Twin Oak Tree Blog

With all this recent rain we have, espeically 20 days worth of it, we would suggest having your trees looked at. With all the weight from the rain some damage can happen to your trees. Be sure to call us so that we can have one of our 3 arborist come out and take a look at your trees. Our estimates are free! Call today!!

-Jami B

I reviewed this article from SCA Today Edition June 2012 Volume I7 No. 2

A Survey of Wood Decay Fungi

In this article there are many different types of Wood Decay Fungi that can grow on your living trees. These types are:

White pocket rot, red ring rot (Phellinus pini)

This type in most commone worldwide. It grows on living dead branch stubs. This fungus can grow up to 10 inches across. They grow on the heartwood of trees. These have a variety of colors, size, and shape. They can have irregular tublular pores that show a maze-like pattern. This infection can have predisposed trees to be known to have breakage and wind throw.

Saprot pathogens

This type is grown in sapwood of dead and/or dying trees. You are most likely to see this to trees that have been sunburned or have had been in a fire. With this happening it can spread to the living sapwood on any tree. The process of this fungus is moving outward to inward, which causes the tree to decay.

False turkey tails (Stereum hirsutum)

This type is grown on sapwood of dead and dying trees, branches, and stumps, which causing white rot. It can also be seen in trees that have broken branches are that have recently been pruned. They occur on many oaks and other hardwoods. They typically look thin and bracketlike and sometimes flattened. They are about 2 inches across but are often seen smaller.

Turkey Tails (Trametes vesicolor)

This type is grown on many hardwoods and is very common to the saprot fungus. It can grow on dead trees or branches and seems to happen on most streesed trees of injured of dying bark. This fungus can invade to living bark and sapwood. Its a smaller type of fungus only reached about 4 inches across.

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

This type of fungus are large and have been seen up to 6 inches across. They look mushroomlike, and typically are seen grown on large branches and trunks. This can be seen on dying trees or branches that have been through a fire, sunburn or even mechanically injured trees. This is seen on most oaks and other hardwoods.

Split gill fung (Schizophyllum commune)

This type is grown on many hardwoods. It is known to look small with a leathery texture. These can grown up to 2 inches across. They occur on trees that are dying or have injured tisses. Once the tree has this fungus it can kill adjourning bark, which can also cause white rot. They occur commonly on trees that have been through heat, drought or major wounds.

Jack-o'-latern fungs (Omphalotus olivascens)

This type can be found on both dead and living trees that can grown in clusters. This are known to grow 10 inches long normally on the soil line of trees or on shallow roots. These are normally found on oaks and Eucalyptus spp trees.

Phellinus gilvus

This type of fungus are solitary or are seen as cluster. They are typically found on dead and dying trees that have been through an extensive white rot of sapwood. This can cause major branch or trunk failure. This type of fungus is known on many oaks as sudden oak death, but can be seen on many hard woods.

It is very important to check trees for fungus, espcailly if the tree is still a living tree. It can cause a living healthy tree to become hazardous which, can fail at any time.

** You can review this article in the SCA Today Newsletter Edition June 2012 Volume I7 No. 2. This article was written by Bruce W. Hagen. It was also written in the Western Arborist Summer 2010 issue.

Written by

Jami Bonner

Twin Oak Tree Care LLC

I found this articile in the Tree Care Industry Magazine for February 2015 very interesting.

This article describes in detail about maintaining old trees, informing us about the benefits they could provide to us. I found it interesting because of the way the article describe that not all "old trees" are dubbed for removal. That these trees shouldn't be removed for their age, that they should be removed due to their damage or the risk of safety.

This article discuss' that "old trees" have ways of protecting and providing us with many benefits and that knowledge of their life phases will help with that understanding which is needed for "old trees" Most of these "old trees" are removed in their middle age stage which is the time in which they are just beginning to increase.

This article has pictures of claimed "old trees" that gives you a better understanding of how to have the tree properly pruned for the health of the tree. It shows us one tree that doesn't have a full crown, that when pruned the proper way, a couple years later the crown was much fuller just in that time span.

It also discuss' a number of methods that can help rish the reduction of Vertan Trees. It discuss' cabling methods that promoted the longevity for these trees. With this method the tree maintains the flexibility to stimulate growth.

This article is very interesting because due to the fact that the tree, to us, may look old and needs to removed, it may not be at that time ready for removal. A trees life span is far more longer than expected and its very important to have that better understanding of it. This article will provided you with alot of information that can help you better understand these Verteran Trees.

**You can find this article in the Tree Care Industry Magazine for the February Edition of 2015. It was written by Philip van Wassenaer and Alex Satel. It can also be seen in the the June edition of 2011 of Arborist News.

Written by:

Jami Bonner, Twin Oak Tree Care LLC

I found in the Tree Care Industry for February 2015

I read this article in the Tree Care Industry for Collateral Effects of Neonicotinold Insecticides. I foudn this article intersting about the use of Insecticides that could possibly produce more Boxwood Spider Mites and Emerald Ash Borers'. Its intersting because these insecticides are to be known to possibly producing more of these mites and EAMs then getting rid of them.

They have done plenty of research and tests on insecticides on getting rid of these types that grow on trees and plants. And from their findings it seems to have caused more than what they are trying to get rid of.

For example: for soil drenches with American Elm Trees, they use imidacloprid insecticides and they have found out that they can produce 30% more eggs then untreated Elms.

In these article it is said that trees and plants already have fight off these types or preys' with their attack defenses but when use of insecticides it has been researched that they can possibly produce more instead of get rid of.

In other studies it is known that insecticides do get rid of these preys, but only in an event that they eat something that has ingested the insecticide.

I find that this is helpful information that everyone should know when they treat their plants or trees. Alwasy call an arborist when you see any type of prey so that they can inspect it and be able to let you know the proper way of dealing with such pests. As always Twin Oak Tree Care LLC will be able to determine this for you, and you can get a free estimate! Call us at (703) 239-0040 for a free esitmate. And if you notice any spide mites or Emeral Bor Ashers' you should call because they can produce more risk for the health of your trees.

**You can read this article in the Tree Care Industry Ediiton February 2015 or online at www.tcia.org. This article was written by Michael J Raupp, Ph.D. and Adrianna Szczepaniec, Ph.D.