Large Evergreens for Screening
Large Evergreens for Screening
Small Ornamental Trees
Small Ornamental Trees
How to Check Soil Drainage
Before you decide which species of tree to plant, it is very important to know how well your soil drains internally. Dig a hole that is one foot square and one foot deep. Fill it with water and leave it overnight to drain. Fill the hole with water again the next morning, and measure the level drop per hour. Setting a ruler into the hole and checking the drop hourly is one method. A 1"-3" drop per hour is acceptable, while a 2" drop per hour is ideal. If less [...]
Galls
Plant galls are fascinating to me. They are all around us, yet we seldom notice them unless they appear in a favorite landscape tree. Plant galls are produced by a variety of organisms which include mites, wasps, midges, thrips, fruit flies, moths, psyllids, and aphids, as well as bacteria and fungi. Most plant galls are not harmful to the host plant, with the exception of some formed by bacteria and fungi. Many plant galls are produced by the host plant in response to the egg laying activity of the insects [...]
Watering Trees During Drought
High temperatures and long-term drought can have a profound effect on tree roots. Unfortunately, many times we do not learn this until we see the telltale signs of stress. Once stressed, trees are more susceptible to insects and diseases. Depending on how much root loss has occurred, a stressed tree may or may not survive. This tree is showing signs of Flux, which is an indication of stress. Click HERE for more info. It is important to be PROACTIVE to prevent stress in our trees. With a little [...]
Porcupine Damage to Trees
Porcupines are nocturnal, solitary animals that most people are unaware of unless they see the damage they can cause to trees. Porcupines feed on the young bark, leaves and terminal twigs of trees. Damage is usually found high up in the branches of trees but can be found anywhere in the branches and even on the trunk of trees. Porcupines prefer the inner bark, or phloem, which is more nutritious than the cambium or xylem tissue. [...]
My New Tree is Crispy!
Establishing trees in the summer comes with its own set of challenges. Trees CAN be established in the summer, but it is necessary to understand the importance of consistent watering. I have always preferred hand-watering to any form of irrigation, as it requires a “hands on” approach and leaves nothing to chance. The tree that you bring home has a root system, in a pot, that has been providing water and nutrients for the entire canopy of that tree while being grown in the nursery setting. When you plant the [...]
Lichens on Tree Bark
Have you ever wondered what those colorful crusty growths on tree trunks are? You’ll be happy to know that they are not usually harmful, but simply a relationship between three separate species that are mutually helpful to one another. The fungal part of this relationship cannot survive without the availability of photosynthetic products from the other two species, green algae and cyanobacteria. Lichens grow on trees, shrubs, soil, and rocks and provide additional moisture and protection to whatever they grow on. If a tree or shrub [...]
Why Do Live Oaks Look So Bad This Spring?
Every spring we get the same question from new residents who may have moved here from other states. Here is a recent query: Question: We have noticed that a lot of the old established Live Oaks are looking very bad this spring. Yellow leaves that are all falling off. Is this something we should be concerned with? Should we be watering them? Answer: Live Oaks are not true evergreens. They will actually shed leaves year-round, but the main shed is in the spring-as in [...]
2025 Japanese Maple Varieties
PRINTABLE: 2025 Japanese Maple Varieties
Tree Care and Maintenance
Tree Care and Maintenance Watering: -Water your tree religiously for at least one year using the following guidelines, and subsequent years during the hottest months or if we experience high heat or drought conditions. It can take approximately 1 year per inch caliper of the tree for the tree to fully establish. Careful monitoring of watering during this time will ensure a healthy tree. -At the time of planting the tree needs to be deeply watered. Two days after planting the tree needs to be deeply watered again. You can [...]
Ganoderma Butt Rot
The presence of a “fruiting body”, or conk, at the base of a tree or palm is a sign that the tree may be infected by a species of fungus called Ganoderma. There are several species of this fungus that affect different hosts. This one is Ganoderma sessile, and it affects oaks, maples, honeylocusts and other hardwoods. The conks appear annually in summer and fall at the base of the tree or on a lateral root close to the trunk. The fungus enters through wounds in the trunk commonly made [...]