Archives March 2020

We had a bumper crop of acorns recently. While this is good for squirrels, it also presents a great opportunity for a fun project that can be educational and help our urban forest! Growing your own oak from an acorn and planting it where it is needed is a great, easy way to combat the severe tree loss and damage we had in 2019.

Step Two: Prepare Your Acorn for Planting

While you can plant the acorn right away, taking an extra step can lead to greater success down the road and is a more exciting way to see the early growth stages. 

• Take a viable acorn and carefully insert three toothpicks, equally-spaced around the circumference, about half way between the top and bottom of the acorn.
• Set the acorn on the top of a small cup, glass, or jar (clear is best!), balancing the toothpick on the rim.
• Fill the container with water, so that the bottom half of the acorn is submerged.
• Put the acorn and container in a warm, sunny spot (a windowsill works great).
• As the acorn germinates, it will begin sending a large taproot down into the container.
• If you have a clear jar or cup, you can see its progress.
• After the root has grown, the acorn will begin to send up a green shoot from the top.
• PRO TIP: Given enough time, the shoot will put out a few familiarly-shaped leaves!

Acorns can also be germinated in bulk in a bag filled with moist potting soil. Keeping the bag in the refrigerator can help prevent mold growth. Once they have put out roots, they are ready to plant.

Step Four: Plant Your Tree Outside!

Once the oak seedling has become established, you can plant it outside to give it room to grow! It is best to plant a new tree in the fall or winter.

• Find a spot where there will plenty of room for the tree to spread its roots and canopy.
• Dig a hole about the same size as the container the seedling was in.
  • Unlike planting a larger tree, there should be no root issues requiring a larger hole.
• Remove the entire contents of the container and place in the hole.
  • PRO TIP: If you let the soil dry out a little bit, it should pull back from the sides of the container and slide out easily.
  • Make sure that the top of the container soil is at ground level; don’t plant it too deep.
• With the leftover soil from digging the hole, you can make a small ring around the tree, about a foot away from the stem.
  • You can also put down a some mulch, but make sure not to put any too close to the seedling’s stem.
• Placing a flag nearby will help you remember where the seedling is and keep it from possibly getting mowed down.
• If you are worried about animal activity or other damage, you can use a tomato cage or similar fence to protect your seedling as it grows.
  • Once it has grown about 18 inches tall, you can remove the cage.
• Be sure to keep the growing young tree watered and monitor it for signs of insect activity.
  • If you have questions about fertilizer or other care, ask a certified arborist.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! Growing your own seedling from an acorn is a fun way to learn about trees and is a great way to get free trees for your yard. With a little prep and a little patience, you can soon have your own forest! Also, you can use a similar process to grow other acorn- or nut-producing trees, although oaks (especially red oaks) are often the quickest and easiest to start with. As always, if you have any questions about how to care for your trees, young or old, let us know!

Leaf and Bark Rubbing

What you need:

• Leaves
• Bark
• Paper
• Crayons or colored pencils

1. Lay the paper over the leaves, and rub gently with the crayon or colored pencil. The pattern of the leaf will be transferred to the paper!

You can also take bark rubbings from trees, or from pieces of bark that you find on the ground.

Use the leaf and bark patterns as components in a drawing, or use the designs to decorate signs, cards, or paper airplanes!

Make a Simple Tent

What you need:

• Trees
• Rope or Clothesline
• Sheet or Tarp
• Stones

For a fun outdoor hideaway, you can use simple materials to make an easy to put up and take down tent!

If you have two trees, or a tree and a nearby structure:

1. Tie a rope between them
2. Put the sheet or tarp over the middle of the rope so that it reaches the ground on both sides
3. Weigh down the corners of the sheet with stones or pieces of wood.
4. Enjoy your cozy outdoor hideout!

PRO TIP: Decorate the sheet with painted leaves or leaf rubbings, and display your spirit stick!

Tree Scavenger Hunt

What you need:

• Scavenger Hunt List (see below)
• Paper bag or basket

With a little prep work, you can have a fun outdoor scavenger hunt!

1. Make up a list of tree-related itemsHere’s our arborist-approved suggestions:
   • Acorn
   • Green Leaf
   • Brown Leaf
   • Flower
   • Twig
   • Branch
   • Catkin
   • Pecan
   • Bark
     PRO TIP: If you have unique trees in your yard, you can add items (like magnolia seed pods or horse apples) to personalize your list
2. Print out your list or write it on the paper bag
3. See how many of the items you can find!
4. Draw a picture of each item you found next to its name on the list!

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our families! During uncertain or difficult times, it is more important than ever to recharge with fresh air and nature. Fun outdoor activities can help break up the boredom and monotony of being stuck at home, and can help kids (and parents, too!) learn about the environment around them. If you enjoy any of our suggestions, let us know by posting your photos and tagging us! And as always, if you have any questions about your trees, get in touch!

Another installment in our series of posts where Texas Tree Surgeons answers your tree questions. Are you having problems with your trees and want to know what’s wrong? Let us know!

Why is it that my peach trees get loaded with peaches every year, but the peaches only get so big (about the size of a golf ball) and stay that way till they fall off? Can I do anything to help them grow better?

Growing fruit trees in North Texas can be a tricky undertaking. While we don’t have the well-suited conditions of other regions, there are some steps that fruit tree owners can take to help their trees produce the best fruit.

For fruit production, pruning is key

If you have a stone fruit (peach, plum, etc.) tree that is already established and producing fruit, proper pruning can be a big help in managing fruit production.

• Fruit trees naturally produce more fruit than can be sustained, and need a helping hand.
• One way to help fruit mature fully is to remove a portion of the fruits after they begin to grow.
  • For best results, remove the fruit by hand about four weeks after blooming.
  • Leave only one fruit every six to eight inches along a branch.
• As the fruit matures, it is important to manage pests and diseases that can prevent proper growth.
  • Remove any dead or diseased wood or fruit as soon as it appears.
  • Consider fertilizer or pesticide application, and consult a certified arborist for good product recommendations.

Planning ahead for best fruit

Of course, some types of fruit trees are better-suited to our North Texas climate and soil.

• If you are looking to plant a peach tree, or another type of stone fruit, consult this guide from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program.
• Once you have picked a tree, be sure to plant during the winter dormant season and to prepare the planting site properly.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! There may not be many fruit trees in North Texas, but we love helping our community take care of what we have. We are always happy to offer suggestions and guidance in the tree selection and planting process. We offer comprehensive plant health care programs to help control diseases and pests, including organic options. If you have any questions about your fruit trees or any other trees, let us know!

Another installment in our series of posts where Texas Tree Surgeons answers your tree questions. Are you having problems with your trees and want to know what’s wrong? Let us know!

We have a tree in the back yard that is leaning. Is there anything we can do to fix it?

Whether you just moved into a new house and noticed one of the trees is leaning, or a tree has suddenly developed a lean, there is one important difference to be aware of: quickly-developed leans and over-time leans.

Leaning Trees: Fast vs. Slow

 The main factor that determines whether a tree that leans is a problem or not is how quickly the lean developed:

• Trees that have developed a lean over time usually are not a high risk, and cannot be straightened or corrected.
  • Trees, like other plants, are naturally drawn to the sun and away from other trees and structures. (This phenomenon is called “phototropism.”)
  • If a tree faces competition for sunlight, it will begin to lean away from its competitors and towards a clear view of the sun.
    • As the tree leans, its roots grow out in the opposite direction from the lean to anchor the tree.
  • Once the tree has become established with its lean, it will continue to grow that way.
    • In some cases, a tree that was leaning can begin to send new growth vertically upward again, once the competition for sunlight is removed, but the leaning parts will remain.
• Trees that develop a lean quickly can be an increased fall risk.
  • Whether the tree is large or small, developing a lean quickly usually means one thing: root system instability.
    • A tell-tale sign of a root issue causing a lean is raised ground around the tree or disturbance to nearby structures or fences.
  • High-limestone and shallow soils, like we have in much of North Texas, can be a contributing factor to shallow roots which can lead to instability.
    • Additionally, periods of drought and flooding cause shifts in the soil, further hampering proper root formation.
  • Root rot, often caused by fungus, can cause widespread root system death, leading to major structural instability.
  • If there has been construction around the tree and roots have been cut, or the tree suffered storm damage, a lean can be a sign of an imminent fall.

What Can I do About a Leaning Tree?

 If the tree has grown into a lean over time, there is little that can be done. Once the tree is established and stable in its leaning orientation, trying to straighten it can destabilize the structure and put the tree at risk of falling.

For a sudden lean, however, it is important to act quickly. Whatever the cause of the lean, it must be addressed before it becomes worse and the tree falls. In some small trees, a sudden lean can be corrected, allowing the tree to grow new stabilizing roots. In large trees however, complete removal is often the only safe way to deal with a sudden lean. If the tree is leaning from storm or other damage, especially when roots have been cut, rope off the area under the tree and contact a certified arborist immediately — the tree could fall at any time.

 At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! If you notice that one of your trees in leaning, we are always happy to come out an see what may be causing the lean and whether it needs to be addressed. If you are aware of a tree that has developed a sudden lean, contact us today so that one of our ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified arborists can properly evaluate the danger of the situation and provide a solution.

As the weather warms up in the spring, we see trees begin to bud out in at different times. Most of our North Texas trees don’t have colorful blossoms in Spring, but there are a few notable exceptions.

Purple Leaf Plum

The purple leaf plum is a non-fruiting tree with brilliant purple leaves that look beautiful summer long. In the spring, delicate pink flowers bloom on the branches, creating a dramatic scene before the new leaves begin pushing out. The purple leaf plum will have more flowers and darker purple leaves when planted in direct sunlight.

Flowering Dogwood

Flowering dogwoods are understory trees that do best in the shade from larger species. Their white flowers in the spring and red berries in the fall are a common site in Southern gardens. Dogwoods can grow in the North Texas area but tend to do better in the sandier soils of East Texas. If you do have dogwoods, we recommend adding iron and other nutrients to the soil to help keep them healthy and blossoming.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers, and we are happy to see spring flowers starting to appear! If you are looking for recommendations of ornamental trees for color variety in the Spring or year-round, check out our previous posts for some suggestions! As always, if you have any questions about blossoming trees, ornamentals or anything else, let us know!