While the thermometer may not know it, autumn 2024 is almost half gone. Even so, the trees and plants are reacting to the gradually shortening days. Surely, the temperature will noticeably drop in a week or two, but in the meantime the greenery will steadily retreat. Native plants have stopped producing new foliage and some…Read more
Retail marketing in the 21st century has occasionally strange and odd juxtapositions of merchandise which have some shoppers scratching their heads. For example, on the shelves currently are about 20 different cream-of-mushroom soups from a famous brand. There is the usual fat free variety, but there is also the gluten free, heart healthy, low salt,…Read more
As described in Monday’s release, there are four walls plus the branch collar that the tree uses to block the spread of decay. Below are the descriptions of these walls as listed in the order of weakest to strongest response: Wall 1 limits the vertical spread of decay up the tree. It is the weakest…Read more
There are many ways trees can be damaged. I am always amazed at how trees manage to respond when subjected to injury. Mechanical injury, such as lightning strikes and storm winds. Construction damage by vehicles, grading equipment and soil trenching equipment. All can cause damage to limbs, trunks and roots. Although we do not often…Read more
Florida is one of the world’s highest lightning strike regions. Securely grounding homes and buildings is a common practice (and building code requirement) to mitigate the damage done by random hits from these high voltage events. This same type of system can be used on trees to improve their chances of surviving a lightning strike….Read more
When reviewing trees for safety, identifying hazardous or weak limbs which may fail is an important part of the evaluation. Poor structure, decay caused by disease or other defects may be the cause of the problem bough. The usual remedy for resolving the threat is the removal of the dangerous limbs that have the potential…Read more
Technically panhandle Florida is on the borderline of the sub-tropics by virtue of its latitudinal location. It is roughly halfway between the tropical zone and the northern temperate zone, getting, by most estimates, the best of both worlds. There are winters here and they are usually pretty mild, at least by Minnesota standards. A light…Read more
We are blessed in Florida to have so many amazing trees and rich urban canopies. Unfortunately, just like in many other states, urban canopies are under constant stress from development and construction activities. Many property owners have trees in poor structural condition, trees that have suffered from neglect, disease, construction damage, or which are simply…Read more
With the start of the 2024 Hurricane Season, which is forecast to be an active one, homeowners should be proactive about preparations. Some storms in recent years have wreaked havoc on locales, and in many situations, trees have been a major cause of damage and injury such as broken limbs piercing roofs, fallen trunks crushing…Read more
Florida is a state where lightning strikes, and it is more than twice. With summer bringing multiple thunderstorms weekly, the chances of tree damage are quite significant. Lightning protection systems for trees are old technology, having been developed decades ago. They consist of three connected parts. A copper cable “down-conductor” directs the charge of a…Read more
