The Arborist Journal

Are your trees looking different? Leaves turning color, falling off, this may be a serious problem and a Arborist would be the person that can answer your questions. If  you are experiencing premature leaf drop it may be indications of other stresses.

Health and vigor can defend against stress, disease, insect infestation and even in some cases damaging cultural practices. The goal is to use the most effective products available and educate the public on the after care. The way to achieve this is by using the new technology that is available to us. Systemics and organic products that are cost effective, efficient, and have low impact on the environment. A customized plan for your property is required since everyone has special concerns and different situations. Current programs offer a wide range of tree care that require many sprays, fertilizations and charges that are now deemed unnecessary and outdated. Many pests have aquired a resistance to spray products to point where they have little affect.  With the new techniques and chemistry all these needs can be incorporated into one treatment, a treatment that will cover the entire growing season, killing damaging insects while at the same time upgrading health.

The benefits are massive when soil injection treatment is compared to a spray/fert. program.

SPRAY/FERT. PROGRAM                          SOIL INJECTION TREATMENT

  multiple foliar sprays                                  one time treatment

  multiple fertilizations                                  one time treatment

  limited residual                                         growing season

  non-target species affected                      no effect

  multiple charges                                       initial cost aerification

Plant Health Care will give you the biggest bang for your buck(soil injection ).  An Arborist can afford  you to not only discuss the benefits in detail of soil injection but explain the challanges of  irrigating,  pruning,  and other needs required to best plan for their future.

 As Arborist, we always come into contact with trees on a property that are  out of their range. We  call these special needs trees,and should be addressed for the simple fact homeowners expectations may not be reasonable. Desire for such plantings has increased over the years and this is alright if they understand the challanges it requires to care for such specimens. This will be discussed at a later time.

Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure. As a homeowner, our trees require a higher level of care to maintain their health, safety, value and aesthetics. Pruning should be done with an understanding of how the tree (species) will respond to each cut. Poor or improper pruning (Broccoli Cut) can cause damage that will last for the life of your tree or worse, create a situation where the tree is a risk.
When preparing to prune, be aware that each cut has the potential to change or alter the new growth of your tree. No limb should be removed without a reason. A Certified Arborist will assist you in making the correct decisions… whether it pertains to a young or mature tree. Common reasons include the removal of diseased, dead (widow makers), dying, interfering , included, imbedded, competing or crowded limbs and the elimination of potential hazards. Additionally trees may be pruned to increase light and movement of air through to the landscape, to protect both structure and code enforcement through clearance. In most cases, this type of pruning (structural pruning) is required on annual to biannual pruning cycle. Structural pruning is always based on the character and genetics of the tree. It should never be compromised.
Under the guidance of a Registered Consulting Arborist/Board Certified Master Arborist an expert with the education and knowledge of tree biology- proper pruning can maintain good tree health and structure while enhancing the aesthetic and economic values of your landscape.

Are you losing leaves quickly or have you already lost all your leaves? This may be a serious issue, could there be something going on besides fall? Every year seems to be different but if you have noticed some of your trees leafing out earlier and has a history of this you should call an Arborist. Not a tree person but a real certified arborist, and if you can find one with more designations such as RCA, BCMA or college degree the chances for getting accurate up to date info is substantial. Trees on your property become part of the family treat them as such with professional help.

Tree Parasite

Look up in your trees, are all the leaves turning color or dropping, say maybe for a few bunches of dark green areas. This may well be the tree thief, prune it out and fertilize your trees.  This is the time to really take control and stop the spread of mistletoe.

I heard a talk show host last week say to the effect that trees do not require pruning, and “If a tree grows a limb out in some direction, that it is because it knows best.” So, what he is saying is the tree has some unknown powers to produce limb, trunk , branch growth wherever it decides. If we were led to believe that this is a good thing then this would mean that growth, no matter what growth, would be adequate in both health and structure to support the tree. So, embedded, bifurcated, included and competing limbs are for the most part a predetermined growth that has a positive effect on the tree.
This is just another example of simplistic thought. Don’t be fooled!
Human beings, Arborist, do good things and pruning trees are one of these good things. There are reasons for limb removal as mentioned prior and it’s to ensure that tree lives and grows to a long productive life.

 Is a topical application of a highly refined petroleum product that has a additive emulsifier to allow it to mix. These oils kill exposed insects and mites by either suffocating (asphyxiation) them or by directly penetrating the cuticle and destroying internal cells. Best applied before bud break in ideal temperatures (40-70 degrees) in less than 6mph. of wind for full coverage. Plants under stress, especially drought could have increased risk of injury from this spray.
Other plants that are sensitive to oil sprays are;
Evergreens, Smoke Tree, Japanese Maples, Red Buds and Hickories, annual flowers
There are many issues with spraying as you can read. The chances of successfully getting full coverage are unlikely, there is no residual and the price for application is usually high. There is no gauge of success and you generally require more sprays throughout the growing season.
ALTERNATIVE THAT WORKS
How about an alternative that works; works longer , kills more damaging insects, leaves the beneficial insects safe, is cost effective and has full coverage season long.
We have been working with systemics now going on 10 years. And it all makes sense with added benefit; applied in the dormant season as a soil injection along with a slow release nitrogen fertilizer it will protect from damaging insects, increase health and vigor all growing season long.
The Tree Doctor
A tree doctor brings specific experience and expertise to your issue, adding to the accurate diagnosis and treatment of tree problems, helping to ensure healthy trees and plants for years to come. These Arborist should be licensed through the state and hold other designations validating there knowledge.

When you think of trimmers the first that comes to mind is that old dusty orange piece of power tool on the top shelf. Wrapped in electric and duck tape from previous severings the entire length of the extension cord with memory of each pullings apart of the wire or cuttings of the cord. You find yourself questioning, how long will this take this time, as you clean off the tool, preparing for the next incident to occur. You wish it not to occur and take all precautions to prevent it , as you reel out the cord slowly in the direction of the work, but it just seems to happen, at least every time prior.
Is this where it ends, well it depends, some move up as in the use of ladders, others onto gas powered trimmers, and still others to contractors
The definition of trimmer is to make neat or orderly by clipping, paring. What we are talking about now is the tree trimmer. This in itself is the wrong term, especially when describing tree work. Would this not be the first red flag in hiring a contractor? Arborist do not trim trees they prune them , that is where the difference begins and ends.
I will continue this discussion on the next blog.

As in every market, Dallas/Fort Worth being one of the most challenged, most of the 200 + companies that are listed in the yellow pages only 10 percent are qualified. Qualified in that most have taken at least this first step in acquiring certification in Arboriculture. The others, well I would say if you want trimmers this is what you’re going to get. Then again you may get lucky and with your supervision and guidance achieve the results you were looking for.

The Tree Doctor is someone who has an extensive background in plant health care. Is certified as a Arborist and holds a license with the state of Texas to prescribe and perform any treatments with medicines on trees or shrubs. Additionally if the There is a Board Certified Master Arborist or a registered Consulting Arborist available it is this added value (experience) that will get you the answers in the most efficient and economical manner.

North Texas is the cross roads of borers, it is borerville. As adults we find them as beetles, moths,  weevils, and wasps. For every part of the plant there is a borer that mother nature has made to feed on. So it is generally not a good sign when you can actually go out to your trees and pick these critters right off your tree. At the time of adulthood these critters are generally looking for trouble, meaning their looking for mates and a place to stay(your tree). Exit holes mean they have already done there damage and can either return or look for a more suitable place, possibly less crowded. Bleeding is an indication that there active, eating machines, the tree responds by trying to pitch it out. Sometimes successful, most of the time not. But there is help and the new chemistry out there is very effective. With cultural care, treatment we can save and recover tree health.

Pruning, every cut that is made changes the structure of the tree, the direction of growth. When pruning trees it should be understood at least what species the tree is that you are pruning. Pruning is just not being able to stand in the first crotch and remove everything you can reach. This is done often and unfortunately homeowners think this is relatively a good gauge of how much they spend in relation to volume stacked at the curb. No thought is given to the consequences of such, “Broccoli cut” trees, no consideration for health, structure (see Trees Are Pets Too) or overall character. What is perplexing is why the homeowner doesn’t care. I don’t always feel that it is because they just are uniformed, I feel that some lower their expectations when hiring the cheapest, lowest bid and hope the right thing will be done, others just don’t really care. There’s nothing we can do for those who just don’t care, but for those who do, I can only tell you that proper pruning may be a little more expensive at first, it will not cost you time and time again like broccoli cutting.

Now, what is the “ Broccoli Cut”? It is the removal of most if not all limbs, branches and water sprouts within the reach of an amateur. This could be done by ladder, climbing/standing in lower crotches, and using extentions on the pole saw. This type of pruning if you want to call it that  produces poor structure susceptible to failure and wind throw.  Broccoli Cutting stimulates growth out past the point of reach, it does not take into account any abnormaities such as; inclusions, bifracations, embedding, diseased, damaged, and interfering limbs, structure, character and health are of no concern.  Knowledge is not required only short term results.