A tree which has lost its head will never recover it again, and will survive only as a monumet of the ignorance and folly of its Tormentor.  ~George William Curtis

 For most of the arborists and tree lovers I know, driving around in winter time to look at bare trees and evergreens was once a pleasant pastime. Their form and grace was evident and their beauty unmistakable. Now it is an excruciating experience. Evidenced on almost every street is grim and absolute proof that tree pruning is becoming tree hacking or tree butchering. Crowns of once beautiful trees are reduced to pitiful eyesores of ugly stubs as the branches are rounded over with chain saws, as if shearing a giant shrub. Entire tops of magnificent old specimens are simply removed because they outgrow their boundaries whether too high or too wide. These negligent and widely used practices will contribute to the steady decline and eventual death of the trees they abuse for a number of reasons:

They rot. Unfriendly organisms invade open cuts made in the wrong places. Trees have the ability to wall off invaders (CODIT) if branches are removed correctly, but not so with improper techniques. Rot can begin from the inside and work outward, often taking years to show evidence of damage. Topping is now illegal in many municipalities because of potential danger to the public. Too bad this is still legal in Placer County, but watch out! We are watching you!
They starve slowly. Each leaf is a little solar collector that makes food for the tree. When too many leaves are removed, the trees cannot make up the losses and their health begins to spiral downward. This decline opens them to attack by insects and disease.
They become weak-branched hazards. Topping causes thick, twiggy growth making them top heavy and more susceptible to wind damage. There are proper ways of selectively removing branches to reduce the wind sail factor. Topping does not accomplish this.
They instantly become grotesque, and ugly. There is a total loss of esthetic beauty inherent in the structure of a tree. Topping completely ruins the natural appearance, and the lovely tapering of the branches is forever destroyed. The tree will not, as some unscrupulous tree trimmers might tell you, “grow back just fine, but smaller.” It will grow back ugly and stunted, unhealthy and weak. A well pruned deciduous tree should look as beautiful in winter as it does in high summer. Leaves can hide the occasional slip of the pruning saw and most trees will forgive a minor mistake in trimming judgment. But leaving a tree looking like it has been attacked by a runaway chainsaw is completely unnecessary, unethical and unprofessional.
Their financial value is severely diminished. A mature shade tree can add $5000-$50,000— or more— to your property’s selling price. Even if the economy is in a bit of a tailspin now, one of these days the prices will rise and the property owner with well tended and well-pruned trees will be dancing all the way to the bank!
Whether these trees are on your private property or on your favorite street in town, there are lessons here for the prudent tree lover. First, plant trees that are the right size for the right location. Don’t plant a tree that will grow to 100 feet tall under a 40 foot high power line. Thinking ahead will prevent heartache and expense later. Second, research the tree company you plan to hire. Get references, ask to see their current credentials ( all Certified Arborists have these documents) and ask them to explain to you in detail what they are going to do. If they tell you they are going to “correctly top the tree”, thank them and say goodbye—there is no “correct way” to top a tree. There are ways of reducing the height of the crown but it is a specialized talent and takes intimate knowledge of approved pruning methods. Get a second and even a third opinion if you are unsure. The International Society of Arboriculture can direct you to Certified Arborists and reputable companies that will perform professional and correct pruning of trees. Do not go for the cheapest bid—I guarantee you will regret it. You get what you pay for and reputable arborists, licensed, and certified will always be your best bet.

© 2009 Shades of Green Horticulture

 They are talking about the poster titled  “HOW TO KILL A TREE”,  depicting a miserable specimen in great distress. The picture illustrates what people do, not usually on purpose, that not only injure and wound, but also stunt, drown, weaken, poison, torture and eventually destroy trees. Yes, it is a cartoon but these things happen for real–every single day.

 The poster also states “Few residential trees die of old age.” Indeed, abiotic disorders, damage from non-living causal factors such as weather, cultural practices, mechanical injury and sometimes even genetics, kill more trees than any insect or disease. Death can also come from chronic conditions like poor irrigation, compacted soil or even putting the right tree in the wrong place. We kill our trees because of a basic lack of knowledge or because we don’t care. Sometimes we kill them with kindness, but they die just the same.

 This list of ways to commit arboricide includes:

• Topping the tree—chopping its head off for any number of ridiculous reasons (they are all ridiculous reasons)
• Smearing tree sealers on pruning cuts (no longer recommended by the ISA)
• Leaving broken branches unpruned
• Spraying herbicides over the root zone
• Trunk mutilation from mowers and trimmers
• Piling mulch against the trunks
• Use of nails and spikes
• Planting near downspout

 There are many other ways to kill or torture trees and speed their demise. I have put them in BIG LETTERS hoping the “professionals” doing these things won’t miss them:

• LEAVING GREEN TAPE AND GROWING STAKES ON AFTER PLANTING
• LEAVING LODGEPOLE STAKES ON AFTER ROOTS ARE ESTABLISHED
• PLACING IRRIGATION DEVICES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE TRUNK WHEN PLANTING
• SHEARING ORNAMENTAL TREES TO MAKE THEM “FULLER” (IN OTHER WORDS, TOPPING)
• PRUNING WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRUNE

If my comments are extreme, it is because I am done being polite about the treatment of trees in my part of the world. It is difficult for me (and my ISA colleagues) to understand how these practices continue, ad nauseum, when there is so much FREE, accurate, and up to date information for the taking.  The heart-breaking examples of what I consider to be shoddy, totally unprofessional work appear on virtually every street, every parking lot, residential and commercial site that includes landscaping.  I will be expanding on these issues in further posts.

It is my sincerest wish and hope that  this information escapes into the airways and finds its way into the training manuals for  landscapers who might have missed class the days planting and irrigation practices were taught.

Nest in azalea standard girdled with green tape-ironic, huh??

There is a myth that green plastic nursery tape cannot hurt a plant as it “just stretches as the plant grows”.  It has its limits, believe me . Let’s focus on trees as defenseless victims of  ”forgotten” green tape.  Most are grown by being tied to stakes, very tightly, as if they were going to try to escape. They go from being tied to little stakes to being tied to bigger stakes and often times, by the time the stakes are to be changed or removed, the green tape has reached its limits and has ‘grown’ into the bark of the tree. This is called “included bark”. Sometimes it ‘grows’ into the crotches of the branches, essentially separating the branch from its parent branch (the trunk or the nearest bigger branch.)  And, although it looks like you can just pull the tape out, (or clip off the ends so no one else sees it),  the damage has already been done. The slightest pressure on the branch separated from its parent by hidden tape (or old labels, or wire from some kinds of tags, or string) and off it comes, taking another part of the tree with it, many times with fatal damage. It has no choice but to die–in agony. OK, maybe that sounds a bit extreme, but do you know for sure that they don’t die in agony?  

Let’s say you buy a Japanese maple. You plant it, it looks great, and the customer loves it. Yeah, you saw those little pieces of green tape sticking out of the trunk here and there, but heck, green tape is good—right?  Someone will brush past a beautiful branch and off it will come, revealing the hideous truth hidden under its poor bark-GREEN TAPE-just a little piece, but enough to not let the branch have any true attachment to the parent branch or stem. Your customer calls and says, “Hey! Whaddaya tryin’ to pull, huh?” Now, you are out looking for another tree, maybe not finding the “great deal” you got on the first one, and in the meantime the tree is bigger, the customer loved it SO much and they are talking about poor business practices and what a creep you are.

Let’s go a step further. This can happen YEARS later as well, in bigger trees with huge, heavy branches. That hidden tape can cause a mature tree to split right down the middle, or, “all of a sudden”, to lose a major limb, which might go crashing down on a home, or a customer, a child, a beloved pet. Occasionally a large tree just falls over–”for no reason”. Well, if an arborist comes out and finds that a tag or tape from long ago has girdled the root crown of the tree, (probably the REAL reason it fell down), he is going to ask that customer who planted the tree. ( Hope you have moved to another country if this happens.)

The moral of this story??

 #1: Choose your trees carefully. If there is foreign material (tape, tags, wire) in the “Vs” of the branches, avoid the tree. Remember that it can happen anywhere, and is usually just an oversight, BUT an oversight that could cost you much more than the price of the tree. 

#2: Do not leave the  green tape and growing stake,  on the tree once it is planted. TAKE IT OFF!!!!! It is not needed –especially if you have placed 2 lodge pole stakes as well. There may be rare cases where the growing stake needs to remain  in place for temporary stabilization of a very thin trunk, but this is rare. AND TEMPORARY. The stake will keep the tree from flexing and  prevent the young tree’s trunk from developing properly. The green tape will girdle the trunk, and eventually kill the tree.

 Not to say that there aren’t mow and blow guys who know about trees, but I guarantee they are not likely to know the latest and most prudent practices of eco-friendly landscaping. Perhaps you have had such an experience in your own yard, where your prize ornamentals were all treated equally-sheared off at the knees, sprayed with who-knows-what and left gasping for proper attention. Proper pruning will never look bad.

It is finally becoming “chic” to be ecologically responsible for your trees, for your property-no matter how large or small. Many of you have been doing this forever-greenies to your souls. Not using toxic chemicals and unnecessary fertilizers on your trees and other landscape plants is the way to be “IN“, although millions have been living this way for totally different reasons having nothing to do with popularity-only a growing sense of comman sense. I assure you, this does not mean that you have to have a shabby looking landscape, insect riddled gardens, or anything less than absolutely beautiful! There are hundreds of very fine products out there that work without polluting the water sources, giving your children and pets cancer, killing every earthworm for miles, or murdering the birds that come to your place looking for a snack.

There are amazing professionals–gardeners, arborists, ecologists out there who specialize in these marvelous things and can guide you towards healthy and beneficial personal green spaces. You will have the best of gardens, “Eco-Chic” gardens, environmentally responsible practices abounding, birds galore (without hanging feeders), butterflies, ladybugs (without buying them in bags) and your friends, secretly jealous, because you thought of it first.
 2010 Shades of Green Horticulture

“And because the breath of
flowers is far sweeter in
the air (where it comes
and goes
like the warbling of music)
than in the hand,
therefore nothing is more fit
for that delight
than to know what be the
flowers and plants that
do best perfume the air.”
Francis Bacon 1561-1626

Although they are not exactly on top of a drought tolerant plant list , I have seen lilacs blooming out in the middle of nowhere- where they have received no summer water, no care, no nothing. The books say they need moderate water in our zone, but again, I beg to differ. And since they are an old-time favorite of so many, because of their incredible and unmistakable fragrance, I thought I’d just say a word about them.

New residents moving from much colder climates remember lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) effortlessly blooming in early summer and are likely to ask you to plant some. Go ahead! Just be careful about where you put them. Although lilacs grow and perform well in our area, they are often planted in southwest or west exposures, where they can struggle and/or burn in our scorching, “broil setting” afternoon sun. An east or northeast exposure will provide these beautiful shrubs with all the sun they need to bloom. Remind your customers that lilacs do not like acidic soil. Dig in some dolomite lime when planting and re-apply yearly by working into the top 6″ of soil.

Since most lilacs bloom on year-old wood, prune them right after flowering, removing spent flower heads back to a pair of leaves. Growth for next year’s blooms starts here. Be patient! Heavy blooming can take 3-5 years after planting, but it’s worth the wait. Just remember to plant them with other later-blooming shrubs-they are pretty plain when not in flower.

Finally, I’d like to address the “old wives’ tale” about getting more blooms by putting ice on the plants in winter: Prune correctly, correct acidic soil, and leave the ice cubes in the freezer. Don’t forget a nice mulch layer to keep roots happy.
And one final thought about the lovely, fragrant lilacs: I think they bloom around tax-time just to make people feel better…ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

The Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) - AB1881 became effective January 1, 2010. WELO, (pronounced wee-low) essentially makes it illegal to waste water in the state of California. Its purpose is:

• To establish a structure for designing, installing, maintaining, and managing water efficient landscapes in new and rehabilitated projects.
• To use water efficiently without waste by setting a Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) as an upper limit for water use and reduce water use to the lowest practical amount.
• To establish provisions for water management practices and water waste prevention for existing landscapes.
• To promote the value and benefit of landscapes while recognizing the need to use water and other resources efficiently.

In addition to affecting new construction of 2500 sf or more (of irrigated area), existing landscapes that have a water meter and an irrigated area of one acre or more will also be subject to irrigation water use analysis. Recommendations will then be made as necessary to reduce landscape water use to a level that does not exceed the MAWA, or the “water budget”. This ordinance is to be administered by local agencies (cities or counties), but  municipalities may delegate these responsibilities to the local water purveyor. Each municipality must adopt the Model ordinance as written or create one of their own, which must be at least as strict as the Model. For landscapes without water meters, the agencies can still perform irrigation surveys to evaluate water use and make recommendations as needed in order to prevent waste. Water waste from grossly inefficient landscape irrigation practices is no longer acceptable (although we know that it should never have been acceptable.)

There will not be “water police” patrolling every neighborhood looking for any stray drop of water on a sidewalk or driveway. But, the agencies will look at the biggest and most obvious offenders first. Penalties will be imposed for runoff due to low head drainage, overspray, and “set it and forget it” scheduling. For instance, there is a local bank that I drive by often. In the early morning hours of every day of spring, summer, and fall, the irrigation system is running, heads misting wildly, as hundreds of thousands of gallons of wasted water ooze out of the lawn, over the sidewalk, down the gutter, into the storm drains. I would be downright embarrassed if this property was one of my landscape maintenance accounts! Perhaps it is time to consider proper scheduling, cycle and soak periods and an accurate calculation of how much water this tiny lawn really needs.   Pressure regulators could prevent misting and overspray, and a weather-based, “Smart Controller” could save thousands of dollars and millions of gallons of water. If nothing was done except to re-program scheduling, it would be a “free fix”. A few minutes to adjust the clock would likely trim water use by 50% or more, judging by what is running into the street.

The ordinance doesn’t just address smart irrigation. It also makes each designer, landscaper, contractor, and landscape architect accountable for wisely selecting and using the right plants in the right places. It makes us responsible for learning more about the wonders of low water-use plants, what WUCOLS is (do you know?), and for finding out how grouping plants with like water requirements can make life easier for all concerned. WELO addresses every aspect of a responsibly designed, water-efficient landscape, as well as its proper installation and operation. The days of “guesstimating” are at an end.

This may sound complicated and even “Big Brother” like, but it is not. The whole purpose is to make us realize that water is a finite resource-there is an end to it. It is not an entitlement, but a gift, and we must use it wisely so there is always what we need, when we need it. Being water-smart now and helping your customers understand the importance of conservation and smart irrigation practices will be the best thing you can do for them and for the rest of us. Finding leaks, repairing broken equipment, leveling sprinkler heads, raising sunken ones, removing plant material that blocks proper application, adjusting sprays to water only the plant material and not the sidewalk, and general fine-tuning of an existing system will improve performance. Your customers will be grateful at the very least, and may just decide to do an upgrade or overhaul of their whole system- if you can show them the financial and environmental benefits of such actions. It will be good for them and good for your bottom line. Take this time before the weather heats up to learn what you must know. The ordinance is a little lengthy but worth your time to read. Don’t freak out at the formulas! Just read calmly and carefully  You will avoid costly mistakes if you do! If you have questions (since this article is just an overview and not meant to address every part of WELO) please contact me and/or go to www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/docs/MWELO09-10-09.pdf    

And this is (yet another reason) why I love trees. Watching them in the wind is a thing of beauty…even the doomed cedar fell with grace and poise. The redwood who eased his fall also prevented damage to the fence as well as the house next door.  Trees are like that. And as a side note, I also was amazed at the tiny crown sparrows who weigh no more than a wet Kleenex , yet hopped around the ground looking for seeds while a  gale blew above their heads. They hang out in the remaining cedars and redwoods now, and seem to know when its safe to come out.

These memories came to me yesterday as a series of heavy rain and wind storms passed over California. I know we had more rain in that ‘08 storm just by eyeballing the pond down the hill, but it was still an impressive display. We had one casualty, a blue Atlas cedar whose photos will come in the next segment of this very long dissertation. For now, I’ll just say that I will be spending a lot of time here talking about water and what it means to me. Stay tuned.

In my nursing school choir long ago, we sang a song called “Green Cathedral”. It was about a forest where one could go and commune with Nature, or a Higher Power, or just sit there and be with the trees. As I think of it now, it was a hymn praising the magnificence of trees and their profound effect upon us. Many years later I still love the words:

I know a green cathedral,
a hallowed forest shrine. Where trees in love join hands above
to arch your prayer and mine.

Within its cool depths sacred, the priestly cedar sighs.
And the fir and pine lift arms divine
unto the clear blue skies.

In my dear green cathedral
there is a quiet seat.
And choir loft in branched croft where songs of birds hymn sweet.

At the time, it was just a slow song with high notes that I could not hit as an alto. I remember looking out the window of the dormitory, wondering how long those gigantic trees with huge white flowers and equally huge shiny dark green leaves had been growing there. I found out later that they were  southern magnolias  planted before the Civil War. And so my fascination with trees began. And although I did take an extended detour before becoming an arborist, I still think of the magnolias on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia in fall, my favorite season of all. The magnolias are in bloom here in Placer County too, and the leaves of liquidambar, pistache, ash, maple, and pear are beginning to hint at the spectacular show to come.

So here is my first fall article, a compilation of Odes to planting and honoring trees-trees that make shade, trees of brilliant color, trees that feed us, trees that shelter and feed the wildlife so abundant and diverse, little trees to put in pots, big trees to make bold statements, trees to build a cabin or secretly protect a nest of robins.

• Trees are the best monuments that a man can erect in his own memory. They speak his praises without flattery and they are blessings to children yet unborn.

                                                                                                Lord Orrey, 1749

• Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

                                                                                                Warren Buffet

• A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

                                                                                              Greek  Proverb                                                       

• Even if I knew tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

                                                                                                Martin Luther (1483-1546)

• A man does not plant a tree for himself; he plants it for posterity.

                                                                                                Anonymous

• As the poet said, “Only God can make a tree”, probably because it is so hard to figure out how to get the bark on.

                                                                                                Woody Allen