuette
who does the arboriculture program at
Windward Community College (WCC).
Looking into subtropical tree care led me
to AAA. I’ve been involved with AAA ever
since. I think AAA has contributed a lot
to my success as a climber because of the
support from other members and the edu-
cational opportunities. I started climbing
shortly after my first meeting. I had my
own gear and I started learning on my
own. Steve Connolly was a huge mentor
and other climbers have helped along the
way as well. I went through the subtropical
urban tree program at WCC and there was
a course on tree climbing there too.
What do you like best about tree climbing?
Working as a tree climber has been one of
the most physically and mentally challeng-
ing things that I’ve ever done and I enjoy
a challenge. Once you’ve learned how to
well work in a tree and things are running
smoothly, it brings a kind of peace, like a
Zen moment.
I’ve heard that your first date with your
boyfriend, AAA president Steve Connolly,
was climbing a tree. How did that
happen?
Steve had everything all ready to go at the
Lyon Arboretum. He’d set a throw line in
a huge Ficus at 140’. We went up and had
lunch. We were tossing fruit and water bot-
tles across to each other because we were
sitting on different branches. He took me
out to sushi afterwards. It was a great date!
Do you enjoy competing on an interna-
tional level? What do you like best?
I love competing on an international level.
I’m surrounded by about 18 women who do
what I do and it’s really cool. It’s great to hang
out with other women just like me. I also love
the emphasis on safety at all of the levels of
Tree Climbing Championships (TCCs).
You broke the women’s world record in
footlocking. Were you surprised? Do you
have any technique tips to share?
Yes, I was surprised. Footlocking is really
difficult. It’s not 100% speed, it’s mostly
technique. It comes down to smaller things
like breathing and how high you lift your
knees. I inhale when I lift my legs and exhale
when I lock my feet on the rope and step
really hard. That’s really helped my rhythm.
How did it feel to win ITCC?
It felt great! I was happy and had a really
good time. I was focused on having a ball
and not stressing about trying to win the
event. I didn’t have any expectations for
myself, I just focused on having fun and
keeping it simple.
Now that you’ve won, do you have any
new goals?
I enjoy competing but I have plans to pay
it forward and join the volunteer team for
the International Tree Climbing Champi-
onship (ITCC). My next major goal is to go
back to school and finish a business degree.
I’m planning to start full time this fall at
University of Hawaii.
Carol Kwan is the President of Carol
Kwan Consulting, a Certified Arborist, and
a Director of Aloha Arborist Association
and the Western Chapter International
Society of Arboriculture.
Sorry, correction to March/April 2015
issue…For the Lobate Lac Scale arti-
cle submitted by Zhiqiang Cheng and
Bishnu Bhandari, the correct sub-ti-
tle should have been “Invasive plant
insect pest invades Oahu’s urban
landscape.”
The Hawaii Chapter of the American
Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
is pleased to announce the 2015 Hawaii
ASLA Design Awards Competition.
Every three years, the Hawaii Chapter
of the ASLA honors the best in landscape
architecture design and planning in and
by practitioners from Hawaii. The calen-
dar for the 2015 awards is as follows:
n Friday, July 10th
Entry Submissions Due
n Friday, Sept 18th
Chapter Design Awards Gala
For more information, go to the
chapter website: www.hawaiiasla.org/
call-entries-2015-design-awards/. And
please share with those who you feel
will be interested.
INTERVIEW:
JAMILEEKEMPTON
ITCCWOMEN’S
CHAMPION2015
PHOTOBYDAVIDGRAHAM,COURTESYOFISA

ARELANDSCAPES
MONOCHROMATICBY DR. ANDY KAUFMAN, MLA, ASLA
I
n response to the first part of
the title is, of course not! Unless
you have severe color blindness,
the landscapes we design, install,
maintain, and actually view, are
filled with a multitude of colors.
To address the second part of the title,
well that’s when things get interesting,
and as landscape designers, installers,
maintenance contractors, arborists,
nursery production and sales etc., we
like it interesting! Essentially, what
landscape industry personnel, as well as
avid gardeners ask is: how to use colors
in landscape design effectively? Which
seems like a very logical question to ask!
When I am asked this question my reply
is, maybe what we should be asking is:
what colors humans respond to and why,
and then does this make a difference in
the landscape?
At the University of Hawaii’s Tropi-
cal Landscape and Human Interaction
Lab, this is one of a variety of landscape
questions/issues that we explore. When
I was taking my first landscape design
class, I remember listening to the profes-
sor talk about colors in the landscape can
be either cool or warm and the way they
are composed can create different moods
within the landscape. It took me a while
to really comprehend this, even though
it seemed pretty straight forward. At the
time, I was more focused on learning
the basic elements of design such as line,
texture, repetition, balance, form, variety,
unity and simplicity and so forth. Color
seemed so obvious, well that is until I
had to render my fisrt drawing and plant
my first design composition. Then, color
became more than I had ever thought or
seen in the context of the landscape!
WhatisColor
To understand how color relates to
the landscape, it is helpful to understand
some basic principles of color. In looking
at some basic aspects of color, it is known
as the visual perceptual property equiv-
alent in what people categorize as red,
blue, yellow, etc. This notion of color that
we all refer to is actually a “hue”. So to be
proper, the next time someone asks you
what is your favorite color, to be techni-
cally correct you should reply my favorite
hue is…..! So this concept of a color really
derives from the spectrum of light (distri-
bution of light power versus wavelength)
interacting in your eye within the spectral
sensitivities of the light receptors. So, col-
or (hue) is also associated with objects or
materials based on their physical proper-
ties such as light absorption, reflection,
or emission spectra.
When trying to make sense of
what this all means, it helps to look
at the colors on a color wheel to see
how they relate (Figure 1). The color
wheel represents colors in primary
and secondary and tertiary relation-
ships such as blue, red, and yellow
which are referred as primary colors.
The corresponding secondary colors
are green, orange, and violet or purple;
with tertiary colors being red–orange,
red–violet, yellow–orange, yellow–green,
blue–violet and blue–green. In relation to
landscape, these color relationships are
referred to as Analogous colors: Colors on
the wheel that are located next to one an-
other are considered analogous. These are
colors that easily blend into one another.
A landscape composed with an analogous
palette will usually appear to be peaceful
and fluid, projecting an overall sense of
harmony. Next, Complimentary colors:
Colors opposite one another on the
color wheel are complimentary. These
are usually bold, powerful pairings that
lend a vibrant dynamic quality. When
complimentary colors are used together
the human eye picks up a visual vibration
where they meet. When complimentary
colors are used creatively in a landscape,
it can be perceived as being festive and
stimulating and plants have the tendency
to pop with intensity. Following is the
notion of Hot colors: Colors are grouped
by temperature. Hot colors are red, yel-
low, orange, which in the landscape can
be considered vibrant and alive. These
are robustly existing hues where a little
bit goes a long way. Lastly, there are what
is identified as Cool colors: Blue, green,
white, soft pinks and pale yellows are
considered cool colors. They passive and
establish some of the most valued hues
for hot climates. Cool colors are also said
to be majestic and sophisticated.
There are just a few more basic aspects
of color that are relevant for a landscape
composition. These are: Saturation,
Brightness, and Color value. Satu-
ration is the attribute of color being
strong and deep or shallow; bright-
ness being the attribute of a color
being dull, sharp or clear. Looking
closer at color value, which is a term
used to describe the intensity of a color.
An example of this is a black and white
photograph that shows the image in many
shades of grey. The varying degree of light
and dark is what actually is creating the
image you are seeing. The same applies
to color intensity. When choosing bold
colors to use for example in a hardscape,
value can be significant. Too much value
may spoil a subtle design accent, while the
same color in a lighter value can become
washed out. These are some of the subtle
differences that landscape practitioners
struggle with to find the exact hues, values
etc. for a desired landscape effect. So how
can we understand all this better?
ColorResearch
Research has been helping to reveal
what all these color characteristics mean,
and how humans respond to them. For
instance, going back to the question
earlier of what is your favorite color, sorry
I mean hue is? It has always been thought
CAN COLOR IN THE LANDSCAPE AFFECT
PEOPLE’S EMOTIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL
RESPONSES TO LANDSCAPES?
Figure 1. Color Wheel
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY KAUFMAN

that hue, was the driving force in color
preference. Research now has indicated
that it is the saturation of a color, the at-
tribute of color being strong and deep or
shallow, that actually drives peoples color
preference. Additionally, research looking
at people’s hue preference range indicated
that peoples most preferred hue was blue,
followed by green, then red, and lastly
yellow. It has also been reported that
adult association between color and emo-
tion revealed that blue, green, red, and
yellow had high positive responses. When
researchers looked for the reasons behind
these positive responses, they found the
following results. People indicated that
blue represented the ocean & water to
them, green was associated with environ-
ment (trees and nature), red was reported
as being a strong positive and warm color,
and finally people said that yellow was
bright like the sun. It is really interesting
that these color responses were relat-
ed to what people responded to when
viewing color chips. This information
is fascinating and will make some good
conversation during those odd moments
at the next Thanksgiving dinner table, but
for the landscape industry what does this
mean, how can we use it?
LandscapeandColor
Surprisingly, few studies have specif-
ically examined the color of plants and
its influence on people’s emotional and
physiological behavior in the landscape.
Researches in the 1990’s started to think
about this and commented that, “in the
investigation of generic plant attributes,
such as tree size and shape, color has been
neglected”. In fact, early research studies
on plant preferences intentionally avoid-
ed colors other than green to remove
distractions.
In order to address this lack of specific
research, I conducted a study looking at
people’s psychological responses to tree
color to see if the findings could be used in
landscape design, installation and mainte-
nance. Specifically, I wanted to provide in-
formation about whether different plant/
tree colors contribute to arousing and
calming landscapes: determine whether
people respond differently physiologically/
emotionally to trees of different canopy
colors. Since trees are the most enduring
amenities in the landscape I thought this
would be a good place to start.
Psychophysiological Measures
The majority of past research that has
been done studied emotion with a focus
on arousal, since arousal indicates the
degree of energy evoked or engagement
in an experience, such as excited or tense
versus relaxed or sleepy. As part of the
Tropical Landscape and Human Interac-
tion lab, I have psychophysiology equip-
ment (See figure 2.) which can measure
people’s emotional and physiological
responses, such as arousal, to a stimulus;
in this case, looking at landscape trees of
different colors.
Psychophysiology measures “action
potential” of a muscle from neurons gen-
erating this potential in muscles. Essen-
tially, it is a pre-cognitive measurement
similar to a person’s innate flight or fight
response. In the lab, we have the ability
to measure a person’s: ECG (heart rate,
which is an indicator of attention), EEG
(brain alpha wave activity which is an
indicator of wakeful relaxation), EMG (fa-
cial muscular reactions which are indica-
tors of positive and negative processing),
and GSR (galvanic skin response which is
an indicator of arousal or calmness levels).
For this article, I will just discuss GSR:
Skin Conductance results as the major-
ity of past research that has been done
studied emotion with a focus on arousal.
Arousal indicates the degree of energy
evoked or engagement in an experience,
such as excited or tense versus relaxed or
sleepy which seems relevant to landscape
processing.
HowWeMeasured
People were invited to the lab to par-
ticipate in a landscape study. After they
arrived they were seated and prepared for
the study. Once electrode sensors were at-
tached, people began to view tree pictures
as their psychophysiological measures
were being recorded in real time. People
viewed a randomly assigned order of 18
different images of a generic mature tree
with a spreading canopy and dark trunk
which was computer-generated. A picture
of a real tree was not used because previ-
ous research has indicated that the human
brain will allow a person to process an al-
tered image and accept it, but if a real pic-
ture is altered, then rejection of this image
is more likely. Therefore, the tree image
was designed to be easy to recognize as a
tree and to be visually pleasing. Although
this article will only be discussing the
skin conductance (GSR) results; smile and
frown muscle activity (EMG); heart rate
(ECG) and alpha brain waves (EEG) were
also measured in this study.
As mentioned earlier, skin conduc-
tance is done by measuring sweat gland
activity, which is a direct indicator of acti-
vation in the sympathetic nervous system
and positive readings indicate arousal or
emotional dimensions. Changes in skin
conductance are associated with viewing
pleasant or unpleasant pictures, as com-
pared to neutral materials. Again, during
the presentation of tree images, psycho-
physiology measures were recorded and
after the 18 tree images were viewed a
post-viewing questionnaire was given so
people could now comment on each tree
they had viewed.
WhatDidWeFindOut
People responded differently to trees
with different hues (Figure 2). All readings
in this study were below zero, (Figure 2)
indicating that viewing these images of
trees was calming. These responses sup-
port past research that plants have calm-
ing and restorative effects. Additionally,
it turns out that people physiologically
responded differently to the different hues
of trees that they viewed; and they also
responded differently to the different sat-
uration levels of a particular hue (Figure 3).
The data revealed that people apparently
felt calmer when viewing the tree with the
control green canopy than when viewing
trees with red, orange, or yellow cano-
pies. Viewing the yellow canopy, which
could indicate a tree with low vigor or a
severe nutrient deficiency, appeared to be
least calming (Figure 2). Conversely, this
non-calming yellow tree response could
be an activation of internal evolution-
ary responses to landscapes in us in the
context of “landscape Sustainability”. One
explanation could be when seeing a tree/
plant in flower could be indicating future
resource on an evolutionary level and such
as immediate resource if there were fruits.
Or, if it was just a healthy green tree could
be indicating a tree with lots of sugars and
carbohydrates available for consumption.
Specifically, this can be explained by an
innate response to plant color intensities
as they would represent different nutri-
ent levels of a plant just as other research
studies have indicated in primates. An
important aspect to remember is, when
peoples physiological recording are being
captured, it is a pre- cognitive (before
rational thought) measurement, and they
were not told if a tree had fruit or flowers,
they were simply responding to the
images. Even more intriguing is the dif-
ferences in skin conductance within the
green hues (Figure 3). Skin conductance
was significantly lower when viewing the
tree with the control green canopy than
when viewing either the dark green or
the light green canopies, indicating that
the control green was the most calming.
This suggests that humans maybe able to
discriminate among particular plant color
saturation levels based on the potential
nutritive value, just as has been docu-
mented in other primate studies who
have trichromatic vison (the same vison
capabilities that humans have).
WhatDoesAllThisMean
For the landscape industry, this may
have tremendous impacts from design,
installation, and maintenance. First, these
results empirically validate the assump-
tion that plant color has different physio-
logical effects on people. While viewing a
tree canopy in any color was calming; the
presence of plants with a good healthy
green color was particularly calming
physiologically. So by maintaining heathy
plants in a landscape can produce positive
physiological and emotional response
from people viewing and interacting with
them.
Additionally, depending on the in-
tended outcome, planting a tree/plant of
a specific color may actually matter! For
instance, plants of calming color charac-
teristics could be used in hospital settings
to calm not only the patients, and visitors,
but how about the doctors and nurses! I
think we would all rather have a relaxed
hospital staff member attending to us
than someone who is stressed! Addition-
ally, plants with calming characteristics
could be used in parks, senior citizen
developments, and business districts, etc.
Conversely, plants of arousing color char-
acteristics along highways, oh maybe like
H-1 in bumper to bumper traffic and your
head starts to drop from monotonous
boredom of 3-6 miles per hour maybe of
some benefit? Or may be sport complexes
and places of commerce could value from
plants with arousing characteristics to
keep the excitement going?
By understanding more about what
plant colors humans respond to and why,
and then how they may be better utilized
in landscape, the design, installation and
maintenance, practices could produce
more profitable, sustainable and aestheti-
cally pleasing landscapes in Hawaii.
Dr. Kaufman is an Asso-
ciate Professor/Landscape
Specialist with the Univer-
sity of Hawaii and heads
the Tropical Landscape
and Human Interaction
Lab. He is an award win-
ning landscape designer with an extensive
background in the landscape industry over
the past twenty-eight years. He teaches
landscape architecture and horticulture
courses. His research focuses investigating
how plants affect people socially, psycholog-
ically, and physiologically and implications
on landscape design. He also conducts
research on the mitigation of tsunami and
storm surge by plants, tropical tree research
and on green roof technologies for tropical
environments.
Figure 2. Skin Conductance: Green Versus Non-Green Hues
Figure 3. Skin Conductance: Different Green Hues

HAWAIISCAPE.COM 11
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the next two steps are fundamental
cornerstones of an organic land care
program in Hawai‘i - here comes the
coveted TRADE SECRET, and I share
it with you today in hopes that you
will try out a new approach, exper-
iment, find what works for you and
relinquish those chemicals for the
benefit and safety of us all.
Firstly, a daily watering schedule
(especially overhead spray) in a hot dry
climate will 100% guaranteed create
the perfect warm-humid conditions
for molds, fungal disease and explo-
sive plant growth - all undesirable for
landscapes in an arid climate. Instead
of watering daily, get that program
down to 2x and at the most 4x per
week. It’s simple, just add up the total
amount of time a station needs for 1
week. Example: 7 min/day = 49 min/
wk. Divide the product by the number
of desired run times per week, let’s
say 3. Now set the station to run for
STEPS TO A ORGANIC LAND CARE PEST CONTROL PROGAM
THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY10 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015
I
f you’ve worked in Hawaii’s
Resort Landscape industry for
awhile, you may have realized
that despite our very best efforts
at controlling or eliminating
insect pests from our plants,
whether chemical or organic, the pests
always seem to return.
Over the past eleven years of design-
ing, installing, and managing land-
scapes, I have finally found success in
achieving a landscape completely free
from pest infestation - and the best
part is - absolutely NO chemicals are
required. In fact, for best results - ex-
clude the use of ALL chemical inputs -
herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and
even chemical fertilizers, because they
all negatively impact soil life and bene-
ficial predatory insects. Healthy SOIL
LIFE is one of the secrets to developing
a landscape that is TOTALLY PEST
FREE, and your clients will LOVE you
not only for the beauty and vibrance
of their property but especially for not
applying any po-tentially hazardous
and toxic materials on their landscape
that may increase their risk of cancer
and disease.
Last issue I shared the first 2 steps
of my 4 step process, Step 1: remove
heavily infested plant materials and
make sure plants are well suited for
their location - move or eliminate them
if not. Step 2: treat the remaining pest
population with organic, non-toxic
controls such as neem oil so-lution and
soapy water solution. Always rotate
applications of your chosen organic
controls. Refrain from using chemical
controls, they will continually set back
your progress by killing off beneficial
predatory insects already living in your
landscape.
Rather than more control measures,
16min. at 3 times per week. Simple, easy,
everyone can do it and the pest infesta-
tions will hate you for this.
Finally, let’s develop plant immuni-
ty and resistance. A plant that is well
suited for it’s location, watered properly,
and resistant to pests - WONT BE IN-
FESTED. Sure, during the wet season a
few insect pests might show up here and
there, but scantily, and this never leads
to infestation and ongoing control in my
experience.
So how do we grow resistant plants?
We start by putting LIFE back into the
soil and onto the plant surfaces with
once per month applications of Actively
Aerated Vermi-Compost Tea, which is
an aerobic compost tea made with worm
castings and high quality compost. We
apply this at the rate of 1 gal./75 sqft.
to the ENTIRE landscape soaking all
plants, trees, ground covers, and even
the turf grass. Beneficial microbes in
the compost tea help by digesting sugary
exudates on the leaf surface further
reducing food supply for unwanted pests
like black sooty mold and sap sucking
insects. The compost tea drips pro-
fusely off of the leaves and into the soil,
super-charging it with trillions upon
trillions of beneficial bacteria, fungi,
and protozoa. Furthermore, key trace
minerals and nutrients, pre-digested
in the worm gut, are made many times
more available to the plant and readi-
ly absorbed directly through the leave
surfaces immediately in-creasing plant
health, vigor, resistance and beauty. The
benefits are to numerous to fit here and
the science surrounding the depth and
breadth of soil-plant-microbial associ-
ations is vast and still developing, but
I can tell you with utmost certainty -
THIS WORKS.
What I have presented here is the
culmination of a decade of experience
and study, but the real treasure in all of
this is YOU, and it always will be. You
are vital to what’s going on, and it is your
choice to make a change, I can only make
it easy, available, and within reach, but
you must reach out and grab it. All great
change starts first in our own backyard.
Micah Barker runs the
organic landscape com-
pany Bio-Scape Hawaii
LLC, and also serves as
Secretary on the HILA
Board of Directors.
BY MICAH BARKER
PART 2
NATURAL PEST
CONTROL
PHOTOS: MICAH BARKER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICAH BARKER

12 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015 HAWAIISCAPE.COM 13
Arborjet and University of Hawai‘i Department of Plant and
Environmental Protection Sciences are working together to
find solutions to Banyan Stem Galling Wasp and Lobate Lac
Scale, two pests threatening Hawai‘i’s banyan trees.
What’s Bugging
the Banyans?
For more information visit www.arborjet.com
or call 781-935-9070
WhatToLookForWhen
Purchasing“Green”Site
Furnishings
Many fail to realize the impact bench-
es, litter receptacles, tables, bike racks
and the like have on an outdoor setting.
They contribute to visitors’ perceptions of
the campus and to the “greening” of the
campus. When considering a purchase or
standardization of site furniture, research
manufacturers and consider the following.
LookForRecycledContent
How much of the product comes from
recycled materials? The majority of site
furniture manufacturers will offer steel
and recycled plastic; some also offer
aluminum and other recycled materials.
A quick perusal of the manufacturer’s
website will typically tell you the recycled
content of their materials.
LookForProvenDurability
Will these products last in the intend-
ed setting? At colleges and universities,
site furniture must sustain high usage.
The more durable the product, the less
often replacement purchases are made;
durability lowers your long term costs. In-
frequent purchases also cut down on the
carbon emissions from shipping. Another
benefit is durable products tend to be low
maintenance; low maintenance translates
to less use of energy, water or cleaning
chemicals.
LookForRecyclingOptions
How can these products be used to
encourage our students to recycle? Many
site furniture catalogs provide you with
ways to promote green initiatives on cam-
pus, particularly recycling initiatives. This
can often be achieved with special lids
and decals on existing litter receptacles or
through recycling stations customized to
accept your unique recyclables and litter.
LookForGreenCompanies
What steps has the manufacturer taken
internally to be green? From skylights to
save on electricity, to reusing scrapped
material for packaging, to energy efficient
infrared technology to eliminate CO2
emissions, there are many ways a com-
pany can proactively be environmentally
conscious.
Through carefully
integrated design
and innovative
use of material
and technology,
we at Victor
Stanley, Inc.®
have committed
ourselves to
manufacturing
durable, attractive,
strong, comfortable and
environmentally sustainable site
furniture. From design to pro-
duction, we continually strive to
reduce the energy and resource
demands of our manufacturing
process. We utilize thousands of tons of
recycled material each year to help con-
serve our planet’s natural resources. Our
commitment to energy efficiency has
resulted in a huge long-term in-
vestment in technology and
equipment, reduc-
ing our net
PRODUCTS
impact on energy resources. 100% of our
steel bar material is from domestic (USA)
electric furnace mills and is 98% recycled
steel. Our recycled plastic slats are over
90% recycled plastic and are extruded
domestically in our facility.
Victor Stanley products are designed
and constructed for commercial
application. Their compo-
nents are designed to with-
stand abuse and constant
traffic. All steel products
are coated throughout
with a polyester powder
coating, providing a highly
durable and long-lasting
surface. Visit www.vic-
torstanley.com for more
information on our full line
of site furnishings.
Emma Skalka is a native
Swede with degrees from the
University of Umea, Sweden
and UCLA. In 2007 she joined Vic-
tor Stanley, Inc., a site furnishing man-
ufacturer located in Dunkirk, Maryland,
where she is currently the Sales and Market-
ing Director. She is also an avid supporter of
the ASLA as well as the Cultural Landscape
Foundation, where she is a Stewardship
Council Member.”
GREEN
BY EMMA SKALKA
THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
PHOTOS COURTESY: VICTOR STANLEY

HAWAIISCAPE.COM 15THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
LICH WEBSITE
CERTIFICATION AND THE
14 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015
G A R R E T T W E B B
CORNER
certification
Log on to discover
all your landscaping
needs online
GEOBLOCK®
H20 Loading, H2O Friendly.
For Information call: 808-677-1580 or visit PrestoGeo.com
Are you an experienced landscaper?
Too busy to take classes?
Know the value of getting
Landscape Certified?
Want to add a certification
to your resume?
Self Study
A Different Route to Certification
Training Manual Order Forms
on the LICH web site:
www.hawaiiscape.com/training/
For more options, call the
LICT Administrator at
808 960-3650
Know the value of getting
Landscape Certified?
Want to add a certification
to your resume?
Self Study
A Different Route to Certification
Training Manual Order Forms
on the LICH web site:
www.hawaiiscape.com/training/
For more options, call the
LICT Administrator at
808 960-3650
Landscape Contractors need
Landscape Industry Certified
Technicians who are certified in
Softscape Installation
Landscape Architects are looking for
Companies with Softscape Installation
certified landscapers on staff
Softscape Installation LICT Test
this year in Kona
June 20, 2015
Test registration Deadline: May 26
Registration Forms are available on the
LICH web site, www.hawaiiscape.com
Landscape Contractors need
Landscape Industry Certified
Technicians who are certified in
Softscape Installation
Landscape Architects are looking for
Companies with Softscape Installation
certified landscapers on staff
Softscape Installation LICT Test
this year in Kona
June 20, 2015
Test registration Deadline: May 26
Registration Forms are available on the
LICH web site, www.hawaiiscape.com
Why we need to be
regular visitors to
www.hawaiiscape.com?
LICH has a wonderful web site, full of
useful information, blogs, past magazine
articles and more. But more than just
being a fun place to explore — for the
certified landscaper or those interested
in becoming certified, it is an important
resource and deserves being bookmarked
right on your home screen so you get
there quickly when you need to. Let’s look
at some of the ways that you as LICTs
and LICMs can manage and even market
your certification (see Hire a Professional
towards end on this article!) and how all
the information you need to get started in
certification is right there at your finger-
tips.
On the hawaiiscape.com
home page, when you click
on:
Certifications: you will see a descrip-
tion of the landscape certifications avail-
able in Hawaii.
Do you need a Registration Form or
study materials to study for the Land-
scape Industry Certified Manager test?
You can find that and all the basic infor-
mation on what certifications are avail-
able in Hawaii, from LICT to Certified
Arborist to Restricted Use a Pesticide
license.
When you place your cursor on Certi-
fications you will see the following page
headings in the drop down box:
LICT Program: more details on the
LICT program, a Training Manual Order
Form, and a link to the LICT test regis-
tration forms state-wide. The PLANET
(or NALP) Training Manuals are used
in many training classes and are a great
option if you want to Self Study for the
LICT Test.
They are also great resource for land-
scapers and land-
scape companies.
Training: you
will find yet another
Training Manual Or-
der Form. And on this
page you can download
Class Registration Forms
for Oahu, the Big Island and
Maui.
LICT Test Registration and
Information: everything you
need to know about taking the
LICT test, dates and times and
locations and other useful informa-
tion; registration Forms for Oahu,
Hawaii and Maui are there for you to
download.
Keeping your LIC Certification Cur-
rent: LICH is initiating a campaign to
promote companies that have Certified
Landscapers on staff. On this page and
on the Hire a Professional Page, there is a
list of every company in Hawaii who has
current LICTs on staff. The key to being
part of this marketing campaign is for
the individual LICT to re-certify and stay
current with PLANET (soon to be NALP)!
This page has all the information you
need about recertification; when and how
to re-certify, forms needed etc. It also has
a form that you can fill out and submit
right on line to update your current infor-
mation. This allows LICH and PLANET
(NALP) to stay in touch with you about
your certification and will assure that
your company contact information is
correct.
Another important feature of this page
is the Training Flyer. This online form is
available to Companies and Associations
etc. to request that their workshop or
other training event qualifies for CEUs;
after the form is submitted, a CEU Atten-
dance Form for that event is emailed to
the provider of the workshop. All training
events, workshops, and lectures should
submit the Training Flyer so that LICH
can help LICTs know about opportunities
for gaining CEUs!
Hire a Professional: lets the reader
know the benefits of hiring a professional
landscaper. Up until now, there has not
been a way for the public, property man-
agers, or government agencies to find a
company with LICTs on staff. To see a list
of companies with LICTs on staff, click on
the green button Now, companies with
staff who have kept up their certification
with PLANET (NALP) are on this list with
their contact information so that the
companies with LICTS, can be found.
Spend some time on the LICH web
site, and you will be surprised to see how
many of your questions may have answers
right at your finger tips.
Happy Surfing!
Garrett Webb, Landscape
Industry Certified Manager
(LICM) is the State Ad-
ministrator for the Hawaii
LICT Program and board
member for LICH.

BY BERNICE FIELDING
P
lants aren’t just for your
traditional gardens
anymore. In recent years
green walls have picked
up much momentum and
these structures are being
developed more readily in the urban en-
vironment. Not only are green walls aes-
thetically pleasing, they bring lush and
vibrant life to even the coldest and barest
of surfaces, both indoors and out. These
walls are a big part of the future of green
design and technology — they take the
technology and benefits of green roofs
and make it even more visually appealing
by: softening bare concrete, providing
shade, helping to conserve energy, pro-
viding urban agriculture, purifying the
air, yielding humidity and oxygen and
a much-needed touch of nature in the
urban built environment.
The term “green walls” encompasses
all forms of vegetated wall surfaces.
However, there are three main categories
of design: green façades, living retaining
walls, and living walls.
GreenFaçades
Green façades are systems in which
vines and climbing plants or cascading
groundcovers grow onto supporting struc-
tures. Plants that grow on green façades
are generally rooted into the ground at the
base of the structure, in elevated planters,
or even on rooftops. Green façades can be
attached to existing walls or built as free-
standing structures and are used for shade,
provide privacy and security, cool buildings
and can screen or embellish hardscape and
other built structures.
LivingRetainingWalls
Living retaining walls are engineered
living structures that are designed to
stabilize a slope, while supporting vege-
tation contained within their structure.
They provide structural strength, protect
slopes against erosion and, are often
modular for ease of installation. While
performing the same structural function
as their more widely known non-living,
solid-faced predecessors, the mature
living retaining wall is intended to be
fully covered by its vegetation so that it
will not only becomes visually appealing
green infrastructure but also creates a
space that can help to controls storm
water and become a habitat for wildlife.
LivingWalls
Perhaps some of the most ingenua-
tive and well-known green wall systems
are living walls. They are composed of
pre-planted panels, modules, blankets
or bags that are then affixed to a struc-
tural wall or freestanding frame. These
modules support a greater quantity and
diversity of plant species than green
façades and perform well in: both full
sun and shade, interior and exterior
applications, and can be found in both
tropical and temperate locations.
Perhaps no one is more well-known
for living wall creations than Patrick
Blanc, a French botanist, who, although
he did not invent the vertical garden, he
is responsible for modernizing and pop-
ularizing it. Beginning in 1988, Blanc is
responsible for many breathtaking living
walls, including one at the Musée du
Quai Branly in Paris, which boasts 15,000
plants and 150 different species.
Another example of Patrick Blanc’s
stunning living walls, is the Siam Para-
gon shopping center in Bangkok Thai-
land. It features a lush, rainforest-like
cascade of ferns, vines, sedum and moss,
plants that could be easily utilized in
Honolulu’s tropical climate.
As the living wall trend continues to
generate more interest over the years,
the world’s largest living wall was con-
structed for Japan’s Aichi Expo in 2005.
Measuring almost 500 feet long and
40 feet high, it was named ‘bio-lung’ to
convey the message that such expanses
WALLS
GREEN
Urban spaces are
being revitalized with
vibrant green walls
of vertical vegetation can help to purify
the air in urban environments.
The largest living wall in North Amer-
ica is at One PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh,
the headquarters of PNC Bank. The
2,380 square-foot living wall contains a
grand total of 14,448 plants and, since its
installation, studies have shown that the
south-facing wall of the building is 25%
cooler behind the green wall than am-
bient temperatures, proving that living
walls and vertical vegetation can help to
reduce energy consumption.
EdibleLivingWalls
More recently, some critics of these
popular vertical greenery designs argue
that such gardens aren’t being used to
their maximum potential unless they’re
edible.
Edible living walls can be used to
produce food in dense urban areas. Using
less space, edible walls can “produce
fruit, vegetables and herbs.” According
to The New York Times, urban farming
advocates see edible living wall systems
as a way to “lower food costs, increase
nutritional quality and cut fuel consump-
tion and carbon emissions by using fewer
delivery trucks.”
There have been a multitude of busi-
nesses such as; hotels, restaurants and
non-profits that have begun to implement
living walls and utilizing vertical space for
urban agriculture. The Campbell’s Soup
Company teamed up with Green Living
Technologies LLC to create a living wall
of the tomatoes grown for the compa-
ny’s iconic soup in Harlem, New York.
This “edible” food-producing wall brings
fresh, pesticide-free produce to an area
that lacks space for traditional horizontal
gardens.
In the south Bronx, an economical-
ly challenged urban area and the na-
tion’s poorest Congressional district. A
non-profit, the ‘Green Bronx Machine’
is on a social mission: to transform their
neighborhood into an organic farm, feed
their community healthy foods and devel-
op marketable skills for a brighter future.
They take over abandoned buildings and
vacant lots and while using no fossil fuels,
they grow fruit and vegetables on walls,
while helping people get healthy and cre-
ating jobs for underprivileged youths.”
Green Walls conserve energy by cooling
buildings, purify the air, help to con-
trol stormwater and pollution, beautify
the built environment and can help to
provide food in otherwise unusable urban
spaces. The benefits of implementing
green walls into the built environment
seems endless, Where will you take it
next?
Bernice Fielding was born in Singapore
and raised internationally, she owns her
own horticultural consulting business and
focuses her efforts on sustainable land-
scapes in the urban environment. She is
LEED accredited, a horticulturist, arborist,
garden writer and landscape designer. Her
work has been featured in multiple garden
books, and magazines, as well as being on
HGTV.
References:
www.webecoist.momtastic.com/
2009/03/02/beyond-green-roofs-15-
vertically-vegetated-buildings/
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_
Blanc
www.dirt.asla.org/2009/11/19/edi-
ble-walls-grow-in-popularity/
www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2013 /06/05/
growing-food-on-walls-to-vegecate-kids-
whats-next-in-social-transformation/
Green Façade Image
www.grea.udl.cat/en/fthesis.php?id=14
Living retaining wall Image: https://
stewardsofearth.wordpress.com/tag/re-
taining-wall/
Musée du quai Branly Image
www.greenroofs.com/projects/pview.
php?id=553
Siam Paragon shopping center Image
www.pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/vertical-
garden-the-art-of-organic-architecture/
Bio lung Image
http://www.umassdining.com/blog/sus-
tainability/green-walls-multifunction-
al-urban-gardening-technique
PNC Green Wall Image
http://imaginepittsburgh.com/now/tag/
tower-at-pnc-plaza/
PHOTOS COURTESY: KI CONCEPTS

HAWAIISCAPE.COM 19
huge pile of mulch, and they could do a
lot of damage to agriculture, to coco-
nuts, to our culture.”
Island Topsoil, Carmel Partners and
officials at the Hawai‘i Department of
Agriculture and U.S. Department of
Agriculture worked together on the best
protocols for short term and long term
clean-up of the site. This included using
a horizontal grinder on the mulch, al-
though eggs and smaller life stages could
survive, and the material still needed
to be disposed of so that it did not get
re-infested. Next came screening of the
materials, with some finished materi-
als spread onsite at no greater than 1.5
inches deep (CRB prefer deeper mulch
for stable temperature and moisture
content), and the removal of the rest of
the material to H-Power.
Thousands of CRB were removed and
3,600 cubic yards of mulch was eliminat-
ed. As of January 2015, the site is consid-
ered to be completely mitigated with all
suitable breeding habitat removed.
Carmel Partners and Island Topsoil are
great examples of the business com-
munity partnering with government to
effectively protect Hawaii’s agriculture,
environment, and the community from
the impacts of invasive species. Congrat-
ulations and mahalo!
For more information about CRB and
the eradication program, visit http://
hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/main/crb/.
AWARDS
INVASIVE SPECIESIsland Topsoil honored
for work on Coconut
Rhinoceros Beetles
L
orra Naholowaa of Island
Topsoil and Tom LeFevre
of Carmel Partners were
honored with an award
for the “Greatest Hit” at
the third annual Hawai‘i
Invasive Species Awareness Week Awards
Ceremony held at the State Capitol Au-
ditorium on March 2.
The award stemmed from the June
2014 discovery of a major coconut rhi-
noceros beetle (CRB) breeding site at Iro-
quois Point on land managed by Carmel
Partners, and the mitigation work that
was conducted by Island Topsoil.
CRB lay their eggs in mulch, compost,
rotting logs, and even manure. Larvae
hatch and spend several months eating
the rotting material before they pupate.
Adult beetles emerge at night few weeks
later and fly to the tops of coconut and
palm trees, burrowing into them to feed
on the sap. The Iroquois Point CRB
breeding site had all stages of CRB: eggs,
larvae, pupae, and adults.
“This project was personal,” said Na-
holowaa. “CRB were reproducing in this
18 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015 THE VOICE OF HAWAII’S GREEN INDUSTRY
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The Scag Turf Tiger 61”
BY DAWN EASTERDAY
AND RANIA SAWYER
O
pened in February
2014 on the University
of Hawai‘i’s Mānoa
campus, the Informa-
tion Technology (IT)
Center is a world-class
communications technology systems and
services center, which supports all ten
UH campuses throughout the state. The
building and the site landscape design
reached toward the highest standard of
occupant comfort and high quality, mod-
ern workspace environments. Sustain-
ability was approached as a team, with
the goals of collaboration and cross-pol-
lination and integration being achieved.
The facility boasts over 74,000 square
feet of interior space with an additional
31, 400 square feet of exterior landscape
and hardscape space. The design team
was led by Ferarro Choi and Associates as
architects and Belt Collins Hawai‘i LLC
project manager, Dawn Easterday served
as the landscape architect. Integrating
sustainable practices throughout the
building and site, then linking to the
campus network were integral goals of
the design team.
The site features a showcase of sus-
tainable practices to serve as a sampler
for the University to observe and evalu-
ate on a smaller scale for consideration
on a broad based use throughout the
campus. Included within this project
are permeable concrete for stormwater
storage, native and adapted planting to
reduce water consumption and fertilizer
requirements, a bio-infiltration swale for
existing downspout conveyance, shaded
hardscape to reduce heat-island effect,
planters designed to accept rainfall from
building canopy, efficient automatic drip
irrigation system, and two levels of green
roof providing bio-diversity and addition-
al rainwater storage. Stormwater was a
particular concern for this site because
during the October 2004 rainfall event
that flooded Hamilton Library, the IT
Center site was covered in nearly 2 feet of
water.
The entry landscape provides a wel-
coming experience with planting and
permeable concrete that reflects and
compliments the color of the building.
Simple hardscape lines organize the space
while the building’s rain canopy is artfully
paired with an entry planter for rainwa-
ter catchment. Required elements like
the firelane were made more pedestrian
friendly by reflecting the patterning and
colors of the Hawai‘i Institute of Geo-
physics plaza and by planting 8 feet of the
20 foot width in native groundcovers in a
reinforcing grid cell. This design decision
greatly softens the north-south corridor
and creates a space that caters to the
more prevalent pedestrian rather than
the occasional vehicle.
Nineteen mature palms (Foxtail, Blue
Fan and Loulu palms) were protected in
place to preserve shade and soften the
building façade of the Physical Sciences
building. These now provide a lush back-
drop that transforms three seating areas
with tables into cozy study or lunch tables
for students, faculty, staff and visitors. So
popular are these seating alcoves that it
is rare to find an opening. The landscape
design repeated the use of Foxtail palms
along Correa Road to further weave
elements of existing and new planting
together.
In order to achieve a higher level of
sustainability and education, feedback is a
critical component. The IT Center build-
ing design employs a Building Automa-
tion System (BAS) where appliances form
The extensive green roof has growing media that is less than 6” in depth, by
American Hydrotech. The most hardy and drought tolerant species proven in a
green roof environment in Hawai‘i were specified: Echeveria colorata, Kalanchoe
thyrsifolia, Senecio, Aloe barbadensis, and Bulbine frutescens.
Photos courtesy: BELT COLLINS HAWAII
The entry plaza provides a welcoming experience with planting and permeable concrete that reflects the color of the paving
at the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and compliments the Information Technology Center.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I
IT CENTER
PHOTO COURTESY: BELT COLLINS HAWAII

building blocks that provide critical data
that serves as a measurement on how the
building is performing on energy usage,
water consumption and other important
metrics. The ground floor drip irrigation
system and the green roof irrigation is
monitored by BAS components, so that
changes and improvements in water use
reduction can be monitored and im-
proved.
North of the IT Center is a small
swale with two miniature check dams to
handle and partially infiltrate stormwater
from the adjacent Bilger Auditorium.
The check dams hold back 4” of water to
allow for infiltration into a bed of Carex
wahuensis and Dianella sandwicensis.
With only a few hours daily of direct
sun, these plants enjoy the shade while
handling the periodic inundation during
storm events. Dianella prefers a bit of
cinder around the base, rather than the
moist topsoil. During larger rains, the
check dams overflow with water and if
necessary there is an inlet into the storm
drainage system.
The UH IT Center’s stepped green
roof is located on levels 5 and 6 on an
extended lanai. The green roof benefits
users visually from the inside rooms and
creates opportunity for physical connec-
tion as the green roof is accessible from
the outdoor lanai seating. Green roofs
are generally harsher environments with
higher winds, sun exposure and higher
temperature. The design theory behind
IT Center roof is that small plants (sprigs)
have less of a shock period and adjust
better when they grow in this harsh
environment from a very young age. A
monolithic or layered system was speci-
fied, specifically the American Hydrotech
extensive green roof (less than 6” depth).
The most hardy and drought tolerant
species proven in a green roof environ-
ment in Hawai‘i were specified: Echeveria
colorata, Kalanchoe thyrsifolia, Senecio,
Aloe barbadensis, and Bulbine frutescens.
The irrigation uses an overhead spray
system rather than a drip system to cover
the area as the growing media is so well-
drained that very little capillary action is
present. Micro-spray heads are used to
prevent loss from wind.
After reflecting on the project, partic-
ularly the green roof portion, Easterday
recommends a few tips to readers:
1) Make a site visit during the 24-hour
water tight test. It’s better if you see it
firsthand.
2) Be on site during installation. Spon-
taneous errors can happen even with the
most experienced installer and being on
site can prevent costly mistakes which
effect time and materials.
3) The fewer trades involved the better.
This helps narrow the list of responsible
parties. For UH IT, the roofing contrac-
tor installed all of the green roof layers,
including growing media, only the plant
installation was completed by the land-
scape contractor.
4) Specify contractors are responsible
(as part of the capital improvement) for
weed control and pest control for the
first three years of plant establishment.
This helps to ensure 100% establishment
of the intended species and a weed-free
green roof. For UH IT, the plants were
noted as upon site delivery and stored
overnight. Even with precautionary
measurement the plants became infested
with ants. Pest removal prior to place-
ment of the plants on the green roof was
critical to easing maintenance performed
on the roof.
Campus design can be an opportunity
to innovate and evaluate using site specif-
ic design that is sensitive to the existing
context. However, using the best known
practices that have the best chances of
success is also important. The University
needs design solutions that will with-
stand the test of time. UH IT Center’s
nuanced planting and conscious hard-
scape tactics marries forms of landscape
and architecture at ground level and the
above green roof design. A functional
yet beautiful landscape, it becomes a
precedent for sustainable technologies in
Hawai‘i in the realm of landscape design
providing a theoretical framework for
green roof technology that can be fur-
thered and built upon in future projects.
Dawn Easterday, ASLA, LEED BD+C,
GRP is a registered landscape architect
with Belt Collins Hawaii with 21 years of
practical experience. Rania Sawyer is a
landscape designer with Belt Collins Hawai‘i
with a background in environmental design
receiving her education at CU-Boulder and
Cornell University.
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of Crinum along the north-south pedestrian spine which also serves as firelane.
BY CAROL KWAN
T
he usual schedule for Tree
Climbing Championships
got changed around for
2015. Normally the Inter-
national Tree Climbing
Championship (ITCC) is
held in conjunction with the Internation-
al Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA’s) annual
conference in August (this year August
8-12.) However, because the conference
will be held in Kissimmee, Florida and
Florida would be a very hot place to be
climbing in August, the ITCC was held on
March 21st & 22nd instead. The winners
of the regional Chapter competitions
compete in ITCC, so Western Chapter
International Society of Arboriculture’s
(WCISA’s) TCC was held earlier than
usual on February 21st and 22nd, about
the time when Aloha Arborist Association
(AAA) would normally schedule the Ha-
waii TCC. As such, the 2014 Hawaii TCC
champions competed in the WCISA TCC
representing our state without having
competed locally yet in 2015. Planning is
now underway to hold Hawaii TCC in
October 2015.
Since our competitors, Justin Donahue
and Jamilee Kempton, were footing the
bill on their own, AAA put out a call to its
members asking for sponsorships to help
them pay the costs of attending the com-
petition. Mahalo nui loa to the following
companies and individuals who answered
the call, raising a total of $525. This money
was split between the two competitors.
• Alaka‘i Landscaping
• Arbor Global
• Carol Kwan Consulting LLC
• Kendall Landscape Services, LLC
• Makani Consulting
• Premium Landscape Maintenance
• Trees of the Tropics
• Ms. Elaine Malina
Congratulations to Justin Dona-
hue, who placed 5th overall in the
men’s division of WCISA TCC, and
to Jamilee Kempton, who won the
women’s division of WCISA TCC and
went on to win the women’s division
of ITCC.
Carol Kwan is the President of
Carol Kwan Consulting, a Cer-
tified Arborist, and a Director
of Aloha Arborist Association
and the Western Chapter
International Society
of Arboriculture.
THE50THSTATE
REPRESENTS
AT 2015 WCISA
TREE CLIMBING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Photos courtesy: NICHOLAS CRAWFORD
2015 WCISA TCC champions: left to right Jamilee Kempton (women’s), Jared
Abrojena (men’s), and Rodolpho Baza (old timer’s).
Justin Donahue and
Jamilee Kempton win
spots on the podium
PHOTO COURTESY: BELT COLLINS HAWAII

A
newly detected disease
has been killing large
numbers of mature ‘ōhi‘a
trees (Metrosideros
polymorpha) in forests
and residential areas of
lower Puna and Hilo on Hawai‘i Island
(figure 1). Once symptoms begin to show
on previously healthy trees, it takes only a
few weeks until they are dead. Laboratory
tests conducted by the USDA Agricul-
ture Research Service have identified the
causal agent as the vascular wilt fungus
Ceratocystis. While Ceratocystis fim-
briata has been present in Hawai‘i as a
pathogen of sweet potato for decades,
this is the first record of any Ceratocystis
attacking ‘ōhi‘a. It is unknown at this time
if these impacts on ohia are the result of
an introduction of a new exotic strain
of the fungus, or if this is a new host for
the existing strain. This disease has the
potential to affect ‘ōhi‘a forests statewide.
Extent
As of 2014, 15,000 forested acres from
Kalapana to Hilo on Hawai‘i Island have
been affected. The disease has not yet
been reported on other islands as of the
date of this publication.
Symptoms
Crowns of affected trees turn yellowish
(chlorotic) and then brown within days
to weeks, with dead leaves clinging to
the crown for some time (figure 2). On
occasion, one branch or fork of a tree will
be affected before the rest of the crown of
a given tree (figure 3). Trees in a stand die
in a haphazard pattern; the disease does
not appear to radiate out from already in-
fected or dead trees. Within two to three
years nearly 100% of trees in a stand suc-
cumb to the disease. Other tree species in
the forest such as kōpiko (Psychotria) are
not affected by the disease.
When ‘ōhi‘a trees showing symp-
toms of the disease are cut down, there
is a characteristic dark staining in the
heartwood (figure 4). The stain spreads
radially through the wood (figure 5). If
wood samples are incubated by being
kept moist in a plastic bag for a week, the
fungus produces characteristic fruiting
bodies called perithecia (figure 6).
MethodsofTransmission
It is currently unknown how the dis-
ease on ‘ōhi‘a is spreading. In plant hosts
like sweet potato, cacao, mango and eu-
calyptus, Ceratocystis can be transmitted
by insects, soil, water, infected cuttings,
pruning wounds, or tools, and the same
may be the case here.
WhattoDo
There is no treatment for the disease at
this point in time. To slow the spread of
the disease, landowners are encouraged
not to transport wood from affected ‘ōhi‘a
trees to other areas. The pathogen may
remain virulent for over a year in dead
wood. Tools used for cutting infected
‘ōhi‘a trees should be cleaned either with
a Lysol ™ spray or a 70% rubbing alcohol
solution. Chlorine bleach can rust steel
tools, but a 10% solution of chlorine
bleach and water can be used as long as
tools are oiled afterwards. Chain saw
blades should be brushed clean, sprayed
with a cleaning solution, then run briefly
to re-oil the chain. Vehicles used off-road
in infected forest areas should be thor-
oughly cleaned underneath so as to not
carry contaminated soil to healthy forests.
J. B. Friday is with the University of
Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and
Human Resources Cooperative Extension
Service. Lisa Keith is with the USDA Agri-
culture Research Service Pacific Basin Agri-
culture Research Center, and Flint Hughes
is with the USDA Forest Service Institute of
Pacific Islands Forestry
Reference
Keith, L. M., L. S. Sugiyama, W. P.
Heller, J. B. Friday, B. C. Bushe, and R. F.
Hughes. 2015. First Report of Ceratocystis
wilt on ‘Ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha).
Plant Disease.
CERATOCYSTIS
WILT OF
‘ŌHI‘A
BY J. B. FRIDAY, LISA KEITH
AND FLINT HUGHES
COLUMN
pest
Figure 1. Forest stand affected by Ceratocystis wilt.
Figure 4. Characteristic dark staining of sapwood in an ‘ōhi‘a tree infected with
Ceratocystis.
Figure 5. Close up of characteristic dark staining of sapwood from Ceratocystis.
Figure 6. Perithecia, or fruiting bodies, of Ceratocystis.
Figure 2. Symptoms of Ceratocystis wilt
of ‘ōhi‘a include rapid browning of affected
tree crowns.
Figure 3. Morality of one half of a
fork in an ‘ōhi‘a tree infected with
Ceratocystis.
Big Island ‘ōhi‘a forests at risk by newly
detected, fast acting fungus Ceratocystis

BY SUSAN OWEN
COLUMN
turf
M
y first job in the
Landscape Industry
was installing and
servicing sprinkler
systems. One of
the components
of a sprinkler system is the automatic
controller (clock). Early on in my career
while installing a sprinkler controller, I
cut a wire. In an instant and all at once, I
experienced a loud pop, a blinding flash
of light, a numbing feeling in my arm, an
aching feeling in my hand and a sudden
uncontrollable loss of strength! My wire
cutters literally blew out of my hand!
Thus began my life long respect for the
invisible force we call electricity. I had just
cut a live wire. Needless to say, I was very
lucky that day. After all, the only thing
that I experienced was an achy limb and
an elevated heartbeat.
Flash forward about 3 years, and I was
on a job installing landscape lighting. I
was prepared! Transformer, wire, wire
nuts, and fixtures with two wires com-
ing out of it. Just like a sprinkler system
right?! Wrong!!! I am embarrassed to say,
that I made so many mistakes on this job
that I shouldn’t have been paid. When I
finally left the job, I supplied my client
with a stockpile of bulbs in case of burn-
outs and a handful of fuses in case the
lights failed to come on. I was so frustrat-
ed that I never wanted to install another
lighting system again. I am hoping that
you never find yourself in this position so
I will share with you what I experienced.
TheScene
I was preparing for a wedding and
reception for my clients son. At the far
end of the property there was a large Koa
tree with cascading branches reaching
out over a great lawn. What I envisioned
in my mind was a staggered string of
pathway lights that would gently illu-
minate the boundaries of the lawn and
several well lights that would cross light a
multi trunk Koa tree creating mysterious
shadows and texture. There was a large
gazeebo which I intended to light using
various wash lights and down lights, cre-
Tips and procedures
to insure a quality
product for your client
LOW VOLTAGE LANDSCAPE LIGHTING
SEEDED BERMUDA WITH
INSTALLATION
BY MARTIN MIYASHIRO
S
ince Riviera bermudagrass
was released in 2001 it has
taken the turf industry by
storm. Riviera has now been
planted on all but one of the
seven continents and let’s be
realistic, grass is not an option in the Ant-
arctica. Riviera has been used extensively
on golf courses, home lawns, roadsides,
and almost every venue of sports. Initially
recognized for its exceptional winter har-
diness for a bermudagrass variety in more
Northern climates, Riviera has proven to
be so much more. Riviera has excelled in
a vast array of turf applications in United
States, China, Australia, Mexico, South
Africa, Brazil, and the Mediterranean,
just to name a few. Riviera’s performance
package of superior density, texture, color
and early spring green-up make it a win-
ner among turf professionals. And don’t
let Riviera’s natural beauty be an indica-
tion for the lack of toughness. Riviera gets
its share of plays on Sundays in the NFL
and its share of hits on weekdays in the
Major League. Wear tolerance is not an
option for these applications and Riviera
doesn’t disappoint, not even some of the
biggest critics weighing three hundred
and fifty pounds. Another amazing fact
about Riviera is that it can be purchased
in a bag or bucket.
It is a seeded variety, not a sod type, and
therefore can be planted with very little
labor and expense. Riviera has proven
itself for more than a decade in some of
the toughest climates and applications. It
is the proven solution for the turf profes-
sional and novice alike.
Susan Owen is the owner of Koolau Seed
& Supply Company, Inc.
HYBRID
BERMUDA
QUALITY
PHOTO COURTESY: HUNTER INDUSTRIES

OAHU HILO KONA KAUAI MAUI
91-1831 Franklin D. Roosevelt 111 Silva Street 74-592B Hale Makai Pl. 3651F Lala Rd. 485 Waiale Road
Kapolei, HI 96707 Hilo, HI 96720 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 Lihue, HI 96766 Wailuku, HI 96732
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can Machinery for details and other financing options. 0.0% for 48 months.
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Skid steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavators. Program expiration is June 30, 2015.
ating an area where the guests could con-
gregate. On the way up to this area were
several wide flights of steps and landings
made of coral with seating areas. I set
pathway lights there to mark the landings
and steps and selectively lit small shrubs,
rocks and trees along the path to provide
interesting visual focal points.
TheProblem
The installation went as planned.
Anticipating the “experience” that night,
I eagerly waited for the sun to go down.
When it did, I was very thankful that my
client was not there to “experience” this
with me! The scene that I had imagined
in my mind’s eye was nothing like what
lay before me. The lights around the lawn
got progressively dimmer and dimmer as
my eyes moved across the yard! The Koa
tree was barely visible due to the lack of
illumination! Some of the lights on the
pathway steps didn’t even come on! With
panic and anxiety flowing through me, I
frantically ran around the yard looking
for the cause of my dilemma! I found
nothing. So I left a note for my customer
saying that I needed to get a few missing
parts and would return the following day
to finish the job.
TheSolution
Some of what I experienced with my
lighting system are very similar to what
you may have experienced in sprinkler
systems. You call it a loss of water pres-
sure. In my lighting system it is called
voltage loss. When we have low pressure
at our sprinkler heads we experience poor
coverage as the sprinklers do not cover
the intended area. When we have low
electrical pressure, we experience dim
lights that don’t cover the intended area.
Like sprinkler heads, light fixtures require
a certain amount of pressure to function
properly. Too much pressure results in
premature failure (burn out). Too little
pressure results in dim and yellowing
lights. Halogen lamps require between
10.5 to 12 volts to operate properly. The
key to installation is making sure that
you have proper voltage to each fixture.
In a sprinkler system when heads aren’t
working properly, often times we either
eliminate heads or increase the pipe size.
We keep eliminating heads until the
system is working properly. Sometimes
we increase pressure by introducing a
booster pump. Our determination of a
properly functioning irrigation system is
often made by a visual inspection. What
we see. We cannot do this in lighting
between 10.5 volts to 12 volts. What this
means is that you can afford to suffer a
lot more voltage loss with LED’s. This will
help you in the engineering process. In
the problem below you will see that you
can put a lot more LED’s on a line than
was ever possible with a Halogen lighting
system and wire distances and sizes are
no longer a big issue.
Using the equation in figure 1, calculate
the voltage drop for the following system.
Use the manufacturers VA total when
using this formula.
Problem: I have a 150ft run of #12/2 low
voltage wire with seven 20 watt equiv-
alent LED path lights and five 50 watt
equivalent LED up lights.
Run – 150 ft
watts – (4.5 x 7) + (13.5 x 5) = 99 watts
Cable Constant – 7500
150 x 99 x 2 divided by 7500 = 3.96
voltage drop (See Figure 1)
If you were to use the 15 volt tap on the
transformer you would end up with 11.04
volts. (15 – 3.96 = 11.04) Remember, LED
systems. Remember while the effects of
electricity may be visible, the electricity
remains invisible. How do we know
when to stop eliminating lights?
n Eliminating heads: Like a sprinkler
system, as we eliminate fixtures from a
line voltage increases. We determine the
functionality of a sprinkler system by
what we see. How do we verify proper
voltage by what we see? Take a voltage
measurement at each fixture while it is
on.
n Increasing pipe size: While increas-
ing wire size is a good way to keep your
voltage up, how do you know where it
is at, at any given point? Again, a voltage
measurement is necessary here too.
n Introducing a booster pump: some-
times people use multi tap transformers
that include higher taps to increase volt-
age. Once again, how do you determine
which one to use? (Remember, the lamp
needs between 10.5 – 12 volts to operate
properly.
One of the inherent problems with
Low Voltage Lighting Systems is that we
are working with low electrical pressure.
In the case of an Incandescent Halogen
System, we only have 1.5 volts of loss to
work with. A lot of designers have opted
to go with larger wire to compensate for
this loss. While this is a valid engineering
solution, the cost of the wire, and more
importantly the difficulty in making good
connections, often times causes a proper-
ly engineered system to become inopera-
lamps need between 10 and 15 volts to
operate! And we only used #12/2 wire to
run 12 lights in this scenario!
ImportantThingstoRemember
1. Electricity is invisible. Because we
can’t see it sometimes we get careless in
our connections. Good quality waterproof
connections are essential. Whenever
electricity begins to flow, heat is created.
When heat is created moisture will wick
into the wire. If your connections are not
water tight, corrosion will occur. Remem-
ber, the lamps are supposed to last for
approximately 10 years. Make sure your
wire does too!
2. Always take a voltage reading at
the fixtures before completing your
waterproof connection. This formula is
used to calculate your wire size and run
based upon the load. There is no way for
anyone to guarantee that your source of
power is correct. This would include the
primary power that feeds the transformer
and the output of the transformer. Some
manufacturers recommend that you use
the 14 volt tap as a safe practice in case the
primary power is higher than a 120VAC.
Remember again, electricity is invisible.
ble in a short period of time. Waterproof
wire connections are critical! I myself
have been guilty of making bad connec-
tions. Because I couldn’t see electricity
leaking, I assumed it was all good.
You may find yourself in a similar situ-
ation. Please remember, a visual inspec-
tion of a lighting system is not enough
to verify a soundly engineered lighting
system. In this article I would like to pro-
vide a solution that I use in engineering a
lighting system today. In order to do this
we need to define some terms. They are
as follows.
1. watts – the amount of load in watts
that the lighting system is using. For ex-
ample, three 13.5 watt Lamps equals a 40.5
watt load. (3 x 13.5 watts = 40.5 watts)
2. Run – the total length of the wire
from the transformer to the last fixture
3. Cable Constant – a mathematical
constant used to quantify the electrical
potential of the cable
When engineering a lighting system,
I would recommend that you choose
LED rather than incandescent Halogen
lamps. One of reasons for this choice are,
longer lamp life (10,000 hours Halogen
vs 50,000 hours LED). Just imagine if you
ran your lights for 12 hours a night for 10
years that’s only 43,800 hours. A Halogen
system with the same run time will give
you about 8760 hours in two years.
Another reason is that LED lamps
typically need between 10 to 15 volts to
operate. Incandescent Halogen lamps run
It is impossible to determine if the fixture
has the proper voltage by using your eyes
alone.
FinalThoughts
You can provide your customers with
a high quality lighting system that will
enable them to enjoy the landscape that
you have created for them during the
nighttime hours for years to come. If you
follow the basic rules of proper installa-
tion and engineering you will always be
successful. Remember, ultimately you are
the artist and creator of their back yard
resorts. All you are doing is increasing
their usage to the night. I think it’s the
better time to be out there!
ComingUp
n The Mystery Behind Electricity:
Managing and Manipulating the Invisible
n Design: Scenes and moods and how
to create them
Martin Miyashiro, Sales Manager Hunter
Industries / FX Luminaire. email: martin.
miyashiro@hunterindustries.com, phone:
(808) 888-6988.
Figure 1
Cable Calculations
voltage drop formula run x watt x 2
CC
SIZE MAX SAFE LOAD CABLE CONSTANT
14/2 12 amps – 144 watts 3500
12/2 16 amps – 192 watts 7500
10/2 24 amps – 192 watts 11920
8/2 25 amps – 300 watts 18960
SPECIFICATIONS
NUMBER OF LEDS 1 3 6 9
HALOGEN LUMEN
10 watts 20 watts 35 watts 50 watts
OUTPUT EQUIVALENT
USEFUL LED LIFE L70 (Avg) 50,000 hrs 50,000 hrs 50,000 hrs 50,000 hrs
INPUT VOLTAGE 10 to 15V 10 to 15V 10 to 15V 10 to 15V
VA TOTAL (use to size the transformer) 2.4 4.5 13.5 13.5
WATTS USED 2.0 4.2 10.1 11.2

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MECHANIC’S
WANTED
P H Y L L I S J O N E S
TIPS
tool
T
here is a growing prob-
lem spreading through
the landscape industry.
The problem exists not
only in this state but
throughout the country.
It is a problem that no one seems to want
to talk about, or spend time discussing
possible solutions. Is it because no one
sees it as being
important, or
that no one
under-
stands the
far-reach-
ing impli-
cations of
the prob-
lem? In
this writ-
er’s opin-
ion, unless
the problem is
addressed, the
results will be
costly to all
fac-
ets of the landscape industry. The
problem—WHERE CAN I FIND AN
EXPERIENCED, COMPETENT ME-
CHANIC. Over the past several months,
I have been asked this question by several
landscape companies and/or supervisors
of grounds maintenance, who, 1. Have
either “lost” or will be losing a mechanic;
or 2. Have questions about the level of
knowledge/competence of the individ-
uals currently performing the repairs.
They have found that they are having
“issues (repairs not done in a timely man-
ner; equipment not working properly
etc.) with the equipment which is putting
a strain on their budget.
Many of the “old-school” mechanics
are retiring, and they are taking with
them the years of skill, and more impor-
tantly, a solid conceptual understanding
of small and large engines and small and
large equipment. These “old-timers”
understand the historical progression
that the outdoor power equipment has
gone through, and the implication of
these changes. Most companies have
“mechanics” who are in the position by
default. They were the most willing to
learn, and seemed to be the most
mechanically inclined within the
group of candidates, so they
“won” the tool cart. This is
called “on the job training”, or
the “try this, try that” meth-
od. This can prove costly
and no one can depend on
guesswork to keep their
equipment running. In
years past, equipment
manufacturers would
hold annual service
schools to inform me-
chanics about changes
in their equipment.
However, most manu-
facturers have gone to giving the class
on line or not giving the schools at all
because of the costs involved.
Even with the expansion of bat-
tery-powered equipment, there will
always be a need for gas powered equip-
ment for those areas where long runtime
is required. The skilled mechanic will not
become obsolete. As equipment manu-
facturers redesign equipment to: 1. meet
new EPA and OSHA regulations, 2. deal
with increases in the cost of materials
and manufacturing, and 3. meet chang-
ing market demands, mechanics will
need to enlarge their skill set to adapt to
these changes. As an industry, where the
work that we perform is highly visible
to the public, it is imperative that we
recognize what it takes for landscape
equipment to run properly in order to
get the job done.
We need to first acknowledge that
there is a body of knowledge and a skill
set that the mechanic must have to do
the job. As an industry, we need to have
all the stake holders involved in this
discussion, and agree that this would
be good for every facet of the industry.
The Landscape Industry Council has a
certification class for operators. Per-
haps there should be a similar class for
mechanics, or it can be incorporated
into the operators class. As an industry
we are very cognizant of trends in the
landscape industry and planning for the
future, yet we tend to ignore a growing
problem within the industry. This might
be the time for us to address the future
of the equipment industry in our state. Is
anyone out there listening??
Phyllis Jones is with A to Z Equipment
and Sales, formally A to Z Rental Center, in
business for over 25 years.
30 LANDSCAPE HAWAII MAY | JUNE 2015
It is time to address the growing problem
of a shortage of qualified mechanics

Canoga Park • Chula Vista • City of Industry • Corona • El Cajon • Encinitas • Escondido • Lake Forest • Orange • Palm Desert
Rancho Cucamonga • San Bernardino • San Diego • San Juan Capistrano • Temecula • Valencia • Vista • Oahu, Hawaii
Personalized
Customer Service
and Technical
Support
Free Ongoing
Professional
Education
Extensive
Inventories to
Ensure Product
Availability
Preferred Source for Irrigation
and Landscape Supplies
LANDSCAPE LIGHTING • LANDSCAPE TOOLS • POWER EQUIPMENT • FERTILIZERS • AMENDMENTS • WEED & PEST CONTROL • OUTDOOR LIVING
1 8 L O C A T I O N S T H R O U G H O U T S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A & H A W A I I
H A W A I I ’ S
808.833.4567 www.hiscosales.com
QUOTES@HYDROSCAPE.COM

Landscape Hawaii May June 2015

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Landscape Hawaii May June 2015