Articles
- Field Guide
Cherry Laurel: A Good Austin Privacy Hedge, If You Have the Water
Cherry laurel is a good evergreen privacy hedge for Austin on one condition — creek frontage or real irrigation. Lifespan, hedge-or-tree, and how to buy.
- Field Guide
Chinquapin Oak in Central Texas: Where It Works and Where It Doesn't
Chinquapin oak is one of the two oaks people plant in oak-wilt-sensitive Austin neighborhoods. Where it grows well here, where it struggles, and why.
- Field Guide
All About Eastern Red Cedar
Cedar fever is ash juniper, not eastern red cedar — two different junipers. A screening conifer for Central Texas: lifespan, drainage, lower limbs.
- Field Guide
Holly Trees for Privacy Screens in Central Texas
Nellie Stevens, Eagleston and Burford are basically one plant. What a holly screen gives an Austin yard, and what it does not.
- Field Guide
Live Oak Trees in Central Texas
Live oak here is two species: an escarpment native that reaches about 300 years and a faster coastal one. Which you have changes pruning, siting and oak wilt.
- Tree Problems
I've Been Using Weed and Feed. Can My Tree Be Saved?
Sometimes — and what decides it is when in the year you applied it, how many years you have been at it, and what the tree was doing when you started.
- Caring for Trees
Structural Pruning for Young Trees in Central Texas
Structural pruning is the one kind of pruning a young tree actually needs. What it is, how often it happens, and what usually gets done instead.
- Field Guide
Mountain Laurel Tree - Sophora secundiflora
Texas mountain laurel is hardy, fragrant and evergreen, and easy to grow from seed if you have the patience. Growth habits, pests and planting depth.
- Field Guide
The Oldest Trees in Central Texas
The oldest trees found in Central Texas are bald cypress at Krause Springs dating to 1423, and post oaks near Yegua creek dating to 1648.
- Field Guide
All About Arizona Cypress
Arizona cypress is a hardy evergreen conifer for Central Texas that typically grows 3-4' a year once established. Varieties, pests and drainage.
- Field Guide
Eve's Necklace - Styphnolobium affine
Eve's necklace is a native Central Texas ornamental with spring flowers and black beaded seed pods. Size, bloom timing, soil and where to plant one.
- Field Guide
Anacacho Orchid Tree - Bauhinia congesta
The anacacho orchid tree typically reaches about 15-18' at maturity, with white spring flowers. How this small native does in Austin yards and soils.
- Hiring and Costs
Tree Appraisal Outlook
How a tree gets a dollar value in Austin: the industry standard guide, the cost and trunk formula approach, and the city's own rate for protected trees.
- Tree Problems
Hypoxylon Canker
Hypoxylon canker is the most prevalent tree disease I see in Central Texas. It typically preys on drought-stressed trees. Prevention is the best medicine.
- Tree Problems
Summer Limb Drop
Limb failures that start in late June and appear to be caused by a fungus shearing the wood from inside. What I see, and what I still can't ID.
- Hiring and Costs
Tub Grinder Brush Recycling (Mulching) Service
Why we bought our own grinder and started recycling our brush in house, what the machine actually is, and what happens to the big trunk wood.
- Hiring and Costs
ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)
What ISA's Tree Risk Assessment Qualification is, why the old numbered risk form was abandoned, and who the standardized TRAQ form is actually written for.
- Building Near Trees
Using Trees for Stormwater Runoff Mitigation
Parking lot islands could collect stormwater and let it soak back into the soil. Why the technique isn't being used, and where it might still make sense.
- Hiring and Costs
All About the Texas Tree Climbing Competition
The Texas Tree Climbing Championships: what ISAT and the ITCC are, and the five preliminary events climbers compete in, event by event.
- Tree Problems
Girdling Roots
Girdling roots end with the tree literally choking itself. Why container grown trees in Austin get them, and why pruning one out gives the tree a chance.
- Permits and Law
Tree Removal Permit in Austin
What the City of Austin required for a tree removal permit in 2011: the protected trunk sizes, heritage status, what mitigation meant, and the two forms.
- Building Near Trees
Working Within the CRZ of a Heritage Tree
How one Austin build kept its access around a heritage tree: in 2011 the builder laid mulch and a plywood stage over the protected half of the root zone.
- Tree Problems
Excavating / Exposing Root Flares
Buried root flares are a common problem in Austin. What a root flare is, why a buried trunk rots, and how the soil comes off without cutting roots.
- Field Guide
Cypress Trees of Central Texas
Five cypress I cover for central Texas — bald, Montezuma, Italian, Arizona and Leyland. Which one belongs where, and how to tell them apart.
- Caring for Trees
Rainwater Harvesting / Collection
Rain does more good for a tree than anything an arborist can dream up. Why rainwater beats hard city water, and the math behind sizing storage.
- Oak Wilt
Tree Pruning & Oak Wilt Prevention: TFS/ISAT Official Recommendation
Most people read the February to June oak wounding window as a ban on pruning. Why the 2011 TFS/ISAT recommendation says pruning sometimes reduces wounding.
- Tree Problems
Leaf Roller Aphids on Live Oaks
Leaf roller aphids, or cigar rollers, roll live oak leaves in early spring. What the damage means, why you spot it two months late, and what to do next.
- Permits and Law
City of Westlake Hills Tree Ordinance Information
The tree ordinance Westlake Hills adopted in February 2010: the six-inch removal line, when tree pruning needed a permit, and the Austin rules it adopted.
- Tree Problems
Ganoderma applanatum - Artist's Conk
Artist's conk (Ganoderma applanatum) is one of the most aggressive wood decay fungi. What it does to a tree, and that there is no treatment for it.
- Caring for Trees
No Tree Left Behind
Every tree needs to be addressed as an individual. Why a per-tree record — geo-tagged, with photos and condition notes from every inspection — beats one look.
- Field Guide
The Mexican Sycamore — Platanus mexicana
The Mexican sycamore is fast growing, drought hardy and resistant to bacterial leaf scorch. How to tell one from an American sycamore in Central Texas.
- Hiring and Costs
A Tree Climbing View From Above
A working arborist's look at climbing a big tree: footlocking to the top, the throw line, how a climbing hitch works, and the safety gear it takes.
- Tree Problems
Sick Pecan Trees in Austin After the 2008-2009 Drought
After the 2008-2009 drought, many Austin pecans failed to leaf out or came back with severe die-back. What a stressed pecan needs, and why looks deceive.
- Caring for Trees
How to Grow Fruit Trees
Growing fruit trees in Central Texas: the sun and drainage they need, what to do about sucker growth, fertilizing for fruit set, and the pests.
- Tree Problems
Cavity in Your Tree - Internal Decay
Internal decay is common and normal in trees. Why a hollow tree can still stand, which species compartmentalize it badly, and when the risk matters.
- Caring for Trees
Don't Top Your Crepe Myrtles!
A wives tale says you have to top crepe myrtles to get flowers. Not true — they flower better left alone, and in less than full sun yearly topping can kill.
- Field Guide
Tree Rings - Using Dendrochronology to Age Trees - Counting Rings
Counting rings is how you age a tree. How we do it without cutting the tree down, why hollow live oaks defeat it, and what small rings tell us.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Fertilizer Products for the Do It Yourselfer
Fertilizer products a homeowner can buy and apply to their own trees, when in the year each one goes down, and why you still have to read the label.
- Field Guide
Treaty Oak in Austin
The Treaty Oak in downtown Austin is a southern live oak said to be over 500 years old — the last of the Council Oaks, and poisoned in 1989.
- Caring for Trees
How to Water a Newly Planted Tree
A tree's planting site determines the final watering regimen, but a good place to start is 1.5 gallons per diameter inch of trunk per day.
- Field Guide
All About Monterrey Oaks
Monterrey oak, or Mexican white oak, is so far proving hardy in Central Texas and oak wilt resistant. Its size, pests, pruning needs and more.
- Tree Problems
Check List for a Tree Health Check-Up
An Austin arborist's tree health check list: what to look at in the canopy, on the trunk and in the root zone — and how to use it to interview a pro.
- Oak Wilt
Treatment and Control Options for Oak Wilt
Oak wilt treatment and control options — two fungicide injection techniques, trenching to break root connections, and why the diagnosis comes first.
- Oak Wilt
The History of Oak Wilt
Where oak wilt came from: first described in Wisconsin in 1942, first found in Texas in 1961, and the case that the fungus was introduced, not native.
- Caring for Trees
Critters Getting on Your House Through the Trees?
Raccoons, squirrels and rats will use your trees to reach the roof. Don't butcher the trees over it; raccoons only need a small amount of clearance.
- Caring for Trees
Ideal Time to Prune Trees & the Oak Wilt Pruning Season
There isn't one time that is undeniably better to prune. Every season has its pros and cons, and the main point is that timing isn't critical.
- Tree Problems
Fall Color on Live Oak Trees? Senescence.
Live oaks do sometimes produce fall color, usually in winter rather than fall. It is called senescence, and it is not a problem for the tree.
- Tree Problems
Tree Struck by Lightning? What a Lightning Strike Really Looks Like.
A lightning-struck tree shows a narrow wound running the whole length of the trunk into the ground. What to look for, and what to do next.
- Building Near Trees
Every Kid’s Dream Tree House – How to Build It
How to build a tree house without wrecking the tree: inspect it first, pin the structure instead of butting it up, and never wrap a cable around a limb.
- Permits and Law
Landscaper’s Guide for Construction Site – Tree Ordinance Mitigation
In 2009: which plantings counted toward City of Austin tree mitigation on a construction site, the 75/25 class one and class two split, and which did not.
- Field Guide
All About Arizona Ash Trees
An Arizona ash lives 30-50 years in Central Texas and fails structurally, not from disease. What an old one is worth, and when money stops buying anything.
- Caring for Trees
Growing Turf Grass (Lawn) Around Trees
Most tree guys I know would tell you turf under trees is horrible. I don't agree: in my opinion the potential benefits out-weigh the potential problems.
- Permits and Law
My Tree Fell on My Neighbor’s House
In Texas, insurance companies typically consider falling trees an act of god. Whom-ever’s stuff gets smashed, they or their insurance repairs the damage.
- Building Near Trees
Installing Irrigation Systems Around Trees
Installing irrigation means digging trenches, and digging trenches means cutting roots. How to put a system in around existing trees without losing them.
- Permits and Law
My Neighbor’s Tree Hangs Over My Property
When a tree crosses property lines it is considered shared property. What your right to maintain it covers, and who owns a tree that grows on the line.
- Building Near Trees
Building a Patio or Deck Around Trees
A patio can be good for a tree — it takes foot traffic off the root zone. Pavers, concrete and wood decks compared, and where to leave room for the trunk.
- Building Near Trees
Constructing In-Ground Swimming Pools Around Trees
Pools can be built near trees without sacrificing them. What decides it: the species, how close you dig, a fertilizer regimen, de-compacting the soil.
- Building Near Trees
Post Construction Tree Care
Even with a good tree protection plan there will be damage. De-compact the soil, keep a fertilizer regimen going, and expect recovery to take the trees years.
- Building Near Trees
Tree Protection During the Construction Process
What to manage while the build is going on — clearance pruning early, fencing that gets knocked down, mulch that needs replacing, and air-spade de-compaction.
- Building Near Trees
Protecting Trees Before Construction Starts
Tree protection on a building project starts at the planning stage: distance from structures, who puts up the fencing, mulch, pruning, treatments and permits.
- Building Near Trees
Construction Site Tree Protection
The most important part of construction site tree protection is fencing off as much of the root zone as you can. Mulch and treatments do the rest.
- Oak Wilt
Planting New Trees In Oak Wilt Sensitive Areas
What to plant in an oak wilt neighborhood in Central Texas: the limits of the popular wilt-resistant oaks, and the case for replanting natives.
- Caring for Trees
Soil Restructuring. An Important Part of Tree Care.
Soil restructuring tills urban soil around a tree with an airspade and mixes organic matter back in — how deep it goes, and what goes in.
- Field Guide
What is a Good Fast Growing Shade Tree for Austin and Central Texas? – Red Oak
Red oak is my answer for a good fast growing shade tree in Austin and Central Texas, plus the special precautions a new one needs in its first few years.
- Caring for Trees
Part 4. Tree Fertilizer Products. What to Use.
What to use on a tree beyond a nitrogen source: mycorrhizae, humates, growth hormones, micronutrients and soil restructuring, and what each one does.
- Caring for Trees
Part 3. How to Apply Treatments to Trees
How tree fertilizers and treatments are actually applied: deep root injection, canopy spray, trunk injection and basal drench, and what each one is for.
- Caring for Trees
How to Plant a Tree
Planting a tree in Austin: how to pick the spot, how deep and wide to dig, why you tear up the root ball, and how much mulch to finish with.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Selection. How to Pick a Tree.
Tree selection has two halves: the best tree for your planting site, and a quality specimen. What to look at on the leaves, trunk and growth form.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Fertilizer, Part 2: When to Fertilize Trees
When to fertilize trees in Austin: fall for conventional fertilizer, early spring for foliage, and why a summer application will likely just leach away.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Fertilizer Part 1. An Introduction.
An introduction to tree fertilizer in Austin: what fertilizing actually does for a tree, why it is not mostly about faster growth, and why timing is critical.
- Tree Problems
How Summer Heat Stress Affects Your Trees
Summer heat stress is one of the number one tree killers I run into in Central Texas — and why it is almost never the only thing killing the tree.
- Tree Problems
Is Ball Moss Killing My Tree?
Ball moss is an epiphyte, not a parasite, and it is not killing your tree. In 90% of cases the only action needed is your regular maintenance pruning.
- Field Guide
All About Bradford Pears
Most Bradford pears start coming apart by fifteen years, twenty if you're lucky. Why a split one won't grow back, and what to do about it in Austin.
- Tree Problems
Herbicide Damage To a Tree. Weed-n-Feed for Your Lawn is Killing Your Trees.
Weed-n-feed is one of the biggest tree killers I run into. Why broadleaf herbicide reaches trees, and how timing and frequency change the damage.
- Caring for Trees
Water Your Trees, How Much and When
Watering can be the best treatment for a tree's health, or a waste of it. How slope, soil, leaf size and a new planting change how much and how often.
- Oak Wilt
Identifying Oak Wilt: the Challenges and the Solution
The same symptoms of oak wilt come from many other tree disorders. Why diagnosis is the hard part in Central Texas, and what actually settles it.
- Caring for Trees
Creative tree trimming, the rules don’t always apply.
Most pruning guidelines assume a healthy tree in good conditions. The standard rule on topping is don't do it, with one cautious hill country exception.
- Tree Problems
Is my tree sick?
Trees have energy reserves, so a sick tree fights a good battle before you notice. The subtle signs to look for in Austin, on the leaves and at the ground.
- Tree Problems
What to do about a sick tree
Proper pruning, timely treatments, better soil and regimented monitoring are the tools for a sick tree in Austin — and no template fits every tree.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Pruning: volume 1, Why to Prune Trees in Austin, TX
Health, cosmetics and safety are the three reasons to prune a tree in Austin, and what oak wilt, structure and the amputated-arm-look have to do with each.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Pruning: volume 2, What to Prune on Trees
Which limbs to cut and which to leave: avoid large pruning wounds, take out the deadwood, and use reduction pruning on soft wooded ash and pecan.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Pruning: volume 4, When to Prune Trees
There aren't many timing concerns for pruning trees in Austin. The exception is oak wilt, whose beetle is generally active between March and May.
- Caring for Trees
Tree Pruning: volume 3, How to Prune Trees
How to prune a tree yourself: the tools worth keeping, why a ladder is where the job should stop, and how to make a proper cut on a limb.