• Olive trees – This is the time to spray them so they don’t produce fruit next spring!

Callers:

• Lou – He grew 3 different trees from seed and had success, but last year they didn’t produce and wants to know if there is something to add that could spur on germination.

Recommendation – John isn’t sure and thinks he could reach out to a nursery and they’d have a better angle. Over-watering can be the problem, though.

*If you’re interested in fruit trees, we had Greg Peterson with the Urban Farm on last week and he could help you have success.

• Jim – He’s heard about a few citrus farms were being removed and some of them are 60 years old. Would they be able to replant them?

Recommendation – They’d have to weigh the benefits of removing them verus planting a new tree. Citrus trees do have a production lifespan and could be at the end of theirs too.

• Discussing what ISA Certified means. (International Society of Arboriculture)
• Find tree experts in your area using the Trees Are Good website or just CALL JOHN!

Callers:

• Grant – His 16 year old Ash tree limbs are starting to die. What could be causing that and what can he do?

Recommendation – It could just be a minor issue with the environment and be fine.  John is seeing it a lot in the valley and no one is sure what’s going on. It’s hard to know if it’ll be fine or not. There is also an issue with carpenter worms attacking ash trees too. That is a serious issue and he might need an expert to eliminate that as the cause. John describes what to look for.

• Is the Live Oak a great tree for this area? John says yes!

Emelio – Is it too early to prune his Texas Umbrella tree?

Recommendation – No, it might be a little bit early, but this is the time of year to do it. John goes through why this is the time to get out the pruning shears.

• Dorothy – Her acacia tree has a huge root exposed and wants to know if she can cut it off so it won’t damage nearby flagstone they have.

Recommendation – She has a couple of options. Sometimes you can actually remove them and it will be fine. Otherwise, she can go to the edge of the flagstone and insert a root barrier. It’ll take a picture or site visit to determine the best method.

More November Tree Care Tips:

• It’s nearing frost season, so protection is important this time of year.
• The time to get that work done is right now before the rush of homeowners who take on the task late in the season.

Callers:

• Cheryl – She’s had to replace several purple leaf plumbs trees in her yard. They are fine on one side of her sidewalk and 3 have been replaced now. What could be causing that?

Recommendation – They are a very tough tree to grow and only have a 10-12 year lifespan. It could be the planting practices. The most common cause is planting too deep, especially if it’s watered too much. John talks through a few tips for success.

• Rollie – He bought a Live Southern Oak and doesn’t like the look it has now that it is maturing. He wants to remove the lower branches, but doesn’t want to damage it.

Recommendation – John talks about the different varieties and their distinct looks. It would take a photo to know which branches could be removed without damaging the trees health.

Remember you can reach John all week at Integrity Tree Service!