The trees along your streets, on
your property, and in your local parks make up an urban forest that deserves
your attention. Many of our larger trees are suffering from neglect and many
newly planted trees are not surviving their first few years. The fact is, unless
we protect our trees, a majority of our majestic trees will disappear within
twenty to thirty years. Newly planted trees will never reach the grandeur of our
majestic trees today. With the stresses and strains of air pollution, soil
compaction, construction injury, limited water and nutrient availability, and
because many large growing trees are planted in confined spaces, trees need
extra assistance to maintain the good health and vigor that we require of our
urban trees. Mother Nature can also cause stress to trees with a summer drought
or a devastating spring snowstorm. Much like a healthy human who is better able
to resist disease, a healthy tree or shrub has a natural resistance to
environmental stress, disease and insect pests. Typically however, an arborist
is called after a tree is in a state of decline, and usually it is too late.
Once a prominent tree is gone, the average lifespan of a replacement tree or of
a newly planted tree growing curbside in a tree pit is only seven years!
What proactive treatments
can a homeowner do to prevent decline?
Periodically inspecting trees for structural
defects and insect pests and disease is essential to prevent failures that could
lead to personal injury or property damage. Health inspections should be
performed at least annually and after major storms, and even more frequently for
trees under stress and in high use areas.
Pruning trees should be done judiciously and
performed properly. Pruning should be focused on removing dead, dying, diseased,
and broken branches. Improper pruning techniques are common stress factors of
urban trees and can cause premature decline.
By raking our leaves for the past 100 years, we
have interrupted the carbon and nutrient cycles that serve to keep trees green
and growing. To correct this situation, periodic supplemental fertilization is
important, particularly where trees compete with turf for water and soil
nutrients.
Proper irrigation and mulching, particularly in
times of drought, are essential to maintain a tree or shrub's good health and
something the tree owner can do. It is very easy to overmulch, so be careful.