Tree Articles

Base Investigation and Clearing Root Flares Using the Air-Spade® The Air-Spade is a hand-held soil excavation tool connected to a large air compressor.  The high pressure stream of air is funneled through a small nozzle breaking dense soils apart into small particles.  By using air to excavate soil, delicate roots, underground pipes, and hard surfaces are [...]

by Walter J.Walla and Everett Janne Extension plant pathologist and Extension landscape horticulturist The Texas A&M University System. Published originally as TAEX L- 056, November, 1982.   Cotton root rot, caused by the fungus Phymatotrichum omnivorum, also is known by several other names such as Phymatotrichum root rot, Texas root rot and Ozonium root rot. It is one of [...]

All trees are sensitive to root disturbance.  Examples include construction, landscaping, sprinkler installation, and grade changes.  The effects of these changes on existing trees can be quite devastating and can take five to ten years to become fully visible. To understand how trees are affected by root disturbance it is important to understand the structure [...]

What is deep root fertilization? Deep root fertilization is a process where a high quality nutrient solution is injected into the root zone of trees. The materials are injected into the root zone under pressure which helps aerate or provide much needed oxygen to the root system. The soil injection begins just below the surface [...]

Foundation problems, or structural deficiencies of homes and buildings are a common concern in North Texas.  Structural engineers and foundation experts state that there are two types of foundation owners, those who have had foundation problems and those who will.  With an increasing number of area foundations being poured on a daily basis and the [...]

  A Significant Root Pathogen Ganoderma lucidum, the varnish fungus, is a pathogen that enters openings in root systems of many tree and shrub species.  In our region, Red Oak, Cedar Elm, Pecan, Live Oak, Pears, and Photinia are all reported to be species commonly infected by this fungus. The entry points can be from [...]

Hypoxylon Canker in Shade Trees There are a number of  diseases and maladies that  strictly colonize stressed  shade trees.  One of the most  common of these stress  related diseases is called  Hypoxylon Canker.  The specific species of this fungus  that appears on Oak trees is  called Hypoxylon atropunctatum.  This species of canker  is common in North Texas  due to the fact that Live Oak, Red [...]

Have you ever looked at a huge, stately tree and found yourself making up stories about its being a little sprout when buffalo and Indians roamed our area, thinking about all the events it has witnessed during its lifetime, and wondering how just how old it really is? Dallas County Master Gardener, Steve Houser (1998), [...]

Mistletoe is a parasite that derives its nutrients and moisture from a host plant. Mistletoe infections, left to develop in a tree, reduce the tree’s health overtime and can lead to weakened areas in larger limbs, potentially resulting in limb failure (breakage).  Mistletoe is a parasite that remains evergreen. Its nearly translucent white berries ripen [...]

THE DISEASE AND ITS BIOLOGY: Oak Wilt is a vascular wilt disease of Oak trees caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum. All species of Oaks are susceptible with some species being somewhat tolerant. Red Oaks, both Shumard and Spanish/Texas, are highly susceptible to the pathogen with Live Oak following a close second. The disease in Red Oak [...]

I want my grass to grow better. Can you really thin my tree? I want to remove most of the lower limbs, to see my house better. Over pruning is one of the worst and most common mistakes in tree maintenance. Why is it so common? There is a general lack of understanding about how [...]

Soil, temperature, and rainfall dictate what tree species will grow successfully in an area.  The following trees have proven to be good selections for North Central Texas;  however, there are potential problems with all tree species. On most residential lots, it is recommended to plant 2” to 4” caliper trees.  Generally, it takes two to three years for a [...]

Arborists are often asked, “What is boring holes in a straight line across my tree’s trunk?” The woodpecker is the culprit, and most of the time it causes no health problems for the tree. The most common woodpecker in our area is the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. This migratory bird can be identified by its medium size and [...]