treelife-consulting

From the Master Arborist’s Playbook: Branch Collars = Branch Stubs

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:43:24 GMT

A branch collar is the swollen portion between a branch and the trunk. The red-dotted line in the photo below encompasses the collar of a fern pine (Afrocarpus falcatus).

Branch collars contain specialized cells that function to seal off wounds and prevent decay from entering the vascular system. In the photo below the collar was cut into on the top-side, and damaged on the bottom-side as the branch tore off mid-cut.

Decay and discoloration subsequently set in.

Pruning cuts must be made outside the collar for the wound to “heal” correctly. Basically, the collar protects the trunk (or parent limb) from further injury by forming what looks like a donut with a hole that closes little by little each year. The photo below shows an old pruning wound that is in the process of closing up. There is not discoloration and the decay has been compartmentalized.

The left photo to the left shows a Eucalypt branch collar that occluded an injured branch. The pruning cut was made after the collar functioned normally.

Though collars are not always noticeable, they’re generally present in most unions. That is, the small branches of a large limb also have collars, even if they are not visually obvious.

Pruning cuts should always stay outside the collar of any union for the protective features to function normally. Unfortunately, it’s a common practice for tree service providers to make pruning cuts that are flush with a trunk or limb, thereby cutting into the collar and preventing the protective feature. The reasons for flush cuts are that “stubs” are unsightly and the client doesn’t want them.

To make matters worse, current ISA standards seem to suggest that stubs are not acceptable. This idea of making cuts outside the collar without leaving a stub is impossible. The collar itself is a stub. You can’t stay outside the collar and not leave a stub at the same time. Flush cuts damage the collar in all instances.

In terms of biological function, the branch collar is more important to the trunk than the branch. But in terms of mechanical function, the collar is more important to the branch because it forms a stronger union. Branches with strong unions are less likely to fail.

The red lines in the above photo show how much of the branch should’ve been retained, and how much of a stub should’ve been left on the trunk. Unfortunately, the pruning cut removed some of the collar and will limit normal biological response.

Branch collars prevent decay from entering the trunk. When the branch dies, or is pruned off, the trunk responds by closing off the union. The trunk needs all of the branch collar to close off the injury. And the function of the collar is ruined if it’s damaged. The photo below shows another example of where the collar was cut into, stunting the development of response wood.

Since it is difficult to know exactly where the wood will be closed off, pruning cuts must be well outside the union to foster undisrupted function. Cuts must leave a “stub” to stay outside the collar. The top-side of the branch collar in the photo below (pointed at by red arrow) is not adding as much wood as the surrounding portions. The pruning cut that removed the branch damaged the top of the collar, which limited the collar’s ability to respond normally.

These ideas — leaving stubs, not damaging any portion of the branch collar, and avoiding flush cuts — are not new to the tree care industry of southern California. But it has taken years to make enough observations to expound on the topic.

One of my roles as a tree consultant is to help tree pruners obtain more knowledge. And this is because the goal of TreeLife is to help improve and enhance the urban forest everywhere.

TreeLife Investigator: Vol. 3 – The American Sweetgum

butch@treelifeca.com — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:46:15 GMT

Pest Notes: Vol. 7 - South American Palm Weevil in Orange County and Inland Empire

butch@treelifeca.com — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:53:13 GMT

As we enter the new year, new areas are being discovered by the South American Palm Weevil.

Arborists have been scanning the Canary Island date palms that dapple the beach front of San Onofre for years.

We would pass, glaring through car windshields with a phone in hand, in hopes of capturing a photo of that infamous weevil-infested palm ready to send it off to our Arborist buds.

Earlier in 2025, word started passing around that a well-known private real estate development and investment company found a South American Palm Weevil at one of their Orange County properties. The word was: keep it hush hush!

Nothing for a while…

All of a sudden, in the middle of the summer, seminars were being held to discuss a plan of action and bring awareness to the fact that the South American Palm Weevil had in fact made its way to Orange County.

TreeLife began to receive positive reports of infestations, photos, locations, etc., through the remainder of 2025.

And now, today, you can pass by San Onofre and find a couple of weevil-positive palms.

Ghastly times we live in…

Similarly, as the weevil hops from palm to palm northward through San Marcos to Fallbrook, it will begin spreading through the Inland Empire.

What do we do?

Well, we provide the right information and appropriate treatment options, allowing an owner to make an educated decision. These palms are extremely costly and, to owners, can define business and living spaces. We maintain palms that were planted by grandfathers and grandsons, grandmothers and granddaughters.

Canary Island date palms hold cultural, personal and even biblical significance. Father Junipero Serra brought the first Canary Island date palms to San Diego in the 18th century, which reportedly survived at his first Mission, at the center of what became Old Town San Diego, until 1957.

Call your Urban Forest Experts.

Call TreeLife CA!

From: https://valleyvillage.home.blog/2019/01/05/the-serra-palm-first-canary-island-date-in-altacalifornia/

“Father Serra had no idea that there were native palms in California. Canary Island palms were a locally-available Spanish variant of the familiar palms of Holy Week, the palms of the martyrs of Rome, the palms brandished by “Hosanna!”-shouting crowds at the Entry Into Jerusalem. That palm was native to North Africa, and carried by the Phoenicians all around the Ancient Mediterranean World, from Persia to Spain. The Greeks thus named it after the boat people from Canaan and Carthage, Phoenix dactylifera, the Phoenician finger-bearing palm. (“Dates” are “dactyls,” swallowing the c, y and l. They looked like fingers to the Greeks.)”

Pest Notes: Vol. 6 – Fireblight

butch@treelifeca.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:43:41 GMT

Fireblight ( Erwinia amylovora ) is a common bacterial infection that affects trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae family. For us in sunny San Diego and neighboring counties these are the ornamental species affected:

Loquat ( Eriobotrya sp. ), ornamental pear ( Pyrus calleryana, P. kawakamii ), ornamental plum ( Prunus cerasifera ), Photinia sp. , toyon ( Heteromeles arbutifolia ), Carolina cherry ( Prunus caroliniana )

It can also affect fruiting trees in the pear (Pyrus sp. ) , plum/cherry/nectarine ( Prunus sp. ) and apple (Malus sp .) genera.

Available research on the disease is mostly limited to agricultural settings. While prevalent in the urban environment, its’ extent thereof does not quite warrant further research. Fireblight is considered a managed disease because it is well known and identifiable; we have existing management tools and it is considered manageable.

Symptoms include burned branch tips, or, branches that turn brown quickly. Other symptoms are sunken oozing cankers along branches. In Southern California, this symptom is not as prevalent as burning branches.

Things like changing environmental conditions increasing plant susceptibility and allowing a better environment for the disease to develop. This is true.

Arguably, improper pruning coupled with improper treatment while environmental pressures increase is a bad combo.

Here are some ways that fireblight has been treated in the past:

Trunk injections – trunk injections are a popular, contemporary form of tree treatment. It offers quick, long-term control of insects.
Oxytetracycline: When it comes to bacterial diseases, the antibiotic offered is Oxytetracycline. This same antibiotic is used prolifically in animals and humans. This antibiotic in trees offers 90-days of control of the bacteria. Delivering trunk injections requires drilling holes into the trunk of a tree. You cannot drill in to a tree more than once every 2-years without promoting tree mortality.
Phosphoric Acid: The other trunk injection material is phosphoric acid. This material can be delivered by bark band, canopy spray or soil application as well. There is no need to drill in to a tree to get this material in plant tissue where there are so many other methods. That leaves trunk injection in this instance to have a significantly higher cost than benefit.
Soil applications – some fungicides are labeled for fireblight. Typically the labelling for fireblight falls into agricultural settings, but that doesn’t stop commercial tree care companies from using it in the landscape. The side effects of using these materials in our soils, ultimately landing in plant tissue, degrades both the soils ability to provide for plants, as well as the plant or tree to provide for itself.
Bark banding – Arguably the second-best application type for this disease. The material labelled and known to be effective is the phosphoric acid stated above. Bark banding this material is not necessarily specific to the infection of fireblight, but neutralizes bacteria for a time, and mostly stimulates a tree to better defend itself from the inside. This application is typically coupled with foliar applications for severe infections.
Foliar spray – The absolute best application method for this bacterial infection, a bactericide blend is applied to flowers in mid-full bloom. This is where the bacterium begins in a tree. Single applications have maintained green canopies throughout an entire season. The positive effect of this application compounds year over year. If maintained on an annual schedule, fireblight infections can be dramatically minimized. Foliar sprays offer the most consistent control, are the most cost-effective, and do not come with the side-effects of trunk injection.

TreeLife has conducted each of these applications to study the effects and find an optimal method of control.

Get it right the first time and call TreeLife, The Urban Forestry Experts of Southern California!

Pest Notes: Vol. 5 – INSECT ALERT: Dotted Paropsine Leaf Beetle Making Headway in California

butch@treelifeca.com — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:02:15 GMT

The dotted paropsine beetle, a pest native to Australia, and invasive in California, was first discovered in California in 2022.

It is rapidly spreading throughout Southern California targeting eucalyptus trees.

Both adults and their larvae feed on eucalyptus leaves causing mass defoliation. Without the proper attention, can lead to early tree mortality.

First found feeding on lemon scented gum ( Eucalyptus citriodora ) in Los Angeles August 2022, it moved quickly. It is now found in Orange, San Diego and San Bernardino counties.

This beetle has an unusually broad host range, hosting species of eucalyptus previously found to be pest-free.

Over 20 species of Eucalyptus sp. can be hosted including but not limited to: E. camaldulensis (red gum), E. globulus (blue gum), E. polyanthemos (silver dollar gum), E. sideroxylon (red iron bark), E. cladocalyx (sugar gum) and E. citriodora (lemon-scented gum).

Adult beetles are oval-shaped, about 3/8 of an inch in size. They have yellow and orange markings, as well as black spots on their wings.

Females lay 20-100 eggs in circular fashion along stems and leaves. Egg-sacks are pink-ish and may cause alarm to those with trypophobia (fear of clustered holes/bumps). The larvae that hatch are yellow with black front and ends. As they mature, they develop black stripes along their bodies; these look like black larva with yellow markings. Mature larvae drop to the ground to pupate.

This insect has been observed to have (2) generations a year and can proliferate and reproduce rapidly. So much so that this TreeLife investigator received a call from a colleague in Orange County back in 2023 and the phone call went something like:

“Have customers been calling you with reports of raining larva?”
“Raining larva!?”
“Yes, raining larva. I’m under some eucalyptus trees on my client’s patio and there is literally larva raining from these trees to the sidewalk, cars and street below.”
“Send photos and an address. I’m on it.”

And sure enough. Little black and yellow larva in massive numbers crawling up the curb, all along the street, on the cars below, everywhere! The trees were completely defoliated!

There are other leaf-feeding beetles that host eucalyptus, none of which reproduce, nor do they feed so rapidly:

Culturally we can combat this as we would any disorder in the tree world:

1. Proper irrigation

2. Soil analysis and optimization

3. Turf or plants in root zone

4. Apply mulch

5. De-compact

6. i.e. identify underlying issues and address

Biological control may come soon, but there are not any natural enemies known currently.

Chemical control methods are available, and very effective.

We at TreeLife have collected data in-house, as well as alongside partners like Rainbow Eco Science.

The photo shown above with “Defoliation” written is of the trees photographed below. We tested different chemistry as well as different application methods, to review efficacy and longevity of treatment. The photos are 1-year after treatment. The trees were completely barren upon arriving to perform treatment.

Over at TreeLife , we take the necessary steps to identify what material and treatment method can work best.

What conditions can we correct to help the trees become less susceptible?

We have done the foot work and are ready to help.

Don’t let your trees be food for fodder!

Call the Urban Forestry Experts!

Skip the guess work and call TreeLife CA!

Pest Notes: Vol. 4 – Palm Trees

butch@treelifeca.com — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 17:32:58 GMT

Palms are most closely associated with grass. They are “monocots.”

Woody trees are “dicots.”

Monocots have one point of growth, while dicots have two. With their second growing point (cambium), dicots can compartmentalize decay, regenerate woody tissue, respond to attack, etc.

Palms, or monocots, do not have that capability. They have a single point of growth called the “meristem” also commonly called “spear-growth.” This is the main growing point of a palm – the center of its head. They do not expand radially, or get “thicker.”

Several diseases associated with palm trees are also associated with sudden tree failure. I have walked into backyard with a queen palm flopped on the ground. The entire crown, and down the stem, covered in the spores and dust of pink rot.

South American Palm Weevil feeding has resulted in sudden crown drop in Canary Island date palms.

Trunk rot has resulted in many a palm “head” falling to a stony street below.

We have also found pink rot in Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) which have been coined “bullet-proof” by many a sales arborist.

While the future may seem bleak for our adored palm trees, it is not.

Being that palms cannot compartmentalize decay or pathogenic attack, nor can they re-generate trunk tissues due to a lack of secondary growth or cambium, diseases can spread easily in palms. ESPECIALLY if spikes are used to climb, and/or live tissue is cut into and removed.

Secondly, diseases spreading easily in palms are largely associated with sudden failure (whether it be sudden death or collapsing).

HOWEVER… these diseases are opportunistic. That means they host only stressed or compromised palm trees. In order to prevent/correct/minimize stress:

2-liquid feedings annually with palm specific nutrition and microorganisms known to colonize on root systems to prevent soil diseases, and break down cell-walls of soil pathogens. Liquid because palms do not take up granules. Granules sit on the top layer of soil almost indefinitely. They sterilize a soil by chemical run off. They are a waste of money and actually work to a customers detriment. (also recommended by International Sociaety of Arboriculture calling for a MINIMUM of 2-liquid feedings).
Remove ONLY dead fronds (brown to the base) and fruit. Yellow fronds shall be retained. Clearance objectives can be achieved by “shortening” a frond, rather than removal.
NEVER use spikes to climb a palm tree. If a tree climber was at some resort or even a residence using his spikes on an infected group of palms, he is bringing that straight into the vascular tissue of your palm tree as he heaves his heels and spikes into the living, conductive tissue to climb.

DID YOU KNOW? Palm trees grow stronger with age! Some folks look up and see a dangling stick 100-ft into the sky and think “ THIS THING IS COMING DOWN TODAY OR TOMORROW AND I WILL NOT STAND BY HERE AND WATCH! ” But that is not the case. As they reach to the sky, the cells and lignin in palms elongate and mature. Their stems are equated with the strength of steel or concrete columns.

Palm trees grace our coastal and inland areas. While they may not provide the largest amount of canopy cover, they are perfect accents and jewels when placed strategically in a landscape. They line the entrances of the grandest hotels, and dappled throughout estates, line driveways, parkways, surround pools, and more.

Take care of them correctly and they will be cherished for years to come.

Call TreeLife CA! Our Urban Forestry Experts give you peace of mind through proper treatment protocol, education and true tree stewardship.

Pest Notes: Vol. 3 - Cupressus sempervirens - Italian cypress

butch@treelifeca.com — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:18:47 GMT

Italian cypress reminds me of the Queen of Hearts and her castle in Alice in Wonderland. They line the property boundaries of fine estates, work as an excellent screen species and require minimal maintenance.

With their upright, erect structure, pruning is typically only needed to maintain a uniform shape when a branch over-elongates.

Watering once established is minimal – a couple of deep watering events in the summer and you are good to go.

It is, however, common for this species to develop secondary pests when improperly installed and maintained.

Planting depth and water is crucial – this species can contract root rot, which commonly occurs when planting depth is too deep and watering cycles too frequent and shallow. They can also deal with a canker that produces toxins, wreaking havoc on mineral-and-water conducting tissue.

When cypresses are mature and browning canopies begin to emerge suddenly, it is most likely a mite, bark beetle or tip miner that has come in to town, especially if no notable traumatic event has occurred in recent months. It is possible that a recent pruning event, or other traumatic event, resulted in the contraction of something like Seridium canker. It is also possible to contract root or crown rot (Phytophthora sp.) and in fact there is a newfound (or, one that has been dormant for a bit and re-surged) Phytophthora affecting Italian Cypress.

However, when plantings are new and establishing, or slightly juvenile, yellowing and browning could point to a multitude of issues.

Having a reliable and honest representative is key in the tree and plant world.

Tree Health Care services are largely intangible.

Was the right material used?

Was a sufficient amount of material applied?

I should notice results pretty quick, right?

How should I water? What can I do at home to help?

All of these valid questions go through a client’s head when taking on a plant health care service. Moreover, the answers to these questions that a client employs as part of their care for their trees are critical.

Answers to questions can be found online. However, you can find many articles from the same geographic area regarding the same issue with completely different and contradictory conclusions.

Review your trees and plants with a professional you trust.

TreeLife CA is the perfect fit.

Pest Notes : Vol. 2 - Greedy Scale

butch@treelifeca.com — Tue, 27 May 2025 18:28:39 GMT

Greedy Scale

AKA Mr. Krabs scale; this scale wants all of your money!

Well, not exactly. But it certainly threatens your landscape investment.

Arbutus ‘Marina’ is a common landscape planted tree. These trees have a moderate growth rate, strong branching structure elegant red bark and beautiful pink or rose-colored flowers. They are commonly planted in parkways, as a centerpiece for a cul-de-sac or residential home, or throughout a landscape.

While these trees have a shorter lifespan than other Arbutus species since it is a hybrid, optimal care can allow them to stand for upwards of 20 years.

Common mistakes when installing this species are:

Planting depth
Shallow frequent watering cycles (planting in turf included)
Aggressive and/or improper pruning
Weed-whacking the base or root collar of a tree

These are all easy fixes. Avoid these mistakes by having a reputable and professional contractor perform tree installations, or a professional company oversee the installations. Protect your investment.

This species of tree develops phytophthora root rot infections commonly. They have also been found to host Bot canker, anthracnose, rust, aphid and thrip.

All of these pests, greedy scale included, are opportunistic. This means they only host stressed plants. Remember, pests are electromagnetic – they operate on a different frequency. When a plant nearby is exhibiting stress, they are on it like white on rice. It is also possible for pathogens or insects to be dormant nearby, and stress signals ‘activate’ them.

Our TreeLife personnel have been running in to greedy scale on strawberry tree very frequently. While this pest doesn’t kill a tree off by itself, it certainly inhibits their growth and function and contributes to the development of more serious issues. While this pest can host a long list of species in our area, we are seeing it on strawberry tree the most frequently.

TreeLife develops plans to not only abate pests but address underlying issues resulting in those pests. Our goal with tree treatments is not to create chemically-dependent landscapes – rather, encourage a landscape and its plants to better take care of themselves, which is what they do!

Get it right the first time. Call TreeLife CA!

Tree Life Investigator: Vol. Two -Tree Snatchers

butch@treelifeca.com — Fri, 09 May 2025 19:24:51 GMT

My duties as a tree consultant include being hyper-aware of how trees respond to human activity around the county, in general. For example, it's important that I notice if a particular species is exhibiting symptoms of a widespread problem, such as insect infestation or foliar disease. Or as another example, it might be equally important for me to understand how different collection of tree populations are affected by certain pruning methods. Insight that I might glean from potentially any property could be shared with a client or implemented on a project. Therefore, I am always looking at trees closely wherever I go. It's a TreeLife for me.

Because I'm on the road much of many days, I use this as an opportunity to look at trees while traveling routine routes. Truly, I get to know all the varieties of trees along the I-15 and 78 freeway, and even keep an eye out for tree hazards along the CalTrans right-of-way.

There are a many remnant Eucalypti that peak my curiosity. Though they are generally not planted these days, they will always be an emblematic and stately tree, for me. Long ago, they were selected for their hardiness and planned usefulness, but times have changed and now they're neglected and even despised. Then one day, I noticed that a particular type of Eucalypti had been pruned in locations that I knew had no tree budget, and thus, no tree maintenance monies to use for pruning.

I was puzzled by signs that random silver dollar gums (Eucalyptus polyanthemos) had been stripped of foliage while nearby red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) were untouched, with branches still overhanging the roadway. Even if there was a budget, I thought to myself, why did tree crews prune the wrong trees?

Using my arbor-investigator skills, I considered dozens of scenarios that would satisfy this mystery. This thought process went through my mental computer for weeks, yet I was stumped every time.

Then the answer presented itself over the course of a month. Heading eastbound on the 78 I saw a nondescript, middle-aged man wearing everyday clothes and carrying a mass of Eucalyptus branch clippings on his back. He was walking up the embankment along the side of the freeway, heading to the offramp intersection. He was not with a tree company because there were no cones or identifiable trucks in sight. And based on his appearance and attire, he was not employed.

On another occasion a couple weeks later, I was stopped at a light on El Norte Parkway, just west of the I-15, waiting for it to turn green. Up on the embankment of the offramp to my left, behind almost shoulder-high acacia bushes, was a young woman moving around in the space between the bushes and barricade. I looked closer and noticed that she was wearing a tank top, and had her hair tied up in a bun. She was pretty and well-kept, and clearly not homeless. Just as my light turned green I saw her grabbing at bunch of branch clippings laying on top of the acacia bushes. She had a pile neatly stacked and was finishing cleaning up.

And then the theory popped into my mind. Maybe it was the flower shops around the county, wittingly or unwittingly, hiring unpaid and unskilled workers to collect material for their arrangements. You, the inquiring reader, may not know this, but most floral arrangements contain Eucalyptus clippings to add texture and content.

Eucalyptus clippings would be something that they would ordinarily have to buy from specialized growers, from farms that I've seen in the eastern portions of the county. Yes, there are small collectives in rural areas that specifically grow silver dollar Eucalyptus for the floral-arrangement industry. Generally, these farms regularly harvest the clippings from the roots and stumps before the foliage gets too woody, using techniques that I'm not entirely knowledgeable of.

Guerrilla pruning trees may not seem like a big deal, or it may seem like an innocent thing, but I knew it to be negligent and illegal across the board. The people harvesting this material are doing it without safety or arboricultural considerations. It's dangerous for the climber and the passerby, and harmful to trees.

Next time you buy flowers, ask the shop attendant where they sourced their eucalyptus clippings from. If you see someone pruning eucalyptus trees in a public right away, along a highway or freeway, or in a public park, and without cones, company clothes, or safety gear, please contact the local agency and complain. Please report this kind of activity to the appropriate agency, depending on the location. If it's along or freeway, try calling CalTrans or the highway patrol. If it's in a park, please call the public works department for that city.

Untrained people are pruning trees along roads without being hired by the tree owners. They are probably doing it to collect material needed for floral arrangements. Don't buy flowers from people standing at the side of the road. Question your local flower shop. Help protect trees.

It won't be long before we hear about someone falling from a tree because they weren't using professional climbing techniques, or some sort of traffic accident where some innocent bystander is injured or even killed. This is what I worry about the most...

I am writing this article to create awareness around the county. It was not paid for by the eucalyptus growers of the county. It was written for street credibility, for I represent the greatest profession known humankind, your friendly neighborhood tree consultancy.

TreeLife Investigators: Vol. 1 – Tree Root Traffic Jam

butch@treelifeca.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 21:43:24 GMT

There are many forms of investigation in the professional world. Everyone has seen movies with crime scene investigations or read stories derived from investigative journalism. Many people know firsthand about the investigation that occurs when a doctor evaluates a patient. More recently, there are the computer technicians who investigate computer problems. But most people don’t know about the investigation that occurs daily in the little-known world of arboriculture.

This story is about a TreeLife Investigator who was recently called out to a 'tree crime' scene. Most people would be surprised to learn that tree investigations occur regularly in many communities across the country.

This story begins with a population of bottle trees (Brachychiton populneus), planted in a homeowner association parkway ten years ago, that were showing varying degrees of health decline. The management company representing the community’s board of directors wanted to know what was wrong with the trees, and they contacted TreeLife to solve the problem.

An Investigator with TreeLife assessed the population of trees shortly thereafter and observed signs of secondary disorders in most of the trees. Many tree crowns appeared opaque, while others looked sparsely foliated. Leaf size was stunted on some specimens, and leaf tips were distorted and necrotic in others.

The Investigator noted that all of the bottle trees had three or four “breather tubes” (aka “root aeration tubes”) placed within one foot of each trunk. The tubes were arranged in a non-uniform, non-symmetric pattern. Often sold as beneficials, “breather tubes” were known to be ineffective and generally harmful. They don’t improve soil aeration or water distribution as advertised, instead they usually lead to root and trunk damage.

The TreeLife Investigator talked with a landscape maintenance account manager, familiar with the community, about the performance history of the trees. Purportedly their crowns would recover from the aforementioned secondary disorders each year only to decline or defoliate again.

The account manager remarked, “Like they will look good, then bad, then good, and so on. Like a never-ending cycle that is slowing getting worse.” Additionally, he told the Investigator that the soil was extremely compacted and difficult to work with. In his opinion, the “crappy” soil was the cause of the tree problems.

During this initial assessment the TreeLife Investigator observed an exudate coming out of the trunks of several trees. At first glance, he thought this might be signs of the Invasive Shot Hole Borer (ISHB), which attacks a wide variety of tree species by boring into their trunks. He removed pieces of the exudate to reveal the tissue below, but found no specific insect holes. The surrounding tissue was normal. If the tissue under the exudate had been necrotic, this would have been consistent with ISHB. Therefore, ISHB was ruled out as the cause .

The TreeLife Investigator continued with the inspection. He noticed that trunk flare, aka root flare, was apparent only on a small portion of trees. Additionally, dozens of trees had surfacing roots that wrapped around their trunks. Based on his eduction and experience circling roots that girdled trunks tended to restrict the normal flow of nutrients, and prevent the development of normal root growth.

Though not every ailing tree had obvious root defects, the TreeLife Investigator suspected that root problems were the most likely cause of the trunk exudate and other secondary disorders. He selected forty-four out of one hundred and fourteen bottle trees for an advanced assessment process known as root-collar excavation. More information was needed to determine what was really happening with the trees. And by removing the soil around their trunks he could better identify what the nature of the problems were.

The TreeLife Investigator coordinated work schedules with his Team, and met up with them onsite a couple weeks later. The Team brought out an Airman air compressor and pneumatic AirKnife, and conducted the advanced assessment.

The Investigator had anticipated that the soil would be extremely difficult to work with because the landscape maintenance company was adamant about its poor quality. He and the Team also expected things to get messy. So to reduce the mess generated by blowing dirt from the base of each tree, they used a traffic cone to sleeve the AirKnife and contain the flying particles of soil.

Contrary to the landscaper’s opinion, the AirKnife cut right through the dirt like a butter knife would through butter. The soil was a sandy loam with some slight, clay-like striations near the surface. For the record, sandy loam was the ideal soil for tree roots and soil excavators alike.

Aside from discovering the soil was not difficult to work with, the Team uncovered what looked like multiple layers of topsoil. It seemed like the surface level had increased over time, and in multiple occurrences. This variance of soil types indicated multiple stress factors had been put upon the tree roots below — stress factors that were related to water absorption and root transpiration.

The Investigator knew that layers of varying soil types generally affects the movement of water. Soil science was complicated — but simply put, water may not move as expected when layering soil types. One layer may become hydrophobic in the presence of another soil type. When the movement of water is changed, roots may experience water deficit. Roots that stop receiving water generally will die under the right (or wrong) conditions.

Additionally, new layers of soil may act as sponges, preventing rain water from becoming available to the tree roots below. For example, roots growing three inches below original grade are probably used to rain penetrating three inches of soil before evaporating. Adding three inches of new soil will prevent the same amount of rain from getting to the roots. Water would be trapped in the new layer, becoming unavailable to the roots below.

And it appeared that the original soil level had changed multiple times around each tree. In support of this supposition, the Investigator and his Team exposed a multitude of root problems six to twelve inches below the surface.

They observed several “orders” of tree roots emanating from the trunk. That is, the size of roots coming out of the trunk varied in width. Some roots were millimeters-thin while other were inches-thick.

The Investigator surmised that each order of root growth emanating from the trunk was likely due to different disturbances. And the size of the roots corresponded to their age, which correlated with the amount of time they had been growing since each disturbance. Smaller roots were more recent, and larger roots were older.

There should be only one order of roots coming out of a tree’s trunk — the buttressing roots that provide mechanical support. These main roots may have branching roots, but the buttress roots themselves should be the only roots emanating from the trunk. There shouldn’t be fine roots coming out of a semi-mature trunk; fine roots on a big trunk indicate a stress factor. Therefore, the varying sizes of roots uncovered suggested several stress factors had been introduced.

The Team also uncovered subsurface irrigation hoses (which the Team later learned were inoperable). These inline drip hoses had been configured around each tree trunk. The drip hoses had been placed on top of the tree roots, then they buried under a few inches of soil.

While excavating another tree, the Team noticed a landscape employee removing lower branches on a section of parkway bottle trees. The TreeLife Investigator approached them, and asked why were they removing lower branches. They said it was for clearance — they had to push their mowers beneath the trees because the community was upset about tire marks on the sidewalks. They could not push the mowers on the sidewalks, and the branches were hitting their heads as they passed by each tree. They needed head space under each tree crown.

The reasons for all the tree problems became apparent to the Investigator, and a sequence of events came to his mind:

The bottle trees were likely planted with root defects that developed in the nursery. Trees grown in containers often develop circling root systems if not corrected at the time of planting. The root defects were not corrected when the bottle trees were planted.
The bottle trees were likely planted too deep. This made the trunk grow a new order of roots.
"Breather tubes” were deflecting roots into a circular pattern.
Though species was well-suited for dry environments, these bottle trees were planted in grass-covered parkways. Grass requires regular watering, which is essentially the opposite of the subject trees’ water requirements. The trees were getting watered too frequently.
Soil had been added so the lawn mowers could roll easily past the trunks. This made the trunk grow a new order of roots.
The trees were being pruned improperly. The injuries compounded the existing stress factors related to all the root problems.

They finished their advanced assessment and went home. The TreeLife Investigator concluded the assignment with a lengthy email to his client. It was not the happy ending he was hoping for. The advanced assessment uncovered several issues that could not be corrected.

It was a miracle the trees were still alive. The problems had begun to pile up when the trees were planted. Each successive year added a new problem. “Breather tubes” could not be removed without significantly injuring roots. Only a few of the circling roots could be pruned, and none of them could be truly corrected. The soil level under every crown could not be reduced; the community favored grass-covered parkways and clean concrete over tree-lined streets. The trees would likely continue to slowly decline.

Pest Notes: Vol. 1 – Pests are Secondary

butch@treelifeca.com — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:56:00 GMT

Do insects and pathogens wake up in the morning, get their coffee and ponder on a balcony: “What do I feel like eating today?!”

No. Quite the contrary. Trees and plants alike attract insects and disease when they are stressed in some form or fashion. Insects are electromagnetic in many ways, and pick up on vibrations present in odorants exuded by plants and other things in the environment. Disease only proliferates when conditions permit. In fact, pathogens can lay dormant in soil or debris, and are “activated” when stress provides an opportunity.

Excluding invasive species, insects and pathogens are largely opportunistic, meaning they attack plants and trees that are providing an “opportunity” for them to host. Without some stress factor causing insect-attracting odorants to exude, opportunistic pests are generally uninterested in healthy trees. Moreover, pests do not “choose” their host; it is an electromagnetic phenomenon or symbiotic relationship between plant and pest.

Plants and trees have been dealing with pests like fungi, bacteria and insects for millennia; and they have developed relationships of mutual sustenance, sometimes to the detriment of one or the other.

Factors that TreeLife CA representatives consider when surveying any given set of trees are:

Irrigation configuration
Soil type
Planting location

Rooting characteristics
Planting depth
Pruning history

Mechanical damage
Micro-environment
Micro-climate

We assess tree populations to determine what adjustments can be made, combined with a proactive treatment application schedule, to gently guide trees and plants towards self-sustenance and un-host-ability.

While underlying issues are addressed, treatment applications are used in the interim to allow for proper resource accumulation and expenditure. We intervene where insects or diseases are depleting resources by their actions (feeding, colonizing), and while trees are simultaneously using additional resources to attempt defensive efforts.

Treatment applications are not the one-size-fits-all answer, and they are not the magic pill to eradicate insects and diseases from an environment. This is a tragic myth in the green industry. In fact, by repeatedly applying the quick relief that chemical applications provide, we notice a significant increase in pest pressure once the applications and their effects subside. The natural ability to resist secondary disorders is lessened when trees and plants develop a chemical dependence, and pests become resistant to chemistry that is repeatedly used.

Lastly, there is a documented phenomenon of herbicide use when it comes to weeds; weeds develop resistance to things like glyphosate when used regularly. There are weeds with DNA mutations that are not affected by glyphosate. Thus chemical applications should be used sparingly while growing conditions are improved.

TreeLife CA is dedicated to the proper care of our Urban Forest. We provide options to improve tree and plant health, and methods to improve growing conditions.

Get it right the first time and call TreeLife CA!

Preparing for a Storm: TreeLife CA LIVE!

butch@treelifeca.com — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:51:01 GMT

TreeLife Board Certified Master Arborist and Lead Consultant, Bradley Brown, live on local 10 news: “If we can get in before the rains and winds, or before defect [becomes incorrectible], we could potentially mitigate [failure] with pruning.”

The best way to prepare for upcoming storms is to develop a well-structured tree before the winds and rains arrive. A well-structured tree can dampen the forces of wind by distributing weight along the entire stem, or entire wind-bearing system. It is when trees are routinely improperly pruned where branch failure becomes a true threat, particularly during storms.

A common improper pruning practice implemented is termed “lionstailing,” which is the complete removal of branching structures and foliage along any given branch while leaving a small tuft of foliage at the end of that branch. This leaves a tree branch looking similar to a lion’s tail. Wind velocity that affects a “lionstailed” tree branch bears down significant load where that branch is attached to the tree trunk; that wind bearing load could have been radically minimized should those interior branching structures and foliage never been removed.

This also results, over time, in skinnier, weaker branches, since the foliage along any branch is directly correlated with that branch’s taper, or “girth.”

Proper pruning avoids removing branches unnecessarily; every cut made on a tree should have an objective directly related to risk, clearance and/or tree health. The objective can also be indirect, or to mitigate the advent of future issues; a common term used for this is “structure-pruning.”

Extreme weather can result in branches breaking, but more often than not the branches that break in storms are predictable.

“All trees have an inherent risk because they grow above-ground and gravity wants to pull them down.” BB

“If you have tables, anything that’s of value, that your worried to have a branch fall on it, or even if youre not worried about a branch falling on it, if its underneath a tree it’s a good idea to move those…. [Channel 10, “That includes cars”] There is a possibility that a branch could fall, or a tree could fall… The likelihood of that happening could be minimal, might not be much, but its there, so it might be a good idea to not park under trees.” BB

“[Channel 10 news] [we are] urging homeowners, property owners with large trees to keep up with proper pruning, and to get a Tree Risk Assessment by a professional,” Madison Weil, ABC 10 News.

See Bradley Brown on Channel 10 News HERE:

How to Prevent Fallen Trees as San Diego Braces for Another Storm (Jan. 03, 2024)

Take a Look

Incoming Storms Brings Increased Risk of Falling Trees (Jan. 31, 2024)

Take a Look

The Battle for Torrey Pines: Bark Beetles, Pine Pitch Canker, and Other Threats to San Diego's Iconic Trees

butch@treelifeca.com — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:14:42 GMT

The Torrey pine ( Pinus torreyana ), one of the rarest and most unique tree species in the United States, faces significant threats from a variety of pests and diseases. Endemic to the coastal cliffs of San Diego County and a small part of Santa Rosa Island, these trees are a vital part of the local ecosystem and a symbol of the region's natural beauty. However, in recent decades, Torrey pines have become increasingly vulnerable to a series of ecological challenges. Initially it was thought and identified that the fungus Pine Pitch Canker and Pitch Canker ( Fusarium circinatum and Fusarium subglutinans ), but our recent discovery identifies the real threat. Many contractors are treating Torrey Pines for varied reasons: Tip moth, wood borer, adelgid, scale, among other things. We now know how to properly protect our Torrey Pines.

The Importance of Torrey Pines

Torrey pines are not only ecologically significant but also hold cultural and aesthetic value for the San Diego region. These trees thrive in coastal environments and are adapted to survive in nutrient-poor soils and harsh weather conditions. Standing tall along the cliffs and shores of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, they play a crucial role in stabilizing the landscape and supporting a diverse array of wildlife. They also serve as a symbol of the region’s distinctive coastal beauty, attracting both tourists and nature enthusiasts from around the world.

Bark Beetles: A Silent and Deadly Threat

One of the most significant threats to Torrey pines is the presence of bark beetles, specifically the five-spined engraver beetle ( Ips paraconfusus), Southern pine beetle ( Dendroctonus frontalis ) and the western pine beetle ( Dendroctonus brevicomis ). There may be other species of beetle in this mix that are yet identified. These small insects bore into the bark of trees to lay their eggs, and as larvae hatch, they tunnel through the inner bark, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients throughout the tree. This damage weakens the tree, causing it to become more susceptible to other pests, diseases, and environmental stressors. They also can vector fungi via their tunneling.

While bark beetles are a natural part of forest ecosystems, their impact on Torrey pines has been exacerbated by climate change, drought, and the spread of other tree pathogens. In recent years, rising temperatures and prolonged droughts in Southern California have weakened the trees, making them more vulnerable to bark beetle infestations. Additionally, the lack of regular rainfall has left trees stressed and more susceptible to bark beetle attacks.

The rapid spread of beetle infestations has caused considerable damage to Torrey pine populations. Trees that would have otherwise lived for hundreds of years are now succumbing to beetle attacks at an alarming rate. Large swaths of Torrey pine forests have seen significant die-offs, threatening the long-term survival of the species. This has spread as far north-east as La Costa Avenue and the I-5.

Efforts to Protect Torrey Pines

The loss of Torrey pines would have devastating consequences for the local ecosystem, so various conservation efforts are underway to mitigate the threats facing these trees.

Monitoring and Early Detection : Researchers and conservationists are closely monitoring Torrey pine populations for signs of bark beetle infestations, pine pitch canker, and other diseases. Early detection is critical for managing and containing outbreaks before they spread across large areas. This includes tracking insect populations, conducting tree health surveys, and identifying weakened trees that are at higher risk of infection.
Selective Pruning and Tree Care : Regular pruning and removing dead or diseased branches can help slow the spread of pathogens, particularly pine pitch canker.
Treatment : Trees that are infected with pitch canker but still living may be treated to limit the spread of the disease. Improving soil health and reducing stress factors such as compacted soil or water restrictions can help boost the trees' resilience. Also, there are several commercially available insecticides that have proven promising in treating these insects.
Habitat Restoration : As urban development continues to encroach on the natural habitat of the Torrey pine, restoration efforts are focusing on preserving and expanding their natural range. By planting new trees, restoring coastal habitats, and reducing pollution and human activity, conservationists hope to increase the chances of long-term survival for Torrey pines.
Genetic Research : Researchers are investigating the genetic diversity of Torrey pines to identify traits that may confer resistance to pests and diseases. By selectively breeding or planting trees with enhanced resilience, they aim to create a more robust population capable of withstanding future threats.
Public Education and Engagement : Engaging the public in conservation efforts is essential for preserving Torrey pines. Education campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the importance of these trees and the threats they face have been instrumental in garnering support for preservation efforts. Volunteer programs and citizen science initiatives allow local communities to become active participants in monitoring and protecting Torrey pines.

Tree Management Guidelines for Common Areas

butch@treelifeca.com — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 21:38:53 GMT

Download the PDF version of this post

Part 1: The Urban Forest

1A: Tree Assets

Thank you for the opportunity to help manage the common area tree population. Because the value and importance of your trees may appreciate over time, they require a higher level of stewardship than other components in the landscape. In partnering with an independent, third- party, highly experienced, consulting arborist the community has recognized the long-term worth of its tree population.

Trees provide social, communal, environmental, and economic benefits. They create a sense of beauty, add order and unity, promote wildlife diversity, produce oxygen, reduce noise and air pollution, decrease soil erosion and storm-water runoff, and increase property values.

Trees are important assets to communities and should be cared for as such to protect and enhance the benefits they increasingly generate over time.

1B: Tree Biology

Trees are living things that can persist for decades, in some cases even centuries. Their health is affected by how people, plants, animals, or microorganisms interact with them. They shed bark, flowers, and foliage as they grow. Trees support insect and animal habitat, which also have an associated level of debris with their activity.

The area under any given tree naturally accumulates a layer of organic debris, or humus, which generally improves growing conditions for the tree. This layer of organic material protects and replenishes the soil over time, allowing for a healthy balance between the tree’s canopy and root system. Unfortunately, leaf-blowers tend to remove this important component of a rich soil.

Trees naturally shed branches (i.e. experience failure), which defined by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), is the breakage of stem, branch, roots or loss of mechanical support in the root system. Any part of a tree can fail, whether or not it has visible defects or weaknesses, if an applied force exceeds the strength of the roots, trunk, stems, or branches.

Trees can also fall down as a result of soil failure, which is usually associated with drastic changes in moisture conditions, particularly when coupled with high winds.

1C: Tree Risk

Tree risk, as defined by the ISA, is the likelihood of a conflict or failure occurring and affecting a target in relation to the severity of consequences such as personal injury, property damage, or disruption of activities.

Though all trees present some level of risk, the overall risk to human safety is very low. Failure occurs infrequently and serious damage, injury, or death resulting from it is rare. For example, many more people are injured in car accidents than by tree failure.

In landscaped environments, like the common areas of a homeowner association, some level of risk must be accepted to experience and realize the many benefits trees provide. It is possible to reduce tree risk to a level that is acceptable, or even as low as reasonably attainable. The only way to completely eliminate tree risk is to remove the tree.

1D: Duty of Care

Tree owners have a legal duty to provide balanced and proportional care for their trees. Because every situation and tree is unique, services should be applied appropriately depending on the circumstances. Tree management is essentially a function of risk; low tree risk requires little or no mitigation. As the level of risk increases, more management strategies are required to keep it as low as reasonable possible. The frequency of care, or pruning cycle, for any tree population should promote a safe environment, maintain tree health, and work within a reasonable budget. Trees growing in target-free locations present little risk and require less care than trees growing near areas occupied by people or objects of high importance.

Tree Life has written a "Tree Pruning Specifications" document that explains and refines much of what has been said above. Though provided separately, the specifications can be read in tandem with these guidelines when deciding what course of action should be taken for a given situation.

Trees may have more frequent pruning cycles based on function, species, irrigation, fertilization, weather conditions, aesthetic preferences, or other specific reasons. Pruning should only be performed to accomplish a clearly defined objective. The most common objective is risk mitigation - which involves reducing the likelihood of branch failure or crown conflict.

Debris that falls from trees (leaves, needles, flowers, etc.) sometimes requires cleaning based on safety, health, or aesthetic concerns; organic material otherwise improves the soil and should be maintained under a tree, preferably within the dripline.

In general, the critical zone of each tree is the circular area within three feet of the trunk. Vegetation should not be planted or allowed to grow under a tree, particularly in the critical zone; this includes turf grass and color installations (i.e. flowers).

An approximate three-inch layer of organic material (bark or wood chips preferably) should cover the soil of the critical zone. It can be refreshed as needed if naturally occurring leaf litter is routinely taken away. The mulch should not touch the trunk, and it can extend out to the dripline (the optimal width of mulch rings are as wide as the canopy).

1E: Levels of Acceptance

Communities must determine what levels of tree risk and tree debris that are willing to accept. Acceptance is based on intended function compared to actual performance, care requirements compared to value, and associated consequences compared to desired outcome.

Tree Risk: All trees present a level of risk, assuming there is a target. A target is defined as anything of importance that can be impacted by the tree. Without a target associated with a given tree, there is no risk related to that tree. An acceptable level of risk can be attained with routine visual assessments that identify and address specific concerns. The community or consultant may request or recommend higher levels of assessment if more data is needed to inform a decision.

Tree Debris: Naturally occurring debris or other organic material improves the soil and should be allowed to continually accumulate under a tree. Situations involving acceptable levels of tree debris should consider the intended function of the tree compared to its actual performance, maintenance requirements and repair costs to determine appropriate actions. That is, do the benefits of a given tree outweigh the needed resources and costs associated with it?

Trees are important assets to communities and should be cared for as such to protect and enhance the benefits they increasingly generate over time.

Part 2: Tree Reporting

2A: Purpose and Use

The role of the tree consultant is to maintain or improve tree health by providing unbiased, accurate knowledge based on accepted standards, practices, science, and technology. The goal of the consultant is to allow trees to mature by promoting a growing environment favorable to them.

This document discusses strategies to promote an aesthetically pleasing, sustainable urban forest containing dozens of species of varying age. Though aesthetically pleasing is defined by the client, it generally relates to good health and subsequent appearance. We define a sustainable urban forest as a tree population that requires minimal care to maximize the safe, useful life expectancy of each member.

A safe, useful life (SULE) is defined as the length of time a tree provides appreciable benefits which outweigh the consequences of its existence. The consequences include pruning requirements and other services required to preserve and enhance tree function. The average SULE of a tree in the urban environment depends on species, growing conditions, and care practices. The SULE of many trees in the urban forest is short, or less than 15 years. Our goal is to allow trees to mature for periods longer than 40 years, which would be considered high.

This document is meant to be used in conjunction with a Tree Action Plan (which is described in more detail in section 2C, found on next page). A Tree Action Plan is a two-component tree report written specifically for HOA common areas. Suggestions in a Tree Action Plan are valid for one year, the standard time interval between planning inspections. Longer intervals between inspections are considered less efficient and accurate as many things can change even within one year (i.e. one annual growing season).

2B: Procedures and Methodologies

To report on the tree population, Tree Life employs terminology and methods found in Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment, published by the International Society of Arboriculture in 2018. These standards define the three levels of tree assessment: limited visual, basic, and advanced.

A first level assessment, or Limited Visual Assessment (LVA), is performed to develop a Tree Action Plan . The LVA identifies obvious tree concerns, conflicts, or other issues that can be improved. Observations are generally made from ground-level while walking past one or more sides of the tree. Though it has in inherent limitations, the LVA is the standard method to assess and manage large populations of trees.

An LVA is not a formal, qualitative risk assessment because individual trees are not evaluated.

Basic or advanced level inspections are required to conduct qualitative risk assessments; they employ a more systematic inspection, documentation, and analysis process. Qualitative tree risk assessments are usually performed on a limited number of important or high-value trees growing in close proximity to important or high-value targets. They can be applied on an individual basis, as requested or recommended, and are not performed as part of the annual inspection.

2C: Tree Actions Plans

Our action plans contain a list of suggested tree care services with a specified time period, which is usually one year. While performing the assessment for an action plan, Tree Life may also look at one or two requests made by homeowners during the interval between regular inspections. However, if more than a few requests are expressed on a regular basis, then we typically deal with them as a separate assignment, prepared between the annual assessments.

2C.1 Tree Requests

Arborist recommendations dealing with tree requests from homeowners, managers, or other agencies will conform to the protocol established in this document.

Tree requests requiring a site visit during the interval between annual assessments will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Non-urgent tree requests should be collected throughout the year and dealt with between annual assessments. Generally, our annual assessments preclude most tree requests.

Tree requests related to leaves, pine needles, or view improvements are non-urgent.

2C.2 Tree Risk Identification

Obviou s tree risks identified during the LVA process are:

2C.2a Risk of Conflict - Likelihood of a tree or its parts causing injury, property damage, or disruption of activities due to growth over time. Conflicts include trees growing into plants; trees growing next to or under electric utilities; low branches over streets, walkways, or houses; trees obstructing traffic control signs, signals, or roadways; tree roots lifting pavement; and root damage to infrastructure.

2C.26 Risk of Failure - Likelihood of a tree or its parts causing injury, property damage, or disruption of activities due to failure. Visible defects include dead or dying parts, broken or hanging branches, cracks, seams, longitudinal bulges, weakly attached branches, co-dominant stems, overextended limbs, poor taper, included-bark, missing or decayed wood, one-sided or unbalanced crown, uncorrected leans, low live-crown ratio, inadequate response growth, and fruiting bodies associated with wood decay.

Depending on the situation, mitigation options for trees with obvious conflict or failure concerns may include pruning, concrete repair, or any other accepted practice that reduces the risk potential. Tree removal is considered to be the last option.

2C.3 Area of Improvement

Opportunities to improve the function, health, diversity, or management of the trees may be identified during the LVA process. Common problems associated with a particular species, setting, or situation may also be identified.

Improvements may require cultural changes (such as eliminating leaf blowers), site modification (such as eliminating turf around tree trunks), use restrictions (such as moving picnic tables from under certain branches), and even tree removal.

Tree Action Plans are valid for one year, the suggested time-interval between tree care planning inspections.

2D: Recommendations

Recommendations are provided in the Tree Action Plans ; they are meant to preserve and improve the tree population in general.

2D.1 Tree Pruning

Pruning is the preferred method to mitigate crown concerns. It is cost effective and creates minimal visual impact or controversy. The amount of pruning performed on a tree should be limited because it is essentially a form of wounding, and excess pruning can actually cause more harm than help. Trees can recover from several small pruning wounds faster than from one large wound. A common mistake is the cutting of small branches. It is important to maintain an even distribution of foliage along all branches, just as it's important to not remove large branches from the trunk. Excessive small branch removal creates end-heavy crowns that are more prone to failure. Excessive removal of small branches is known as "crown thinning" — and "thinning" or "lacing" should be avoided at all costs. With regards to proper pruning cuts, branch reduction cuts are most effective for most objectives.

Most pruning can be accomplished at any time of the year with little effect on the whole tree. Pruning cannot always be employed to solve a problem or address a concern. Different species should not be pruned to "match" each other. Some trees naturally have different growth habits than other species and require different pruning objectives.

Please refer to the separately included "Tree Pruning Specifications," written by Tree Life exclusively for our clients.

2D.2 Tree Removal

Removing between 1-3% of a tree population helps improve and maintain tree and age diversity in most urban forests. Removing trees is the most controversial method to mitigate risk or make an improvement because of the cost and visual impact to the community. Therefore, tree removal is generally considered the last option. Tree removal recommendations are meant to improve the overall population.

Specific criteria can be developed to assist in determining items for tree removal programs, but are considered outside the scope of annual planning unless otherwise specified and agreed upon. There generally are two reasons to remove a tree — to eliminate risk or to make an improvement:

Eliminate Risk

2D.2a Tree Defect — If the consequences or cost associated with a defect exceeds an acceptable level, as determined by the community, the tree can be removed to eliminate the risk.

2D.2b Tree Conflict — If the consequences or cost of a potential conflict exceeds an acceptable level, as determined by the community, the tree can be removed to eliminate the risk.

Make an Improvement

2D.2c Tree Function — Some trees may have a limited safe and useful life in the landscape if they are not functioning as intended even though best management practices are being followed. When trees are planted in an environment that does not favor their health, they tend to become predisposed to problems, no matter what care is provided. The function of many trees is to simply look healthy. If unchangeable site conditions do not favor the health of a particular tree, then it should be removed and replaced with a species that is more likely to acclimate.

2D.2d Tree Health — Some plant species are predisposed to problems of a specific nature due to genetics and environmental conditions. Though these problems are often not lethal, they are untreatable, unsightly, and a common source of complaint in many communities. Trees, bushes, and shrubs with severe, persistent, or untreatable pest or disease problems should be cycled out of the landscape.

2D.2e Tree Diversity — Common area landscape design typically requires trees to be of the same size, species, and appearance. The trees are from the same nursery, planted at the same time, and are likely of the same genetic background.

Because of these conditions, most homeowner association common areas can benefit from having some trees removed and replaced to promote age and species diversity. In fact, a property can remove (1% - 3%) of its tree population every year, matched with an equal amount of new plantings, to create an urban forest that is better equipped to adapt to unexpected challenges. Ongoing removal and replenishment programs develop age and species diversity, an important attribute for long-term management, without making massive or sudden changes to the appearance of the landscape. Age diversity helps prevent groups of trees from maturing and senescing at once. Species diversity helps prevent pest or disease problems from affecting large portions of the population at one time.

2D.2f Tree Management — Trees or invasive plants (naturally reproducing) with high maintenance requirements should be considered for removal if the cost to maintain them exceeds the benefits they provide. Other management problems include, but are not limited to, too many trees planted in a particular area; trees planted too closely to other trees, structures, or roadways; trees with high maintenance requirements planted in remote, difficult to access slope areas; and trees with low water requirements planted in locations that receive frequent irrigation. Depending on the situation, mitigation options for management issues often involve tree removal and replacement. Tree replacements usually are of a different species when planted in the same location as the removal. Replacement trees are not always necessary, particularly if an area had been over-planted during the construction phase. Tree installation is discussed later in this document.

2D.3 Tree Health Care

Most pest and disease problems are secondary conditions arising from one or more initial stress factors. Organic treatments or other chemical applications should only be employed while the initial stress is identified and corrected. Improvement in tree health after corrections are made can take more than one-year to show. Tree health care treatments and applications will not correct an underlying stress factor. If underlying stress factors cannot be corrected, then tree removal should be considered.

Tree health care options may be employed during this period, but they should not continue indefinitely. If a tree does not show improvement after cultural corrections and treatment applications have been implemented, then tree removal should be considered.

Note: Recently installed trees should not require tree health care options. If a tree is not performing well after a recent planting, then it likely will never perform well. Poor performance in newly planted trees is usually due to root defects, irrigation problems, installation mistakes, or some combination of the three.

2D.4 Other Recommendations

Other recommendations include but are not limited to cultural changes, site modification, support system installation, and site-use restrictions.

2E: Higher Levels of Assessment

Suggestions in each Tree Action Plan are made based on multiple factors — such as knowledge of typical growth habits, known risk profiles, maintenance requirements, current arboricultural standards, and long-term care strategies. Not all defects may be visible from one or more perspectives during the time of the limited visual assessment (LVA).

The two higher levels of tree assessment, basic and advanced, can be performed on individual trees should the community want to understand or explore options, identify conditions, or analyze information that may not have been apparent during the LVA process.

Basic and advanced assessments can also be conducted to diagnose health or appraise value. Higher levels of assessment are not included in annual planning reports unless otherwise specified and agreed upon.

Part 3: Implementing Care

3A: Who Performs the Work

Tree care is a combined effort between tree service, landscape maintenance, and tree health care professionals.

3A.1 Tree Service Provider

Tree service providers are the primary care-giver. They should perform most of the services recommended in the tree action plans. This includes but is not limited to tree pruning, tree removal, root collar excavation, tree health care applications, or installing support systems.

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) accredited companies are the preferred tree care providers because they have voluntarily met or exceeded accreditation criteria regarding professionalism, training, business practices, ethics, and customer satisfaction. Decisions regarding proposals for tree services should not necessarily be based on price. Prospective tree care providers should be interviewed to identify which company can provide services in a safe, professional, and timely manner with minimal impact to the community.

The role of the arborist in a tree service company is to guide the work practices of their crews based on current standards, practices, science, and technology. Though an arborist in a tree service company can assist in identifying and addressing defects or improvements, their primary role is to provide a skilled service according to specifications and expectations.

With a few exceptions, tree care planning does not include native shrubs such as acacia, lemonade berry, or Manzanita. Sometimes specific shrubs may require clearance pruning from the tree service company, based on size or situation, but they can be addressed on an individual basis.

The community should avoid selecting a new tree service company every year. The reason is that companies who have shown their value by performing the work according to specifications and expectations should be rehired when possible. Loyalty to one or two providers is beneficial to the trees and community.

Using the same crews from year to year creates consistency in tree appearance. Also, a crew is more likely to complete a job safely and as scheduled when they are familiar with a particular job and know what to expect.

For example, certain pruning can be performed more efficiently with specific equipment. A company that is familiar with a job can ensure specific equipment is available beforehand, preventing reduced efficiency.

3A.2 Landscape Maintenance Provider

The landscape maintenance company is an integral part of tree care. They can assist on an ongoing basis by managing large shrubs and bushes, delivering on contractual clearance pruning, maintaining a layer of leaf litter or mulch, and installing new trees:

3A.2a Large Shrubs and Bushes — Landscape maintenance crews can remove or perform clearance pruning on large shrubs and bushes. They sometimes can safely perform this work from the ground which will be more cost-effective than contracting a tree care provider. Pruning cuts should be made according to standards developed by the ISA.

3A.2b Contractual Clearance Pruning — Landscape crews can safely perform clearance pruning on trees that are growing within limits described in their service contracts. For example, the twig-like growth at the end of branches can extend out or droop down and conflict with pedestrians or vehicles — stop signs may be slightly obscured or pedestrian walkways may be slightly impacted. Using the same handheld equipment that is used to hedge bushes, they can safely eliminate these crown conflicts.

Heading or shearing cuts may be used to cut back foliage that is hanging too low; and this type of clearance pruning is expected in most landscape maintenance contracts.

3A.2c Leaf Litter or Mulch — When naturally occurring leaf-litter is routinely removed through normal maintenance procedures, chunky mulch (i.e. wood chips) should be applied on top of the soil within the drip-line of new and existing trees to improve the health of the soil and tree over time. In frequently used areas, mulch protects the soil from compaction, particularly if it contains larger size pieces (such as tree bark or chipped wood). Soil compaction from foot or vehicle traffic not only ruins soil structure and future root development, but it can physically damage or kill existing tree roots.

3A.2d Tree Installation — Tree installation should be a continual, ongoing process that can take place without the input of the consultant. Some trees will likely be removed every year, for purposes explained in Part II, and there will always be a need for new trees. Since our goals are to create a healthy, diverse, sustainable urban forest, certain tree species should be used in favor of others based on the situation. Considerations when selecting new trees should include size at maturity, function, management requirements, and resistance:

Use tree species that are already performing well at the site since they have proven themselves to be well-acclimated to the existing conditions.
Use species that are less represented. Many common area tree populations are monocultures. Though dozens of species are growing throughout a property, only one or two may make-up the majority of the population.
Trees should be planted equidistant from objects (i.e., houses and walkways) and according to the ISA standards

3A.3 Tree Health Care Provider

Tree health care treatments and applications to correct pest or disease problems should be performed within appropriate time-periods.

Most insect and disease problems are secondary and can be controlled by correcting the underlying problem.

Initial stress factors that allow secondary problems to proliferate are usually associated with physical injuries resulting from human activity or related disturbance.

When recommending a course of action to alleviate a secondary problem, the tree health care provider should identify the initial stress factor, provide options for correction, and define the time limits of a treatment cycle. They should also be able to explain how the applications can be expected to help minimize a secondary problem within specified time limits.

3B: When to Prune

Though tree pruning between September-March is generally considered optimal for many species, the temperate climate of San Diego County allows for most types of pruning almost any time of the year. Trees that are fast growing, have heavy sap flow, or are susceptible to pests and diseases should be pruned during the dormant season. Trees with bird nests shall not be pruned during nesting season.

Some palm trees will effloresce, or flower, multiple times within a year. To reduce the chances of multiple flowering events in certain species, have the palm pruned late in the growing season. Depending on species, location, history of care, site conditions, etc., the exact timing will vary. It is not uncommon to prune palms twice a year: one pruning event targeting dead leaves (fronds) and flower stalks (seed pods), a second pruning event only targeting additional seed pods resulting from secondary efflorescence. If the palms are pruned twice a year, the first event should take place in the spring (April through June) and the second event should take place in the summer (July through September).

The Role of Microbes in Tree Health: A Vital Connection

butch@treelifeca.com — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:07:32 GMT

As we delve into the world of trees, it’s easy to overlook the tiny heroes that play a crucial role in their health: microbes. These microscopic organisms are fundamental to the well-being of trees and their surrounding ecosystems. Here’s why understanding and nurturing microbial life is essential for tree health.

1. Nutrient Cycling

Microbes are key players in breaking down organic matter, such as dead leaves and wood. This decomposition process releases essential nutrients back into the soil, making them available for tree roots. Healthy soil teeming with microbes ensures that trees receive the right balance of nutrients needed for growth. When applied in the fall, these microbes work throughout our winter months breaking down vital nutrients that are available to plant roots as soil heats up. In our Southern California climate, activity in the soil persists as opposed to other parts of the country where soils become too cold for activity.

2. Soil Structure Improvement

Beneficial microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, contribute to soil structure by forming aggregates. This improved structure enhances aeration, water retention, and root penetration. A well-structured soil allows trees to access water and nutrients more effectively, promoting overall vitality. Pore space is created by microbes, allowing roots to develop in even the most compacted soils. Consult with an Urban Forest Expert to identify you key issues and how to address them.

3. Mycorrhizal Relationships

One of the most fascinating aspects of tree health is the symbiotic relationship between roots and mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi attach to tree roots and extend their own filaments into the soil, increasing the surface area for nutrient absorption. In exchange, trees provide the fungi with carbohydrates produced through photosynthesis. This partnership significantly boosts tree health and resilience. Our fertility plans include several microorganisms, mycorrhizae being a core component.

4. Disease Resistance

Microbes can also protect trees from harmful pathogens. Beneficial bacteria and fungi compete with harmful microbes for resources and space, effectively acting as a natural barrier. Additionally, some microbes can produce substances that inhibit the growth of pathogens, providing trees with an added layer of defense. Certain microbes can even break down the cell walls of fungal pathogens. Microbes out-perform the power of synthetic fungicides in many instances. Consult with our Urban Forest Experts to learn more about the power of proper tree and soil care.

5. Enhanced Water Uptake

Microbial communities in the soil help improve a tree’s ability to absorb water. Fungi, in particular, can access moisture from smaller soil particles that roots might miss. This increased efficiency is especially important during dry spells, ensuring that trees remain hydrated and healthy.

6. Promoting Biodiversity

A healthy microbial ecosystem supports greater biodiversity in the soil. This diversity creates a balanced environment where various organisms coexist, each contributing to nutrient cycling, disease resistance, and soil health. A rich microbial community is a sign of a robust ecosystem, which benefits trees and other plants.

Conclusion

The health of our trees is intricately linked to the invisible world of microbes. By fostering healthy soil ecosystems and recognizing the importance of these tiny organisms, we can ensure our trees thrive for generations to come.

Let’s celebrate the vital role of microbes in tree health and take steps to nurture them—your trees will thank you! Reach out to our team of Urban Forest Experts to unlock the magnificent potential of the trees in your landscape.

Happy fall tree care! ��

Fall Fertilization and Pest Management: Why It Matters

butch@treelifeca.com — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 23:50:52 GMT

As the leaves change and temperatures drop, many homeowners overlook an essential part of lawn and garden care: fall fertilization and pest management. Here’s why this seasonal maintenance is crucial for the health and vitality of your plants.

1. Strengthens Root Systems

Fall is the perfect time for fertilization because it encourages strong root development. A well-nourished root system helps plants store energy for the winter, leading to more vigorous growth come spring. Applying a microbial based fertilizer in the fall provides nutrients that support roots while minimizing growth above ground, which is ideal as plants prepare for dormancy.

2. Prepares for Winter

Fertilizing in the fall helps plants prepare for the harsh winter months. Nutrients like potassium enhance cold tolerance, making your plants more resilient against freezing temperatures. This preparation reduces the risk of winter damage and ensures a healthier start when the growing season returns. Consult with an Urban Forest Expert to see what your trees need to thrive.

3. Reduces Pest Populations

Fall is also a critical time for managing pests and diseases. Many insects, like grubs and aphids, are active in the cooler months and can cause significant damage if left unchecked. Applying insecticides or using natural pest control methods can help reduce their populations before they settle in for winter. Additionally, several lay eggs and overwinter during these months. It is a crucial time to get a pest population under control through eradicating eggs, overwintered or dormant insects, and more.

4. Disease Prevention

Certain diseases thrive in the fall, particularly fungal infections. By applying appropriate materials, you can protect your plants from these threats. Healthy plants with strong root systems are also less susceptible to disease, creating a double defense against potential outbreaks.

5. Improves Soil Health

Fall fertilization often involves adding organic matter, such as compost or liquid solutions, which enriches the soil. Healthy soil promotes beneficial microorganisms that enhance nutrient availability, improve drainage, and support overall plant health. This sets the stage for a thriving landscape in the spring.

6. Saves Time and Money

Investing in fall fertilization and pest control can save you time and money in the long run. Healthier plants are less likely to require extensive care and treatments in the spring, and preventing pest infestations can save costly damage repairs.

Conclusion

Fall is more than just a season of beautiful foliage; it’s a crucial time for preparing your garden and lawn for the future. By prioritizing fertilization and pest management now, you can ensure a vibrant and healthy landscape that thrives in the spring. Don’t wait—take action this fall to set your plants up for success!

TreeLife Expands with Newest Team Member

butch@treelifeca.com — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 20:52:16 GMT

Meet Jordan

After graduating from California State University San Marcos in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Business, Jordan began his career in the tree care industry.

He started as an entry level tree worker and plant health care technician. After nearly two years of field operations and training, he was approached with a proposition to create a tree health care department for a local tree care company.

After successfully creating a thriving department, he was then put in contact with an internationally recognized landscape organization. There he was given the opportunity to develop a tree health care division throughout their San Diego territory supporting multiple locations. Jordan quickly developed a passion for managing trees and their health; he was veritably impressed by their indelible contributions and significance to communities he was working in.

In his spare time, Jordan loves spending time with his wife and their two children. He also enjoys reading, writing poetry, camping and going to the beach.

A QUOTE FROM JORDAN:

“I am rapturously excited to join the team at Tree Life, CA, continue in their pursuit to improve the standards in the tree care industry and client relationships, drive operational efficiencies and support the company’s growth and goals in sustainability.”

A QUOTE FROM THE OWNER:

“Tree Life, San Diego’s premier provider of Plant Health Care and Consulting Arborist services, is thrilled to announce the addition of Jordan Everett to our team as Director of Operations.

Jordan’s addition comes at a time that our Plant Health Care services are surging as we provide support to some of San Diego’s premier landscape and tree care service providers.

With his deep understanding of tree biology and plant science, Jordan will be a key-player in our future development as well as providing training to our growing staff.

treelife-consulting

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Pest Notes: Vol. 6 – Fireblight

Here are some ways that fireblight has been treated in the past:

Pest Notes: Vol. 5 – INSECT ALERT: Dotted Paropsine Leaf Beetle Making Headway in California

Pest Notes: Vol. 4 – Palm Trees

Call TreeLife CA! Our Urban Forestry Experts give you peace of mind through proper treatment protocol, education and true tree stewardship.

Pest Notes: Vol. 3 - Cupressus sempervirens - Italian cypress

TreeLife CA is the perfect fit.

Pest Notes : Vol. 2 - Greedy Scale

Greedy Scale

AKA Mr. Krabs scale; this scale wants all of your money!

Get it right the first time. Call TreeLife CA!

Tree Life Investigator: Vol. Two -Tree Snatchers

TreeLife Investigators: Vol. 1 – Tree Root Traffic Jam

Pest Notes: Vol. 1 – Pests are Secondary

Factors that TreeLife CA representatives consider when surveying any given set of trees are:

Get it right the first time and call TreeLife CA!

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See Bradley Brown on Channel 10 News HERE:

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Efforts to Protect Torrey Pines

Tree Management Guidelines for Common Areas

Download the PDF version of this post

Part 1: The Urban Forest

1A: Tree Assets

1B: Tree Biology

1C: Tree Risk

1D: Duty of Care

1E: Levels of Acceptance

Part 2: Tree Reporting

2A: Purpose and Use

2B: Procedures and Methodologies

2C: Tree Actions Plans

2C.1 Tree Requests

2C.2 Tree Risk Identification

2C.3 Area of Improvement

2D: Recommendations

2D.1 Tree Pruning

2D.2 Tree Removal

2D.3 Tree Health Care

2D.4 Other Recommendations

2E: Higher Levels of Assessment

Part 3: Implementing Care

3A: Who Performs the Work

3A.1 Tree Service Provider

3A.2 Landscape Maintenance Provider

3A.3 Tree Health Care Provider

3B: When to Prune

The Role of Microbes in Tree Health: A Vital Connection

1. Nutrient Cycling

2. Soil Structure Improvement

3. Mycorrhizal Relationships

4. Disease Resistance

5. Enhanced Water Uptake

6. Promoting Biodiversity

Conclusion

Fall Fertilization and Pest Management: Why It Matters

1. Strengthens Root Systems

2. Prepares for Winter

3. Reduces Pest Populations

4. Disease Prevention

5. Improves Soil Health

6. Saves Time and Money

Conclusion

TreeLife Expands with Newest Team Member

Meet Jordan

A QUOTE FROM JORDAN:

“I am rapturously excited to join the team at Tree Life, CA, continue in their pursuit to improve the standards in the tree care industry and client relationships, drive operational efficiencies and support the company’s growth and goals in sustainability.”

A QUOTE FROM THE OWNER:

“Tree Life, San Diego’s premier provider of Plant Health Care and Consulting Arborist services, is thrilled to announce the addition of Jordan Everett to our team as Director of Operations.

Jordan’s addition comes at a time that our Plant Health Care services are surging as we provide support to some of San Diego’s premier landscape and tree care service providers.

With his deep understanding of tree biology and plant science, Jordan will be a key-player in our future development as well as providing training to our growing staff.

Please reach out and welcome him when you get a chance. Jordan can be reached by email at jordan@treelifeca.com ”