tree care Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Arborwell Professional Arborists and Tree Care

Arbor-wellness: Pink Rot

Written by Jerry White on March 22, 2019.

What is Pink rot?

Pink Rot is a disease that attacks weak or stressed palm trees. Because palms cannot repair wood tissue, they are more susceptible to diseases like pink rot when damaged or pruned too severely. It can attack any portion of the palm, including the trunk, but it most often affects new growth.

What palms does it attack?

There are a number of palm trees that are susceptible to Pink rot. We mostly see it on Washington fan palm, king palm & queen palm.

What should I do about it?

Because there is almost always an underlying cultural problem that encourages pink rot to develop, you should try to determine that and correct the problem if possible. We can help to determine that, by the way. The underlying problem could be planting incorrectly, watered improperly, poor drainage, poor nutrition or even just the wrong palm for the site. It is important to avoid wounding a palm trunk, so even nailing something to the trunk or climbing a palm with tree spikes is not beneficial. Where it is possible to correct one or more of the above problems, it will create a longer-term solution for palm rot problems.

Can I treat the palm if it has Pink rot?

Yes, there are treatments for pink rot if the disease has not progressed too much. Treatments should begin as soon after discovery of the disease as practical. This includes a systemic treatment applied to the soil and regular fertilization with a palm specific fertilizer. Also, steps should be taken to change the conditions that are reducing the health of the palm tree. It is important to remember that if the underlying problem is not improved, there will be an ongoing need to treat the palm and it may eventually fail anyway.

If you are concerned about Pink rot or other problems on your palm trees, contact your Arborwell arborist to help you create the most effective management plan for them.

arborist, palm tree, Pink rot, tree, tree care

Changing Seattle Weather is Affecting its Trees

Written by Jerry White on February 20, 2019.

Weather in the Seattle area plays a crucial role in the health of its trees and as it continues to grow warmer it is negatively affecting the tree population. Over the past few years climate change has begun to drastically change weather patterns that have been around for hundreds of years. Our experts at Arborwell can help you understand how these weather fluctuations are affecting your trees.

Weather in the Seattle area is trending towards hotter, drier, and longer summers, while the winters are becoming warmer and wetter. These conditions are unfavorable to many of the trees that grow in the Seattle area, leading to new problems regarding tree health.

Hot and Dry Summers

The biggest concern of hotter summers is the worsening drought conditions. The Seattle area is accustomed to experiencing some summer drought, but over the past few summers the droughts have become longer and drier. There isn’t enough rainfall to properly sustain the trees and many are sick or dying because of it.

Young trees are especially at risk. They have shorter roots and can’t reach as far into the ground as mature trees to soak up water. Our arborists have plenty of tips and tricks to help your trees survive drought conditions.

Warm and Wet Winters

Winters in the Seattle area have become wetter over recent years. While the increase in rainfall may seem beneficial, what the trees really need is snowfall. That snow becomes lifesaving snowmelt in the summer, helping to keep trees nourished when rainfall is scarce. The decrease in snowmelt over the past few years has exasperated drought conditions in the summer.

Insect populations have also been flourishing as the warm winters allow more to survive. Many pest populations that otherwise would have died off are surviving the winter and attacking already weakened or dying trees, sapping them of the nutrients they need to survive. Winters are also seeing more severe storms. These rough storms are causing excessive damage to already crippled trees. All these factors are culminating in creating poor conditions for trees in the Seattle area.

Our Tree Experts Know How to Help

These new weather conditions in the Seattle area are significantly affecting its trees and are creating a need for different strategies for tree care. Arborwell Professional Tree Management has ISA-certified arborists who can create a plan to keep your trees healthy and looking their best, no matter the weather. Call today or click here to make an appointment with an arborist in the Seattle area.

seattle, tree care, weather