Mistletoe may be a favorite romantic sight during the Christmas season, but it will harm or even kill your tree. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a mistletoe infestation in your trees, getting rid of this plant parasite can be a real challenge. Mistletoe is a parasitic, evergreen plant that draws its nutrients from a host tree. Soft-barked trees,…
For most trees, the dormant season, late fall or winter, is the best time to prune although dead branches can and should be removed at any time. Pruning during the dormant period minimizes sap loss and subsequent stress to the tree. It also minimizes the risk of fungus infection or insect infestation as both fungi and insects are likely…
At this time of year, especially on commercial sites, I start to notice the removal of 50% or more of the Crape Myrtles foliage. Due to the regenerative abilities of this plant, removal of major portions of the trees foliage and stems has become commonplace. While the tree is able to regenerate the growth, it…
Topping (cutting off the top section of the tree) often removes 50 to 100 percent of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Because leaves are the food factories of a tree, removing them can temporarily starve a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid…
While the recent storms have taken a toll on our trees, we are certainly thankful for the moisture. If your trees have been affected, now is the time to act to repair the damage. Our Certified Arborists can recommend a plan of action to aid the tree in rehabilitation. Trees will begin to compartmentalize their wounds quickly with…
After severe weather events, many people ask the same question. Why did my tree fail? There is very seldom one simple explanation. Trees are living organisms with strengths and weaknesses. During weather events, weakness is often associated with some type of failure. Limb breakage, attachment failures, and uprooting are common occurrences. Some of the more common…
We have seen an explosion of Aphids over the last two weeks. The sucking pests are found in Crape Myrtle, Live Oak, Cedar Elm, Pecan, Bur Oak, and several other trees and shrubs. The Aphid ingests plant juices, absorbs only limited quantities of elements within, and secretes honeydew. Honeydew is the sticky, sugary, shiny substance that gets…
I recently traveled to New Mexico where Pecans are farmed in abundance. It is a sight to see thousands of Pecan trees planted in what amounts to arid desert. It is Monsoon season there, which is actually a very similar weather pattern to our Spring storms. Clear and warm in the morning with large thunderstorms occurring in the…
Many people purchase a house with large, existing shade trees expecting them to live forever. Other prospective home owners purchase a wooded lot with plans to build a new home among the trees. During the home construction process, however, many trees are destroyed or injured. The damage that occurs during construction may not at first…
This is the time of year we begin to notice all types of tree feeding pests. Many of them are difficult to see if you don’t know what to look for. Aphids are small green to brown insects that usually live on the under sides of leaves. They feed on a wide array of plant…
