2010 Spring

Structural Pruning of  Young Trees by Chris Brewer – I.S.A. Certified Arborist Young trees need prun­ing with an eye to the future.  Pruning with this goal in mind is called structural pruning.  Removal of crossed or poorly attached limbs is best accomplished when trees are young and resilient.  Limbs that will come into conflict with [...]

Can Arborilogical™ Services still help care for my trees with the current economic climate? by Bryan White – I.S.A. Certified Arborist Mention the word economy and fear may likely be the emotional response triggered.  You may wonder how that pertains to caring for you trees.  Many of us find ways to adjust our budgets to [...]

Do my trees have herbicide damage? by Kevin Bassett – I.S.A. Certified Arborist The use of herbicides and other lawn care chem­icals around trees can be very damaging. Before using any chemical in your landscape or near your trees, READ THE LABEL. Many herbicides are made specific­ally for turf, and are not designed or intended [...]

Why are the stems and leaves on my Crepe Myrtles turning black? by Chris Brewer – I.S.A. Certified Arborist Aphids and azalea bark scale feed on the sugars produced by Crepe Myrtles. The insects’ digestive systems do not process all of the mat­er­ial they eat.  The undigested sugars pass through the insects and are deposited [...]

Turfgrass, Trees, and Groundcover Alternatives Can you prune my trees so the grass will grow? by Laura McLarry – I.S.A. Certified Arborist The answer depends upon the tree species, canopy density, and type of existing turfgrass. The three predominant turfgrasses in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex are—in order of most shade tolerant: St. Augustine, Zoysia, and [...]

My neighbors are pruning their Crepe Myrtles. Is it time to prune them? by Ben Thomas – I.S.A. Certified Arborist As the leaves drop, and the dormant season begins, it is the optimal time to prune Crepe Myrtles. Many varieties of Crepe Myrtles planted in our local landscapes become small trees, growing to a mature [...]

How do I water my landscape correctly? by Sarah Brackin – I.S.A. Certified Arborist It would be wonderful if there were a simplistic answer to this question. The most uncomplicated answer is to water deeply and infrequently averaging 1 inch of water a week during the growing season. This watering method allows for more oxygen [...]

Will mistletoe kill my trees? by Kevin Bassett – I.S.A. Certified Arborist Normally, the simple answer to this question is no. In and of itself, infection of a tree by mistletoe does not kill the host tree. However, mistletoe is a parasitic plant that steals water and minerals from a tree and derives its nutrition [...]