Month: December 2018

That concerning tree in your yard may be diseased and risky to leave unaddressed. However, inaction is what often leads to severe and avoidable damage.

While diseased trees can pose a threat to your landscape, property, and surrounding people, identifying and treating such cases properly can mitigate and prevent disastrous tree fall situations.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com names five common tree diseases in Marietta GA, how to identify, treat, and when to have the tree evaluated by a professional.

Fire Blight Symptoms and Treatment

Fire blight is a disease that flourishes in humid, rainy weather when the average temperature rises to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above.

Symptoms – As the name implies, symptoms of this disease cause the appearance of fire scorching or burning. When inspecting your tree, look for these signs:

• Infected flowers turn black and die.
• Twigs and stems turn black and curl over.
• Branches appear scorched as their leaves turn black and shrivel up.
• Cankers will appear on branches and the trunk.

Transmission – Fire blight is easily transmitted to other trees, shrubs, and plants by birds, animals, splashing water, and unsterile gardening tools.

Treatment – The following measures should be taken immediately to eliminate and prevent the spread of fire blight:

• Apply a copper fungicide before the flowering season.
• Extensive pruning of all affected areas.
• Take pest control measures to eliminate ants and other insects which may transmit the disease.
• Convert your watering method to drip lines. (Avoid sprinklers or spraying)
• Sanitize gardening equipment with a water and bleach solution after use on infected landscapes.

Call a Professional – When more than 25% of a tree must be removed, seek the advice of a professional tree service or arborist. It may be necessary to remove the tree altogether. Likewise, when multiple trees, shrubs, and plants are infected, a professional can help you devise a plan to halt the disease.

Powdery Mildew Symptoms and Treatment

Much like fire blight, powdery mildew thrives in the springtime when temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There are several fungi which can produce powdery mildew.

Symptoms – As the name suggests, powdery mildew can appear on any part of its host and resembles white or slightly off-white mildew. Numerous spores begin to emerge as the fungi mature.

Transmission – Insects such as aphids are the principal means of transmission. However, when spores are released, splashing water or wind may spread the fungi.

Treatment – The following measures will help you control and eliminate powdery mildew from your landscape:

• Apply non-chemical organic fungicides such as milk, bicarbonates, and oil. An effective solution is diluted at 1 part fungicide to 10 parts water. This fungicidal mix produces outstanding results when used for preventative measures or sprayed directly on the infected plant.
• Applying a neem oil solution disrupts the fungus’ metabolism – preventing spore production.

Call a Professional – When topical treatment can’t stop powdery mildew, or when it eliminates powdery mildew, but your tree’s health continues to decline, there may be another pathogen or insect at work. Request an inspection and evaluation from a tree care professional.

Anthracnose Symptoms and Treatment

Anthracnose thrives in the springtime with prolonged periods of rainfall and when temperatures are consistently mild.

Symptoms – The symptoms of anthracnose include the following:

• Bud and twig death
• Dead spots on leaves
• Dead tissue or blotches along and between leaf veins
• Unseasonal or premature leaf-drop
• Lesions known as cankers in tree bark (open wounds)
• Dark colored pimple-like fruiting structures (acervuli) on the underside of leaves.

Transmission – Similar to fire blight, anthracnose is easily transmitted to other trees, shrubs, and plants by wildlife, splashing water, rain, and unsterile gardening tools.

Anthracnose fungi (there are several fungi which can cause anthracnose) can survive the winter months in fallen leaves, or in cankers formed in the bark of branches or the trunk.

Treatment – The following measures should be taken immediately to eliminate and prevent the spread of anthracnose:

• Extensive pruning of all affected parts.
• Utilize a fire pit or bonfire to destroy affected clippings and foliage.
• Convert your watering systems to drip lines. (Avoid sprinklers or spraying)
• Sanitize gardening equipment with a water and bleach solution after use on infected landscapes.

Read the following article for more on How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Anthracnose.

Call a Professional – When 25% or more of a tree must be removed, seek the advice and assistance of an arborist or reputable tree service.

It may be necessary to remove the tree altogether. Without treating anthracnose, you will be leaving your tree susceptible to other infections and infestations.

Root Rot Symptoms and Treatment

Changes in landscaping, soil compaction, soil composition, or persistent rains may cause root rot.

Symptoms – Severe and fast branch die-back, premature color change of the leaves, widespread leaf spots, sap coming from the bark, and mushrooms around the root flare may all indicate root rot.

Transmission – Root rot is typically the result of poor drainage or changes in the soil composition and texture. This either kills the roots or allows access to pathogens, which weakens and eventually kills them.

Treatment – If your tree is diagnosed with root rot, the recommended treatment is to have the tree removed.

To prevent further cases of root rot, ensure that the soil in your landscape is well-drained, and that roots are protected from soil compaction.

Call a Professional – If you suspect that a tree is suffering and dying from root rot, call a professional to have the tree evaluated immediately. Depending on the size of the tree and the amount of damage to the roots, the tree may fall at any time.

Heart Rot Symptoms and Treatment

When a fungal disease causes the softening and decay of the wood found at the center of a tree’s trunk and branches, this is known as heart rot.

The softening of the heartwood leaves a tree vulnerable to the pressure of its own weight and prone to collapse.

Symptoms – A reliable indicator that heart rot is present within a tree is the presence of fungus conks or mushrooms growing from the tree’s trunk or branches.

Transmission – Heart rot is able to attack the heartwood of a tree through damaged bark or improper pruning.

Treatment – Control of heart rot is achieved by:

• Maintaining your trees healthy and vigorous.
• Using proper pruning techniques.
• Having the trees inspected by an arborist annually.
• Providing post-storm care and maintenance.

Heart rot affects trees across the world. When trees are healthy, they are able to isolate and stop this disease through a process called compartmentalization.

Call a Professional – If you suspect that your tree is suffering from heart rot, do not hesitate to call a professional tree service to evaluate the tree and recommend a course of action. Act promptly, as trees that suffer from this disease can cause catastrophic damages when they collapse unexpectedly.

Tree Disease and Landscape Health

Because diseased trees are susceptible to fall at any time, it is imperative to be educated and swift in taking action to treat these disease cases.

Discovering how to identify and treat the diseases that are common in Marietta Georgia is a great start.

Being informed and giving more attention to your trees may seem like extra effort, but sleeping well at night knowing your property and people are safe is worth the energy.

Sources:
http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1238&title=Common%20Landscape%20Diseases%20in%20Georgia
http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/community-forests/management/tree-care/insects-and-diseases/index.cfm

https://plus.google.com/+Toddsmariettatreeservices

The post 5 Marietta Ga Tree Diseases – Identification and Treatment appeared first on http://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com.

One of the best parts of being a homeowner with a green thumb is the ability to plan and implement landscape installation and design. There’s so much that can be done to beautify our Pacific Northwest lawns and outdoor living spaces.

The great Pacific Northwest offers much inspiration. Step outside and hike up to one of the many viewpoints in the area to get just a glimpse of the many different tree and shrub species and the multitude of living and decorative color available as the seasons come and go.

Our friends at the Arbor Day Foundation have a primer on landscape design that provides an excellent starting point as we examine how best to implement these practices for your individual green space. It includes some of our favorites landscape installation and design ideas, including the “Bird Magnet Hedgerow,” the “Flowering Green Giant” and the “Flowering Woods Edge.”

Urban Forest Pro

At Urban Forest Pro, our ISA-certified arborists have the tools, experience and expertise to help property owners bring their biggest landscaping dreams to full and vibrant life.

However, it’s important to remember that there is a difference between arborists and landscapers. So, while it can be helpful to harness the specific artistic and scientific strengths of each specialty to get the landscape design you want, these two fields will bring different skills to the job.

As we have written about in the Urban Forest Pro blog post referenced above, “it’s best to see these two fields … as separate jobs best left to their respective professionals. … Of course, some Portland arborists also offer extensive landscaping services. However, for the health of your trees and the safety of your family, it’s best to entrust tree services only to certified arborists.”

For example, let’s say a property owner needs help with tree relocation. Although landscapers may have some design and aesthetic ideas on where to relocate a tree, they’re unlikely to have the kind of expertise — not to mention the kind of equipment and training — necessary to actually do the job.

There are also permitting and city regulations that come into play. Again, an ISA-certified arborist is the best choice for projects of this magnitude. That’s where arborists at Urban Forest Pro come in.

Landscape installation and design is a fun and fruitful activity. The first step to creating your own personal Garden of Eden is knowing where to turn for help and expertise. Why not start with the pros? Contact Urban Forest Pro today to find out how we can help you with your projects!

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com

The weather in most urban areas of the Pacific Northwest is mild compared to many other parts of the country. It’s often jokingly suggested that the weather here — especially west of the Cascades — falls into just two categories: wet and dry.

However, as is usually the case, the reality is a little more complex. The people of the great PNW experience four full seasons.

To be sure, the beginning and end of those four seasons rarely conform to the “official” seasonal start and stop dates on the calendar. But make no mistake: Most Northwesterners are more than familiar with tending spring gardens, baking in the hot summer sun, raking piles of fallen leaves and shoveling the occasional mountain of snow.

Homeowners, property owners, commercial developers and others are keenly aware of these duties. It takes a lot of work to maintain yards and common areas so that they’re not only beautiful, well-managed and safe, but conform to local rules and regulations, whether from cities or homeowners associations.

When winter comes a-knockin’, there are extra precautions that must be taken. So let’s take a few moments to focus on winter tree care.

Urban Forest Pro

Our admired and beloved urban tree canopy can pose continuing challenges to property owners, especially in winter. Damaged branches can fall onto people, structures, vehicles and power lines. Soggy winter weather can lead to tree splits, cracks and root problems.

We’ve covered many of these winter tree care challenges in the Urban Forest Pro blog, but it’s worth taking a deeper dive into some of the specifics.

First, though, it’s important to remember that many of the problems we’ll discuss in this article are best left to professionals. Considering how enormous some of our valuable resident trees can be — not to mention how important they are both culturally and aesthetically — it’s wise to entrust their ongoing care to Urban Forest Pro.

Each and every one of our arborists is ISA-certified, meaning our customers, both residential and commercial, trust us to care for their trees as if they were our own.

Contact Urban Forest Pro today to find out how we can help!

How to care for your trees in the winter

Think of winter tree care as the Four P’s.

Pruning

Preparing trees for winter requires several steps, depending on the type of tree. For example, deciduous trees (those that shed their leaves) use their dormant periods to renew their energy reserves for the coming year’s growth. That makes winter a good time for tree pruning and other maintenance work. Pruning promotes the development of healthy branch structures, and the pruning process rids the tree of any limbs that may have been damaged or diseased.

Planting

Another timely activity for the winter is tree planting. As long as the ground is not frozen, it’s totally fine to plant a tree in the winter, although it’s important to take extra precautions when planting in or near soggy soils. Make sure planting is done correctly, too — i.e., the right tree is planted in the right location, the soil is properly prepared, etc.

Prettifying

Winter is also a splendid time to consider adding decorative trees to your property. Urban Forest Pro has plenty of tips on adding color to your winter landscape.

Prepping

Winter is a good time to prep your property for a strong growing season by eliminating weeds, cleaning up the soil and, if possible, testing the soil itself. (The certified arborists at Urban Forest Pro can take care of soil testing for you; it’s just one of the many tree services we provide.) If you have fruit trees, they will likely require additional care and maintenance in order to ensure a bountiful harvest come the next growing season. Fruit trees require proper nutrients — and it’s absolutely vital to monitor the trees for pests and disease.

Contact Urban Forest Pro today and see how much work we can get done for you in time for spring!

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com

One of the healthiest fruits you can consume comes from the Punica granatum (pomegranate) tree. But how much do you really know about this amazing tree species?

Pomegranate trees produce the incredible pomegranate fruit and have been cultivated for several millennia. Relatively easy to care for, this tree, its flower, and fruit all have profound historical and cultural significance.

www.72tree.com gathered pomegranate tree information and history, care tips, and answers several frequently asked questions.

Pomegranate Tree Information

Pomegranate is a tree species native to the region of Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan to Northern India. Today, the species is cultivated throughout the Middle East, Northern and Tropical Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, and parts of the Southwestern United States.

Tree Name – Pomegranate
Scientific Name/Species – Punica granatum
Family – Lythraceae
Genus – Punica
Nickname – Winter Jewels, Red Ruby, and Chinese Apple

Lifespan – Can live up to 200 years or more when planted in optimal conditions.
Type – Deciduous.
Hardiness Zone(s) – from 8a to 13a
Soil Requirements – Versatile, prefers well-drained rich, fertile soil with full sun exposure.
Planting Spacing – 5 to 6ft
Watering Requirements – Regular when young or planted. Minimal thereafter.

Height – 15ft on average. Can reach 30ft under optimal conditions.
DBH – NA
Crown Span – 8 to 10ft or more at maturity.
Root Spread – Wide and shallow (10-25ft from the trunk and 2 to 3ft deep)
Uses in Landscaping – Highlight tree, border or division, and addition to orchards.

Winter/Fall Colors – Yellow before leaf-drop in the fall.

Pests – Healthy pomegranates are incredibly resilient to insect attacks but may see aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and thrips in the spring and summer months. Neem oil or other organic insecticides can be used to control them easily.
Disease – Keeping your pomegranate tree healthy will help it avoid or fight rot, anthracnose, and fungal wilt.
Major Disease Threat – Heart Rot

Pomegranate Origin and History

Originating from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India, Punica granatum (pomegranate) has been grown for several millennia, and was cultivated and naturalized over the extent of the Mediterranean region.

It wasn’t until 1769 that Spanish settlers introduced the first pomegranate specimen to California. Two and a half centuries later, pomegranate trees can be found throughout the US in a commercial capacity as well as in private landscapes and potted in our homes.

Armenian culture sees the pomegranate as a semi-religious icon. A symbol representing abundance, marriage, and fertility, the fruit and its juice are used with Armenian food, heritage, and wine.

As the fruit contains numerous seeds, it is perceived to symbolize fruitfulness. Thus, fostering the tradition to eat the fruit on Rosh Hashana. Besides several mentions in the Bible, some believe the fruit has 613 seeds corresponding to the 613 commandments found in the Torah.

Care Tips for Pomegranate Trees

Pomegranate trees do not require much attention. They are very adaptable to their environment and remarkably resilient to infestation and illness when healthy.

The following tips will assist you in keeping your pomegranate tree(s) healthy and thriving.

Planting Location and Soil – Pomegranates will adapt to nearly any well-drained soil condition regardless of its pH. As long as your specimen receives full sun and is protected from temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it should thrive.

Watering – Pomegranate roots grow within the first 2 to 3 feet of soil and do not require deep watering. Keep the soil moist for the first 8 months to 1 year, and again when the tree is bearing fruit.

Once the tree’s roots are established, you can cut back to 2 waterings per month in the drier months. By this time though, your tree will be able to tolerate drought conditions.

When the tree is bearing fruit, you can prevent the fruit from splitting by keeping the soil moist.

Fertilizer – After planting a pomegranate tree, you do not need to fertilize it for a full year. The use of organic mulch (manure or compost) will suffice.

Thereafter, each spring, you can apply 2 ounces of nitrogen granules. Increase the dose 1 ounce for each subsequent year.

There are fertilizers specially formulated for fruit trees which may be used as well.

Pruning – Pomegranate trees produce flowers on new growth and can be pruned to remove damaged or dying branches, to shape the tree, or to remove suckers, dead wood, and unwanted growth.

The best time to prune your tree is late winter or early spring before the buds break, and when the threat of frost has subsided.

Be cautious of over-pruning, as it will reduce the amount of fruit your tree is able to produce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Do All Pomegranates Have 613 Seeds?
Answer: No. While some will debate that all pomegranates have this number of seeds, it would be quite easy to prove the contrary.

Question: What Are Pomegranate Seeds Called?
Answer: Arils.

Question: Are Pomegranates Anti-Inflammatory?
Answer: Studies show that pomegranates have excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

Question: What Vitamins Are in Pomegranate Seeds?
Answer: Pomegranates have B vitamins including folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.

Question: Are Pomegranates an Antioxidant?
Answer: They have high contents of polyphenols and are renowned for their antioxidant capabilities.

Question: How Long Does It Take for Pomegranate to Fruit?
Answer: Pomegranate trees can take up to 7 months for their fruit to fully mature. The tree itself will only bear fruit after two to three years of hearty growth.

Question: When Do Pomegranate Fruits Ripen?
Answer: Pomegranate fruit in the northern hemisphere typically ripens from September to February, and from March to May in the southern hemisphere.

Pomegranate Trees and Fruit for Your Landscape and Health

Cultivated for thousands of years, the pomegranate tree and its fruit have been gracing landscapes and providing powerful antioxidants through vitamin-rich seeds for generation after generation.

In this article, you discovered the history of the pomegranate tree, how to care for them, and the answers to many common questions about the species.

Growing a pomegranate tree is easy when compared to other fruit trees, and should be a part of your landscape. With a little patience and care, you could have ripening pomegranates in under three years.

Sources:

https://www.science.gov/topicpages/t/total+pomegranate+tannin
https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pomegranate.html
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/pomegranate/

This article was first published on: http://www.72tree.com/pomegranate-tree-information-questions-answers/