Tree Service Blog

Fall Garden Chores for your Trees, Shrubs and general Garden.

Patti Nigh — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:35:33 +0000

Tree, Shrub and Garden: Fall Garden Chores

Fertilizing: Fall is the best time to feed the root systems of trees and shrubs. In the fall, deciduous plants are starting to loose their foliage and the active growth of all trees and shrubs have slowed. Roots of trees and shrubs are still active, taking nutrients from the soil and, using them for important health-promoting functions, such as disease resistance and root development. All excess nutrients are stored in the roots and become immediately available when needed for new growth in spring.

Fall Pruning: Fall is an excellent time of year to prune trees for winter safety. Woody Shrubs can also use pruning at this time of year if you avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs to make sure you have blooms on them next spring. Have dead, diseased or damaged plant branches removed. Rejuvenate old, multi-stems shrubs and improve all your plants over all health and appearance.

Raking and mowing: Be sure to keep leaves raked off the lawn and beds all through the fall and winter. If left on lawn for a long period of time, the lawn and ground covers can smother. Leaves from trees or shrubs with a propensity for fungal disease will carry the disease spores over the winter to cause problems next spring. If you do not have a compost pile, it would be a good time to make one. Using the shredded leaves will speed up the decomposition of your compost. As the compost heats up, it will kill any disease spores left behind. In a year or so, you will have nice, nutrient rich mulch for your garden.

House Plants: If you have taken your houses plants out doors for the summer, or have “marginal” plants in your garden to protect for the winter, make plans to bring them inside or under cover soon. Night time temperatures less than 50 degrees could cause harm to your plants. Before bringing them inside, do use a soap or light oil to kill any insects clinging to the leaves or stems.

Weeds: During a dry day, apply an herbicide to weeds that have found their way into your garden. If weeds are too close to desired plants, use a paint brush to apply the product.
Fall Planting: Planting is a good fall project. Planting in the fall gives you all winter of good soaking rains to help roots establish. Light staking might be needed for plants very tall, to combat fall and winter winds. If you have overgrown perennials, you can divide most of them into smaller healthier plants. Spring flowering bulbs are also in nurseries to plant for spring color.

Dormant treatments: Dormant treatments help to control many pests – proactively. Dormant treatments are helpful all fruit tree fungal or bacterial infection prevention, as well as for ornamental plants with similar problems. Roses, flowering Cherry, flowering Plum, Hawthorne, Photinia and Dogwood are a few plants that do better with dormant disease treatments. Some insect infestations can be reduced with dormant oil. Spruce spider mites overwinter as eggs, so dormant oil applied in late fall and early spring can greatly reduce the mite populations. Dormant oil treatments can also be used against almost all scales at one point of the dormant period or another, depending on species.

For all your pruning, or Insect and Disease care, give True Care Inc. a call.
503-678-5388

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Beneficial Insects: Green Lacewings

Patti Nigh — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:13:08 +0000

Green Lacewings; Genus: Chrysoperla
Green Lace wings are the true beauties of the beneficial insect world. Adult Green Lace wings are pale green, soft bodied, insects about one inch long with large eyes. They have four lace-like wings that make them look delicate, and fairy like. As, adults Lace wings are good pollinators for all your flowers and vegetables. Pale green, oblong eggs are laid on the ends of tiny, delicate thread like stalks, attached to leaves. The new larvae hatch in a few days.
The larvae are the active insect predators and are sometimes called “aphid lions”. It has been reported that they can eat up to 600 aphids, each in their lifetimes. They also control a number of other insects, including, spider mites, thrips and small caterpillars. The larvae are grey/brown, crawling insects, tapered like tiny alligators. They essentially suck the fluids from the body of their prey with large pincer like jaw protruding from the tops of their heads. Larvae are susceptible to dehydration, always needing a source of moisture. It is best to only use them in well irrigated situations. After a couple of weeks, the larvae pupate by spinning a cocoon. Five days later adult Lace wings emerge, mate and start their life cycle all over again.
Since the adults only eat nectar or honeydew or pollen, it is important to provide food for them so they will stay and lay their eggs. Plantings should include flowering plants if used around vegetable gardens. Artificial foods and honeydew substitutes are available in nurseries, garden stores and mail order sources to help feed adult lacewings. Lace wings will produce up to 3 generations per year.
Green Lace wings can be purchased commercially, through garden centers and many mail order sources. Eggs and larvae are hand sprinkled wherever aphids or other food sources are present. Care should be taken when using insecticides. Broad spectrum insecticides, either organic or man made, should never be used where Lacewings are living.

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Rose Care: Fall and Winter

Patti Nigh — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:09:39 +0000

Rose Care for the Fall and Winter

As the days get shorter and the nights become cooler in Portland Oregon, the entire garden begins to wind down. There is still time for a few last splashes of color in the fall rose garden, but it is time to think of putting all of your trees and shrubs to rest.
Fertilizing: For roses in the Pacific Northwest, make your last full fertilization in August. Fertilizing with high nitrogen into autumn encourages roses to produce tender new growth that can get nipped by an early frost. After August, you can give them a fertilizer to strengthen their roots and prepare them for winter by applying a 0-10-10 fertilizer right up until the first frost.
Hardening Off: Stop dead heading your roses in September. The old flowers will fade and turn into hips; the rose’s seed pods. Producing hips signals the roses that they are done for the season and they will begin to go dormant. Rose hips also provide food for overwintering birds and add color interest to the winter garden.
Fall/Winter pruning: In Northwest Oregon, there is little need to do major fall or winter pruning. Roses should be brought down to about “hip height”, just so they do not blow around and rock on their root systems in any high winds. A general rule of thumb is to prune them down around Thanksgiving. Climber roses should not need to be pruned in the fall if they are secured from whipping around in winds.
Removing leaves: Many rose experts say you should not leave leaves on rose bushes over the winter months. Removing the leaves can be done during the fall rose pruning. This will help to keep Black spot, Powdery mildew and rust spores from over wintering in the garden. Remember these leaves should be totally discarded; wrapped in plastic or burned. Do not add them to your compost because the mold spores will survive and grow in the warm compost pile.
Aphids: Continue to watch for aphids. During short bursts of warmer fall weather, aphids can come alive in the rose garden for one last effort!
Transplanting: The safest time to transplant roses is February through April. So, try to put off any moving until spring. If there are any dead roses in your garden, go ahead and remove them now.
Cold Protection: In the Portland area, winter temperatures rarely fall below 20 degrees F, so no additional winter protection is needed for the roots or grafts of roses. In the higher elevations where temperatures might fall below 10 degrees F, a simple mounding of several inches of mulch over the base of the rose should be sufficient. The additional mulch will need to be removed in the early spring to prevent damage at that time.

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Stump Grinding or Removal

Patti Nigh — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:35:29 +0000

Pruning: Stump Grinding or Removal

Tree and Shrub removal can be a messy business. And, after the trunk and brush is down and hauled away, there is the stump and in come cases, above ground roots to deal with. If you do not plan to do any further gardening or replacement in that spot, the tree stump and be left to decay on its own. Depending on the size and variety of the plant material, this can take anywhere from a few months, to a few years.

There are various ways to deal with tree stumps and roots, depending on how quickly you want the stump to be totally gone. Various commercial products are available to be applied to a stump to accelerate the decay process. However this process is long term. In many urban and suburban areas burning stumps and debris is not allowed, for many safety and ecological reasons. Digging a stump out is a hard, strenuous work. Using a back hoe or excavator is effective, but will destroy most of your landscape.

True Care Inc., along with most Arborists, offer a procedure called “Stump Grinding”. These machines, which vary in size, have a large, high speed disk, with special “teeth” that grind out the stump, and can “chase” roots that are above ground. The stump grinder will destroy stumps and roots to a depth of between 8 to 12 inches beneath the soil line, leaving behind a mulch or sawdust material. When the stump is completely ground out, a large hole and a lot of mulch will remain in the area. The homeowner can then fill the hole, and begin the replanting plan. The mulch can be used under trees and shrubs, or to line pathways.

If underground utilities are present, a “Locate” will need to be done before hand, to make sure no utilities are disturbed with the grinder. These locate services are free and usually complete in 48 hours.

Call True Care today, for a free estimate on grinding out stumps in your garden. We will usually leave an estimate for stump grinding with every tree or shrub removal estimate we give. 503-678-5388

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Soil pH made easier

Patti Nigh — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:22:33 +0000

Soils in the Willamette Valley, Oregon generally have a pH range somewhere between 4.5 and 5.5 which means our soil is very acidic. A pH of 7.0 is considered “neutral”. Soils with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acidic soil and one with a pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline. It seems that soils in wet environments tend to be acid (west of the Cascades) and those in dry environments (east of the Cascades) tend to be more alkaline. Western Oregon’s very acidic soil is good for our conifers; Douglas fir, pine, spruce and our broad leaf evergreens like Rhododendron, Azaleas. But, for our other garden favorites; roses, fruit trees, vegetables, and lawn, this is a disadvantage.
It is always a good idea to test your soil for pH. The best time for your testing is in the fall. You will need to apply any soil amendments in the fall to allow time for them to act on soil pH before the next growing season. You can buy an inexpensive pH test kit at most nurseries, or garden centers. Most kits will have booklets about interpreting your result.
Raising the pH: When soil is too acidic, the most common material used to raise pH is ground limestone, found in most garden centers. Lime will raise the soil pH in a few weeks to several months, depending on how finely ground the lime is, and soil conditions. Wood ashes from your fire place can also be used to raise the soil pH. Wood ashes do not work as fast as limestone, but with consistent use, they can raise the pH value. Care needs to be taken when using Wood ashes. Avoid using large amounts of wood ashes at one time. Spread just a thin layer during the fall. If added in the spring, they can cause damage to germinating seeds, and young plants. If you decide to use wood ashes, be sure to do a soil test for pH every year.
Lowering pH: When soil is too alkaline, the two materials commonly used for lowering the soil pH are aluminum sulfate and sulfur. Both of these can be found at nurseries and garden centers. Aluminum sulfate will change the soil pH almost instantly because the aluminum produces the acidity as soon as it dissolves in the soil. Sulfur takes about a year to lower soil pH since certain bacteria are required to complete the process. Both materials should be worked into the soil after application. If these materials come in contact with plant leaves, they should be washed off immediately or leaf burn may occur. Be sure to not over-apply either aluminum sulfate or the sulfur. Other options include pine needles, shredded leaves, sawdust and peat moss. Pine needles are a great source of acid and mulch, especially under Rhododendrons and Azaleas. This will often correct iron chlorosis showing in yellowing leaves of broad leafed evergreens. Again, test your soil pH on a yearly basis, if you use these options.
*Note: Hydrangea Raising pH produces pink hydrangea flowers. (Lime or wood ashes)
Lowering pH produces blue flowers. (Aluminum sulfate, sulfur, pine needles)

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Plant Disease – Powdery Mildew

Patti Nigh — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:51:42 +0000

Powdery mildews appear as white or gray powdery growth on the surface of leaves in the garden. On closer inspection you may see that the stems, flowers, or fruit of plants is also covered in white. Leaf curling and twisting are often present before the white fungus starts to appear. Young foliage and shoots are particularly susceptible. This is rarely a fatal disease however; infected plants are unsightly and can make fruit and flowers unmarketable.
Susceptible plants include: grapes, deciduous azaleas, crabapples and apple trees, dogwood, euonymus, honeysuckle, lilac, privet, roses, serviceberry, snowberry, maple, sycamore, phlox, Roses, and several annuals. It is important to know that each species of powdery mildew has its own specific host. For instance, the powdery mildew on your lilac will not spread to your roses and vice versa.
It is a misnomer that powdery mildew needs actual water on the leaves in order to germinate and infect your plants. High humidity, caused by weather, over crowding, shade, poor watering practices and lack of pruning are conducive to powdery mildew infections. The optimum temperature of between 68 to 77 degrees F with the relative humidity between 40 to 100% is all that is needed for spores to germinate. The spores can spread rapidly with the disease cycle complete in as little as 72 hours. After that, it takes 7-10 days to see the development of that white or gray powder, which is the stage that the spores are ready to spread again.
Cultural controls of Powdery Mildew include:
•Purchasing powdery mildew resistant varieties of all plants
•Plant in full sunlight, (6 hours or more of sun each day) in a well-drained area
•Space plants for good air circulation. Air flow and ventilation will discourage mildew growth.
•Prune to allow for good air circulation in the spring before succulent new growth occurs on trees and shrubs. Prune out and destroy diseased terminals during the growing season.
•Avoid overhead watering and sprinkling the foliage, especially in late afternoon or evening. Water early in the morning so moisture has a chance to dissipate during the day.
•Rake up and destroy all dead leaves that harbor the fungus spores. Especially in the fall, so the disease is not left to start again in the spring.
At True Care Inc. we have a large arsenal of products and procedures for the treatment of Powdery Mildew. It is important to act early and proactively as with all disease spores. Give our office a call today for a free diagnosis and estimate to combat this disease in your garden.

503—678-5388

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Heat and Drought Stress on Trees and Shrubs

Patti Nigh — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:58:54 +0000

Heat and Drought Stress on Trees and Shrubs
At this time of year, the most common calls we get from customers is regarding the effects of heat, drought and sun scald in trees, shrubs and other plants. Japanese maples start putting on fall like color, rhodies will get yellowing in the middle of leaves, or whole leaves will turn a red or brown. Dogwoods cup their leaves and get brown spots on the edges. Hydrandgea will visiably wilt in the heat of the day.
Plants pull moisture up and exhale it through their leaves in a process called transpiration. As temperatures climb, leaves can lose more water than the roots can absorb. If hot, dry weather persists the leaf stomata will close limiting that transpiration process. When this happens plants show wilt, the leaves may look brownish and crisp around the edges, the plant may begin dropping leaves to shut down the transpiration. Sometimes branches will begin to die back, blooming stops and/or plants will pre-maturely drop blossoms. Trees and shrubs that defoliate before midsummer often form new leaves. Those defoliated in late summer may not grow new leaves until the following spring.
When leaf scorch is noticed, the tissue has usually gone past the point of recovery, but several steps can be taken to prevent more damage and improve the health of your plant in future years.
Deep watering is the key to a plant’s survival during our summer’s drought period. Water slowly to a depth of about 8-12 inches in the soil. Use a drip or soaker hose, over night if necessary. If water runs off the soil surface, turf area, or over a sidewalk or street, or if it forms puddles, the water is being added too fast. Remember – Moist, not Saturated.
Check your soil compaction to be sure water can penetrate well. Insert a long screw driver into the soil around the drip line of your plant. If the blade does not penetrate easily, then the soil might be too compacted to allow for good water adsorption, and longer, slower watering might be necessary.
Have your soil tested for mineral imbalances. Correct any imbalances with a good fertilization process. Do not fertilize after mid June, however, as plants can develop young, new growth that will scorch easily in hot summer heat or in any early fall frosts. Always avoid fertilizing with excessive nitrogen.
Check for insect activity. Mites, aphids and other insects can hasten scorch and drying leaves. Set up a good insect control program or subsequent seasons.
Conserve soil moisture by mulching trees and shrubs

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Spider Mites – A truly destructive pest

Patti Nigh — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:31:15 +0000

Spider Mites

Through out the year at True Care, we deal with one of the most common, and destructive pests in the garden, from the smallest flower, to the largest tree; Spider mites. These mites are not actual “insects”. They are more closely related to ticks and spiders. Spider mites spin fine strands of webbing on plants, to protect themselves and their eggs-hence their name. Mites can be very prolific, resulting in high populations rapidly. Spider mites feed by piercing the plant tissue with their mouthparts, usually on the underside of the leaf or needle and suck out the green chlorophyll. The damage shows as stippling, yellowing, browning or cupping of leaves, and can eventually cause defoliation and even death of the infested plant.
Spider mites are small and often difficult to see with the naked eye. Their colors range in color, depending on the species of spider mite. The name “red spiders” often seen on insecticide labels, refers to any reddish spider mite. Predatory mites feed on plant eating mites. They are about the same size as plant feeding mites, but have longer legs and move much faster than the plant feeder, and are also a reddish color. Other natural enemies of mites include the larvae of certain flies and lacewing larvae.
Drought stressed plants appeal to spider mites, so be sure to provide adequate irrigation. Dusty conditions, along road ways or non irrigated areas, often lead to mite outbreaks; rinsing the dust off trees and vines, may help to prevent serious mite infestations. The diversity of plants used in a landscape can influence potential mite problems. In “monoculture” plantings, infestations are likely to be more severe than in the case of mixed, multi-species plantings.
At True Care, we monitor and evaluate each site. We treat problems with educated IPM practices, designed to have low impact on natural predators, and to heighten the general health of each plant and landscape.
Common Mite Species in the Pacific NW:
Two spotted Spider Mite: (Tetranychus urticae): This is the most common mite on deciduous plants. They are yellow to green, with two dark spots on either side of the body. Two spotted spider mites are a “warm” season mite, which thrive during hot, dry weather. Over wintering adult females become active in the spring, feed and reproduce throughout the warm summer and into the fall, as long as the environment is warm enough.
Spruce Spider Mites: (Oligonychus ununguis) Regardless of its general name, Spruce Spider mites feed on many species of conifers. These mites will attack all varieties of spruce, as well as, pine, juniper, fir, arborvitae, hemlock, and more. They over winter in egg form on the needles or bark of the trees they have infected. Therefore populations can be reduced during the fall and early spring, as well as during warmer parts of the year. Colors of this mite can vary from green to reddish brown. Infested plants will also, often show webbing, eggs and cast skins.
Southern Red Mite: (Oligonychus ilicis): This is the most common mite to cause discoloration and occasional distortion on broad leaved evergreens, particularly Skimmia, Holly, Rhodies, Azaleas, and even Roses. These mites are generally a reddish color. They over winter in the egg stage on the underside of leaves, and are considered to be a cool weather mite, doing the most damage in the spring and fall.

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Summer Rose Care

Patti Nigh — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:25:40 +0000

Summer Rose Care

Tending roses can be intimidating to people. Roses do have a bit of a reputation for being difficult. However, roses don’t have to be an ordeal. With a just a little effort, Roses in the garden can be very rewarding.

These are the small tasks to be done in the summer rose garden:
Deadheading: When the flowers start to look spent, ragged or droopy; it’s time to clip the flowers off, so that new ones will take their place. Find a spot in the stem just above a five leaflet leaf that is growing away from the center of the plant. With a sharp, clean tool, cut about 1/4 inch above the outward facing leaflet with the cut made parallel to the angle of the leaflet, so that it is at an angle. It is best to stop deadheading at the end of the season, a few weeks before the first frost date, to allow the plant to prepare for winter.
Watering: Once the weather warms, our clay soils can dry out quickly. The actual amount and frequency depends upon weather conditions and planting site. In most gardens, a deep soaking about every two weeks should be ideal. A soaker hose or drip systems is best for roses, keeping the moisture a ground level and away from the fungus attracting foliage. If over head watering is the only option, the best time to water is during the morning, when the foliage will have plenty of time to dry off. Hand watering the soil, while dead heading can be a relaxing and cool project during a hot summer evening. A good organic mulch around the roses will help to conserve soil moisture, control weeds and give some extra nutrients
Feeding: Roses are voracious feeders when they are in the blooming season. Fertilizing 3-4 times per season, starting in the early spring is always a good idea. A general purpose fertilizer, such as 5-10-5 or 10-10-10, should produce excellent results. (also see Insect Problems next). Be sure to thoroughly water after fertilization. Do stop fertilizing before the end of summer, later fertilization may produce tender new growth which may not harden off before the first frost.
Insects: Ahids fly and mites are blown around in breezes. If these pests are ignored, they can magifiy into a big problem. A few aphids and mites can be hosed off with water, (maybe a little agricultural soap mixed in). To be proactive with insect pests, using the soil applied systeimic rose products available at nurseries and garden centers is the best method. Follow the instructions on the package with care. Many of the rose and flower granular and liquid formulations also have fertilizer added, that reduce another task for you in the rose garden. .
Disease: Black spot, rust and mildew are a given with roses. Planting rose plants that are “resistant” to these plagues is best, but not necessarily the end of the problem. Being proactive with disease is the best medicine. Most disease spores are going to be the most active during wet, moist weather. So far soil applied fungicides are not as good for disease, as insecticides are for insects. Start fungicide applications early, before leaves appear on the plants. Once the weather warms and dries out, fungicides should not be as necessary. Do be sure to get good coverage, wetting the bottom and the top of the leaves.
Our Plant Health Care programs are set up to reduce the instances of Insects and Diease in your Roses. Give True Care Inc a call today for a free estimate!
503-678-5388

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Summer Watering Tips

Patti Nigh — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:12:14 +0000

Summer Watering Tips
One of the most misunderstood tasks that a gardener faces is the problem of watering. The Pacific Northwest has an abundance of rain during the winter, but summers are usually dry when plants need the water the most. Trees and shrubs need moist, but not saturated soil in the growing season in order to grow well, resist insects, diseases and winter injury, and to produce flowers and fruit. Watering Trees and Shrubs is critical during hot dry times, but how often and how much?
Tips for watering Trees and Shrubs:
 Water the correct area. Trees only use water when the water soaks deep into the soil near the tree’s feeder roots. This is away from the trunk of the tree, out to and beyond the drip line of the canopy. Watering against the trunk of the tree can do harm to the root crown and the plant has no way to pull water and nutrients into the leaves from that position.
 Water deeply and infrequently. Watering to an even depth of about 8-12 inches in the soil will encourage roots to develop deep in the soil, where moisture is held for a longer period of time. These roots will help the plant endure drought periods better. Frequent shallow watering encourages plants to develop shallow root systems which make them susceptible to even moderate water shortages. Soil should be allowed to dry out some before watering again. A general rule of thumb would be every 6-10 days for large, established plants. Every 3-6 days for new or small plants.
 Water slowly. If water runs off the soil surface, turf area, or over a sidewalk or street, or if it forms puddles, the water is being added too fast. Plants planted on berms or hillsides will need to be monitored well during watering. Remember – Moist, not Saturated.
 Use a drip or trickle irrigation. This method wets the soil slowly allowing for deep penetration. A perforated sprinkler hose, with the holes down, makes a good drip system. Or a slow trickle out of the end of a garden hose, moved carefully will do.
 Irrigate at night or in the early morning when the temperatures are cooler and humidity is higher. There will be less evaporation. Hose timers can be purchased for those who do not have irrigation systems, to start and stop hose watering at certain times of the day and night.
 Water can be conserved by using mulches. Mulches absorb water and hold it until it can soak in instead of running off. An inch or two of compost (better than bark dust) keeps the soil cooler so the water doesn’t evaporate as fast. Careful not to accumulate more than 3 inches at a time. Decorative rock may increase water use into the soil.
 Avoid over head watering. Do not water foliage of fruit trees or deciduous trees. Watering encourages rust, blight and mildew diseases. It also increases the amount of evaporation.
 Lawns: Many of these tips can be used as guidelines for watering lawns. Raise your mower height to 2-3 inches to create deeper roots, and aeration of turf during summer months also can assist in penetration of water. NW Lawns require 1 inch of water per week, so they need to be watered more often than Trees and Shrubs. Or, you can just let the lawn go dormant for the summer and it will come back in the fall. If you decide to decrease lawn watering, you should not discontinue watering trees and shrubs. They cannot go dormant during the growing season.

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