Tree Tips
ADVICE FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY TREES
Keep your trees looking their best with good management practices.
MULCHING
A very easy and cost-effective way to make your trees healthier is to apply mulch material. Mulching accomplishes several benefits:
- It retains moisture for surface roots during hot summer months
- Insulates delicate roots from freezing
- Discourages mechanical damage from mowers and trimmers
- Eliminates competing grass roots that are more aggressive that tree roots.
Follow these tips when mulching:
- Do not pile mulch too high. Piling can lead to disease and trunk bark damage from insects.
- A larger diameter is better.
- Buy premium material that has been treated. Keep in mind that some mulch is nothing more than ground-up dead trees containing insects and harmful fungi brought in by tree companies to become mulch sold to the public.
INSECT ALERT
Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald ash borer (EAB) is one of the most serious pests of the last decade. EAB is an exotic, .5 inch-long metallic-green beetle from Asia that has the potential to destroy over 10 million ash trees in the mid-Atlantic region. EABs have been recently found as close as Annapolis and Columbia. Nearly all ash trees are susceptible to these pests. Early signs of an infestation include the appearance of weak and dying stems and branches in the crown of the tree and 1/8 inch D-shaped holes in the trunk where the adult borers have exited. You may also notice water sprouts and suckers around the trunk, split of loose bark, and increase woodpecker activity. EAB will attack young and old, healthy and stressed trees. The best prevention is awareness and early detection. If you have ash trees on your property and you think you may have a problem with the EAB, call us right away and we will send one of our licensed arborists to inspect your trees.
INSECT ALERT
Oak Bark Beetle
We have a huge problem with an oak bark beetle in this area. This guy is tiny with a big name: pseudopityophthorus minutissimus. Examine any fallen limbs from primarily red oak trees. You will notice trails through the wood indicative of beetle damage. We can inject an insecticide to control them quickly and efficiently. These beetles are parasitic, invasive predators with winged, hard bodies and powerful jaws that assist them to bore into bark. They are commonly attracted to oak and pine. Inside the bark of the tree they develop tunnels and reproduce young.
Typically an onslaught of oak bark beetles results in death to the tree, and in the process the beetles spread to other trees. Often symptoms of oak bark beetle damage are not present until the problem is irreversible, so prevention to protect the oaks is the best measure.
BEST PRACTICES
Fertilizing. Fertilizing provides the best bang for the buck concerning tree health. A healthy tree resists insect attacks.
Watering. Trees use large amounts of water and sometimes compete with lawns for soil moisture. Use of a soaker hose is the best method to water your trees.
Diagnosing. Any obvious changes in your trees’ appearance can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Early diagnosis is a must to correct the problem and save the tree.
Root Zone Damage. The ground around your trees should not be disturbed. Even adding six inches of dirt can suffocate a root system.
Mulching. Protect the tree roots with quality mulch that insulates them and helps retain moisture.
WARNING: TREE TOPPING
Not only does it look terrible, removing the top of a tree’s canopy can quickly result in a tree’s death. This practice adds exposure to the sun’s ray’s and makes the tree very vulnerable to insect infestation and fungal spores. Additionally, the tree is structurally weakened and the photosynthesis process is inhibited which means the specimen becomes a hazard tree. At Centurion Tree Experts we never top trees.
HAVE OUR EXPERIENCED ARBORIST ASSESS YOUR TREES
Contact us to request an estimate.