Tag oak

What You Need to Know About Live Oaks and Ice Storms

by Texas Tree Surgeons Arborist Services, Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Trimming

Live Oaks are native North Texas trees which makes them well adapted to the variety of soil types found here. Despite being acclimated to the soil systems here, live oaks can still be stressed by extreme weather. 

If it’s been more than 12-18 months since your last structural assessment by a certified arborist, now is the time to schedule. Preventative care is the best way to help protect your trees from limb failure from extreme weather.

Proper pruning minimizes the likelihood of limb breakage in moderate to heavy ice storms by improving the branching structure by properly distributing the added weight brought on by ice accumulating on the leaves and branches.

Live oaks are more prone to breakage during ice storms because they are evergreens which means they do not drop their leaves in the fall. Unlike other species, like pecan, they have more leaves on their branches and because of this the extra leaves provide more area coverage for water to collect and turn to ice (if cold enough) and create additional weight and stress, which can lead to limb breakage. 

In addition to proper pruning to prepare for ice storms we also recommend that prior to a huge drop in temperature to deeply water your tree if the soil does not have adequate soil moisture. If you are unsure if your soil has adequate moisture we have a video demonstrating how to check as well as proper watering techniques that can be found here.

Common signs of frost damage on a live oak are:

  • Brown leaves
  • Wilted leaves
  • ‘Frost’ cracks on trunk and limbs

If your live oak is already stressed by drought, disease, or insect activity they may have a harder time recovering from freeze damage. Provide extra care to your tree in the years to come to help replenish stored energy that has been depleted due to stress. Mulch is a great way to help regulate temperature and add additional nutrients into the soil. Also, be patient, and closely monitor during the following spring and summer to assess next steps. 

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! The best care for your tree is preventative care. If its been more than 12-18 months since a certified arborist has done a structural assessment please contact us today.

The Best North Texas Trees

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Recommendations

The urban forest in North Texas has taken quite a beating over the past few years. From high winds and tornadoes in 2019 to freezes in 2021 and 2022, to varying drought conditions throughout, many trees have been damaged beyond saving. Now is the perfect time to start reforesting our community by planting hardy, long-lived trees that can thrive in our environment. Choosing the right tree to plant can be challenging, though. Many of the trees planted in recent decades are not well-suited or ideal for North Texas, and have had issues with diseases or pests, or have simply not lived as long as was hoped. Luckily, there are several types of trees in a range of sizes that can thrive here and provide years of beauty and enjoyment.

Small and Ornamental Trees

Smaller, decorative species may not be what first comes to mind when one thinks of trees, but there are several tree species that can do well in smaller yards or as part of more developed landscaping. Whether native or nativized, the trees on this list generally do not get bigger than about 25 feet and are a perfect choice when there is not a lot of room to spare. To see our previous list of top ten ornamental trees, visit this post.

Medium-Sized Trees

If you have a little more room, but don’t want to plant a full-size canopy tree, there are several medium-sized options that can provide more shade and structure than smaller trees while still staying manageable when mature.

  • Prairie (“Flameleaf”) Sumac
    • The prairie sumac is known for its brilliant red fall color and is a great native ornamental.
  • Pistache
  • Goldenrain Tree
    • Heat-, drought-, and poor soil tolerant, the goldenrain tree is not native to Texas, but can grow in a wide range of urban conditions.
  • Yaupon
    • Sometimes seen as manicured hedges, the yaupon can naturally grow into a single- or multi-stemmed tree.

Large Trees

When most people think of a tree, this is what they picture. Growing to several stories high with a large canopy, full-size trees provide the most shade and structure and, if properly cared for, can live for decades. Large trees need a lot of room to grow, and are perfect for open yards.

  • Pecan
    • The pecan is the state tree of Texas and thrives in our area. If you want to consume the nuts, be sure to keep an eye out for pecan phylloxera.
  • Oak
    • While live oaks and red oaks are the most common species in North Texas, varieties like the bur oak and chinkapin are easy to find and can do very well in urban environments.
  • Cedar elm
    • Cedar elm is the most common elm tree in Texas, and can be found all over the state. Cedar elms are known for their verticality and narrow canopy.
  • Tulip tree
    • While tulip trees are not as common in Texas as other magnolias, they are heat- and soli-tolerant as well as pest-resistant.

Trees to Avoid in North Texas

Not all species of tree are well-suited to our local environment. While some of the trees listed below were popular in the past, they are not recommended if you are looking for a new tree to plant.

  • Palm
    • Common in the southern and coastal parts of Texas, palms are not suited to North Texas soil or temperature swings.
  • River birch
    • The river birch is not drought-tolerant, and most urban areas do not have high enough soil moisture for river birches to thrive.
  • Bradford pear
    • The Bradford pear was once a very common landscape tree in North Texas, but many Bradford pears in the area are reaching the end of their 30-year life span, and starting to fail. Additionally, Bradford pears are prone to poor, overcrowded limb structure, which makes them more likely to split.

Whatever trees you choose, it is critical to plant at the right time and in the right way. The winter and early spring are the best times to plant, as the stress of summer heat can hit new trees hard. Proper watering is key to helping a newly-planted tree get established. Using mulch around the root zone is the best way to control soil moisture and temperature and provide organic material for soil health. In some cases, fertilization and soil amendments can be beneficial, but it is important to avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can stimulate unsustainable new growth.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! While we don’t sell or plant trees ourselves, our ISA Certified Arborists and ISA Board Certified Master Arborists are happy to provide consultations for tree selection, placement, planting and care, and even to accompany you to a nursery to find the best stock! Contact us today to find out more!

Are Your Oaks Looking Bad? They are Still Recovering from the Freeze!

by Texas Tree Surgeons Events, Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Health Care

The unprecedented winter weather in February 2021 will have a lasting effect on North Texas. Many trees and plants have already failed to come back from the freezing temperatures and had to be removed. Others may be showing signs of new growth, but are still struggling. The Texas A&M Forest Service and other experts have reiterated the need to care for freeze-damaged and stressed trees to give them the best chance of recovering.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? KEEP WAITING!

Freeze-stressed trees, especially oaks, may be putting out some new leaves, but are much less vigorous than in previous years.

  • Continue to monitor them, and do what you can to alleviate stress.
  • Water your stressed trees properly, and make sure not to flood the roots with overwatering.
  • Avoid preventative insecticide or fungicide treatments; treat only those pests that are currently active in the tree.

Texas live oak tree showing signs of freeze damage and related stress

Live oak showing signs of freeze-related stress

Texas red oak tree showing signs of freeze damage and related stress.

Red oak affected by the freeze in Februrary 2021

RECOVERY WILL TAKE A LONG TIME

Whatever the progress of your tree’s recovery, it will take months and possibly years to regain the health it had before the winter storms.

  • If a tree has shown no signs of new growth by July, it will likely never recover.
  • Trees with sparse growth may be able to leaf out normally in a year or two, so consider waiting to remove.
  • As always, contact an ISA Certified Arborist to evaluate your trees’ progress and make recommendations for care.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! We are constantly in discussion with experts in the fields of arboriculture and horticulture throughout Texas as we try to manage the effects of February’s freeze. Our ISA Certified Arborists are happy to assess your trees and help you provide the best care during this period of residual stress. As we move into the heat of the summer, potential for heat-related stress increases, so contact an arborist today!

Mistletoe

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Health Care

For many of us, mistletoe is a welcome feature of the Christmas holidays; a decorative sprig hung in hopes of stealing a kiss. In nature, however, mistletoe is a parasite that can infest many different plant species, leeching water and nutrients, and can be not only unsightly, but hazardous to the health of a tree.

What is Mistletoe?

Mistletoe is the common name for several different species of plants in the order Santalales. In North Texas, and over most of North America, the most-commonly seen species are in the genus Phoradendron, such as Phoradendron tormentosa, or Christmas mistletoe. Several different species of tree can serve as host to mistletoe, including oaks, pecans, and hackberries, but in North Texas, mistletoe is most commonly found in cedar elms. Mistletoe is easily identified by its small, leathery green leaves and white berries. During the fall and winter, when the host tree’s leaves have fallen, mistletoe identification is even easier, as its leaves remain green.

Mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant, which means that it gets some, but not all, of its nutrients from the host plant. Its leaves allow mistletoe to produce some food internally, but the plant cannot grow by itself. The seeds are most often spread in bird droppings or by other animal contact. The mistetoe’s berries, which contain the seeds, are attractive to many species of bird, but mistletoe berries are toxic to humans and pets.

Is Mistletoe Bad for Trees?

As a parasite, mistletoe does have an adverse effect on its host plant. Mistletoe takes water and nutrients from the host tree’s sap, which can deprive the branches of food. While a low to moderate mistletoe population may have no noticeable impact on the host tree’s health, as infestations grow, interruption to the tree’s nutrient cycle can lead to a loss of vigor. Trees with underlying stressors, such as drought, can be more easily affected by mistletoe.

Can Mistletoe be Removed or Prevented?

Unfortunately, there is no universally effective chemical treatment for mistletoe. Removing affected branches remains the only proven way of managing a mistletoe infestation. Mistletoe develops a root structure in the tree’s sapwood, which means the host branch must be completely removed to prevent regrowth. For larger infestations, however, it may not be practical to remove entire affected limbs. In these cases, removing the surface mistletoe growths can help slow its spread, but will need to be repeated. Whichever method of physical management is used, mistletoe removed before it begins producing berries (that is, during the first three years of its life) can be more easily controlled. Once the mistletoe has fruited, it can spread quickly through bird activity.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! While we are always happy to see mistletoe at the holidays, we want to keep our North Texas trees free from its effects. During the fall and winter, after leaf drop, is not only the best time to trim your tree, but is the ideal time to remove mistletoe, when its bright green leaves stand out against the gray and brown branches. Think your tree has mistletoe and want some management options? Give us a call, and one of our ISA Certified Arborists will be happy to take a look!

Ask Texas Tree Surgeons: What’s Wrong With My Oak Trees?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Ask Texas Tree Surgeons, Tree Health Care

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!

The leaves on our oak trees are looking diseased, with bumps all over them. Is this oak wilt?

Oaks are the most common trees in our North Texas urban forest, and they can suffer from many different health issues. If your oak is showing misshapen leaves with bright green bulges on them, it is most likely a fungal disease that may look bad, but is not usually harmful to the overall health of the tree.

Oak Leaf Blister 

  • Oak leaf blister is caused by the fungus Taphrina caerulescens, which enters the new leaf buds during cool and moist spring weather.
  • The fungus causes the young leaves to develop blister-like bumps on their surfaces, with coloration ranging from light green to brown.
    • In more severe cases, the leaves may fall off altogether.
    • The fungus does not affect mature leaves, only new growth.
  • Like other fungal diseases, oak leaf blister is more prevalent during periods of cooler weather with increased rainfall in the spring, and cannot survive the summer heat.

Does Oak Leaf Blister Kill the Tree?

Oak leaf blister and the T. caerulescens fungus do not pose a serious risk to the health of affected trees.

Can Oak Leaf Blister Be Treated?

  • The spores which carry the oak leaf blister fungus are present on the bud sites over the winter, and once the tree begins showing infected leaves, chemical treatment is not effective.
    • It is possible to apply a preventative fungicide, but this must be done before bud break and while the young leaves are maturing.
  • If you have a tree with oak leaf blister, the best course of action is to clean up fallen infected leaves and dispose of them in plastic bags.
    • Do not place leaves in compost, as this may encourage further fungal growth.
  • Keeping a tree healthy with proper mulching and fertilization, as well as maintaining soil drainage, will help it resist future health issues.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! While oak leaf blister can be unsightly, it is mostly harmless and is not a serious concern to the health of the tree. Of course, there are many oak health issues that can cause long-term damage and tree death. Oak wilt is a major concern. Trimming oaks should be avoided between February and July if possible, and proper precautions taken if trimming cannot be postponed. Oak decline is also a problem, especially in areas where many of the trees were planted around the same time, and are reaching the end of their lifespan. If you have any questions about the health of your oaks, or any other tree care issues, let us know!

Grow A Tree from an Acorn!

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources

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 One: Find an Acorn

This seems like the easy part, but you have to make sure to find acorns that are still able to germinate and grow.

  • Gather several acorns (from different trees, if possible), to improve your chances.
  • Avoid acorns that are cracked or have holes in the shell.
  • PRO TIP: You may be able to find acorns that have already begun to germinate, as in the Step Two photo. These will give you a head start!
  • Once you have a selection of acorns, an easy way to see if they are viable is to soak them in water for 24 hours.
    • If the acorns float, they are not going to germinate successfully and should be discarded.

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 Three: Planting Your Acorn

Once the acorn has germinated, it is ready to be planted! It is best to start the oak in a pot, so that temperature, light, and moisture level can be easily monitored. 

  • Use a flower pot or similar container.
    • Make sure that there are holes for drainage!
  • Fill the container most of the way with regular outdoor soil, leaving an inch or two space at the top.
    • For native oaks, it is best to start them in native soil, rather than pure potting soil.
    • If you have some compost or potting soil, you can mix this in with the top third of the planting soil.
  • If your acorn has germinated, plant it root down, about an inch or so below the top of the soil.
    • If there is a shoot already sprouting, be sure not to plant it too deep.
  • Keep the pot in direct sun in the morning, but shade in the afternoon.
  • Water regularly so that the soil does not dry out.
    • Adding a little compost tea or organic fertilizer can help the young tree get extra nutrients.

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.

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!