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,…
It is with regret that we say good-bye to Katie Blizzard Kiedrowski, our Director of Marketing and Business Development for the past five years. Katie is leaving us to pursue a new chapter of her life in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula and we wish her all the best. Sad as we are to see her…
The weather is warm but beware because pests don’t take vacation. Here in the final weeks of summer it’s a great time to take another look around your property for sucking and boring insects. Spring’s flush of new growth attracts sucking insects like aphids, psyllids and scale. If you treated for those earlier in the…
