Tag oak

Ask Texas Tree Surgeons: Why Do I Have So Many Acorns?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Ask Texas Tree Surgeons

Why are there so many acorns this year?

Owners of oaks in North Texas have been asking us about the number of acorns they are seeing in their yards this year. While it’s easy to point to the weather patterns or other environmental factors, those don’t seem to explain the sheer volume we are seeing all over the community.

Another explanation for the proliferation of acorns is that we are in what is called a “mast” year. “Masting” is the biological term for the tendency of trees in a given area to be synchronized in their production of seeds, such as acorns. Weather patterns, animal activity, and other environmental factors can lead to the syncing of acorn production. For a great discussion of the possible causes of masting, check out this article from The Conversation.

What Can I Do About Acorns?

Unfortunately, aside from waiting for trees to slow their natural production, there is not a reliable way to lessen the amount of acorns. Trimming away from driveways and structures can prevent some of the visible mess acorns can leave. However, many trees produce seeds on new growth, so heavy trimming can lead to increased production the next year. While there are some studies underway for chemical acorn and seed control, there are as yet no proven solutions.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers. Whether you have seed-dropping trees or not, keeping them trimmed is the best way to keep them healthy. As weather patterns change, we will continue to see changes in our urban forest. Talk to your arborist or follow our Facebook posts to keep up-to-date on what’s going on with trees in North Texas!

More tree questions? Check out some of our recent posts:

Leaves Dropping Early?

Want a Free Tree?

Dallas Tree Care – A Complete Guide to Tree Watering

When is the Best Time to Trim Trees?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Tree Trimming

Tree trimming or tree pruning in Texas is generally best when done after temperatures cool off in the fall and before buds begin to grow in the spring. Removal of dead, broken, or damaged limbs can be done anytime. The worst time to trim a tree is in the spring just after it has budded out. The tree will already have used its energy to start new growth, and will not be able to recover from the trimming as well or as quickly. At Texas Tree Surgeons, tree trimming is the most common service we provide, and is essential to maintaining health and safety in our urban forest.

Why is it best to trim trees in the fall and winter?

Trimming trees at the right time is crucial to keeping them healthy. During the fall, the tree’s internal systems begin to slow, as it prepares to go dormant (similar to hibernation in animals). Entering a dormant state helps the tree survive the winter cold, frost, and ice. As the weather cools, the water in tree tissue begins to be converted to starch, which insulates cellular tissue against freezing damage. During this period of dormancy, trees are able to heal the wounds made from pruning before the stressors of spring, like disease and insects, arrive.

Proper trimming is not just a matter of timing, however, but also of technique. Trimming your trees at the proper time in the fall or winter cannot compensate for the damage done through over-trimming, lion-tailing, or topping. Even though a dormant tree can better withstand these damaging types of trimming, the overall health of the tree may be irreparably harmed.

Should cuts be sealed or painted after trimming?

Sealing or painting wounds after pruning cuts have been made is no longer the best indicated practice for routine trimming. Sealing paint can interfere with the tree’s natural healing process. Allowing the tree to form wound wood and seal cuts itself leads to increased tree vigor and quicker recovery. However, when there is a risk for certain diseases, like oak wilt, painting tree trimming wounds is an important protective measure.

Why is it important to use a company with certified arborists to trim your tree?

Every tree is different. Two trees of the same species planted next to each other may still react differently to their surroundings. Having an ISA Certified Arborist examine your trees before trimming is crucial to ensuring proper care. In a yard with different tree species, there may be a range of trimming needs. A certified arborist can assess each individual tree to make the best recommendations for trimming, taking into account species, environment, disease or pest activity, and the tree’s natural life cycle. Improper trimming at the wrong time of year can cause a tree’s health to decline substantially. A certified arborist’s knowledge of tree biology and trimming best practices leads to the best trimming recommendations for your trees.

Is there a best time to trim a particular species of tree?

While it is generally best for all trees to be trimmed in the fall and winter, it is important to be aware of issues particular to a given species.

 

Oaks:

  • The best time to trim oak trees in Texas is in the fall and winter.
    • It is critical to avoid trimming during oak wilt season (February-July) if at all possible.
    • Live oaks typically do a leaf exchange in late winter so it is better to trim them in late fall or early winter.
  • Dead and broken branches can be removed at any time.

Maples:

  • The best time to trim maples is fall and winter.
    • Pruning in the early spring can lead to sap leaking from the pruning cuts.
    • Maple trees are one of the few trees that have fall color in Texas so pruning after the leaf drop is usually preferred.

Elms:

  • Elms are hardy and native to Texas. They are typically the first to get their leaves and the first to lose their leaves.
    Trimming elms in the fall and in the winter is best to avoid sap leaking.
  • Elms are prone to rotting where large pruning cuts are made or poor puts are made so conservative trimming is best.
  • In the parts of North America where Dutch elm disease is present, elms should be trimmed before March.

Crape Myrtles:

  • Crepe Myrtles produce flowers on each year’s new growth.
    • Trimming in the fall leads to more blossoms in the spring.
    • Trimming in the late spring will reduce the number of flowers the following year.
  • For the health of the crape myrtle, the best time to trim is winter.
    • Topping crape myrtles is never a good practice.

You Should Never Top Crape Myrtles

In our previous post, we discussed why topping crape myrtles is an improper practice. Topping not only destroys the natural beauty of the tree, but can leave it more susceptible to disease and insect infestation.

Bradford Pears:

  • Bradford pears can be safely trimmed at any time.
  • Proper structural pruning when needed is very important for Bradford pears because their natural growth patterns often lead to weakness at branch joints.

Fruit Trees:

  • Structural pruning for fruit trees should be done in the winter.
  • Trimming for fruit production should be done just after bloom in early spring.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers. In the winter, it can be easy to forget about our trees, as their leaves are gone and we spend less time outside. However, remembering that winter is the best time to trim trees can lead to healthier, more beautiful trees in the summer. We are always happy to come out and assess your trees for their particular trimming needs. When tree trimming must be done out of season, we are able to make sure that best practices are followed to minimize any negative effects. One of our certified arborists can make personalized recommendations based on your trees. Get in touch today!

Why Are My Oak Trees Turning Brown?

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

As the summer heat drags on, we start to get calls about trees “looking bad.” Recently, for example, we have been seeing general decline of trees, especially oak trees, in the Plano area. In a densely-populated suburban area like Plano, there are many potential causes for trees showing signs of stress, displaying yellowing or browning leaves, or dropping limbs. While some issues may be symptoms of a disease, much of the oak decline we are seeing is, unfortunately, an inevitable result of the environment the trees live in.

Plano, Texas’ Urban Forest

Plano, Texas, is a great example of a community that loves its trees and values the beauty an urban forest can bring. As the city has matured, so have its trees, and many of them are now magnificent. However, when the community was planned and the trees were planted, developers depended heavily on different species of oaks: live oaks, red (Shumard) oaks, post oaks, and others. While these oaks are hardy, native Texas trees, any environment that is heavily populated by one species is susceptible to certain risks. The proliferation of oak wilt in North Texas is exacerbated by the heavy concentration of oaks in the area. Even without an outside stressor like the oak wilt fungus, any monoculture will slowly start to decline as competition for resources affects all members of a species, without the diversity necessary to replenish what was used.

The causes of oak decline in Plano run deep into the soil and deep into the history of the community. Before Collin County developed into the elegant mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas that it is today, most of the land was used for farming and ranching. Agricultural land becomes exhausted of its nutrients after long periods of use. Moving from heavy agricultural use directly into construction doesn’t give the land time to recover. Heavy construction activity also leads to soil compaction, and if mixed fill is used, precious soil space is taken up by rocks, cement, and other inorganic material. Decades of growth and the spread of structures and concrete have further challenged the ability of Plano soils to renew themselves. Changing weather patterns in the last several years, periods of drought followed by flooding, have stressed the soil and plants even more. As turf grass has proliferated, much of the natural process that would introduce nutrients to the soil through decaying organic matter has been interrupted.

What Can I Do About Oak Decline?

While oak decline is an inevitability for many Plano oaks, the situation is not completely hopeless; there is much that tree owners can do to help restore their trees’ vitality:

  • Proper Mulching
  • Proper Watering
  • Reducing Competition
    • Turf grass, ground cover, concrete, and over planting of trees can all contribute to nutrient competition.

However, there are some issues that may be beyond remedy:

  • Poor Tree Stock
    • If the tree was sourced from a tree farm with weak stock, or with trees that had been exposed to pathogens before, it may have been at a disadvantage from the start. A plant health care program may be able to ameliorate some issues, but not all.
  • Improper Planting
    • Planting issues can be corrected if the tree has not been in the ground more than a few years. The tree can possibly be re-planted, or root zone excavation can be performed to identify other root stability issues, such as girdling roots. A certified arborist can determine if any corrective efforts are possible for your particular tree.

Contacting a certified arborist to assess your trees is necessary to properly identify oak decline and address the underlying issues, not just the symptoms. Insect activity may need more involved care than just spraying a surface insecticide. Browning or yellowing leaves may be a sign of many issues: fungal root infection, insect activity, or herbicidal poisoning, and don’t simply mean that you need to water more. A certified arborist is able to evaluate the tree and its surroundings as a whole, not simply one component. An effective tree health care program involves many components: care modification, fertilization, soil management, proper trimming, pesticidal application. To preserve the value of an urban forest like Plano’s, certified arborists are key.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees, and we love our customers, in Plano and all over North Texas. If you live in Plano, and want more information about oak decline and what may be affecting your trees, let us know! If you’re not in Plano, don’t worry! We are happy to come and take a look at your trees to evaluate their health and give you the information necessary to keep them thriving for years. As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns about trees!