Time for Your Tree Health Check-Up
by Randy Newhard
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Acidic Soil Problem |
Summer is the season of new life with new growth sprouting everywhere. It is
also one of the best times to perform any kind of tree health check. Trees
are just beginning to leaf out and damage suffered during the winter and high
storm seasons is still visible to the naked eye. Trees are pulsing with new
activity as new cells are developing just under the bark and new leaves are ready
to sprout.
During this time trees are also susceptible to diseases and various insect
attacks. Woody plants need a lot of attention and nutrition during this period.
The following are some things managers and homeowners can do in order to make
sure that their trees are healthy:
Inspection
While working on your trees, spend some time carefully looking at them. Look
for dead wood, cracks, weak unions, cavities and decay. The presence of any of
these signs indicates that there is a high possibility that the tree is at
risk of failure.
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Elm Canker Fungus. Look for dead wood, cracks, weak unions, cavities and decay in your trees. |
Disease Control
Many leaf injuring fungal organisms do their most extensive damage this time
of year. Generally the damage goes unnoticed until summer when it is too late
to stop. Arborists have disease control measures they can take now to prevent
damage later. Check the tree for any unusual insects. Tree-damaging insects
are generally found on or in the leaves, twigs and bark. Look for chewed or
damaged leaves, leaves with tunnels or mines in them, or holes in the bark. These
might indicate insect activity. Infestations of certain insects require
immediate attention.
Timing
Spring and Summer give arborists the best opportunities to identify tree
health problems. When trimming palms, if you time the trimming correctly, you
should only have to trim them one time per year. June thru August are the best
times. Fan and queen palms should be trimmed right after flowering, preventing
the flowers from setting fruit, which become a slip hazard and a liability.
Trimming also helps with keeping entry ways clean and free of fruit and seed
litter. You can properly maintain trees and reduce their size or shape while
meeting the industry standards. You can request professionals to do fine pruning and
sizing/shaping of trees to produce a manicured appearance and meet the design
principles for your landscape. To do this requires more work and time, but
for many of us the results are worth the effort and the price.
Your investment in the appearance of your trees should not be lost in the
declining health of these trees or in ignoring hazards in the trees that cause
damage. For expert consultation on arboricultural care or a tree trimming
estimate, please call Tom Paulson at New Way at 858-505-8300, ext. 311 or email him
at tpaulson@newwaypro.com.
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Randy Newhard is President and Founder of New Way Landscape & Tree Services, a full-service landscape maintenance and tree care contractor serving commercial, industrial and multifamily housing in San Diego County for 23 years. (858) 505-8300 • www.newwaypro.com |
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