Tree Care Information from Experienced Certified Arborists

The thought of new construction or renovation can be an exciting time in life! It can also quickly become overwhelming as the reality of planning sets in. I know, I recently lived through my own home remodel in 2020. Your initial planning team is diverse including architects, engineers, and builders. Before you proceed, one critical team member needs to be included: your ISA Certified Arborist. We can speak for your trees!

I often have clients who contact me because branches on their trees are dying.  Their assumption is that there is something going on directly in the branches that is causing the dieback.  While that can be the case, there are also a myriad of other reasons why tree branches can die.  Here is a laundry list of what I commonly see causing branch dieback in my clinic.

A tree with yellow leaves in your landscape can be concerning. View our guide for causes of tree leaves turning yellow and how to revive your tree’s health.

I am always paying attention to the tree stresses that come over the past few years to see how they play out, interact, and affect the tree populations, both in natural systems and in home landscapes. The last two+ years have combined for some significant hardships that have affected our trees.

While trees are living organisms, just like us, there are many differences between the ways we grow, deal with stress, and recover from damage. One of the biggest differences between trees and ourselves is trees never really heal.

Most healthy trees should have leaves with an even green color. Leaves should also have a similar size, density, and an even distribution throughout the tree. If a tree exhibits a yellowing of leaves with a network of darker green veins (interveinal chlorosis), this likely indicates a serious nutrient problem. In severe cases the entire leaf turns yellow and leaf size is stunted. Leaves may scorch or wither and drop prematurely. Symptoms may be on a few leaves, an individual branch, and portions or all of a tree.

When a tree must be removed and the chips have settled, deciding what to replace it with often comes next. Emotions and practicality aside, there are several questions that can help make that decision. What is the primary objective of a new tree? What will best match the site and thrive? Do you want a shade tree to leave as a legacy? Do you want something novel that adds interest to your property?

Ten years ago, I wrote an article for this newsletter about the state of emerald ash borer (EAB) and what the future of ash trees looked like then. If you have kept past newsletters, you will find the full article in the winter 2013 issue. At that time, EAB was relatively new in our area and most ash were not yet affected by this destructive insect. Fast forward to today, we have progressed upward on the mortality curve. Thankfully, death does not overrun the current story for all ash trees.

Instead of concentrating only on the most important Ips bark beetle, I thought it might be useful to consider all the major types to see how they work, why they are a concern, and how we can deal with them.

Pruning is a beneficial management tool and often overlooked when it comes to suppressing diseases. Learn more.

Guess Which Insect? A sloppy painter might finish up the ceiling work and call it day. Cleaning off the brushes with some water and flinging the excess moisture and leftover paint onto the shrubbery. Once this dries you might find tiny white flecks on the needles of your Mugo Pine (or other evergreen host). Maybe it’s a stretch, but this does come around to a tree care topic. These white paint flecks mimic the look of a tiny insect that can damage your trees or shrubs if left alone.

We are all too familiar with the destruction that a single pest or pathogen can bring to our trees. Two of the most evident examples from the recent past would be Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Dutch Elm Disease. Thankfully, pests of this significant nature are not common. We can use lessons learned from them to help us manage future issues since we know the importance of proactive management. Now, we are monitoring two potentially threatening insects: a resurgence of Spongy Moth and a potential of a new insect called Spotted Lanternfly.