|
Q.
Why is topping bad?
A. The
practice of topping is so wide spread that many people believe it is the
proper way to prune tree. However, topping can cause a variety of problems
in trees, and ultimately cause problems for homeowners.
Q. Topping
& Pruning" What's the difference?"
A. Topping is the excessive and arbitrary
removal of all parts f the tree above and beyond a certain height
with no regard for the structure or growth pattern of the tree.
Pruning is the selective removal of certain limbs based on
the structure and growth pattern of the tree.
Q. When to Prune
A. A few tree diseases, such as
oak wilt, can be spread when pruning wounds allow spores access
into the tree. Susceptible trees should not be pruned during
active transmission periods.
Heavy pruning just after the
spring growth flush should be avoided. This is when trees have
just expended a great deal of energy to produce foliage and
early shoot growth. Removal of a large percentage of foliage at
this time can stress the tree.
Q.
How much should be pruned?
A. The amount of live tissue
that should be removed depends on the tree size, species, and
age, as well as the pruning objectives. Younger trees will
tolerate the removal of a higher percentage of living tissue
than mature trees. An important principle to remember is that a
tree can recover from several small pruning wounds faster than
from one large wound.
A common mistake is to remove
too much inner foliage and small branches. It is important to
maintain an even distribution of foliage along large limbs and
in the lower portion of the crown. Over-thinning reduces the
tree's sugar production capacity and can create tip-heavy limbs
that are prone to failure.
Mature trees should require
little routine pruning. A widely accepted rule of thumb is never
to remove more than one fourth of a tree's leaf bearing crown.
In a mature tree, pruning even that much could have negative
effects. Removing even a single, large-diameter limb can create
a wound that the tree may not be able to close. The older and
larger a tree becomes, the less energy it has in reserve to
close wounds and defend against decay or insect attack. The
pruning of large, mature trees is usually limited to the removal
of dead or potentially hazardous limbs.
Q. What is a Certified Arborist?
A. An arborist by definition is an
individual who is trained in the art and science of planting, caring for
and maintaining individual trees. ISA Arborist Certification is a non-governmental,
voluntary process by which individuals can document their base of
knowledge. It operates without mandate of law and is an internal,
self-regulating device administered by the International Society of Arboriculture.
Certification provides a measurable assessment of an individual's
knowledge and competence required to provide proper tree care.
Certification is not a
measure of standards of practice. Certification can attest to the tree
knowledge of an individual, but cannot guarantee or assure quality
performance.
Certified arborists are
individual's who have achieved a level of knowledge in the art and
science of tree care through at least three years experience and have
passed a comprehensive examination developed by some of the nation's
leading experts on tree care.
Certified arborists must
also continue their education to maintain their certification.
Therefore, they should be up-to-date ion the latest techniques in
arboriculture.
Q. Why
Hire an Arborist?
A. An arborist should be insured for your protection.
Most homeowners policies do not cover uninsured contractors.An arborist is a specialist in the
care of individual trees. Arborists are knowledgeable and equipped to
provide proper care. Hiring an arborist is a decision that should not be
taken lightly. Proper tree care is an investment which can lead to substantial
returns. Well cared for trees are attractive and can add considerable
value to your property. Poorly maintained trees can be a significant liability.
Pruning or removing trees, especially large trees, can be dangerous
work. tree work should only be done by those trained and equipped to
work safely in trees.
Q. What kind of services can an
arborist provide?
A. Arborists can provide a variety of
services to help maintain your valuable investment.
1. Pruning
- the arborist can determine what type of pruning in necessary to
maintain or improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees,
These techniques include
- Eliminating branches that rub each
other.
- Removing limbs that interfere with
wires, building facades, gutters, roofs, chimneys, windows or
obstruct streets or sidewalks.
- Removing dead or weak limbs that
pose a hazard or may lead to decay.
- Removing diseased or insect infested
limbs.
- Creating better structure to
lessen wind resistance and reduce the potential fro storm damage.
- Training young trees.
- Removing limbs damages by adverse
weather conditions.
- Thinning or removal of unnecessary
branches.
- Improving the shape or silhouette
of the tree.
2. Removal - Although tree
removal is a last resort, there are circumstances when it is necessary.
An arborist can help decide whether or not a tree should be removed.
Arborists have the skills and equipment to safely and efficiently remove
trees. Removal is recommended when:
- The tree is dead or dying.
- The tree is considered irreparably
hazardous.
- The tree is causing an obstruction
that is impossible to correct through pruning.
- The tree is crowding and
causing harm to other trees.
- The tree is to be replaced by a
more suitable specimen.
- The tree should be removed to
allow for new construction.
3.
Emergency Tree Care
- Storms may
cause limbs or entire trees to fail, often landing on homes, cars,
other structures of other trees. The weight of storm damaged trees is
great and they can be very dangerous to remove or trim. An arborist can
assist in performing the job in a safe manner, while reducing further
risk of damage to your property.
4. Planting - Some arborist plant
trees and most can recommend what types of trees are appropriate for a specific
location. The wrong tree in the wrong location could lead to future problems due to limited growing space, insects, diseases, or poor
growth.
5. Other services - Many arborists
also provide a variety of other tree care services including:
- Practicing Plant Health Card: a
concept of preventative maintenance to keep trees in good health
which will help the tree better defend itself against insects,
disease and site problems.
- Fertilization.
- Cabling or bracing for added
support to branches with weak attachment. Aeration to improve root
growth.
- Installation of lightning
protection systems
- Spraying or injecting to control
certain insect and disease problems.
Q. How do I select the right arborist
for the job?
A. There are a variety of things to consider
when selecting an arborist which include:
- Membership in professional
organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture
(ISA) the National Arborist Associations (NAA) or the American
Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) demonstrates a willingness on
the part of the arborist to stay up to date on the latest techniques
and information.
- Check in the phone directory
yellow pages for those arborists who advertise as ISA Certified
Arborist. Certified arborists are experienced professionals who have
passed an extensive examination covering all aspects of tree care.
- Ask for proof of insurance and
then phone the insurance company if you are not satisfied. A reputable
arborist will have personal and property damage insurance as well as
workers compensation insurance. Many homeowners have had to pay out
large sums of money for damages caused by an uninsured individual claiming
to be a tree expert. You could be held responsible for damages and inquires
that occur as a result of the job.
- Ask for references to find out
where the company has done work similar to the work you are
requesting. Don't hesitate to check references or visit other
worksites where the company or individual had done tree work.
Remember, tree care is a substantial, long-lasting investment; you
would not buy a care without a test drive!
- Unless you know and are
comfortable with the arborist, get more than one estimate. You may
have to pay for the estimates, and it will take more time, but it
will be worth the investment.
- Be wary of individuals who go door
to door and offer bargains for performing tree work. Most reputable
companies are too occupied to solicit work in this manner. Improper
tree care can take many years to correct itself and in some cases
never corrects itself. Are you willing to take that risk with your
valuable investment?
- Good arborists will only perform
accepted practices. For example, practices such as topping a tree,
removing an excessive amount of live wood, using climbing
spikes on trees which are not being removed, and removing or disfiguring
living trees without just cause, are unnecessary.
- Don't always accept the low bid.
You should examine the credentials and the written specification of
the firms who submitted bids and determine the best combination of
price work to be done, skill and professionalism to protect your
substantial investment.
Q. How do I recognize
tree hazards.
A.
Trees provide significant benefits to our homes and cities, but when
trees fall and injure people or damage property, they are liabilities.
taking care of tree hazards makes your property safer and prolongs the
life of the tree.
Trees are an important
part of our world. They offer a wide range of benefits to the
environment and provide tremendous beauty.
However, trees may be
dangerous. trees or parts of trees may fall and cause injury to people
or damage to property. We call trees in such situation hazardous, to
signify the risk involved with their presence. While every tree has the
potential to fall, only a small number actually hit something or
someone.
It is an owner's
responsibility to provide for the safety of trees on his/her property.
This brochure provide some tips for identifying the common defects
associated with tree hazards. However, evaluating the seriousness of
these defects is best done by a professional arborist.
Regular tree care will
help identify hazardous trees and the risk they present. Once the hazard
is recognized, steps may be taken to reduce the likelihood of the tree
falling and injuring someone.
Q. What tree do you
think I should plant?
A.
Before this question can be answered, a number of factors need to be
considered. Think about the following questions:
- Why is the tree being planted? Do
you want the tree to provide shade, fruit, seasonal color or act as
a windbreak or screen? Maybe more than one of the above?
- What is the size and location of
the planting site? Does the space lend itself to a large, medium, or
small tree? Are there overhead or below ground wires or utilities in
the vicinity? Do you need to consider clearance for sidewalks,
patios or driveways? Are there other trees in the area?
- What type of soil conditions exist?
Is the soil deep, fertile and well drained or is it shallow,
compacted and infertile?
- What type of maintenance are you
willing to provide? Do you have time to water, fertilize and prune
the newly planted tree until it is established or will you be
relying on your garden or tree service for assistance?
Q. How do I avoid tree
damage during construction?
A.
As cities and suburbs expand, wooded lands are being developed into
commercial and residential sites. Homes are constructed in the midst of
trees to take advantage of the aesthetic and environmental value of the
wooded lots. Wooded properties can be worth as much as twenty percent
more than those without trees, and people value the opportunity to live
among trees.
Unfortunately, the
process involved with construction can be deadly to the nearby tree.
Further, unless the damage is extreme, the trees may not die
immediately, but could decline over several years. With this delay in symptom
development, you may not associate the loss of the tree with the
construction.
It is possible to
preserve trees on building sites if the right measures are taken. The
most important step is to hire a professional a arborist during
the planning stage. An arborist can help you decide which trees can be
saved, and can work with the builder to protect the trees throughout
each construction phase.
Q. How are trees
damages during construction?
A.
Physical injury to the trunk and crown - Construction equipment can
injure the above-ground portion of a tree by breaking branches, tearing
the bark and wounding the trunk. These injuries are permanent, and if
extensive, can be fatal.
Cutting
of roots - The digging and trenching that are necessary to
construct a house and install underground utilities will likely sever a
portion of the roots of many trees in the area. It is easy to appreciate
the potential for damage if you understand where roots grow. the roots
of a mature tree extend far from the trunk of the tree. In fact, roots
typically will be found growing a distance of 1-3 times the height of
the tree. The amount of damage a tree can suffer from root loss depends,
in part, upon how close to the tree is cut is made. Severing one major
root can cause the loss of 5-20 percent of the root system.
Another problem that may
result from root loss due to digging and trenching is that the potential
for the trees to fall over is increased. the roots play a critical role
in anchoring a tree. If the major support roots are cut on one side of a
tree may fall or blow over.
Soil
Compaction - An ideal soil for root growth and development is
about fifty percent pore space. These pores, the spaces between soil
particles, are filled with water and air. The heavy equipment used in
construction compacts the soil, and can dramatically reduce the amount
of pore space. This not only inhibits root growth and penetration, but
also decreases oxygen in the soil that is essential to the growth and
function of the roots.
Smothering
roots by adding soil - Most people are surprised to learn that 90
percent of the fine roots that absorb water and minerals are in the
upper 6 -12 inches of soil. Roots require space, air and water. Roots
will grown best where these requirements are met, which is usually very
near the soil surface. Piling soil over the root system or increasing
the grade will smother the roots. It only takes a few inches of added
soil to kill a sensitive, mature tree.
Exposure
to the elements - Trees in a forest situation grow as a
community, protecting each other from the elements. The trees grow tall,
with long, straight trunks and high canopies. Removal of neighboring
tress, or opening and shared canopies of trees will expose the remaining
trees to sunlight and wind. The higher levels of sunlight may cause
sunscald on the trunks and branches. Also, the remaining trees will be
more prone to breaking from wind or ice loading.
Q. How do I identify
and cure plant disease?
A.
correct diagnosis of plant disease requires a careful examination of the
situation an systematic elimination of possibilities by following a few
important steps.
1.
Accurately identify the plant. Because infectious pathogens are mostly
plant-specific, this information can quickly limit the number is
suspected diseases.
2.
Look for a pattern of abnormality. This can often provide key
information regarding the cause of the problem. For example, if the
affected plants are restricted to a walkway, road or fence, the disorder
could be a result of wood preservatives, de-icing salts, or other harsh
chemicals.
3. Carefully
examine the land. Factors to observe include:
- drainage
- history of the property
- number of species affected
- percentage of inured plants in the
area
Poorly drained areas are ideal for the
development of root rot induced by a variety of water molds. The
history of the property and adjacent land may reveal many problems such
as herbicides applied to agriculture lands or sanitary landfills whose
gas can drift several hundred feet and damage plants.
The number of species affected may
also help to distinguish between infectious pathogens that are more
plant-specific as compared to chemical or environmental factors that
affect many different species. Most living pathogens take a relatively
long time to spread throughout an area, so if a large percentage of
plants become diseased virtually overnight, a pathogen is probably not
involved.
4.
Examine the roots. Note their color: brown or black roots may signal
problems. Brown roots often indicate dry soil conditions or the presence
of toxic chemicals. Black roots usually reflect overly wet soil or the
presence of root-rotting organisms.
5.
Check the trunk and branches. Examine the trunk thoroughly for wounds,
as they provide entrances for cankers and wood-rotting organisms. Such
wounds may be caused by weather fire, lawnmowers, rodents, and a variety
of other environmental and mechanical factors. you can avoid extensive
decline by removing branch stubs and pruning out cankered limbs.
6.
Note the position and appearance of affected leaves. Dead leaves at the
top of the tree usually the result of environmental or mechanical root
stress. Twisted or curled leaves may indicate viral infection, insect
feeding, or exposure to herbicides. The size and color of the foliage
may tell a great deal about the plants condition, so make mote of these
and any other abnormalities.
7.
Think about current and past management practices. Sometimes a plant's
current problem is actually a result of
Armed with information
from this careful examination, you can now consult a plant disease reference
or expert and make a diagnosis of the problem.
For more info CLICK
HERE |
