I know a few folks out there are starting to believe that I’m just an apologist for the nursery industry. While it’s true most of the nursery people with whom I work are hard-working folks trying to do their best to run a successful business and produce a quality crop, there are certainly some issues out there and I’ve got my share of pet peeves. One of the things really that chafes my heiney is what I refer to as “Carrot-top” syndrome in eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). … Continue reading this article “Carrot-top syndrome in white pine”
Tag: woody
Mysterious tree failure exposed!
end about the tree failure question! Many of you zoned in on an important point visible in the two photos I shared. The tree’s base was obviously quite narrow where the trunk broke, and with the tree’s vase-like architecture this led to breakage. But why was the base so narrow?
Again, several of you thought about root issues, such as a restricted root zone, or possible damage to the lower trunk. Actually, it’s a combination of root and trunk issues, as this last photo shows:
What we have is a large circling root (you can see it at the soil surface to the left and right of the trunk) that has girdled the trunk completely and prevented it from growing in diameter. … Continue reading this article “Mysterious tree failure exposed!”
Mysterious tree failure…
Here is this week’s plant puzzler. This mature tree just fell over one summer day. There had not been any significant wind, the soil was well-irrigated (but not overly wet), there had been no construction work or other root-zone disruption. There were no significant pest or disease problems. I’ve posted two photos from different angles, and will show one more photo on Monday. Why do you think the tree failed?
Seattle Chainsaw Massacre
In the spirit of the season I’m including some photos from our neighbor’s willow tree that failed a few years ago. The failure wasn’t unexpected, given the age of the tree and the lack of crown care it received. What’s truly scary is the “tree service” that came out to deal with the problem. Low bid wins again!
(And yes, I’ll post a puzzler as well. Two for one today!)
Here’s the willow after the crown collapsed
Rickety ladder + chainsaw = suspense!… Continue reading this article “Seattle Chainsaw Massacre”
The Flap Over Burlap
This month’s issue of the Oregon Association of Nursery’s Digger magazine includes the second part of a two-part article on urban foresters’ perspectives on nursery stock. It was interesting to note that some urban foresters felt they were in a quandary because their specs require removal of burlap from B&B trees, yet many nurseries will void their warranty if burlap is removed from the root ball.
Removing burlap from B&B trees is a practice that is widely recommended, yet there is little, if any, data to support it. … Continue reading this article “The Flap Over Burlap”
Building a better tree? Not in the long run!
One of the landscape tree production practices that drives me absolutely nuts is heading back trees in the nursery to create “columnar” specimens. It’s easy to find examples of these in Washington state nurseries, like the pathetic oak shown below:
Aesthetics aside, let’s focus on how the tree responds to heading back. The removal of the dominant leader encourages lateral branches below to become more upright; from these laterals, a new leader is selected. This new upright growth habit is highly prized by many landscape architects and urban planners, as such trees fit more neatly into small urban spaces without interfering with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. … Continue reading this article “Building a better tree? Not in the long run!”
EverGreen or EverYellow?
In last week’s post I mentioned that many tree problems can be difficult to diagnose and require a thorough inspection and site analysis to get to the root of the problem. In contrast, a recent issue that has generated a lot of calls is easy to explain and is not a cause for major concern. Many homeowners and others are alarmed that needles on their white pines are turning bright yellow.
“Is my pine dying?”
The key in assessing this situation is looking at which needles are turning color. … Continue reading this article “EverGreen or EverYellow?”
The Heartbreak of Plagiotropism…
…Otherwise known as “splayage”. When vegetatively propagating some species of woody plants, care should be taken when selecting where to take a cutting (piece of stem) to root. Propagation from terminal cuttings (pointy end up) usually results in orthotropism or a vertical growth habit. Cuttings from extremely lateral branches (those that grow parallel to the ground) can, in a few species, result in a spreading growth habit or plagiotropism.
This is not always undesirable – some species are purposefully propagated this way to maintain the prostrate habit that particular cultivar is known for.… Continue reading this article “The Heartbreak of Plagiotropism…”
Support your local arborist
A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed for the local paper about this year’s fall color. It’s pretty standard fare around these parts; newspapers, AAA, and so on want to know if we’re going to have good fall color, will it be early, will it last long. I mentioned to the reporter that we’re seeing a lot of early fall color in the maples around mid-Michigan, in contrast to the northern part of the state, which appears to be running a little late. … Continue reading this article “Support your local arborist”
Baring it all, again.
Earlier in this blog we had a rather robust discussion about the merits of transplanting trees bare-root. Bare-root transplanting has had a renaissance in arboricultural circles, based in large part on the work of Dr. Nina Bassuk and her colleagues at the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell.
As our bloggers noted, transplanting trees bare-root has advantages over balled and burlap trees (larger portion of the root system stays with the tree) and over container-grown trees (more natural root system development). … Continue reading this article “Baring it all, again.”