Tree Damage Archives - Barts Tree Service

Tree Topping and Other Bad Tree Care Practices

Nearly every day I drive by at least one property where there’s a tree that’s been topped. It makes me cringe every time. Yet this is a tree care practice that doesn’t seem to be going away – along with several other problems that I often see.

So I was happy to be interviewed by Total Landscape Care for an article titled “Arborists: Some common tree-care practices are ill-advised” where I was asked to describe some of the worst, yet common, tree care practices I see around the Danbury, CT area. While these are things you will often see done, it doesn’t mean that they’re the right things to do. In fact, many of these practices can kill your trees.

Here are some of the mistakes I regularly see.

Tree Topping

A topped tree is not only unsightly, it’s also unsafe and unhealthy.

Topping is the practice of drastically cutting back all of a tree’s larger branches at a random point to make them shorter. The result is a tree with large, stubby branches sticking out in all directions. The problem is that not only does it not look good (a coat rack comes to mind), it’s also harmful to the tree. Plus, in the long run, it will cost you more to care for – or even remove – the tree.

After topping, a tree quickly grows back to the same size (or even larger) but will have lost its natural shape and the new growth will be weaker and poorly attached to the trunk (making the tree more dangerous). Add to that the fact that the large, non-selective heading cuts made when topping the tree don’t heal well (leading to rot, disease, and insect infestations) and you have a recipe for disaster.

If you’re looking for ways to reduce the overall size of your tree, give us a call. There are special pruning techniques that can make the tree smaller without damaging it.

Mulch Volcanoes

Mulch volcanoes are NOT good

Just because poorly-informed landscapers persist in piling mulch around tree trunks doesn’t mean that you should too!

While mulch can be helpful in protecting trees from string trimmers and lawnmowers, can suppress weeds, and can help keep tree roots moist, over-mulching can suffocate tree roots and cause rot and fungal problems on the tree trunk. In fact, it’s become such a problem that it’s one of the leading causes of tree and shrub death in our area.

Please check out this article to learn more about using mulch correctly.

Planting Too Deep

It’s better to plant a tree in a hole that’s a little on the shallow side than it is to plant it too deeply. As with over-mulching, planting too deeply results in rot, fungal diseases, and suffocation. Trees planted this way will start to decline and will die within a few years.

To be sure a tree is planted at the right depth, make sure you can see the root flare above ground. That’s the part at the bottom of the tree trunk where it starts to widen out, just above the roots.

You can read our tree planting tips here.

Planting In a Small Hole

Trees need room to grow, and so does their root system. The planting hole should be at least two to three times as wide as the root ball to give roots space to grow. Digging a nice, deep hole that’s barely wider than the container or rootball will only serve to ensure the tree dies.

Leaving on the Burlap or Wire Basket

Many times when I’ve removed a smaller dead tree, I’ve found a wire basket or burlap sack wrapped around the roots. That’s the basket or burlap that the tree was in before it was planted, and it should’ve been removed before planting. When it’s left in place, or only partially removed, it prevents the tree’s roots from growing into the surrounding soil. As a result, the tree becomes unstable, cannot get the nutrients and water it needs, and eventually dies.

Please don’t let any of these problems happen to you! Hiring an ISA Certified Arborist will ensure that your trees are planted, pruned and maintained in the best way possible to keep them safe, healthy and beautiful for the long term.

Tornado Damage Slideshow

After Tuesday’s violent storm and tornadoes, trees and power lines are down across a large part of Connecticut. We’re seeing devastating damage in Brookfield and surrounding areas. Tree care companies from surrounding areas are coming in to help with the cleanup and we’re running flat out responding to emergencies.

For more details, see this clip from WSFB Channel 3 News – http://www.wfsb.com/story/38228064/brookfield-clean-up-continues-days-after-storm (you may notice the Barts truck and yellow spider lift in the background of several shots).

It’s understandable that people want to get trees off their house or car and cleared from driveways and roads as quickly as possible. We’ve seen people with chainsaws tackling fallen trees without wearing proper protective gear and without any understanding of how a tree under stress can react when cut. This is extremely dangerous work and should not be done by anyone other than a licensed tree care professional (preferably a Certified Arborist). Please do not try to cut a tree off your house, car or any other structure. It may take a few days for a licensed arborist to get to your property but a few days wait is better than a potentially deadly accident.

Below is a slideshow of some of the work we’ve been doing.

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Trees Damaged By Winter Storms?

Some winters, storms cause tremendous damage to trees in the Danbury area and across Connecticut. Strong winds, ice buildup and heavy snow loads can snap branches and knock trees over.

What should you do if your tree has been damaged by a winter storm?

Assess the Damage

First, inspect the tree to evaluate the extent of storm damage.

If the damage is only minor, such as broken twigs and maybe one or two small branches, then there’s no need for immediate action. Wait until the storm has passed and major clean-up has been completed. At that point it will probably take only a little pruning to restore the tree to its normal shape.

Moderate damage to the tree usually involves larger broken branches. If they’ve fallen from the tree you can remove the debris (but look up first to make sure there’s nothing else hanging above you). Branches that are still hanging from the tree can be incredibly dangerous and should be tackled only by an arborist with the training and specialized equipment to do it safely.

More severe damage, such as a split crotch or trunk, or a downed tree, is always reason to call in the professionals. Keep in mind that if you know the tree is damaged, you’re liable for any damage (to people or property) caused by that tree or branch down the road, so dealing with it quickly is the best option.

If the tree poses an immediate danger, such as if it’s leaning on your house, call us right away.

WARNING – If the tree has hit a power line, do not go near it! Call the power company and a certified arborist right away.

Evaluate Your Options

A hanging branch like this poses a major safety hazard.

Once you’ve assessed the level of damage to your tree, you’ll need to decide what to do about it.

Minor damage requires little work to restore a tree to full health and beauty. But more extensive damage raises issues of cost, safety, appearance, value and long-term health of the tree. Not all damaged trees can be saved, and others probably should not be. A professional arborist can help you determine the best course of action for a damaged tree.

Some things a tree care professional will discuss with you when deciding whether or not to remove a damaged tree include:

How susceptible the tree species is to pests and disease
Whether the tree is nearing the end of its normal lifespan
How healthy the tree was before it was damaged
The role it plays in your landscape (e.g., shade, screening) and whether it’s still able to do that after the damage has been corrected
How vulnerable the tree will be to future storm damage and how much damage it would cause if it fails
Whether it has sentimental or historic value

Bring in the Professionals

Dealing with a storm-damaged tree is not a job for the weekend warrior. Stress loads cause the tree to react in unexpected and often dangerous ways, and simple tree removal techniques may not be appropriate.

Look for an ISA Certified Arborist with the training and specialized equipment to safely and efficiently remove trees that have been damaged or toppled by winter storms.

Don’t Kill Your Trees When Draining Your Pool

When summer ends and you need to drain your swimming pool, what do you do?

Most homeowners don’t want to leave water in the pool, especially if it’s above ground. So the easiest and quickest option is to drain the water into the landscape.

But there are unintended consequences of taking the easy way out on this annual pool maintenance task.

Swimming Pool Water Harms Plants

Swimming pool water contains chemicals, especially chlorine, that can harm your trees and landscape plants when water drains and floods the area. Too much chlorine can damage tree leaves and other delicate tissues. Too much chlorinated water all at once can even kill trees.

It doesn’t take much chlorine for damage to occur. Some experts say the concentration threshold for tree damage can be as low as 0.5 parts per million.

Other factors related to tree damage from chlorine include the timing of the exposure, the amount of pool water trees receive, and if trees are still growing or are dormant.

Chlorine Damage in Trees

Research shows chlorinated pool water reacts with elements in the soil to form chloride compounds. When trees take up these compounds through their roots, leaves will look like they’re burned, something similar to leaf scorch. Leaves will show dry dead tips, edges and leaf veins. Some leaves may yellow, have stunted growth, and drop before they should. These are all signs of chlorine damage.

Some trees seem to be more susceptible than others to the chlorine in pool water. For example, the following trees have a high sensitivity to chlorine:

Ash
Box Elder
Crabapple
Dogwood
Horse Chestnut
Maples
Mulberry
Pin Oak
Sweet Gum
Yellowwood

In addition to the danger of chlorine toxicity, releasing thousands of gallons of pool water all at once can starve trees of oxygen or damage roots, making them more vulnerable to soil borne diseases. It takes time for pool water to seep into the soil, for trees get a drink, and to let the soil dry properly.

Five Ways To Drain Swimming Pools Safely

Take your time to drain the pool safely to protect your trees from chlorine damage. Here are five ideas to help you get started:

Stop chlorinating your pool at least a week before you plan to drain it. This step allows the chlorine to dissipate naturally.
Test the pool water before draining to make sure the pH level is between 7 and 8.
Drain the pool slowly to allow water to absorb into the soil over time.
Consider non-chlorinated pool water as grey water, not clean water. Test the water on a few inexpensive and replaceable plants before watering trees.
Scoop buckets of pool water to leave in the sun until no chlorine remains (about 24-48 hours should do the trick). Use these buckets to water plants in other parts of the landscape.

What To Do If Trees Are Damaged By Chlorinated Pool Water

If your trees show symptoms of damage from chlorinated pool water, irrigate the area with clean, non-chlorinated water to help dilute the chlorine and leach it out of the soil.

If that doesn’t help (and it may not) then give us a call. We’ve seen a lot of trees killed this way and may be able to save yours.

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.

Are Your Trees Ready for Winter?

Winter is coming. Are you sure that your trees will make it through the winds, snow, ice, and cold in one piece?

Winter weather, especially winter storms, can be tough on trees. The wind and snow load can break branches and even bring down whole trees. Freezing temperatures can cause trunks to crack and split apart.

Don’t risk having a tree fall on you, your house, or your property – not to mention your neighbor’s house or property (but if it does, here are some insurance considerations to think about).

Now is the time to carefully inspect your trees for defects or damage that could be made worse by winter weather. Here are some tips on how to examine your trees to see if they need some work before winter arrives.

You can also check our article on the seven important tree defects to identify and address – each of these can cause dangerous conditions for you and your family.

If you think that any of your trees are potentially hazardous, or if you’d like us to examine your trees, please give us a call at 203-240-1302.

The best time to assess your trees and address any hazardous conditions is right now – before winter wreaks havoc on your trees.

Q&A: Will Snow Banks Damage My Trees and Shrubs?

Question: We’ve had a lot of snow this winter and it’s piled up along the drive and walkway. Are all these snow banks going to damage my trees and shrubs?

Although Connecticut seems like the new arctic right now, spring is just around the corner (at least I hope so). With all the snow piled up from this season there are some preventative measures you can take to help your trees and shrubs get a healthy start to the growing season before the snow melts.

The Problem With Snow Banks

First, a good majority of the snow banks that are pushed up against your trees have large amounts of salt, sand or de-icing chemicals in them. As the snow melts, all these chemicals will leach into the soil and can poison your trees and shrubs.

Younger trees and shrubs are at a higher risk than mature trees since the roots are contained in a smaller area. In most cases, this results in salt damage, which stresses the tree but probably won’t kill it. However, in high concentrations the chemicals can kill your trees and shrubs.

Second, large mounds of snow piled up against trees and shrubs will start to melt and turn into blocks of heavy ice. As the spring melt progresses, these piles will get lower and lower. If there are branches encapsulated in the snow bank then all of this weight will break them. This is more common with evergreens and shrubs since they have branches from ground level up.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Landscape

This is the time to break up those snow banks left from plowing, particularly those that are around young trees and shrubs. Move the snow elsewhere so as it melts the runoff will flow away from the tree.

Focus on snow that was removed from walkways and paved surfaces where deicers were used. Clean snow melting off will not pose any chemical risk to your landscape.

Also look at runoff areas from paved surfaces. If all the melt water is going to flow towards your tress and shrubs look at redirecting the flow. You can buy sand bags or long socks full of sand from a hardware store or you can literally fill an old sock with sand. Lay them on the ground to direct melt off away from trees.

Take note of melt off flow this spring. If it’s problematic then change where snow is piled next season. It’s best if you can keep these piles away from trees and shrubs and down hill from them. This way, it will leach these chemicals away and make for a much healthier landscape.

As the ground thaws start a weekly watering regimen for a month or so. This may seem strange given that the ground is already wet but it will help to flush salt and chemicals from the ground and ensure healthy trees and shrubs for spring.

For more information, see our article on salt damage to trees.

Preventing Winter Rodent Damage on Young Trees

Winter rodent damage to bark of a young tree

Winter rodent damage to the bark of a young tree

Mice, voles, rabbits and rodents can cause damage to young trees, saplings and shrubs during the winter months by feeding on bark, twigs, buds and foliage.

As snow accumulates around tree trunks and lower branches, it provides a great environment for little critters to tunnel around tree trunks. By tunneling under the snow, they can create a protected habitrail network for feeding, especially when deep snow on the ground is persistent.

This feeding can create small nibbling wounds in the bark and deeper layers of the tree which allow fungal and parasitic attacks come spring. In some cases, the damage can be severe enough where the trunk is girdled (eaten away entirely around the circumference) and cuts off vascular flow, killing the tree or shrub.

If the snow has a nice hard crust you will also see tree damage two or three feet off the ground – just above the snow level. Since rabbits and the like can stay on top of the snow pack while foraging, they have access to bark higher up the tree.

How to Prevent Winter Rodent Damage

Before the snow starts flying, wrap ¼ inch wire mesh around the bottom 24 inches of the tree. Be sure to sink the mesh 2 inches into the ground so the critters can’t get under it. Ensure the mesh is not too snug around the trunk and consider removing it each spring. There are also plastic tree guards that work well.

During the winter, shovel snow from around your small trees so as to eliminate the rodent habitrail feeding opportunity. This also allows predators, especially owls and hawks, to have a clear sight line to these rodents if they are going for a snack so it will naturally reduce the likelihood of rodent damage.

Q&A: Why Do Trees Make Cracking Noises in Winter?

Question: My trees make all kinds of popping and cracking sounds during really cold winter weather. What’s all that racket??

When temperatures dip well below zero, trees will make all kinds of popping and cracking noises, especially if the temperature drops very quickly. These sounds are typically caused by frost cracks.

What is a Frost Crack?

When water freezes, it expands in volume. The sap in trees is made of water diluted with carbohydrates (sugars) and minerals, which acts like antifreeze. The higher the sugar content, the lower the freezing point of sap.

But there is always a point where even sugar-rich sap will freeze. Depending on how much sap is in the tree, its sugar content, and the temperature, it can result in a vertical cracking in the trunk, called a frost crack.

Frost cracks also form when the temperatures heat up. On sunny winter days, tree bark will warm from solar energy. This causes cells to expand in the bark and the sapwood under the bark. When the sun goes down, the temperature drops very quickly causing the bark to contract. However, the sapwood under the bark doesn’t cool as fast, causing the bark to crack.

Since sun exposure can be a key driver, the south and southwestern side of trees are where you will see many of these cracks.

Effects of Frost Cracks on Tree Health

Trees are similar to the plumbing in your house; they have xylem and phloem tubes in the interior of the tree, which transport fluids up and down the tree. When the sap freezes, these tubes burst just like the copper pipes in a house.

Frost cracks can be small and internal (so you don’t see them) or large and external (so they break through the bark). These larger frost cracks are the ones you usually hear – they tend to make that loud crack or pop that wakes you up in the middle of the night. Some cracks can be severe enough that they crack almost anytime the temperature plunges, year after year.

During the spring, the tree will try to grow over the crack with a special type of wood called “reaction wood” (kind of like a scab). Unfortunately, in most cases it cracks again the next winter.

This cycle of annual cracking and reaction wood growth leaves a large vertical seam, which is an indicator of a weak tree that, in many cases, has compromised strength and internal decay.

So while popping sounds don’t mean that your tree is going to fall down any time soon, take a good look at your trees in spring to see if there are any vertical seams. Keep an eye on them from year to year and if you have any concerns, call in an arborist for a hazardous tree assessment.

How To Protect Trees and Shrubs From Winter Weather

Here in Connecticut we face a whole range of threats to our trees and shrubs during winter, both from the weather itself and from animal pests. Here are just a few of the things that can injure your plants during the cold months of winter:

Heavy snow loads can break branches, especially if snow is shoveled or falls off your roof onto your plants
Cold dry winds will dry out trees, especially conifers
Sun reflecting off snow can scald and blister tree trunks and branches
And of course deer will munch away on anything they can get to

The good news is that all of these things can be prevented. Here are our recommendations for how to protect trees and shrubs from the harsh winter weather.

Protection From Snow Loads

We recently got this client ready for winter by setting up frames to protect shrubs close to the house.

Build an A-frame over plantings and shrubs near the house so when snow comes off the roof they are shielded from the impact. This is a great use of some scrap plywood or planks. Cut them so as to form an A over the shrub, then either screw the pieces together at the top or install a couple old hinges so you can tuck it away for next year.

Protection from Wind, Sun and Deer

Build frames around shrubs next to the house where snow loads may come off the roof.

The most effective winter protection for trees and shrubs is burlap. Eco-friendly, biodegradable and strong, burlap is the MacGyver of protecting your landscape.

This functional fabric is ideal for protecting newly planted trees, late-planted trees with underdeveloped root systems, and trees subject to powerful winter winds, sunscald, and damaging hard frost.

How to Apply Burlap

There are two trains of thought on how to apply burlap.

Option 1 – Wrap the Plant

The final step will be to wrap burlap around these frames.

First, wrap the plant directly with burlap and tie it to itself with string or zip ties. This helps to mitigate the winter concerns previously mentioned but I don’t like that it’s in direct contact with the tree, shrub or conifer. My concern here is that the plant can’t breath and could trap moisture against foliage (especially on conifers). However, it’s a quick and easy way to provide protection and is better than no protection at all.

Option 2 – Build a Tent

The second option is a little more work but I believe it’s a better system. Instead of wrapping the burlap around the plant, use metal or wood stakes like you’re creating a fence around your bushes and/or shrubs. Try to close off deer access if you can and at a minimum put up one straight row to create a wind break.

Make sure to beat the stakes into the ground before frost sets in!

The key here is to keep the burlap 6”-10” from the plant and foliage so it breaths a little. Make sure the burlap is high enough to keep deer away. Also, if you use wood stakes you can just go crazy with the staple gun when securing the burlap. When you remove the burlap in spring, just roll it up and label a stake so you know where to put it next fall.