The summer heat may still be with us but fall threats are on their way. Now is the time to protect your trees from that reliable annoyance: anthracnose. What is Anthracnose? Anthracnose is not actually a single disease but a name for a group of fungal diseases that attack trees in similar ways. In our…
Californians have always had to contend with wildfires, but those of 2018 were the most destructive and deadliest on record. A total of 1,893,913 acres burned throughout California causing billions of dollars in damage and fire suppression costs. Every year we ask you to prepare your property for wildfire season; as wildfires grow in intensity…
Part I: Why Health Care? “Health care” is not a term many people associate with trees. True, most commercial property managers have a line item in their budget for tree maintenance, but this is typically expected to go towards trimming, removals or planting. So why do arborists talk so much about tree health care? Very…
It’s spring! That means fresh flowers, baby birds, and sucking insects. Wait, what? Yes, the new growth that comes in the season of rebirth is what brings out those pesky aphids, adelgids and psyllids. These tiny destructive bugs suck the sap from fresh shoots and young leaves and leave behind stunted, weakened plants. Now is…
Meet fire blight: a virulent bacteria that kills leaves, stems, fruit, whole branches and entire trees. But don’t fear, our Plant Health Care Department is ready to start the year by fighting off this destructive and predictable attacker. But take note! The most important tool in your arsenal against fire blight is timing. The only…
We’re all familiar with the challenges of Southern California’s hot, dry summers, but fall rains bring their own set of problems. Namely, fungus. Anthracnose is a disease caused by many different fungi that affects a variety of trees. The symptoms vary depending on the host but include dark spots or blotches on leaves, defoliation, and…
Fall in Southern California doesn’t bring much in the way of crisp winds and color-changing foliage, but we can count on one reliable herald of the change in season: fungal diseases in trees. Fungal diseases often enter trees through a wound like those caused by lawnmowers or weed wackers. If the fungal disease takes root…
If a tree falls in the city and dozens of people are around to hear it does it make a sound? You bet it does and sometimes it sounds like “lawsuit.” One of the most important differences between trees in urban environments and those in nature is that when a branch or tree fails in a…
Oktoberfest in the United States calls up images of beer gardens, rich German food, polka bands, and women in dirndl dresses serving large steins of beer. Rarely do we think of horse racing and royal weddings, but that is how the tradition started. When King Ludwig I of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1810,…
