Advice from A Year Round Tree Expert

We have been hearing a lot in the news lately about the resurgence of the Ash Borer (well if you follow ‘tree news’ then you have heard a lot…we just happen to have our ‘ear to the bark’!)

So what is it? It is a metallic green beetle that attacks Ash Trees both large and small. It entered the United States on container crates from Asia, establishing itself first in Michigan. USDA tried to quarantine it there but nursery stock unwittingly moved the insect to nurseries on the east coast, including Prince George’s County, MD. Maryland Department of Agriculture tried to quarantine the borer by cutting down and destroying tens of thousands of Ash Trees in Prince George’s County but the insect has somehow cruised over to Anne Arundel County and beyond.

“The Emerald Ash Borer is estimated to have killed more than 50 million Ash Trees in rural forests and city landscape plantings from Maryland to Missouri and into Canada. No North American Ash Tree species has been found resistant to the pest,” reports the Kansas City Info Zine.

What can you do? For your own property: Don’t plant new Ash Trees, cut down infected Ash Trees and prevent as well as treat valuable older trees. For those who plan to camp over the Memorial Day weekend do not to move firewood as this spreads the Ash Borer farther.

Sources: A Year Round Tree Expert Company:

www.baltimoresbesttreeservice.com

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/35978/

http://www.gurnee.il.us/public_works/emerald_ash_borer.html

Trees that are positioned too closely to your house or other structures, or are high in maintenance due to growth may be candidates for a plant hormone called Growth Regulator.

Growth Regulator is designed to gently slow the growth of trees while improving their health. Application is done through a soil injection when the ground is not frozen or saturated. The treatment is absorbed by the tree roots and uses redirection of the tree’s energy to regulate growth.

I have tried this product on my own Leyland Cyprus and received positive results. If you want to slow the growth of your trees yet maintain their natural shape this is the answer. It reduces the speed of growth by about 30% and even more so for other species. The cost is about the same as pruning but has additional health benefits for the trees. Give me a call if you would like more information about the effect on different tree species and a price quote!

- Steve Martin, owner of A Year Round Tree Expert Company
410-335-8675

Source: A Year Round Tree Expert Company and picture of plant hormone molecules from Wikipedia

Hosting the second leg of the Triple Crown horse race might not have anything to do with us tree guys but as Baltimorians it sure does make us proud!

Source: The Baltimore Sun

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/2009/05/preakness_should_stay_buyyob.html#more

Fertilizer! Landscaped trees are not privileged to the components of decomposition that is offered to trees in the forest.

While historically manure was used to improve crops, according to Wikipedia, the use of fertilizers is arguably one of the great innovations of the Agricultural Revolution in the 19th Century.

Experts say that spring and summer fertilizing is recommended to provide the organic nutrients needed in the building blocks of your trees. These nutrients stimulate roots and increase the abundace of soil organisms such as mycorrhiza, which is a beneficial fungus that aides the trees in water absorption.

“Fertilizing your trees with a deep root injection of Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous will promote better growth.  All trees benefit from fertilizing – trees that have incurred disease or insect infestation as well as healthy trees can be nurtured through the use of this deep root fertilizing program,” says Steve Martin, owner of A Year Round Tree Expert Company and licensed tree care professional.

Through proper care your trees will add value to your property and remain beautiful for your enjoyment year round.

Sources:

A Year Round Tree Expert Company: http://baltimoresbesttreeservice.com

Picture and facts from Wikipedia & Southern Nevada Water Authority: http://budurl.com/l7yp

Seven University of Maryland students constructed a tree house in the woods on UMD’s campus.

Source: http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2009/05/11/News/Seven.Students.Sitting.In.A.Tree-3739808.shtml

Being environmentally conscious doesn’t come easily for many people but perhaps a little inspiration from a Californian family that created an organic farm on their quarter of an acre property would help!

The Charles Theater in downtown Baltimore is showing a screening of the new film Home Grown today at 1:30 pm. The movie shows how the family was able to harvest over 6,000 pounds of food on their tiny property.

Although there has been a lot of awareness about the environment lately (from the popular movie An Inconvenient Truth and the book Generation Green by Tosh & Linda Sivertsen) there is still a long way to go! See the movie to get more ideas on going green!!

Sources:

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2009/05/04/homegrown-screening-in-maryland/

Gypsy Moths are back! They have again been sighted in very large numbers. The lack of natural predators and the lack of funding by the State to do large tract aerial sprays, spells trouble for 2009.

According to the Associated Press, cyclical infestations of Gypsy Moth caterpillars caused defoliation damage to 19,000 acres of trees last year. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is taking some action to prevent damage to State forests but MD homeowners need to be ready too.

So what are these terrible pests? Well, in 1869 a scientist in New England brought the moth – native to Europe, Asia and North Africa – to North America. He was trying to cross a Silk Worm with the Gypsy Moth but a few of the moths escaped into the surrounding woods. The experiment failed but we have been dealing with the effects of the escaped Gypsy Moths ever since. They have propagated and migrated throughout the eastern United States and are one of the most disliked insects in the US.

What do they attack and what can you do? They attack almost every species of tree with a strong preference for Oaks and Maples. For most homeowners, the practical solution is to have a Professional Arborist visit your property to list the most vulnerable trees and propose a spray-treatment regimen. Some treatment the homeowner can do themselves. The spraying should be done by a licensed applicator (A Year Round Tree Expert Company would be happy to do this for you!) with tall tree high volume spray equipment. Pickup trucks mounted with low volume sprayers used on lawns is a BIG no-no! In some cases one spray a year is sufficient; in other cases two sprays will be needed. Call Steve, your Year Round Tree Expert, for advice and a free estimate!!

Sources:

Picture from A Year Round Tree Expert Company

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-gypsy-moth-0501,0,2426297.story

Ha! This just in: Apple is coming out with a new application for iPhones that will allow you to take a picture of a tree’s leaves and bark and will identify the tree for you! Technology and trees together, now that is fun!

Source:
http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/04/future-iphone-app-may-identify-trees-from-photos/