Tree Service Blog

Parasitic Wasps

Most gardeners cringe at the mention of wasps in the garden. Aggressive yellow jackets can ruin a good pic-nic or a productive day in the garden. But there are other wasps which are beneficial in the garden. Parasitoid wasps help us in our gardening efforts. Parasitic wasps parasitize a variety of insects such as aphids, caterpillars, beetle larvae, flies and hornworms, at different growth stages. Few species of parasitic wasps sting, and then only when they’re mishandled. Many are so tiny you might not even be aware of their presence.

There are many different kinds of parasitic wasps in our environment. The largest of these are Ichneumon wasps, with long bodies and antennae. Braconid wasps are tiny with stout bodies and dark markings. Trichogramma wasps are also tiny and are commercially available for pest control purchase.

The parasitic success can act in different ways with different species of wasps. Basically, an adult female wasp will lay at least one egg in or on the body of a destructive insect. The egg(s) hatch and the larva feed on or in the hose, eventually killing it. Sometimes a single egg will produce many offspring.

It is important to recognize the signs that your plants are being patrolled by parasitic wasps. For instance, the wasp family Aphelinidae, that preys on aphids. The larvae will pupate within the body of the host and emerge from the body as a fully mature wasp. Parasitized aphids are called “aphid mummies”, and appear puffed up, hard and brown or tan in color. Several parasitic wasps seem to control pine needle scale. The eggs are laid right after the crawler stage; the wasp completes its development inside the scale and leaves behind a very distinct hole in the top of the scale when it exits. The use of pesticides is not needed if the wasps are on the job, and will only harm the benefits of wasps and other beneficial insects in your garden.

Encourage the help of these beneficial insects, by supplying them with food and water. Adult wasps feed on nectar and pollen. Small and shallow flowers, like alyssym and herbs like dill, fennal and yarrow will provide easy access to these tiny beneficial insects. Bird baths, and small pools are good for small wasps, if they are shallow enough for these tiny insects to land and drink safely.

Honey Bee Swarm!

Swarming of honey bee colonies is the way they reproduce hives. The old queen bee leaves her original colony with a large group of worker bees to look for a new home in a process called swarming. Sometimes swarms can be the size of a small grapefruit, or as large as a basket ball. In this case, in mid-June, the new swarm landed on some flowers that border a walk way at our shop.

Swarming is usually a spring, occurrence, but swarms can happen anytime through the season. About 60% of the “worker” bees, join the Queen in her quest for a new home. They will take as much honey as they can from the old hive, to have some food available in the new hive. This makes them very slow and heavy. Also, a honey bee swarm has no young to protect and usually will not exhibit defensive behavior unless aggravated.

Mike Cardwell of Ruhl Bee Supply (503) 657-5399 came out immeadiatley to collect the wayword swarm. The mostly docile bees were easliy persuaded to load into a new hime as soon as Mike deposited the queen inside. See: www.ruhlbeesupply.com for more information.

The high instances of swarms is high in the Portland area this year, and gives us all hope that Colony Collapes Disorder (CCD) is not as prevalent in our area as it had been. Colony Collapse Disorder has decimated bee populations vital to crop production all over the US. The causes of the CCD syndrome is still not fully understood, although many sources credit the problem to a combination of factors such as; small mites that attach themselves to bees and as well as insect diseases growing in the populations. Other causes could include environmental stresses, malnutrition caused by the bees not being able to find food sources, maybe due to genetically modified crops. Other possibilities include pesticide use, and cell phone radiation.
We can all do our part to help the survival of Honey bees in the environment. If you find a swarm in your landscape, be sure call a qualified bee collector like Mike of Ruhl Bee Supply. Planting trees, shrubs and flowers to aid in the search for food is one good idea.
Plants to attract Honeybees to your landscape include:
Annuals
Asters
Calliopsis
Clover
Marigolds
Poppies
Sunflowers
Zinnias
Perennials
Buttercups
Clematis
Cosmos
Crocuses
Dahlias
Echinacea
English Ivy
Foxglove
Geraniums
Hollyhocks
Hyacinth
Rock Cress
Roses
Sedum
Snowdrops

Food Plants
Blackberries Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers Fruit trees
Gourds
Peppers
Pumpkins
Raspberries
Squash
Strawberries
Watermelons
Wild Garlic
Herbs Bee Balm
Borage
Catnip
Coriander/Cilantro
Fennel
Lavender
Mints
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Shrubs Honeysuckle
Indigo
Privet
Trees Alder
American Holly
Black Locust
Catalpa Crabapple
Eastern Redbud Flowering Cherry and Plum Golden Rain Tree
Hawthorns
Hazels
Linden
Magnolia
Maples
Mountain Ash
Sycamore
Willows

Scale
Homoptera Diaspididae and Homoptera Coccidae
Scale insects are smaller, stationary insects with no visible legs that attach themselves so tightly to the bark or leaf of a plant, that they seem part of the plant. These can be serious pests of trees, shrubs and indoor plants. There are roughly about 6,000 species of scale insects in the world. Of those, about 1,000 species are found in the continental U.S. and will attack a vast number of trees and shrubs.
Scale insects are generally divided into two groups; armored scales and soft scales. Some sources will include Mealybugs as a third species added to this group. Scales feed on plant sap with long, slender mouth parts that are inserted into the host plant. Scale feeding can reduce plant vigor to the point that they weaken and die. Like aphids, Scales exude the sticky honeydew which is attractive to wasps and ants. This honeydew also initiates the development of black sooty molds on plants around the infested plant, as well as the host plant.
Armored scales produce several generations a year, while soft scales usually only produce one. Scale insects are protected by a cover made from wax secreted by the insect. Armored Scales will have a hard, flaky, oval shaped covering, while Soft scales produce a softer, glassy or fluffy wax that does not obscure the shape of the mother scale underneath. Scales spend most of their lives underneath this covering continually feeding on the same spot of the plant. Armored scales overwinter as eggs, nymphs, or adult females. Most soft scales overwinter as immature, fertilized females. In the spring, eggs hatch underneath the mother’s cover and turn into crawlers. At this stage, scales have legs and are mobile. New plants can be infested when crawlers walk or are blown by the wind to other plants. These crawlers settle down permanently lose their legs, and begin to form that distinguishing cover. After a short period, winged adult males crawl out from beneath the covers and mate with covered females. Adult male scales are tiny, winged and seldom seen. Mature “mother” scales never move once they are attached to the plant.
Ladybugs and small parasitic wasps can play a major role in controlling scale. Wasps will lay eggs inside the body of the mother scales, and the newly hatched wasp will chew it’s was through the cover, leaving behind a small hole. Always check for holes in the scales before trying chemical treatments of any kind. Dead scales will sometimes stay on the plant for sometime after they are dead. You can check by scratching the scale. If it easily flakes away, it is dead. If it is still alive, you see a gooey substance, sometimes bight red, where you have scraped.
Only when natural predators are not numerous enough, are other treatments called for. Dormant oil treatments are effective against almost all scale problems and are generally applied in the fall or very early spring. Lighter summer oils can also be effective against scales, but can still cause a plant to scorch. Since adult scales or protected by the wax covering, other insecticides, including insecticidal soaps, can be used only against the crawler stage of scales.
Call True Care today, in the greater Portland area, if you suspect scale insects on your trees or shrubs. We will give you a free diagnosis, and put together a plan for dealing with these destructive pests in your garden.
503-678-5388

Proper Mulching: Mulches can have many positive effects on soil. They can reduce weeds and summer watering needs, attract earthworms and improve soil quality, and enhance a plants growth through added nutrients. Mulching around trees will assist with maintenance, reducing trunk damage from weed whackers and lawn mowers. Trees growing in a forest environment have their roots anchored in a rich soil full of vital nutrients, left behind from leaves and organic matter that fall to the forest floor. Our urban landscapes have poor soils, with little natural organic matter. Properly spreading a 2- to 4-inch layer of healthy mulch can imitate a natural environment, improving the over all health of your landscape. Under perfect circumstances, mulch applied to the entire area of the root zone of a tree or shrub is ideal, but hard to achieve in an urban landscape.

Improper Mulching: If done improperly, mulching may harm, or even kill the trees and shrubs you are trying to enhance. Laying down too much mulch is a serious trend in landscapes today. More than 4 inches on the roots and up against the trunk can do ominous damage. Stress caused from over-mulching is not always immediate, depending on the size and type of plant. The symptoms could take up to 3 – 5 years to show. Symptoms include small off-color, falling leaves, poor twig growth, and die-back of older branches. By the time these symptoms display it can be too late to rectify the situation, and the plant will further decline and die.
Deep mulch of more than 2-4 inches can smother roots. Thick blankets of mulch can prevent the penetration of water and air, or conversely keep too much water on the root system. Roots must be able to breathe. When oxygen levels in the soil drop drastically, the roots start to die off.
Piling mulch against the trunk or stems of plants (mulch “volcanoes”) can stress stem tissues, resulting in the decay of the bark and potential girdling of the tree. This will kill the vascular tissue under the bark, and create a breeding ground for harmful pathogens and insects. Once the vascular system of the plant is seriously compromised, the leaves and roots will not be able to survive.

Inorganic Mulches: Inorganic mulches include various types of stone, lava rock, fabrics, etc. These mulches never decompose and require very little replacement. They can also inhibit the penetration of water and nutrients into the soil, as well as trap too much water on the roots. Many of the rock mulches will attract or hold too much heat causing scorching and water loss to plants. They also do not improve soil structure or add any organic value to provide nutrients

Organic Mulches: Organic mulches can include wood chips, chipped bark, hazel nut shells, and compost mixes, all coming from plant materiel, just like on the forest floor. Organic mulches decompose over time, improving soil quality and fertility. But, because organic mulches decompose they need to be replenished or replaced more often than inorganic. The new artificially orange colored wood mulches can leach chemicals into the soil. Avoid fine mulch since layers of fine mulch can become matted and prevent the dispersion of water and air.
Often, homeowners will top dress old mulch every year to refresh color, and this can lead to unhealthy depths of mulch. To achieve the look of fresh mulch, break up the old, weathered mulch with a rake, and add a thin layer of new on top making sure there is less than 4 inches in total depth.

Too much Rain?

With our very wet late spring, we have received a few phone calls about damage that might be occurring in landscapes around the upper Willamette Valley. Trees and shrubs in the growing season react to rain and wind much stronger, than when they are dormant in the winter. In most cases we have seen, the plants should all recover.

Too much water can be just as bad as too little water. And, the symptoms can look the same. The heavy clay soils of our area are much more likely to be water logged than light, sandy soils. However, drainage in your soil will make all the difference.

Oxygen in the soil is necessary for healthy, “alive” soil, allowing plants to grow. Too much rain or water is likely to prohibit the necessary oxygen from the soil pore spaces. This condition is more likely to cause plant stress if the situation is allowed year around.
Trees and shrubs can get diseases, like Pythium and Phytophthora. These fungus spores thrive and move in consistently moist soil. If water does not drain through it fast enough, these diseases can take root and start killing the plant’s roots.
Some signs of overwatered plants are:
1. No new growth is showing, or new leaves are turning brown. 2. Lower leaves are yellow
3. Plants look wilted
4.Roots will be rotting or stunted, exuding a rotting smell 5.Soil can appear the color algae 6.Twig die-back can occur.

Your plants can still grow and thrive, even in periods of too much rain. Monitor you landscape thoroughly and watch for specific problems;

1. Address drainage problems as quickly as possible to save stress on your plants Contact a certified Landscaper, who has experience with drainage problems in your area, to help with correcting drainage problems. 2. Be sure water is not left standing at any time of the year.
3. Watch summer irrigation levels carefully.
4. Make sure all areas of your landscape completely dry out during dry periods
5. Try not to install new plants when the soil is too wet. Squeeze a handful of soil and if you get a drip out of it, like a wet sponge and it compresses together instead of crumbling, it is to wet to plant.

Root Weevil
Adult root weevil damage is best described as a notching of the edges of plant leaves. In severe cases the damage can look like what a pinking shear – a scissor used in sewing – might do to a leaf.
On large mature Rhododendrons, Viburnum, Azaleas, etc. this damage is mostly aesthetic. On small, newly planted shrubs, or flowers and berries, the damage from the small white, “C” shaped larvae can be devastating. Weevils feed on the roots, leaves and sometimes the buds of strawberry, raspberry, clover, spruce, salal, Douglas-fir, yew and many woody shrubs and flowers, like primrose or Lily of the Valley. This is one of the most destructive pests in the Pacific Northwest.
We have a number of different varieties of root weevil in our area. The most common of weevil species are: black vine weevil, obscure root weevil, woods weevil, strawberry root weevil (named for its color rather than a constant appetite for strawberries), rough strawberry root weevil, obscure root weevil, and clay-colored weevil,
Adult Root weevils emerge from pupation in May or June. They feed on leaves from four to six weeks before they begin to lay eggs in the soil and loose litter around the plants they live on or as with some species, within a fold made in a mature leaf edge. Adults can live three months or longer and may lay up to two hundred eggs during their lifetime. Larvae hatch from eggs in two to three weeks. Different varieties of Root weevil can have 1 or 2 hatchings a year. These voracious feeders spend their youth eating roots and the lower stems at the base of the plant, weakening and sometimes killing the plant. Most root weevils overwinter as larvae, although a few varieties may overwinter as adults.
Natural preditors include; ground beetles, Rove beetle larvae, parasitoid flies and wasps and of course, nematodes. Nematodes can be purchased at many nurseries around the area. Be sure the packages are not old, and that the nematodes are the species that will prey on root weevils. When applied to the soil, nematodes will only attach to larvae they become instantly in contact with. Otherwise, they float off and die. There are some important steps to follow when appling nematodes; including being sure the soil temperature is correct. Generally, the fall is the when the soil temperature is over 60º and under 85º. Make sure soil is very moist. If it is too dry, irrigate well before applying the nematodes, and mix them with water to make sure they do not dry out. Nematodes are easily killed by sun light, so make the application early in the morning or early evening.
At True Care Inc. chemical management of adults is safe and effortless. As the adult populations are controlled the larvae are also controlled. For extreme infestations, a soil drench in the fall, aimed at overwintering larvae, can also be done.

Give us a call at 503-678-5388 for a free diagnosis and estimate for controlling destructive insects in your garden.

Hedge Pruning

Pruning is a horticultural practice that alters the form and growth of a plant. Pruning should be considered preventive maintenance. Many problems with weather, disease and structure will be prohibited by correct pruning practices.

There are basically two kinds of hedges:
1. There are informal hedges, allowed to grow to their normal height and to keep their natural form. These hedges need very little maintenance after they are fully formed. Pruning informal hedges can be done every two to three years, depending on how fast they grow and where their boundaries are in the garden. Judicious thinning is sometimes used to allow for better air circulation, helping to control disease issues. As with most pruning, it should always be difficult to see that the plants have been pruned.
2. Then there are formal hedges that are pruned or sheared into distinct shapes. It is best if formal hedges are clipped so that they are wider on the bottom than at the top, to keep the upper branches from shading the lower portions of the hedge This will also help reduce damage during high winds and ice and snow events,. These hedges need to be pruned meticulously at least once a year, if not twice, depending on the type of plant material the hedge is grown with.
Appearance and good heath, in the landscape is essential to a plant’s usefulness in maintaining curb appeal, and the value of your property. Give True Care Inc. a call today for a free estimate on pruning, to keep the value of your home intact.
503-678-5388

Brown Rot diease (Monilinia fruiticola or Monilinia Laxa)
Brown rot, sometimes called Brown Blossom Blight is caused by two closely related fungi, Monilinia fruiticola (common throughout the US) and Monilinia laxa, (mostly found just in the Pacific coastal region). This infection can cause blossom blight, falling and dead leaves, branch dieback and rot the fruit in many of the Prunus species. Both the fruiting and the ornamental forms of cherries, peaches, nectarines, prunes, plums, almonds, and apricots are susceptible.

Brown rot is caused by the fungus spores over wintering on infected plant parts. As the spring season progresses, these fungal spores move in the air and are splashed around by water. As with all fungal diseases, extended periods of mild and moist weather, typical of our Pacific NW spring weather, encourage the spread of this disease, and the damage it causes. Flowers can be “blighted” any time the flower parts are forming but are most susceptible at full bloom. More fungal spores can grow on any newly diseased tissue, starting even more disease cycles. Under severe conditions, non-flowering shoots or leaves can be infected.

Sanitation to reduce the source of the fungal spores is probably the most important effort to be made in the home garden. All fallen leaves, fruit and “mummified” fruit left on the trees, should be cleaned up and off the property at all times. They should certainly be cleaned up in the fall, and not allowed to over winter around the plants in question.

Pruning out infected twigs in the late spring or early summer when they are noticeable, with brown and dead leaves and blossoms, will help to reduce sources of new infection. Pruning to provide more open crowns for better air circulation will help deter infection. Remove some trees if they are too crowded and clear brush that is not allowing good air circulation also.

Fungicide treatments need to occur 3 or 4 times in the spring, during all phases of blooming, along with a good fall and/or winter dormant treatment. With fungal diseases, we must be proactive, as you can not “cure” the disease after it has invaded the tissue.

True Care Inc. has superior programs in place to combat this fungal disease, both in Pruning and Plant Health care programs. Give us a call today for a free estimate on combating Brown rot disease.

503-678-5388

New Fruit Fly Pest
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

The spotted wing drosophila is a new and important pest impacting fruit in Oregon. It is a vinegar fly, which looks a lot like other fruit flies common to our area. The most significant difference between common fruit flies and the spotted winged drosophila is that it attacks healthy, ripening fruit other than just damaged or rotting fruit.

This fly was first found in Japan in 1916. It has been confirmed in parts of China, India and Korea, and established in Hawaii since around 1980. It was first noted in Florida in 2005, and in the next 2 years it was recorded across the southern US, into California. Last fall Oregon State University identified the spotted wing drosophila in some blue berries. It is estimated that Willamette Valley growers lost up to 20% of their blueberries and raspberries and up to 80% of late season peaches. It was found in 15 Oregon counties up the I-5 corridor and in the Columbia River Gorge. It is expected to spread and cause damage to all types of fruit, including grapes, cherries, pears, plums, all berry fruits, and tomatoes, just to name a few. This fly is expected to become a problem for back yard fruit growers, as well as commercial growers. Because Oregon has a variety of crops that all ripen at different times, the spotted wing drosophila could easily move from crop to crop as the season progresses, building up very high numbers in the process.

Normal chemical sprays can be used easier in a back yard environment, than in commercial fields, by using IPM spot treatments and being careful of beneficial insects and bees. However, chemical resistance is a concern since there can be up to 10 generations of the spotted wing drosophila hatched in a year. Research shows that traps can be used to some effect, especially to determine if the fly is active in your landscape.

To make traps for yourself, gather one quart plastic yogurt containers, or 16 to 32 ounce cups such as coffee or tea comes in – with lids. Drill 10-16 holes that are 3/8 to 3/16-inch in diameter around the top of the container. Bait each trap with a solution of 1/4 cup grape wine plus 1/4 cup water plus 3/4 teaspoon of molasses. About 6 weeks before harvest, hang 3 to 5 traps in a shady spot around plants that might be infected. Keep the traps up until harvest is completed. Refresh the bait if needed.

True Care Inc. will be keeping up with all new information as it comes out on this pest and doing what we can to reduce the damage on our customers landscapes.

For more information, and to keep up with efforts being made to control this pest, please visit: http://swd.hort.oregonstate.edu/

Time for Pruning?

The timing for pruning trees and shrubs in the Pacific Northwest is a question we hear a lot in the Arborist industry. It is important to note, that except for a couple of instances, trees and shrubs can be pruned at any time of year, with out harm – except for loosing some flowers or fruit – for one season only. Below are a few examples of the best times to prune:

Fruit bearing trees should be pruned in the late winter and early spring, to insure the best fruit set, since fruit buds begin developing in the previous growing season. One purpose of pruning fruit trees is to provide air circulation for better disease control. It is also imperative to maintain a balance between preserving the currant year’s flower buds, and planning ahead to provide strong new branches for the subsequent seasons. The only summer pruning that should be done is to remove suckers.

The timing of pruning flowering plants should be based on when it flowers. Spring-flowering shrubs, like Rhodies and Azaleas have flower buds that are formed during the previous summer or fall. To ensure greatest flowering potential, these shrubs should be pruned as soon as possible after flowers begin to fade and fall off in the spring.
Examples of flowering plants to prune in the early spring – Dormant season: Bradford Pear, Clemantis, Crape Myrtle, Dogwood, Flowering Plum and Cherry, Abelia, Golden Rain tree, Honeysuckle, Potentilla, Redbud, and species Wisteria,
Examples of flowering plants to prune after they bloom in the late spring or early summer: Azalea, Beauty bush, Flowering Crab Apple, Deutzia, Forsythia, Hawthorn, Lilac, Mock orange, Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, Service berry, Spirea (Bridal Wreath), Viburnum, and Weigla.
Maples and Birch trees should be pruned in the later spring or summer, because if they are pruned too early in the spring, they will “bleed” sap. This “bleeding” has not proven to be hazardous for these trees, in most circumstances, but it can be messy in your landscape.
Elm trees in the Portland Oregon area should only be pruned between the middle of October thru the middle of March. This is when the Elm Bark beetle, the carrier of Dutch elm disease, is less active and not so apt to spread to other Elm trees. All wood from Elm trees should be debarked and destroyed, either by chipping or burning. .
Hedges are often sheared in the spring or summer, after the main flush of new growth has finished. Numerous prunings are often required through out the growing season, to keep hedges in a formal shape. Informal hedges will usually only need pruning one or two times a year. It is a good idea to have the top of the hedge narrower than the base, so the upper branches do not shade out the bottom.