• Landscaping mistakes that will deter the growth & health of your trees.
• Using decomposed granite around your tree & other tricks and warnings to create a healthy environment for you trees root system.

Callers:

• Mike – He had a sissou tree put in and it’s about 15 feet from his septic tank, so does he need to be concerned about this and cut back the roots?

Recommendation – Sissou’s are very vigorous and could be a good candidate for installing a root barrier.  John describes the process and how far and deep it should be put in.

*John talks about other applications where they are used and a good idea, plus a few tree varieties where it could be a bad idea.

• Richard – He has a fish pond in his patio and it’s drawing bees into the area. He’s seeing some boring and damage to the leaves. Should he be concerned about the safety of his family?

Recommendation – When bees are foraging and looking for water, it’s a convenient place to hydrate. They generally aren’t dangerous in this state, but he could call The Pond Gnome to see what they think.

• Tim – Can he use the leftover pine needles and eucalyptus leaves in his yard for mulch & compost?

Recommendation – Pine needles are compostable, but very slow to process. They take a long time to break down, so consider crushing them to speed up the process. Eucalyptus can be composted, but it’s a good idea to mix it in with several other materials. Do some research to make sure you know what you’re doing with them and turn it a lot.

• Anthony – He has some orange trees in his backyard and they look really healthy, but the fruit itself tastes bitter. What could be causing that?

Recommendation – It sounds like it’s an ornamental variety that will taste that way, not sweet. You can use it into make juice, but it won’t taste like a sweet orange your used to.

*Back to our conversation on roots and the issue with planting trees too deep & what you can do to fix this.

• The crew discusses all the different varieties of trees in Arizona.
• The importance of using certified arborists. Click here to learn more & to find one in your area.

Remember, if you have questions or need an tree expert at your home, reach John at Integrity Tree Service.