13
Feb
Why hire an ISA Certified Arborist?
Taking care of your trees extends the life of the tree, adds property value and increases safety for your home and or environment. The benefits of trees range from purifying our air, helping to mediate water run off, and can dramatically increase efficiency in cooling and heating your home. Also they provide wildlife habitat and... Read More
15
Nov
Tree planting considerations…
Planting a tree is a long term investment. There are many important factors to consider when establishing a plan for planting.These include selecting species, location and following up with proper planting techniques. Although some non native species will adapt to our soils and landscapes it is important to consider native trees for selection. Even though... Read More
20
Jun
Epicormic sprouts and their role in the health of the tree
Epicormic sprouts, also known as “suckers” or “water sprouts”, are growth that emerge from dormant buds along the trunk and branches of a tree. Some species of tree produce a large quantity of these sprouts such as a Live oak (Quercus virginiana), wheras others such as a Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) will produce comparatively very few.... Read More
03
Feb
Ball Moss
Ball Moss is a small epiphyte commonly found on limbs of live oaks and other trees in central Texas. Ball moss is not a moss as the name would suggest, but a plant in its own right with flower and seeds, in the bromeliad family. Epiphytes are non parasitic plants that place false roots to... Read More
07
Oct
Oak wilt and pruning
Oak wilt is a serious and often fatal disease caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum. Central Texas is one of the worst afflicted areas in the U.S., damaging and killing numerous live oaks and red oaks. Most home owners, where these trees are present, are familiar with the danger this fungus causes, but aren’t sure on how... Read More
29
Jul
Pruning in relation to temperature
Homeowners often hear conflicting information about what kind of pruning can be performed at what time of the year. Part of the confusion is related to the pruning of live oaks and red oaks because of the risk of oak wilt transmission, which will be specifically addressed in the next blog. Pruning can be broadly divided... Read More
14
Jun
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant in the order Santalales that lives within the branches of a tree. Many different species of tree host mistletoe, here in central Texas it is most commonly found in cedar elms, hackberries, mesquite and red oaks. It often goes unnoticed by homeowners as the mistletoe leaves can be confused with those... Read More
28
Apr
Benefits of mulch and proper application
Mulching is one of the biggest improvements in the health of a tree that a homeowner can make. It is also cheap and, if proper guidelines are followed, can be done without the help and oversight of an arborist.
31
Mar
Common tree problems in urban and suburban spaces
In this first blog I want to address some of the most common and generic issues that trees face in an urban environment. Trees in an urban landscape face many problems that are not present in their natural habitat, the forest. These issues will be tackled in greater detail in future blogs. The roots that... Read More