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Tree Maintenance For Beginners – October 2018: Part 4

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Diversity in the urban landscape concerns arborists everywhere. We learned from the near-extinction of the American elm due to Dutch elm disease that over planting a single species can have catastrophic results. In a homogenous culture, it only takes one pest or disease to devastate an entire tree population. It is now commonly suggested that no one species should represent more than five percent of planting. This increased diversity
is a challenge:

It will be hard to achieve the uniform look along streets that many find desirable
There’s no guarantee that a pest or disease with a broad host range will not do serious damage
A desirable variety of species might not be adequately available
Some species may not be as well adapted to a local urban environment as others
Our changing environment and/or global trade could introduce new and exotic pests.

More plant diversity doesn’t assure a problem-free urban forest future. However, it will also improve the biological diversity of insects and birds. And most important, more diversity will lead to the ultimate goal of urban forest sustainability.

Ivy on Trees
Although long used as a ground-cover and with a name synonymous with venerable old institutions; simply put, ivy is bad for trees. No ivy species is native to the United States. Many species are aggressively invasive and displace native species. In North America, the most common culprits are English ivy and Irish or Atlantic ivy.

Ivy is a problem in landscape settings because it competes with desirable plant species for water and nutrients, but most importantly, ivy leads to concern for tree structure and failure potential.

We look forward to helping you with all of your tree removal and tree trimming needs. When and if you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We strive to be your only and best option for tree trimmers in Richland.

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Tree Maintenance For Beginners – October 2018: Part 3

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Keeping Drought in Mind
Areas of Washington could see drought conditions from time to time, and many trees and shrubs are paying the price. Early effects of drought include wilting or discoloration of foliage, shedding of leaves or needles, and reduction in growth. As drought stress continues, plants become more susceptible to disease and insect issues to which they would normally be resistant.

Pests like beetles and fungi are often only found attacking stressed trees, and are being found more and more frequently affecting Washington landscapes. Irrigating plants is the first approach, though not for Washington who are asked to cut back on water usage.

Mulching the root zone with fresh wood chips will help to retain irrigation or natural moisture in the soil, and it will help to regulate extreme soil temperatures, which is an additional tree stress that often goes hand in hand with drought. In addition, there are a few more advanced options that may become necessary as the drought continues:

Wetting Agents: One heavy watering with a wetting agent will allow future irrigation events to be more effective in moistening the root zone.

Plant growth regulators: Treated plants will have slightly smaller leaves, thicker leaves and thicker wax cuticles, hairier leaves, and more energy going to root growth.

We look forward to helping you with all of your tree removal and tree trimming needs. When and if you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We strive to be your only and best option for tree trimmers in Pasco.

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Tree Maintenance For Beginners – October 2018: Part 2

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Damage From Construction
Protect the tree roots from soil compaction, paving, or mechanical damage. Remember that tree roots extend two to three times the width of the canopy. Roots are required for structural stability and for supplying water and nutrients. The amount of damage a tree can suffer from root loss depends on how close the cut is made to the trunk. Severing one major root can cause the loss of a majority of the root system.

Monitoring Insects and Disease
Monitor for pest problems on a regular basis and treat only if necessary. Some pests can damage or kill plants, but not all insects and disease organisms pose a significant threat or require treatment. By first identifying the problem, it can be determined if any treatment is necessary.

When Trees & Grass Compete
Turfgrass roots colonize the top two to three inch layer of soil while tree roots are concentrated in the top six to twelve inches of soil. Because of these root depths, trees and turfgrasses compete for the same soil nutrients and moisture. Turfgrass may compete more successfully than the tree for water and nutrients, especially if established before the tree. Mulching eliminates some of this competition by allowing only the tree to use the nutrients and water applied under the tree. Most turf grasses do not grow well in the heavy shade anyway.

We look forward to helping you with all of your tree removal and tree trimming needs. When and if you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We strive to be your only and best option for tree trimmers in Kennewick.

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