Barts Blog - Barts Tree Service

BUGging Kids at South Street School

Did you ever think about the amount of physics, math and biology knowledge needed to be an arborist?

Most people don’t. And if you tell kids what they’ll need to know, many would never choose to become an arborist!

But if you show them how it all works, and make it fun at the same time, then you might just convince a few kids to study arboriculture. Plus, you can help teach them some basic principles of science.

Each year I participate in the Kiwanis Bringing Up Grades (BUG) Program, where I go into 5th grade classrooms to share my experiences as an arborist, help the kids understand more about trees and how they relate to their everyday world, and yes, have a little fun!

The Bring Up Grades or “BUG” program is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club Foundation of Greater Danbury. To participate, students select a subject in which to bring up their grade from the previous marking period grade. The students must continue to maintain their other grades.

Barts Tree Service - helmet try-ons at BUG

Trying out the helmet – always a hot ticket item!

During the classroom visit, I relate physics, math and biology to the kids and talk about how I get paid to climb trees and run big equipment (that usually gets their attention!).

I like to throw out a few vocabulary words and always use “dendrochronology” (a real tongue twister!) which is the scientific study of tree rings and determining dates of events during the years of the tree’s growth. To bring it to life, I put up a picture of giant redwood log with a guy standing next to it. The rings on the tree show its timeline from 550 to 1891 and we can talk about all the major events this tree saw.

I also talk about safety, and especially about power lines that come down in storms and what to watch for to avoid electrocution. We go into step voltage and how it can travel through the ground – that gives us a good excuse to practice the Michael Jackson moonwalk to get away from the wires without lifting our feet!

To really bring the message home, I show them a big chunk of glass that came from the side of the road where 14,400 volt wires came down and heated the sand to 3200 degrees and melted it to glass. Wow.

Then we talk about how a tree produces sap, how it moves around the tree and how maple syrup is made. That leads into a discussion of how arborists give trees injections to help them survive and to control diseases and infestations (just like a doctor does).

Lastly, we get into physics with a discussion of how to gain a mechanical advantage using pulleys and ropes. This is where I break out the “bling bag” full of gear. We talk about how with a fiddle block we can gain a 4:1 advantage. Then I have the two biggest kids grab each end like tug-of-war and the smallest kid in the class pulls the draw rope – the end result is that the smaller kid can effortlessly pull the big kids together. Of course they all want to try that!

We end with show and tell, showing off gear and helmets with bluetooth radios and harnesses, etc. They ask lots of gear questions, wanting to know what each item is and what it does. Kids also want to know how high an arborist can climb in a tree, how much money we make, what we do when it’s snowing or raining outside, and a ton of other questions. Many of them tell me stories of when they saw someone doing tree work by their house.

And then there are the few who after it’s all over say to me “I know what I want to be when I grow up – an arborist.” That always makes my day!

Barts Attends 2017 Winter Management Conference

In February we attended our fourth Tree Care Industry Association Winter Management Conference, held just outside San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This 3-day conference is a gathering of leading arborists and tree care companies from all over the world and is always held in a nice warm location (a welcome escape from the snow and cold of Connecticut).

While you may think it’s just an excuse for a mid-winter vacation, the truth is that it’s the most valuable conference I attend all year.

Each year, TCIA brings in great speakers who really make you think about business-critical issues that we business owners don’t always pay enough attention to. Being able to get away from the day-to-day management of the company gives me a chance to learn new things and reflect on ways to make my business stronger, my employees more engaged and, most importantly, make us all safer.

The conference is also a fantastic opportunity to network and share with tree care companies who are similar to us, learn from the large corporate tree care companies, and provide mentoring to new business owners.

After all of these years attending the Winter Management Conference, we’ve made a lot of arborist friends from all over the country. The friendships are wonderful, and the added bonus is that when there’s some new uncharted area for the business or a question I can’t answer, there’s this awesome network I can hit up any time as a sounding board.

Where else can you spend three days learning new ways to improve your business, catching up with old friends, and trading tips with forward thinking individuals who are pushing the envelope of arboriculture and safety in the industry – all while enjoying a bit of warmth and sunshine in the middle of a frigid winter?

Late Winter Tree & Yard Care Tips for Connecticut

Some years we get so much snow and wind in February that it’s hard to believe spring officially starts in just a month. Other years, it feels like spring has already arrived!

Either way, it’ll soon be time to get busy checking trees for any damage caused over the winter, fertilizing your trees and shrubs, and taking steps to protect them from disease and pests.

But in the meantime, below are some things you can be doing in the yard, as well as important tree care issues to take care of before spring arrives in full force.

You’ll also find answers to some of the questions that we often get at this time of year.

Get Ready For Spring – It’s Coming!

Check all of your trees for potentially unsafe branches or tree trunks – If anything looks unsafe (see our article on Identifying Hazardous Trees), give us a call.
Inspect hardware in trees – If your trees have cables and braces in them, the hardware should be inspected every few years to be sure it’s intact, in good condition and that nothing needs to be adjusted or replaced due to the tree’s growth. Winter is a good time for that inspection and you still have time before things start growing.
Prune promptly – Any tree and shrub limbs damaged by ice or snow should be pruned off promptly to prevent bark from tearing. Any dead, damaged or diseased branches should ideally be removed before they start to bud out.
Start planning for spring – Make sure you have a program in place to deal with common tree pests and diseases – you’ll want to get some of those treatments done as soon as weather warms up so get it on the schedule now.
In case of a thaw – Don’t be fooled by warming weather – it’s still winter! Hold off digging in the yard until spring is really here – digging in wet soil will destroy soil texture and harm your plants. On the other hand, a warm spell is the perfect time to apply an antidesiccant to newly planted narrow-leaved or broad-leaved evergreens. Don’t spray an antidesiccant during freezing temperatures.
Avoid walking or driving on frozen lawns – This this can injure turf grasses. Once the crown is damaged, the grass is unlikely to grow back when spring finally arrives.
Don’t remove ice – In case of an ice storm, allow ice to melt off your plants naturally. Attempting to remove ice can damage the plants.
Gently brush off heavy snows from tree and shrub branches. Don’t shake the branches or hit them with a broom or shovel as they could break.
Check all smaller trees for evidence of rodent injury to the bark – Be sure to pull away any snow around the tree as rodents will burrow under the snow to get at the tender bark on young trees. Use baits or traps where necessary, and wrap the bottom of susceptible trees with tree wrap (be sure to remove it when the snow melts for good). Learn more about how to prevent winter rodent damage.
On icy paths and driveways – Scatter sand, bird seed, sawdust, cat litter or vermiculite to avoid slipping. Avoid salt or ice melters as these may injure plants.
Check for frost heaving on perennials – If you can, push them back into the ground and cover them with extra mulch as necessary.
Secure fencing and protective wrap – Make sure that any fencing or protective wrap around plants is secure. You don’t want it flying away in the next wind storm!
Check for insect pests – You’ll also want to check the bark and branches of ornamental trees and shrubs for scale insects and the egg masses of gypsy moth, tent caterpillar, and other harmful pests. Remove or destroy these egg masses (prune or scratch off with your fingernail) to eliminate hundreds of these plant eating pests before they hatch. Many of these eggs will be found high up in trees. Please don’t climb up yourself! Let us take a look (we’re experienced professionals who use the right safety gear to keep everyone safe) and, if needed, we can apply the proper treatments at the same time (like horticultural oil to control scale); it’s much easier when there aren’t any leaves on the trees.

Late Winter Tree Care Q&A

Big snow banks built up over the winter. Will they damage my trees and shrubs?

Yes, they probably will. Here’s what you can do about it.

How do trees protect themselves from crazy temperature swings in late winter?

Learn why trees don’t turn into icicles.

Why do trees make cracking sounds in late winter?

What’s all that racket? Is it dangerous? Find out here.

What kinds of tree work can be done in late winter? Do I have to wait until spring?

You may be surprised to know that most tree service activities can be done during the winter. Some things, like tree removals, are ideal for winter. Others, like dormant pruning, can (or should) only be done during winter. We’re often able to do the work more efficiently when the ground is frozen – meaning lower costs for you!

I hear late winter is a good time to prune fruit trees. Really??

Pruning while trees are dormant (before temperatures warm up and buds start to form) is the best time for major pruning on most trees. But it’s doubly important for all of major fruit trees grown here in CT, like apples, pears, peaches and plums. Learn more about it here.

What kind of insurance should tree care companies have?

Here’s an article I wrote describing what you need to know about tree care company insurance. If you’re ready to have some tree work done, this article is a must-read. Protect yourself and your property by ensuring that your tree care contractor has the right insurance coverage.

Winter Tree Care Tips for Connecticut Homeowners

Winter can be tough on trees here in Connecticut, with wind, ice and heavy snow loads, not to mention frigid temperatures. But with proper preparation, your trees can make it through the winter unscathed.

Here are the things we recommend you do before winter sets in, as well as things to keep in mind throughout the coldest months of the year to keep your home and loved ones safe from winter tree damage.

To make it even easier for you, you can download our Winter Tree Care Tips.

And if your tree has been damaged by a winter storm, click here to find out what you should do.

Get Ready For Winter

Check all of your trees for potentially unsafe branches or tree trunks. If anything looks unsafe (see our article on Identifying Hazardous Trees), give us a call.
Any dead, damaged or diseased branches should be removed before winter weather can cause them to break.
If any tree limbs, especially larger ones, hang over your house, car or sidewalk, consider cabling or bracing to keep them stable through the winter. You could also prune them off.
If your trees have cables and braces in them, the hardware should be inspected every few years to be sure it’s intact, in good condition and that nothing needs to be adjusted or replaced due to the tree’s growth. Winter is a good time for that inspection.
Install temporary or permanent rope, cable or twine supports in multi-stemmed shrubs that are susceptible to snow and ice loads. Don’t forget to remove these temporary supports in the spring.

Prune While Trees Are Dormant

Do not prune your trees late in the fall. Doing so forces the tree to put out new growth which can easily be killed by an early frost or freeze, damaging and disfiguring the tree. Wait until all the leaves have fallen and the tree enters dormancy.
After the leaves have dropped in fall, it’s easier to see the structure of your trees and determine whether or not pruning is required to keep your trees safe and looking their best.
Winter pruning can also avoid spreading some serious diseases that are active and spread easily during the spring and summer growing seasons, such as Dutch elm disease and fire blight.
Late winter is a great time to prune, contain or rejuvenate high profile, overgrown plants as they’ll be able to recover quickly in spring with new growth. This will also minimize the negative aesthetic issues that can be associated with rejuvenating plants. But be sure to wait until the risk of single-digit temperatures has passed.
This is also the time to prune fruit trees to maximize fruit production and minimize fungal and parasitic attacks on the tree.

Check for Deer and Rodent Damage

Check occasionally during the winter for signs of rodent damage. Use bait, enclosures or repellents as necessary. You’ll find more details on preventing rodent damage in this article.
Deer can do enormous damage during the winter; when they’re hungry enough they’ll eat almost anything. Use deer spray, fencing or netting to protect your prized trees and shrubs. For more information, see our article on preventing winter deer damage.

Don’t Let Snow Build Up

Wet, heavy snow and ice can easily break tree branches, especially on evergreens. Avoid heavy snow accumulation on shrubs and smaller evergreens by regularly (but gently!) removing snow after a significant snowfall.
If you’re concerned about branches that are bending to the ground on larger trees, remove the snow load on the branches you can easily reach. Please don’t use a ladder or climb the tree; call us to take a look and, if necessary, we’ll remove the snow using the proper safety equipment.
Be careful not break the branches while clearing off snow cover. Lightly brush snow off the branches with your hand or a broom, pushing gently upward and sweeping towards the trunk.
Don’t shake snow-covered branches or hit them with a broom or rake (yes, we’ve seen it happen!). The branches are likely to break if you do that.

Protect Shrubs and Trees

Some shrubs, particularly broad-leafed evergreens like rhododendron, can easily shrivel up in the cold, dry winter wind. Protect them with a burlap wrap or spray with an anti-dessicant. Keep in mind that the weather must be above freezing to spray and you may need to apply it several times over the winter.
Ornamental trees with thin bark and young or newly-planted trees can be susceptible to sunscald when exposed to harsh sunlight after the leaves have fallen. Protect them with trunk wrapping.
The needles on pine trees and other evergreens can turn brown over winter. We describe how to prevent this in our article on winter browning.
You can learn more about using burlap to protect your plants in our article on How to Protect Trees and Shrubs From Winter Weather.
Salt damage is common in areas where salt is used to keep roads, drives and walkways clear of ice. The worst damage occurs to sensitive tree species planted near heavily salted roads with high traffic, especially when they lie downhill, downwind, or have poor drainage. On your own property, we recommend using a less harmful product such as CMA or Iceban^TM, and mixing it with inert materials like sand. For more information, see our article on winter salt damage.
Snow falls. More falls. And then more. And the snow banks pile up. But what happens to the shrubs and trees planted near those huge mounds of snow? We show you how to prevent the chemical and structural damage that typically comes with snow banks in this article.

Do Larger Jobs in Winter

Here in Connecticut, the ground often freezes in winter so we can bring in heavy equipment without damaging your landscape, resulting in lower costs, faster work and better outcomes. This is especially true for large tree removals.

Continue Watering Newly Planted Trees

During the winter, we often have alternating periods of freezing weather and warmer temperatures. Check your new trees during those warm spells. If the ground is clear of snow cover and dry, water thoroughly. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, the tree can take up moisture to keep it hydrated through the winter.

Inspect Regularly

It’s especially important to inspect your trees for structural problems during the winter. Broken branches, split trunks, codominant stems and other issues can quickly go from unsightly to dangerous when you throw in ice, snow and wind.
If you see something you’re not sure about, call us for a no-cost inspection of your landscape by one of our Certified Arborists. Winter is a great time for these inspections.

Plan Ahead

Plan your landscape needs before the spring “rush” to ensure the best service and the best plant material if you will be installing plants.

Decorating With a Live Christmas Tree

Ready to try something a little different this year? How about a live Christmas tree? Not only are they beautiful, they’re an environmentally friendly alternative to the typical cut (and dead) tree. But live trees take a little more effort and care if you want them to survive the holidays.

Here’s how to ensure your live tree provides not only a beautiful decorative accent for your holiday festivities, but creates a focal point in the garden for many years to come.

Buying a Live Christmas Tree

Unlike a cut tree, with a live tree you’ll want to make sure it will adapt well to your climate. Don’t assume just because it’s sold in the Danbury area that it will grow here. Some good options include:

Balsam Fir
Blue Spruce
Colorado Blue Spruce
Fraser Fir
Norway Spruce
White Fir

Live trees are often sold balled and burlapped, although some are potted up or grown in containers. All will work fine as a Christmas tree.

Live trees are very heavy. A six foot tall balled and burlapped tree will weigh as much as 250 pounds. Be sure you have help moving it (a dolly works well).

Preparing Your Live Christmas Tree Before Bringing It Inside

Leave your Christmas tree outside for three or four days in an unheated, sheltered area, such as a garage or enclosed porch. Keep it out of the wind and sun, and don’t let it freeze. This process is necessary to slowly acclimatize the tree to warmer temperatures and avoid a sudden growth spurt when it’s brought inside.

Check the tree for insects and insect egg masses. Some of our friends once found their live tree, carefully placed in the living room, covered with shimmering gossamer threads. It was beautiful but the tiny spiders cascading down the tree were not welcome holiday guests!

Caring For Your Live Christmas Tree

Place the tree in a cool location in your home. Keep it away from heating ducts, fireplaces, or radiators.

Put the tree in a large pot or tub (nothing with drainage holes!). If necessary, stabilize the tree with rocks, bricks, or mulch. If the tree is balled and burlapped, do not remove the burlap or twine/strapping.

Keep the root ball moist but not soggy. Unlike a cut tree, you probably don’t need to water the tree every day. To help keep a balled and burlapped tree moist you can pack mulch around the root ball. Don’t add fertilizer or any nutrients to the water – you don’t want the tree to start growing while it’s inside.

Be careful decorating the tree so you don’t damage any branches. If you use lights, use LED lights that don’t give off heat.

Keep the tree inside for no more than 10 days (some experts suggest only 4 days).

After the Holidays

After Christmas, place the tree back outside in a sheltered location for a few days to allow it to acclimatize to the cooler temperatures.

At this point you can plant the tree. If the ground isn’t frozen, dig a hole about twice as wide as the root ball and 1” – 2” shallower than the root ball is tall. If you were planning ahead, you would have dug the planting hole while temperatures were more moderate and saved the soil in a protected location (like the garage or garden shed) so that it doesn’t freeze (a wheelbarrow works well for this).

If the ground is frozen and you can’t dig a planting hole, place the tree in a protected area and carefully pack straw, bags of leaves, or mulch around the root ball to prevent it from freezing. Make sure you keep the root ball moist until the tree can be planted – check it regularly and water it as needed.

If the tree is in a pot, carefully remove the pot before planting. For a balled and burlapped tree, remove any jute twine around the tree trunk (if the twine is nylon, remove it all), cut off the wire basket (if there is one), and pull back the top 1/3 of the burlap before placing the root ball in the planting hole (keep the root ball intact).

Back fill with the soil you removed from the planting hole and water thoroughly (but don’t flood the planting hole, particularly if the ground is frozen as this can create a ball of ice in the root ball). Mulch heavily to prevent the root ball from freezing.

If you can, stake the tree to stop it from rocking back and forth in the ground over the winter.

Note: Some nurseries recommend spraying your live tree with an antidesiccant or antiwilt product like WiltPruf to minimize needle loss. If you choose to do this, do it while the tree is still outside acclimatizing.

I love the idea of using a live tree for the holidays but if it’s not right for you, here are my best tips for choosing the perfect cut Christmas tree.

How To Prevent Winter Deer Damage

If there are deer in your neighborhood then they’ve probably stopped by your property to feed. As deer populations increase in Connecticut, more and more homeowners are faced with the problem of trying to keep them away from landscape plants, especially in winter when there’s little other food available to hungry deer.

An adult deer eats between 6 to 7 pounds of plant material every day. With that kind of voracious appetite, it won’t take long for them to totally decimate the plantings on your property.

Deer also carry ticks that spread Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. Although deer may look cute, you definitely don’t want them hanging around your home!

So what can you do to keep deer away?

Below are the most effective ways to prevent deer browsing. However, if winter weather is harsh enough and food becomes scarce, deer will munch on just about anything. This includes normally “deer-resistant” plants and shrubs, as well as some plants that have been sprayed with repellents that are highly effective under normal conditions.

Effective Ways to Prevent Deer Damage

Spray Repellents

The deer spray Barts uses lasts 6 months and has no color to stain your property

For most homeowners, the easiest and most economical approach to keeping deer away is a spray repellent program starting in the fall. This spray is innocuous to plants and shrubs while smelling and/or tasting bad to the deer.

Here in Connecticut, deer repellent sprays should be applied September through December when temperatures are above freezing. Application earlier in the browsing cycle (September and October) leads to much better results.

There are two types of deer repellents, contact repellents and area repellents. Contact repellents are applied directly to plants, causing them to taste bad (this is what we use at Barts). Area repellents are placed in a problem area and repel by their foul odor but we haven’t found these to be as effective.

Spray repellents should be applied on a dry day with temperatures above freezing. We treat young trees completely and older trees may be treated only on their new growth and buds. Treat to a height 6 feet above the maximum expected snow depth. Deer browse from the top down.

Home-remedy deer repellents are questionable at best. These include small, fine-mesh bags of human hair and bar soap hung from branches of trees, among others. The only truly effective home remedy I’ve seen is a 100 lb dog in your yard. Deer don’t like things that remind them of wolves and they’ll generally stay clear.

At Barts Tree Service we spray “Deer Free Winter Armor” to protect your landscape from deer. This is a white pepper based product so as you can imagine it doesn’t taste good at all. The product lasts 6 months and is made right here in the USA. One of the best features of this product is that it dries clear, whereas most of the other deer repellent sprays on the market have a green dye which can stain your house, walkway or other infrastructure.

>> GET A DEER SPRAY ESTIMATE

Deer Fencing

Another option is to put up deer fencing around all plants that you want to protect. Keep in mind that this fencing must be 8 feet tall – anything shorter and deer can jump over it! If you have a few specimen trees or large flower beds, this can be a good choice as there’s no need to spray once the fence is up. The downside is the work involved in actually putting up the fence and the space needed to store it during the warmer months.

Electric fences also can be used. Electric fences should be of triple-galvanized, high-tensile, 13.5-gauge wire carrying a current of 35 milliamps and 3,000 to 4,500 volts. Several configurations of electric fences are used: vertical five-, seven-, or nine-wire; slanted seven-wire; single strand; and others. When using a single strand electric fence it helps the deer to see that the wire is there if you mark it with cloth strips, tape or something similar. Otherwise, the deer may not see it in time and go right through it.

Wrapping in Burlap

If you only have smaller shrubs to protect, you may want to simply wrap them in burlap. Not only does this protect them from grazing deer, but it protects the shrubs from drying out in the cold winter winds. You can learn more about this in our article on preventing winter browning in evergreens.

And if you’re having problems with bucks damaging your trees by rubbing their antlers against the trunk, check out our article on preventing deer rub damage.

Barts Sponsors Comedy Series at Ridgefield Playhouse

Barts Tree Service is proud to sponsor this amazing comedy series at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

The series starts on September 24 with Janeane Garofalo and wraps up on March 10 with Rob Schneider, with a lot of terrific comedy acts in between.

Tickets are available directly from the Ridgefield Playhouse.

You can see the full line up here.

And don’t forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page – we’ll be giving away free tickets to some of the shows.

We’ll see you there!

Barts Sponsors Saluting Branches

Barts Tree Service is a proud sponsor of the upcoming Saluting Branches event September 21st where arborists across the country will be donating a day of services at veterans cemeteries.

Here in Connecticut we will be at the Spring Grove Veterans Cemetery in Darien.

We are deeply appreciative of the brave men and women who serve and have served in our military making it possible for us to have the freedoms we enjoy every day.

As a small token of our appreciation, we will be providing tree care to ensure a safe and beautiful environment for our veterans in their final resting place.

Please consider making a donation, sponsoring or volunteering for this great event. You can find out more here: www.salutingbranches.org

Summer Tree Care Tips for Connecticut Homeowners

Summer brings with it BBQs, vacations, swimming, boating and enjoying the great outdoors.

But it also means lack of water, storm damage and insect pests that attack our trees. Stressed trees are more susceptible to pests, disease, and winter damage, so now’s the time to protect your trees to keep them as healthy as possible.

Here are the activities we recommend you do during the heat of summer.

Water Your Trees and Shrubs Well

Give all of your trees and shrubs a good drink once or twice a week, especially those that were recently planted. Morning is the best time to water and always check that the water penetrates at least 12 inches into the soil. Be sure to water at the drip line of the tree (underneath the outer branches, not just around the trunk) where most of the roots are.
Soaker hoses on a timer are a good option as the water is less likely to run off. Another option that minimizes run off is a 5 gallon bucket with 8 to 10 small holes drilled in the bottom – just fill it with water, place it under the tree and let it slowly drain out. When it’s empty, move it to another spot and refill it. Keep doing that until you’ve watered all the way around the tree.
For smaller trees, a 10 to 12 gallon watering bag can be placed around the trunk. The water will slowly seep out and keep the tree hydrated. Don’t forget to refill the bag when it’s empty.
Avoid using sprinklers that spray tree foliage, especially on conifers, at wet leaves and needles can lead to fungal problems.
Look for signs of drought stress, like wilting leaves, brown edges on leaves, and scorched or curling leaves.
Consider applying a special soil root treatment, which helps roots draw in water and makes them more drought tolerant. It’s especially good for birch trees and new plantings. Call us at 203-240-1302 for a free estimate.

Don’t Forget to Mulch

If you didn’t place a 2 to 3-inch layer of high-quality, organic mulch around young trees and plants in spring, do so now. Mulch helps keep organic matter in the soil around the tree, conserves soil moisture, and provides weed control. Don’t over-mulch! For tips on how to do it right, see our article on Mulching Trees.

Avoid Major Pruning & Planting

While dead, damaged or diseases branches should always be removed when you notice them, avoid any other pruning during the summer so as not to overly stress your trees.
Hazardous branches or trees should also be removed so they don’t become dangerous during summer storms. Cabling or bracing can sometimes also help with possibly dangerous trees limbs.
Deadhead and tidy up spring-blooming trees and shrubs that have finished flowering.
Avoid planting any new trees until fall; planting during the heat of summer will cause a lot of undue stress for the trees (and possibly for you too!).

Inspect Trees and Shrubs For Pests and Disease

Regularly check for signs of common pests and diseases, like sticky substances or sap (from sap-sucking insects like aphids), black or white mold or mildew, spots and dead patches on leaves, and scales insects on the bark. It’s easier and more effective to treat these early, rather than trying to eliminate the problem after significant damage has been done.
With emerald ash borer in our area, keep an eye out for any damage to your ash trees and contact us right away for treatment if you notice anything unusual.

White Pine Needles Turning Yellow: White Pine Decline in CT

We’ve had a lot of reports recently about problems with white pines in southern New England, including here in Connecticut. The pine needles, especially the older inner needles, are turning tan or yellow and then falling off, and the trees are looking generally unhealthy, thin or even dying.

Why Are White Pines Shedding Needles?

The pine in the middle of the photo is showing signs of decline, with many yellowed and missing needles.

Unfortunately, it’s not entirely clear what’s causing the problem.

We have had a fungal condition called needlecast in the area for some time which has had minor effects on conifers but now it appears that there is a new combined force which includes four fungi associated with this new condition, including one that was only discovered in CT last year. Each one of those can cause pine needles to turn yellow and eventually fall off, but not all are always found on declining pines.

Another factor is the weather conditions over the past few years, especially the very dry conditions of 2015. However, we’re seeing signs of needlecast on this year’s needles, which suggests that there are things beyond last year’s weather that are affecting our white pines.

The CT Agricultural Experiment Station has a brief update on white pine decline released through the Plant Disease Information Office.

There’s also a helpful document from the UMass Extension office that includes photos of affected trees.

What Can You Do About It?

That’s not an easy question to answer.

Because the fungi associated with white pine decline may not always be present and a true understanding of the root cause is still developing, a fungicide treatment may not always be effective but can be helpful in protecting new needles.

It’s a good idea to have a professional examination of your pine tree(s) before deciding on treatment.

And because affected trees are more susceptible to stressors, such as dry conditions, be sure to keep your pines adequately watered to ensure vigor (but do not water the branches or needles! its best to utilize a soaker hose).

For more information on pine needlecast problems, see our related article on Evergreen Needlecast: What You Need to Know.

Call us today at 203-240-1302

BUGging Kids at South Street School

Barts Attends 2017 Winter Management Conference