Tree Problems
For the reader who arrived thinking: “Something's wrong with my tree.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.