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Autumn is a perfect time to walk our landscapes and inspect the trees in order to minimize or prevent possible damage which may occur from upcoming winter storms.
What you can do?
Learn to spot the eight
warning signs of structural tree defects.
- Call a certified arborist from Collier Arbor Care to assess your trees
to prepare them for winter.
- Inspect your trees regularly, particularly after storms for damage or warning
signs.
What a Collier Arbor Care Certified Arborist can do for
you?
Depending on your tree care needs, a Collier Arborist might recommend to...
- Crown thin dense trees by removing 10-20% of the branches and foliage
to reduce weight and wind resistance. Do not over–thin or top trees
as this can make trees more hazardous.
- Crown-clean trees to remove deadwood, dangerous branches and hangers.
- Remove large leaning trees with cracked soil and exposed root balls.
- Remove or cable branches with v-crotches or weak branch attachments.
- Evaluate trees with large cavities, structural problems, or extensive trunk or root decay and remove if deemed hazardous.
- Treat your trees with mycorrhizae, compost
tea, organic fertilization to enhance their health and sustainability.
Trees are living organisms. Their integrity and stability change over time.
Inspect your trees regularly to ensure their longevity and health.
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Western Red Cedar — natural foliage drop. Note tips are green.
Seiridium Canker disease causing un-natural whole branch dieback.
Interior foliage is turning brown — a normal occurrence.
Every fall our office is inundated with client phone calls concerned with
their evergreen trees turning brown and they are convinced they are dying.
However in most cases, this is nothing to be concerned about. What is happening
is commonly called evergreen foliage drop, a natural occurrence.
All trees and shrubs renew their foliage annually, producing new leaves
in the spring and shedding the old leaves in the fall. The leaves of deciduous
trees like maples and oaks live for just one growing season and then fall
off usually in a blaze of color. Foliage of evergreen trees lives from one
to several years old depending on the species. As new growth emerges in
the spring the older growth becomes shaded and its role in photosynthesis
is diminished. During the year this inner or older foliage dies, turns brown
and is shed, especially in the fall.
In some species like pines, cedars, arborvitae and sequoia, this fall
browning can take place rather suddenly. Sometimes this natural occurrence
is hardly noticed but this year it is especially noticeable and people are
concerned.
The natural foliage drop can be distinguished from disease by its
uniform appearance over the whole tree and other neighboring trees of the
same species having similar symptoms. It is confined to the innermost or
oldest foliage or needles. The amount of foliage drop depends on the vigor
of the tree, and of the preceding growing season especially in a drought
year.
However, there are other serious disease problems that cause foliage browning,
but the pattern of symptoms and dieback is different. For example, we are
experiencing a canker disease called Seiridium in incense cedars that causes
a scattered (not uniform) but severe branch dieback. Large branches will
turn brown and die usually in the lower half of the tree. Diseased branches
should be removed. If the new, terminal or current year’s growth is green and vigorous,
the health of the tree is not in jeopardy from natural foliage drop in evergreens.
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The arboreal acrobat: Eastern fox squirrel.
Many animals such as beavers, sapsuckers, and deer can damage trees
but the worst culprit in our area are those arboreal acrobats, the rats
with busy tails — the squirrel. This year the squirrel damage was
particularly severe. While many tree species are susceptible, the trees
with the most damage are our native big leaf maples, and Oregon white
oak. Damage appears as branch flagging; the foliage on the branch turns
suddenly brown and dying. Although mature trees are not killed by squirrels,
we have seen trees with up to 40% crown dieback from the branch girdling.
The squirrels will chew the bark off a branch, thus girdling it, causing
it to die from that point outward.
The main reasons for the damage:
- The cambium layer under the bark is a food source when food is scarce
in the winter
- Bark is used as a nest material
- Squirrel teeth continually grow and they have to gnaw to keep teeth the proper
length
Squirrels remove the bark to feed on the cambium layer causing branch die
back.
The non-native Eastern fox squirrels are the most common squirrel in the Portland
area. Fox squirrels are reddish brown in color with large bushy tails and tan
undersides. Over population seems to be the main cause for the profusion of
tree damage.
Ways to minimize tree damage:
- Don’t feed the squirrels
- Prevent squirrels from feeding on bird food
- Trap and humanely dispose of offending squirrels (you might consider using
a pest control company)
Sapsuckers (a type of woodpecker) also damage trees. Typical damage observed on soft-wooded trees is neatly spaced horizontal or vertical rows of holes in the tree trunk or on the branches. The trees most often attacked by sapsuckers are pine, spruce, birch, and fruit and nut trees. Occasionally, other trees are damaged. Rarely do the sapsuckers kill a tree but we have seen small trees girdled from their damage. The sapsucker relies on tree sap for more than one half of its diet. Sapsuckers often attack the same trees year after year, feeding on the sap and insects associated with the tree wounding. Control of damage is difficult, but some success can be obtained using strips of shiny Mylar or balloons that startle and scare the birds. Wrapping the trunk with burlap will also prevent damage.
Deer damage to trees can be extensive in the urban rural interface. Recently, a newly planted magnolia suffered extensive damage from bucks rubbing antlers on the tree bark. Fencing off areas or spraying plants with a deer repellent can prevent damage.
If you live near a stream or lake beaver damage can be common. Walking along the Willamette River near OMSI, several young Oregon white oaks felled by beavers have been observed. Protect against beaver damage by doubl
e wrapping the lower trunk with chicken wire. Make sure to re-adjust the wire wrapping to allow for trunk growth.
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Team Collier: Logan, Quentin, Janet and Terrill.
Fabulous fall color of the Tupelo Tree.
Fall color ranges from a brilliant orange to yellow flame.
Bluish/black fruit ripens in the fall providing food for wildlife.