Worms by the Bagful

Bagworms, that is.

This interesting insect is not really what we would usually call a worm, but is considered a caterpillar instead. While most caterpillars pupate into a flying adult (moth or butterfly), the female of this species never emerges from her mobile home. The male does, and he flies to the female so they can engage in activities that ensure the species does not die out.

After mating, both male and female eventually die, leaving many eggs within the female bag. These eggs hatch the following spring to cause more foliar damage as they feed on many kinds of plants, sometimes causing irreversible damage and death if left unchecked.

I focus on this pest for this article because I have been watching for its emergence this season wondering when it would finally show up. Early June is usually when we start seeing the new generation of this pest (630 growing degree days, according to the OSU OARDC calendar available here). Last season I recall bagworms emerging later than usual, and I was curious what would happen this year given the very unusual spring we have had. Yesterday I spotted my first bagworms in a client’s back yard – the smallest I have ever seen yet. The plant had been damaged in the past season by bagworm feeding, and the old adult bags were clearly visible. When I looked closely, I could just make out the very tiny, brand new bagworms moving about as they fed on the plant. 

Very tiny, brand new bagworms

They had also established on the neighboring, more healthy, plant.

I checked the current growing degree days, and we are at 959 today for the area I was in. I can’t say when these baby bagworms were hatched, but it has not been long. I also do not know if there is a period between the hatching of the eggs and the emergence of the caterpillars from the old cocoon. As with everything in nature, there is always variation from season to season, and from place to place within the same season, so scouting is always the best way to determine when pests are present or not.

Bagworms feed on a number of species, but evergreen species are the most at risk of permanent damage or death. If an evergreen is defoliated rapidly by large quantities of these mobile marauders, it will likely not have the ability to rapidly regenerate foliage to make up for that which was lost. I commonly drive past juniper, spruce, and arborvitae that have been sheared of green foliage by bagworms.

Thankfully, if caught early, this insect pest is relatively easy to control. Two treatments are sometimes recommended to make sure any late starters are caught during the second round. I routinely show clients what a bagworm looks like because they are very easy to miss within a plant. As they feed and grow they use foliage from the plant they are feeding on to build the bag that gives them their name. This means they look like part of the plant. Once identified though, they are easy to spot.  If treatment is no longer an option (when the pest is settled for the winter or no longer actively feeding), removal of the bags by hand is a very good way to control this pest. This method works best on smaller plants since it is essential that every single bagworm is removed from the plant.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this article. If it is shorter and less philosophical than usual, it is because we are striving to keep up with the all the requests for service that keep coming in. I look forward to being able to take a slow breath later in the season and make some time for reflection. In the meantime, thank you very much for trusting us with your trees.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist,

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

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[Quick fact checks from https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1048 and https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-pests/bagworms.]

When and How to Prune Lilacs

By Walter Reins
ISA Certified Arborist® OH-5113A
March 6, 2025​

Common lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are a favorite landscape shrub here in Ohio and beyond, with flowers that provide beauty and an unmistakable fragrance every spring. Other cultivars of lilacs offer different habits and uses in the landscape, but provide the same display of flowers that we all love. In order to ensure you get the most flowers on your lilac year after year, it’s important to know when and how to prune them.

When To Prune

As a general rule for all lilacs, they should be pruned immediately after they’re done flowering in the spring. Since lilacs set next year’s flower buds right after the current year’s flowers have faded, pruning later in the summer or fall will result in cutting off many or all of next year’s flowers. This rule of timing applies to the larger common lilacs as well as the cultivars that are shorter or more “shrub” like. While the “when” of pruning lilacs is fairly straightforward, the “how” gets a little trickier. To keep things simple for now, we’ll think of lilac pruning as either maintenance pruning or rejuvenation pruning.

How To: Maintenance Pruning

For any lilac shrubs that have not outgrown their space or are still producing vibrant flowers each year, regular pruning can simply consist of any shaping that you choose to do along with removal of dead, diseased, or broken stems. You can also remove spent flowers from your lilacs to help encourage a cleaner growth habit and appearance. It’s always better to do this type of pruning by hand, rather than shearing. When making cuts, try to cut back to an outward facing bud. A good pair of hand pruners is the perfect tool for this and makes for much better pruning cuts than hedge shears.

How To: Rejuvenation Pruning

If you’ve ever had an older common lilac in your landscape that went unpruned for many years, you’re probably familiar with their overgrown, unruly habit when left alone. Many people mistakenly believe that these shrubs have stopped flowering at this point. Oftentimes what’s actually happening is the flowers are being produced on just the upper portions of the shrub where the plant has reached a taller height and is exposed to sunlight. Once they’ve reached this stage, we’re often left to stare at bare, woody branches at eye level and below. For these overgrown shrubs, we can remove entire older canes or stems that are 2” in diameter or larger to encourage a rejuvenation of the shrub. We want to apply the rule of thirds when doing this type of pruning - Remove approximately one third of the older canes or stems each year for 3 years. This gives the shrub a chance to slowly transition back to a fuller, shorter shrub with more new growth filling in from the bottom. If you decide to drastically prune the entire shrub this way all at once rather than just a third of it, a little extra care like fertilization and watering will be important to encourage new growth. Note that this “all at once” approach is generally not recommended for the health of the shrub.

Your lilac flowers can be influenced by many things, including the temperature, soil conditions, even disease and insect problems, but proper pruning goes a long way to ensuring they put on a great show every spring. And remember, if you have specific questions about pruning or anything tree and shrub related, your dedicated Russell Tree Experts arborist is only an email or phone call away.

*New* Video!

To accompany the above article, Walter Reins demos how to prune lilac trees in this new video! Click below!

Please note: This article was originally published on 4/6/2020 and was republished on 3/6/2025.

ADDITIONAL ARBOR ED ARTICLES!

Walter Reins | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

Walter became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2003 and has a degree in landscape horticulture. He has 25 years of experience in the tree and landscape industries and originally began working at Russell Tree Experts in 2011. Walter is also the owner/operator of Iwakura Japanese Gardens, a small design/build/maintenance firm specializing in Japanese-style gardens, and also offers responsible tree planting for all landscapes.

Oak pruning, fascinating tree facts, and other thoughts

Dear Reader,

Here we are, fresh out of the holiday season, and the end of January is in sight! I wanted to reach out to you with some timely advice concerning trees, some reminders of why trees are so essential to life as we know it, and perhaps some other thoughts that might sneak out through my fingers as I type.

I recently shared some of my experiences dealing with invasive plants with a nice group of folks who are part of PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management). At the end of my talk I went off topic for a moment to leave these people with a warning concerning Oak trees. Those of you who have been following our emails for a while probably recall we have devoted two separate issues entirely to oak wilt, since we had a laboratory confirmed case in Franklin County several years ago with one of my clients. I am disturbed by how many oak trees are still being removed and pruned within the window of time that is considered high risk for spreading the disease.

At Russell Tree Experts we decided that oak pruning would be scheduled in the fall and winter months, between October 1 and March 15, in order to avoid the time when Nitidulid beetles are active, attracted to pruning wounds, and potentially vectoring the disease pathogen from infected trees to healthy trees.

My purpose here is simply to remind you to please spread the word to raise awareness of this disease. I recently met a new client who had someone offer to prune his Red Oak for him. He politely inquired of the person making the offer if he was aware that it was not the proper time of year to prune oak trees because of the risk of oak wilt. The would-be tree pruner was not aware of this. Good job, Tom! If only more and more tree managers were able to do the same thing perhaps awareness of the fact that central Ohio residents know and care about their trees will eventually raise the standard of tree care in our communities. I am happy to say that reputable tree care companies are aware of oak wilt in our area and are able to communicate the proper way to deal with this problem.

I end this note with a quick reminder: If you have an oak tree you need to prune, please have the work done before March 15! Otherwise plan for a fall/winter pruning. Incidentally, the same practice is advisable if you have an elm tree. Dutch elm disease and oak wilt are very similar diseases on different species of trees.

On to other things

I attended a tree root seminar hosted by the Ohio Chapter of the ISA some weeks ago. Much of the material presented came from a resource that was new to me. I spoke to the moderator about this book and ordered it from Amazon before the lunch break was over. The book is called Applied Tree Biology, by Andrew Hirons and Peter Thomas. I was impressed at the amount of current information that has been brought together into one volume centered around the theme of how to use all the good research that is out there in order to promote tree health. I wanted to share several bits of information these authors put into their book, which was published in 2018.

From the first chapter (facts are italicized, followed by my comment in parenthesis);

1. There are three trillion trees around the world. (And just think, we actually need to plant more!)

2. Forests hold around 45% of the carbon stored on land (2780 gigatons).

3. Forests help determine weather patterns by how they can evaporate large amounts of water which form clouds, producing rain downwind. Recent discovery of a chemical made and released by trees called pinene can help clouds form to produce rain by acting as nuclei for water to form around. (Are you blown away by this? I was. There is so much we still do not know!)

4. All the world’s forests hold more than 80% of the world’s species.

5. The same chemicals that can cause cloud formation are known to reduce tension and mental stress in humans, increasing feelings of well-being and decreasing aggression and depression.

6. Over 100 million ash have been lost in the northeastern USA since 2002 due to the emerald ash borer. This loss of trees in urban environments has been linked to increased human mortality as a result of higher levels of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Increases in crime have also been linked to the loss of ash trees to EAB. (This brings it home, doesn’t it? I found it strange that one of the most present problems during my career as an arborist has provided study opportunities for learning about the seemingly intangible values of trees in relation to human society).

Incredibly, this book is in the format of a textbook. The authors are from the UK, and I am finding their writing style to be refreshingly accessible for a topic that can become rather dry even for an arborist who loves his work. Right before the table of contents there is a page titled “Epigraph” with a quote taken from a work from 1664 titled Sylva, by a fellow named John Evelyn. I was frankly astounded that I found such a quote in a textbook written in 2018. I will share it with you at the end of this installment. Some of you may like it, some of you may not. I merely share it as found. Reading the quote made me wonder what this textbook was going to be like. It also reignited in me the sense of a deeper mystery surrounding our everyday life that keeps me looking ahead for more. More of what? I don’t know exactly. Perhaps more of the mystery. This undercurrent of the ever present unknown is easy for me to lose sight of, but when I take the time to listen to a client, seeing the person rather than the tree that needs to be pruned, treated or removed I am reminded that all we do should be centered around the things that have value.

What has value? My neighbor. The animals and plants that are also struggling to make a life not very far from where you are seated right now. The fact that all this is something we have been given, not something any of us planned for before we entered the world. Think about this: Life has been given! Don’t miss it.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist,

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

Epigraph

In a word, and to speak a bold and noble truth, trees and woods have twice saved the whole world; first by the ark, then by the cross; making full amends for the evil fruit of the tree in paradise, by that which was born on the tree in Golgotha.

From “Sylva”

by John Evelyn, 1664

(Shared directly from Applied Tree Biology, Andrew D. Hirons and Peter A. Thomas. Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, 2018.)

Identifying & Managing Rhizosphaera Needle Cast

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast

By José Fernández

Rhizosphaera needle cast (RNC) – quite a mouthful, especially when one is an arborist in training, still green in the green industry.  My supervisor had just handed me a photocopy of a fact sheet on the disease since I had asked him about spruce trees I had been seeing with defoliating branches.

This took place early in my career, 14 years ago or so, here in central Ohio. Fast forward to the present when the disease has become so prevalent that news stories on local television and in local papers have covered the issue. For several years my colleagues at Russell Tree Experts and I have discussed the need for a short article about this since we have this conversation so often with clients, but we never have made a point to write one! So much to do in so little time. I think I run into declining spruce trees with this disease 3-5 times per week so I know there are many readers who will benefit from this topic, or know someone who will.

Colorado spruce (Picea pungens) is a species that is probably overused due to its attractive evergreen foliage. In particular, the “Blue” varieties (‘Glauca’, ‘Hoopsii’, among others) seem to be the most popular, used as accent plants where they really stand out against a larger backdrop of more traditional green foliage. Interestingly, a quick check of the literature does not show that the species is prone to very serious disease, even though needle cast disease is mentioned as a possibility.

Young Colorado spruce rapidly defoliating

This is the reason why I seem to have suddenly shifted from one topic (RNC) to another (Colorado spruce).  The tree is widely used (and therefore widely available) yet there is not a lot of information about how the species is performing in central Ohio. Please keep in mind that as an arborist I am trained to consider long term performance of a tree as opposed to short term. This means that I view trees as potentially permanent part of the landscape that we can choose to work around when subsequent changes in site use or design are necessary. This view is not shared by all, and my purpose here is not to defend my position against others. I mention this because Colorado spruce may still be a great choice of tree if its purpose is short-lived by design. I find that most individuals who plant trees do so because they treasure the feeling of starting a living process that will continue long after they are gone from this life. I am in this category, and I derive great benefit from seeing a tree remain healthy as it grows, changing and maturing. I help the tree along and it becomes a living, contributing part of my local environment.

I have come to believe that Colorado spruce is not a good option for a long term investment of resources (time, space, money). I would guess that about 90% of these trees eventually develop RNC to an extent that makes removal necessary as symptoms progress, causing the tree to lose its needles prematurely.

Fungal fruiting bodies

RNC is caused by a fungal pathogen. The fungus reproduces by forming spores in fruiting bodies (see photo above) that grow in the leaf stomata (openings in the leaf or needle, usually on the underside, that allow for gas exchange with the environment). Because of this, one diagnostic tool is to look for small black fruiting bodies lined up nicely on the underside of a spruce needle. Usually the stomata are white, which makes fungal fruiting bodies stand out when they are present. The spores spread with wind or rain, moving into the tree. In the case of RNC, disease symptoms soon follow, usually marked by needles that first turn a purplish color, then brown (see photo below), then dropping. 

Purplish brown needles

The defoliation pattern will be from the inside of the tree moving outward, and generally from the bottom of the tree moving upward, although sometimes it can move downward as well. Cool, moist conditions will favor the development of most fungal diseases, including RNC. Hosts of this pathogen include most spruce, several pine, and some fir and hemlock species. I have found several Norway spruce with RNC, but generally I consider this tree to be resistant consistent with the literature. To my knowledge I have not seen this disease on any pine or hemlock, although the early disease symptoms present differently and I may have missed it.  For example, in Norway spruce the browning pattern is preceded by a mottled yellowing of the needles rather than the purplish color seen in Colorado spruce. The “fall color” (see photo below) of Norway Spruce can be confused with needle cast symptoms. 

Normal needle cycling “fall color” of Norway Spruce

To differentiate between the two, the diagnostician should look for the fungal fruiting bodies and evaluate the pattern and extent of needle loss in the tree.  I still heartily recommend Norway spruce as a good option for us in central Ohio, but for several years now have discouraged people from planting Colorado spruce simply because I am either removing them, waiting to remove them, or spraying them with fungicides.

Fungicide sprays for this disease are mostly protectant rather than curative. For this reason multiple applications are recommended each season, with the goal of providing a chemical barrier over newly emerging needles as growth occurs each spring. Once past the cool, moist spring conditions the needles harden off, climate gets warmer and drier, and infection is less likely, but still a possibility. One of my colleagues visited Colorado a few years ago. When he returned he said two things to me: “There are still streets with ash trees in Colorado, and the spruces don’t have needle cast”.  Why do our Colorado spruce get needle cast? Our climate is much warmer, much more humid.  Our soil tends to be poorly drained, and alkaline. Bring a tree genetically adapted to a specific environment into a different environment and it will likely become stressed, making it vulnerable to disease. In central Ohio, I have seen a trend with Colorado spruce: The trees look great when they are newly planted. If the site is very poor, they quickly develop RNC or decline for other reasons.  If the site is reasonable, the trees grow very well and remain beautiful. Then we get to that 90% mark I mentioned earlier, which seems to be with trees that have done reasonably well for 15-25 years, but now have entered into rapid, noticeable decline resulting in tree death within 10 years.  Most people choose to have the trees removed well before the trees are completely dead since they lose their beauty and no longer serve as screening plants. This is why I consider this species to be useful if the intended design is only for the next 15 years or so. 

If you have a Colorado spruce you want to preserve here are some things that will help:

1. I recommend repeat applications of fungicides on a seasonal basis to protect newly emerging needles. Note that this does not guarantee that your tree(s) will remain disease free, but it will greatly reduce the infection rate.

2. Change any existing irrigation so that water is not being sprayed onto the tree foliage.  Water the tree with drip irrigation at the base.

3. Weeds and neighboring plants should be kept away from the lower foliage to increase sunlight and air penetration to try to reduce moisture and humidity levels.

You may consider enjoying your Colorado spruce (whether a green or blue variety) for as long as it looks good, but plant some replacement trees nearby to get them started now. Concolor fir is an evergreen tree that has a bluish cast to it and will perform well given well drained, biologically active soil. Norway Spruce is a good option if the space requirements are met, as this tree will grow large. Western redcedar is proving to be a top performing tree for us, and is also a good screening evergreen plant.

In closing, it is worth mentioning that the dwarf forms of Colorado spruce, whether blue or not, seem highly resistant to RNC. I rarely see this disease on the dwarf varieties.

Thank you for reading!  My sincere hope is that this information is useful to you.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist,

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

Mulch Mounds! Oh My!

WATCH OUT FOR MULCH MOUNDS

By José Fernández

Please note: This article was originally published on 4/15/2019 and was republished on 4/8/2021.

Two days ago I stopped by the local gas station/grocery store compound around sunrise to replenish my truck’s fuel tank. As I drove on the service road passing the commercial property I felt something strange tugging at my peripheral vision, like large chocolate chips dotting the edge of my field of view. I took my eyes off the road for a moment, and sure enough, seemingly overnight the landscape had changed. It was as if a very large community of rodents had decided to move in and dig burrows in the landscape, leaving all the soil in regular mounds, perfectly spaced on the lawn. The next moment I saw that each mound had a tree growing out of it.  Then the colors of breaking dawn also brought the light of knowledge to me as I realized “It’s spring, and the mulch mounders are at it again”.

You know when these mysterious beings have been in your neighborhood because all of a sudden trees look like they decided to burst fully formed out of the soil, shouldering through the earth’s crust, leaving it mounded up at the base of their trunk.  You know you have been visited by a very dedicated contingent of mounders when even telephone poles or street signs are enjoying the benefits of multiplying mulch.  (Yes, though this sight was unrecorded, I have heard eyewitnesses testify to it).

Please forgive my attempts at humor.  It really is light-hearted, and I bear no ill will to the people who deliver the mulch so generously.  As an arborist, I do take issue with the practice itself though, for three main reasons that perhaps are not immediately evident to those trying to do a good deed:

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The mulch mound around the base of this tree has caused new roots to grow around the root flare. These new roots are now girdling (choking) the tree causing it to decline (see lack of leaves/growth in the crown of the tree).

1. Mulch can create a hardened hydrophobic layer that actually sheds water.  This effect is made worse when the mulch is mounded in a way that directs water away from the root crown of a tree, where all the roots are on a newly planted tree. 

2. When the root crown is buried in such thick mulch, new roots start forming, trying to grow up to a more favorable place (the surface), where water and oxygen are more readily available.  While they grow, they will likely stay contained within the mulch ring, which can contribute to a circular pattern of growth, causing girdling of the stem in later years. (See photo).

3. When enough water is provided to saturate the mulch, moisture will persist for longer periods of time around the trunk tissue.  This, combined with warm temperatures from the composting process, provides a favorable environment for pathogens like bacteria and fungi to develop and cause disease. 

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Bad vs. Good mulching techniques // Proper mulching around a tree keeps the root flare visible while having about 2 inches of mulch depth on the root zone.

Why do we mulch anyway?  For very good reasons.  Established mulch rings help keep weeds away, help maintain moisture levels, provide organic matter for the soil (improving both chemistry and structure), and maintain a clear zone where mowers will not enter and cause soil compaction or mechanical damage to the tree.  Like anything else in life, any good thing carried to an extreme usually ceases being a good thing.  Overmulching actually defeats some of the reasons for mulching to begin with!

There you have it.  Even the topic of mulch leads to a basic principle in life: Too much of a good thing… can lead away from what is good.

Here’s another one: Mulch mounders are people too, and I can live alongside them in peace as fellow human beings.  But the practice of mounding mulch makes life difficult for trees.  They can’t run away, they can’t open up their mouth and bawl for help.  So I have to speak up for them if I can.

And I can.

Thank you for reading!  I appreciate your comments and your thoughts.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist,

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

Tree Law: "Who Owns This Tree?"

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Boundary Line Tree: Neither of the property owners is at liberty to cut the [boundary line] tree without the consent of the other.

First and most importantly, I am not an attorney. What I am is a concerned business owner who has an interest in the law.  Having recently read Arboriculture and the Law co-authored by Victor D. Merullo and Michael J. Valentine, I am inclined to share my findings in hopes of answering a few common questions we receive every year dealing with liability basics and the general risks associated with tree ownership.

“Who, in fact, owns this tree?” is a question our company is faced with each and every day. Tree ownership is a big deal. Owning a tree makes one responsible for the potential (and actual) damage caused by that tree if it fails, but when? What about when trees fail in severe weather events or the most baffling, when a tree that shows no signs of stress or decay uproots and fails anyway?  All these questions are even more challenging when a tree grows directly on a property line or is encroaching on a neighbor’s property. If undesirable limbs, which originate from an adjoining neighbor’s tree, hang over your property line, what rights do you have in removing them? According to the authors’ research, some. “May I treat an ash tree to protect against the Emerald Ash Borer if the majority of the tree is located on my neighbor's property?” Good question. The answer: yes, and no.

Trees that grow directly on a property line (split directly down the middle) are called boundary line trees and are owned by both property owners as “tenants in common.” According to the authors, “neither of the property owners is at liberty to cut the [boundary line] tree without the consent of the other, nor to cut away the part which extends into the property owner’s land if the injury would result to the common property in the tree” (Merullo, Valentine, 1992, p. 24).  For instance, if one of the tenants in common is to perform work to the tree which results in death to the tree, that may lead to legal consequences initiated by the other tenant. So although it may be tempting, one cannot simply cut the tree down the middle without expecting one fierce legal headache. Often times property lines are not clearly defined and it can be difficult for arborists to determine if a tree exists between two properties. When in doubt, before signing a tree contractor’s contract accepting full ownership, speak to your neighbor(s) and get written permission prior to any work to a boundary line tree. Maybe offer them warm chocolate chip cookies first.

Tenants in common of boundary line trees must respect the joint ownership of the tree completely whereas a tree that is not directly on the property line has different implications.  “It is generally held that when a neighboring landowner’s tree limb hangs over an adjoining landowner’s property, the adjoining property owner has an absolute right to cut the tree limbs off the tree up to the property line” (Merullo, Valentine, 1992, p. 33).  We often tell clients to imagine an imaginary vertical line (as if Luke Skywalker was pointing his lightsaber directly to the stars) running along the property line. All plant material that is on the client's side of the lightsaber, may be removed with confidence. However, a challenging issue we often face is the practicality of performing the tree work without the necessity of accessing the neighbor’s (non-client's) property. This can be especially hard when said neighbor may or may not be that into Star Wars if you know what I mean. We must respect private property and avoid trespassing at all times; as a result, there have been a handful of jobs we have not been able to commit to because the work could not be safely done without gaining access (and permission) to the adjoining property.  

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The Luke Skywalker property line pruning method

The issue of trespassing also weighs heavily in regards to Tree Wellness applications. As mentioned earlier, trees that are close to property lines can be difficult to treat properly without consent from both property owners. Perhaps the health of a beautiful ash tree that hangs over a property line is extremely important to one neighbor and not at all to the other - our arborists may only be able to treat the tree with trunk injections from one side, which means the tree may not be getting the best preventative care. The same goes for deep root fertilization which is ultimately beneficial if applied around the entire drip line of the tree canopy. Again, possibly improving one’s baking skills may lead to healthier, happier trees? It’s worth a try.

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Our American beech tree that recently succumbed to high winds

Even if one crosses every t and dots every i, some things are beyond all control. I have seen it first hand in my own woods; large mature trees which look perfectly healthy one day are lying on the forest floor the next (see photo). Two certified arborists in one house, taking every precaution to protect family, property and the public and yet massive winds or sudden soil erosion uproot trees around us.  Nature is unpredictable even to the trained eye, however what I read in chapter ten of the book was reassuring: “the landowner is exempt from liability for injuries caused by trees resulting from natural conditions, but the landowner will be responsible for injuries which the landowner could have taken measures to prevent” (Merullo, Valentine, 1992, p. 91). This is important because although some tree failures cannot be predicted, just like the weather, many are avoidable with the help of an educated, experienced arborist. Simply planting a tree properly in the right location can be the difference between long-lasting health and increased liability.

I can recall a serious tree failure in a Worthington neighborhood a few years ago. A very large, mature Siberian Elm tree suddenly uprooted and slammed to the street blocking traffic in both directions. This was and is a street children ride their bikes up and down and that I pushed a stroller along nearly every day. The reason the tree most likely failed? A paved driveway was installed too close to the trunk of the tree, cutting off and smothering the vital root system that exists in the top twelve inches of soil. It may take years before the compression from asphalt and the lack of water to roots from construction projects lead to catastrophe, which is a daunting reality for the unsuspecting homeowner.  On a warm summer day after a night of heavy rain, the elm tree totally failed. By sheer luck (or perhaps a bi-conditional “act of God” ?), no one was injured.

Our team has collectively seen many unfortunate tree related situations which have helped us communicate the importance of knowing what it really means to own a tree.  There are a few simple measures a homeowner can take to demonstrate an awareness of the risks associated with tree ownership and by doing so hopefully eliminate a great deal of legal stress. For instance, learning how to properly protect trees during construction or if installing a cabling system may mitigate the potential for tree failure under increased stress (from wind and/or ice) can be determined through a discussion with an experienced arborist.

Lastly, it may seem obvious that we begin all tree work with a signed contract from the person, company or municipality that hired us which states the client(s) have sole ownership of all trees listed on the quote however language clarifying this responsibility is not only to release Russell Tree Experts from liability, but because we recognize the work we do cannot be reversed. I hear Joe Russell often saying, “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.” As avid tree lovers, we recognize and appreciate that adage more than most. Mature, healthy trees are highly valuable and hard to come by. A personal goal of mine is for each of our clients to be able to look out their windows, gaze at their gorgeous trees and smile, big. If that isn’t possible yet, again with the cookies.

Credits: Merullo, Victor D. and Valentine, Michael J. Arboriculture and the Law. Champaign, IL: International Society of Arboriculture, 1992.

Shari Russell | Managing Member & Co-Owner, Russell Tree Experts

Shari Russell graduated magna cum laude from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors in Landscape Horticulture and Cultural Anthropology. She is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture and has been a Certified Arborist since 2008. She is currently preparing for the June 2019 LSAT.

Watch Out for Girdled Trees!

Quite regularly I encounter trees that are being girdled by some sort of material, mostly guy wires or straps installed during planting, and subsequently forgotten. Sometimes there are other things that catch me by surprise. Usually these are things placed by people and never maintained. For this article I will start with the most common girdling issue and then mention some of the other items. 

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Illustration of a tree being girdled by a guy wire. ©Russell Tree Experts

Support Systems  

There are various methods in use for supporting newly planted trees. From nylon webbing straps to wire run through hose, or just plain wire, it seems folks will reach for what is at hand to tie around a tree stem after planting to help support a tree.  For this article I am not going to discuss proper guying methods. The most important thing to remember is that whatever guying system you, or someone else, has installed on your newly planted tree(s), the system should be checked periodically to make sure it is still functional without causing damage to the tree stem. Usually one season is all that is required for a tree support system installed at planting.  Sometimes guying is not needed. This largely depends on whether the new tree is planted bare root or balled and burlapped.

At any rate, several times I have been called to investigate a strange phenomenon: A tree looks healthy in the lower part of the canopy, but the upper part is turning yellow and dying. On closer inspection, I will find the remains of a guy wire (or two, or three) buried into the tree stem, clearly marking the boundary between healthy tree below and strangled tree above. If I can remove the material the recovery of the tree is quite dramatic.  If the material is too buried to be reached, tree survival is a question of whether the tree is able to bridge over the girdling with new stem growth or not. In rarer cases I have seen trees snap off at the place where a guy wire was buried in the stem causing a structural weakness. 

I see this type of injury far more often than I would like, and far too often considering how easy it is to loosen a guy wire that is still needed or remove it if it has fulfilled its function. For support systems that need to be permanent, bolts drilled into the tree are a preferable option since the tree can easily grow around the bolt indefinitely.

Other Stem Girdling Culprits

The following list is made up of other things I have seen noticeably girdling tree trunks or branches, sometimes with negative effects on tree health:

1. Bird feeder hooks

2. Swings attached with rope, wire, or chain

3. Nylon twine on a root ball left in place after planting

4. Zip lines

5. Christmas lights installed and never removed

6. Ribbon

7. Tree identification tags attached at the nursery

Pictured above is an Emerald Green Arborvitae that is being girdled by a fabric ribbon used to help promote proper growth of the tree when it was much younger.

Some of these might come as a surprise since one would think that the material would degrade quickly and not cause a girdling problem.  With ribbon in particular, I have seen ribbon so old the color has faded away, yet there is a noticeable groove in the trunk where the tree is beginning to be girdled.  When I cut the ribbon with my knife it gives way with an audible tearing or snapping sound, showing there is still a lot of strength left in it.  Granted, the ribbon might actually decompose before the tree begins to suffer irreparable damage, but I left it on my list simply to illustrate that anything attached to a tree should be maintained or removed if its purpose is fulfilled.

Trees lend themselves for usefulness, decoration, and personal expression. Sometimes trees need to be supported for a time, or indefinitely.  Take a walk outside and look at your trees.  Is there any girdling going on? Is it time to replace or remove a guy wire? Should you use a larger hook for your bird feeder? Is there burlap or twine strangling the base of the tree? Make the adjustments!  Believe me, every little thing you can do in favor of the tree counts.

Thanks for caring about your trees!

PS - Read Chris’ great article about girdling roots by clicking here!

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

A Boxwood Bummer

I wanted to dedicate this installment to Boxwood Blight, since this is a disease which has the potential to disrupt formal landscapes all across the state. The disease is fungal, and affects boxwood, especially the cultivated varieties ‘American’ and ‘Suffruticosa’. It is relatively recent in the United States, and was found in Ohio nurseries in 2011. The Ohio State University has been expecting this disease to crop up in residential landscapes, and now is beginning to see this happen. The disease is a new one for me, and I have not personally found it in any of my landscape inspections. To date, Russell Tree Experts has not applied any fungicide preventively for this issue, but we will have a plan in place for the 2019 season. My main goal in writing this article is to begin to raise awareness about this serious disease, and that it is out there.

Boxwood is a plant that many would consider to be overused in landscape design, but perhaps this is because few plants offer the characteristics that Boxwood does. It is evergreen, takes shearing well, and comes in many sizes and forms. Therefore this plant is an exceptional choice for hedges, both formal and informal, for screening or for outlining borders in a garden or landscape. The difficulty with hedges, or with mass plantings of any size, is that the loss of one plant is much more significant than in an informal grouping of trees or plants of varying species where the loss of 1-2 single plants goes unnoticed.

Years ago I helped take care of the landscape at a large private residence that had many formal plantings incorporated into its design, along with less formal groupings of trees. My stress levels were much higher when one of the formal tree arrangements was threatened by the loss of a single tree. Imagine a formal circle of mature shade trees missing one of its members due to disease or storm damage. The effect is similar to missing one tooth out of an otherwise healthy smile. Somehow the overall result of a missing tooth is not helped by the fact that there are 31 other teeth still remaining. And replacing a mature tree to fill in the gap is arguably much more difficult than replacing a missing tooth.

This is the effect Boxwood Blight could have on many, many landscapes we serve. I imagine that 8 out of 10 readers have at least one row of boxwoods somewhere in their landscape.  Some of you have massive formal plantings of hundreds of boxwoods. What makes this disease different than others that have been affecting boxwood for years?

In September of this year I attended the 2018 Urban Landscape Pest Management Workshop at The Ohio State University. There, Dr. Francesca Peduto Hand introduced me to this disease with several main points that raised concern:

1. The disease can infect otherwise healthy plants.

2. When climate conditions are favorable, the disease can progress very quickly.

3. Infected plants must be removed and destroyed, and it is not recommended that boxwood be replanted for 3-5 years from the time the last infected plant was removed.

This is like saying you have to pull the infected tooth, and you can’t get a new tooth implanted for 3-5 years. The best defense is knowing what the symptoms are:

1. First there are dark spots on leaf surface and white sporulation (fungal spores) on the underside of the leaf.

2. These spots spread on the leaf, eventually causing defoliation.

3. Black, elongated cankers are evident on defoliated stems.

Unfortunately, once symptoms are found, the plant must be destroyed.  The best preventive measure is to make sure any new plants coming into the landscape from the nursery are carefully inspected and approved as symptom free.

Another preventive defense is a regimen of fungicide applications. These can be costly depending on the size of the hedge and the frequency of applications. Also consider that since the applications are preventive, they need to be repeated on a seasonal basis and would have to become part of a permanent landscape budget.

A pdf with good photos and symptom descriptions authored by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station can be found here:

I leave you, dear reader, with the heartfelt wish that your landscape may remain disease free! May you draw nothing but pleasure and peace from the plants which surround you. Be wary of what may be hitching a ride into your landscape on new plants.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist,

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods. José has worked at Russell Tree Experts since 2012.

Don’t Get Fooled by the Fall Color of Conifers!

By TJ Nagel
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® OH-6298B
November 13, 2025

Every fall I get calls from folks concerned about yellow needles on their evergreen trees. Often times I’m told that the trees are sick or that they appear to be dying from the inside out. There are some disease and insect problems that can cause yellowing and premature loss of needles in conifers but most often what people are reporting is just normal fall color.

Yellowing and the loss of old needles in the fall is normal for pine, spruce, arborvitae, hemlock and most evergreen conifers in the midwest. Most conifers shed their needles each year starting in late August and continue through November. Older interior needles will turn yellow while needles further out in the canopy and at the tips of branches will stay green. The yellow needles eventually drop off starting at the top of the tree and working their way to the bottom in a uniform fashion. Taxus (also called Yew) is the exception showing it’s “fall color” in mid to late spring.

Most folks understand and look forward to the fall color change in our maples, oaks, hickories and other hardwood trees — fall needle drop in conifers is as normal as leaf drop in deciduous trees.

The change in color and eventual drop of foliage is simply a physiological response to the shorter days and cooler temperatures as trees (both evergreen and deciduous) prepare themselves for the winter.

Pictured below are some of my favorite conifers showing fall color:

Arborvitae

Chaemacyparis

Dawn Redwood

Dwarf White Pine

Hemlock

Japanese White Pine

Scrub Pine

Serbian Spruce

White Pine

Please note: This article was revised on 11/12/25 and originally published on 11/28/18.

ADDITIONAL ARBOR ED™ ARTICLES!

TJ Nagel I Scheduling Production Manager, Russell Tree Experts

TJ joined Russell Tree Experts in 2012 and loves trees. He is an avid gardener and plant collector. TJ graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Landscape Horticulture and minor in Entomology. TJ is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® and well versed in plant pathology and tree ID.

Test Before Treatment: Soil & Tissue Testing

Test Before Treatment

I find it interesting that test procedures recommended in the medical field for human health have become part of the expected methodology, but not so much in arboriculture, for tree health. As arborists, we are trained that a soil test should be done prior to recommending fertilization, for example, but I don’t know of many outfits that make soil sampling a part of their modus operandi. On the other side of the equation, many clients will choose not to do a soil or tissue sample when presented with the option, perhaps because of budgetary reasons. I think it is time this started to change, because knowledge of a problem is the first step toward the solution. Given an unhealthy tree, I might suspect what the problem is, but unless it is one that is readily identifiable in the field, I would rather start with the sampling than attempt a treatment.

Click here to see the 9-step soil testing process!

Fertilization is one instance where a soil sample, at minimum, should be taken. For fertilization, a tissue sample would also be good, for reasons I will get into shortly. Another instance when plant samples are usually taken is when a problem is not readily identifiable in the field, and the problem is not so developed that treatment is still a viable option. A third instance where sampling is necessary is to rule out the possibility of a disease which could spread to neighboring healthy trees. In this case even dead plants may be sampled to detect the presence of one of these pathogens if possible, and to know how to dispose of the dead plants properly.

Fertilization

In general, “tame” trees and shrubs in finished landscapes benefit from fertilization because they are growing in conditions that do not resemble where they would be growing if they were “wild”. I may not need to sample the soil in an urban landscape to know that usually the addition of organic matter is going to benefit the trees, along with the nitrogen that composted organic matter provides for growth. Also, I know that most of the soil we find in the Columbus area is a limestone based, heavy clay soil. This particular bit of knowledge has led to some confusion in particular tree treatments I am about to discuss. (If you have Pin Oak, River Birch, Maple, Sweetgum, or Sweetbay Magnolia on your property, read this section if nothing else!!)  Arborists have traditionally been taught that chlorosis (yellowing foliage) in these trees is due to either a deficiency of iron or manganese in our heavy clay soils. If the tree is a Pin, Red, Shingle, or Sawtooth Oak, you treat it with iron. If the tree is a Maple or a Sweetgum, treat it with manganese. At this point in my life I don’t recall what the recommendation was for the other trees. Why not?

Chlorosis in a Red Maple

Chlorosis in a River Birch

After years of treating trees this way with very mixed results, I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Darrah at CLC LABS. His findings over the years for our Columbus soils, related to chlorosis in these trees, have been that the problem is nearly always a manganese deficiency. To make matters even worse, giving iron to a tree that has a manganese deficiency appears to make the manganese deficiency even more pronounced. To this day I continue to be filled with satisfaction when I drive past a tree that was not responding to year after year of iron treatments, in the soil and with trunk injections and implants, to no avail, by someone else. Then, after sending soil and tissue samples to the lab, we found a surplus of iron and a dearth of manganese. The remedy? Treat aggressively with manganese. Sometimes the result is immediate, most times we see a turnaround after 2-3 seasons of treating appropriately. But what a satisfying feeling to know that we have figured out what the problem was, and now the symptoms are being reversed! To be clear, the satisfaction does not come from knowing we were right and someone else was wrong!  It comes from seeing a tree that was in decline start to come back to life.

Click here to see Dr. Darrah at CLC LABS perform soil testing!

When I encounter chlorotic foliage in trees now, my top suspect for nutrient deficiency  is manganese. If a tree is only beginning to show symptoms, I may recommend manganese to see if it turns around. If it does not turn around, we can sample to see what the issue is. Why take this backward approach? Maybe because I have a subconscious fear that a client may feel that I am just trying to sell additional services that are not needed. Especially if the other two arborists (from other companies) she spoke to “never recommended sampling”. And in her mind she may be thinking “Why does this arborist need to take samples? Can’t he tell what the problem is? And anyway, the other arborists said the issue was iron, not manganese.”  So, since I know there is a very high chance the problem is manganese, that’s what I will recommend. 

BUT, there have been a very small number of samples that came back showing some other micronutrient deficiency (or surplus), that was critical for knowing what the best treatment approach was. And this is why sampling should always take place first. I pledge to offer that as the first step in a treatment plan to each client with a sickly tree. At least then I will have done my due diligence.

As a final note for fertilization, if the time of year is right, a tissue sample is great for getting a more complete picture of what is happening in the tree.  By comparing soil to tissue, we can see what is available to the tree and what is actually inside the tree.  This helps with diagnosing the cause for symptoms. 

Sampling for disease diagnosis, live or dying trees

There are many diseases arborists can positively identify in the field if properly trained, and they should be able and willing to show the client what they are seeing, and why it needs to be treated (or not). I still find insects that pop up sporadically that I have never seen before. Usually I can pull out the reference books back at the office and find the pest or pathogen, but if I fail at that, it is time to take a sample to the clinic. Even if an arborist had exhaustive knowledge for field identification of diseases (which is a tall order), there are certain diseases that require a specialized lab for a positive identification. In the case of live trees, one may decide that sampling is not needed due to how advanced the symptoms are. If the tree is not salvageable, perhaps sampling is not the best use of funds. But if the symptoms are those that could be of an infectious nature, threatening other live trees, sampling is paramount, and should be done promptly.  Let’s look at Oak Wilt, for example. 

Several years ago, Russell Tree Experts submitted the first positively identifiable sample of this disease taken from a tree in Franklin County. The year prior, a consulting arborist had turned in a positive sample from a tree in Delaware County. Oak Wilt is a disease that was known in the northeastern counties, and we were sad to see it moving into our neighborhood. However, had we not taken the samples, we would not have known the steps to take to properly dispose of the dead trees, inoculate the surrounding live trees at high risk of infection, and try to get the word out to the local arborist community. That was several years ago. Since then, more and more arborists have had positive samples, but to my chagrin, I still run into trees that I am fairly certain died of Oak Wilt but were removed willy nilly by “arborists” who maybe never even thought why the Red Oak went from live to dead in a matter of days. It takes time for word to get around, and it takes tree owners who are concerned about their trees.  

I am happy to say there are several reputable, trustworthy tree care companies in the Columbus area whom I am proud to count as colleagues (and I hope they feel the same way about us!).  This provides discerning clientele with plenty of good options to choose from. I am also very happy that more and more people are realizing how important the care of trees and plants is – not just for the love of their own back yard, but for the good of their neighbors.  How do I know you are out there? Because you take the time to read these thoughts that flow out of my fingers into the keyboard. As I write this, early evening is coming on. I am looking out my window across a field divided by a small stream. Green grass in the foreground flows to the border of the stream, outlined in buckthorn turning yellowish green, brilliant yellow Maple on the left, defoliated Cottonwoods against the sky. Anchoring the scene on the right is a large Pin Oak turning an orange bronze. When the sun shines it lights up like fire. Across the stream a recently harvested soybean field, the color of straw. In the background, all across the window frame, stretches a native woods made up of what appears to be mostly Oak and Hickory: rusty, ruddy, yellow, gold.  Above the green grass, tan straw, and tree line made of fire a sheet of sky in light gray is spread, with a hint of pink peeking through here and there. 

Stop for a moment.  Look around.  Let peace find you, and give thanks for it. The more we notice it, the less we can take it for granted.

Your friendly neighborhood arborist, 
José Fernández

José Fernández | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

José became an ISA Certified Arborist® in 2004, and a Board-Certified Master Arborist® in 2015. Currently he is enrolled at The Ohio State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Plant Health Management. José likes working around trees because he is still filled with wonder every time he walks in the woods.

Fear no Weevil (With Fall Systemic Insecticide)

As we prepare for another season of Fall Tree Wellness, another important insect to take note of is White Pine Weevil. White Pine Weevil is a damaging pest to a broad range of conifers, including White, Scotch, Red and Austrian pine as well as Colorado blue, Norway, and Serbian spruce. Douglas-fir can also be attacked. White pine Weevil does the bulk of its damage to trees in the later part of the Spring, but I mention it now because we get the most successful management of this pest with a Fall application of systemic insecticide. If you have had damage from White pine weevil in the past - now is the time to take corrective action.

Adult white pine weevil spends the winter underneath dropped needles and debris, generally very close to previously infested trees. On warm days in early Spring, the adults travel to the terminal leaders of host trees and begin feeding on terminal branches. Later in Spring the adult females will mate and deposit eggs into feeding wounds. Dozens to hundreds of eggs can be deposited into one terminal leader. Eggs hatch one to two weeks later with larvae feeding downward on the inner bark of the terminal stems. Feeding continues through mid-July at which point larvae pupate in hollowed out chambers inside the stem. New adults emerge in late July - August and feed intermittently on small twigs throughout the canopy of the tree until they move to the base of the tree for overwintering shelter.  

The most destructive stage of white pine weevil is the larval feeding stage which produces a conspicuous injury to the host tree by causing the new growth of the tree to wilt and die back.   The affected terminal shoots wilt into a “shepherd’s crook” (see below photo) and the needles turn lighter in color before turning brown and eventually falling off. In most cases host trees are not killed. However, feeding injury stunts the growth of the tree and can also cause trees to develop poor structure with multiple new leaders forming beneath damaged areas.

Injury to white pine is generally confined to the previous season’s growth. Damage on Scotch pine and spruce will often extend downward through two or three year’s growth.   

Examples of the “shepherd’s crook”

Managing The White Pine Weevil

Host plants are most attractive to White pine weevil between 3’ and 20’ in height. In June - July, look for curled or dead terminal leaders that have the appearance of a “shepherd’s crook.” These infested leaders should be pruned out of the tree and destroyed or removed from the site to attempt to eradicate the pest from the host plant.

If you have had infestations of white pine weevil in the past or have host plants in the preferred size range, a well-timed soil drench with an appropriately labeled systemic insecticide works really well at controlling this pest. This application is recommended in the Fall to allow sufficient time for uptake of the insecticide to the terminal shoots of the tree by Spring when larval feeding resumes.

TJ Nagel | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts

ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6298A // Graduated from The Ohio State University in 2012, Earned B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Landscape Horticulture and minor in Entomology // Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) // Russell Tree Experts Arborist Since 2010

Preventing Tree & Property Storm Damage

Summer months include long hot sunny days that we can enjoy by the pool or lake, but can also bring thunderstorms and high winds. While trees provide shade in these very hot months, they can also be a source of property damage during these summer storms.  
 

What is "Storm Damage"?

Storm damage occurs when a tree or limbs from the tree fall and damage valued property. This can range from a tree limb falling on your gutter to a large tree falling onto your home. Storm damage results in millions of dollars in property loss every year. 

A Silver Maple fell onto a house following a wind storm. The tight "V" crotch near the base of the tree made this tree a likely victim of the wind storm.
 

Is it Possible to Prevent Storm Damage?

Of course! While it’s difficult to always predict nature, storm damage can often be prevented and sometimes eliminated by mindful homeowners. 
 

3 Tips: How to Identify Storm Damage Risks
(See Photos Below)

The key to reducing potential storm damage is identifying the hazards. The following are a few simple ways to try and identify potential hazards.

1. Identify hazardous dead limbs close to your house or other valued property

2. Identify declining trees on your property - Look for these:
   • A large number of dead limbs in the canopy of the tree
   • The existence of fruiting bodies on the trunk of the tree
   • Overall the tree doesn’t look healthy (missing leaves, loose bark, etc.)
3. Identify Co-dominant stems
   • Tight “V” type crotches
   • Multiple stems originating from one point in the trunk.

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How to Mitigate The Hazards

At Russell Tree Experts we can help to identify the hazards. Once the hazards are identified a full mitigation plan will be put together. The plan may include but not limited to pruning, removal, and cabling to make your property a safer place. 
 

In Summary

A well-maintained tree with regular pruning and care has been shown to result in a stronger more storm-resistant tree. Identifying hazards and putting together a mitigation plan can save you thousands of dollars as well as save you lots of headaches when storms hit!

Sincerely, 

Chris Gill, Russell Tree Experts
ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6416A

Are Your Trees Being Suffocated By Their Own Roots?

Please note: This article was originally published on 3/28/2018 and was republished on 3/25/2021.

Unfortunately, more and more trees are “growing up” in unnatural environments that force their root systems into confined spaces which leads to the formation of girdling roots. From the start of a tree’s life, girdling roots may be forming. Trees grown in nurseries are forced to grow in small containers. This practice encourages the binding and tangling of roots AKA pot-bound. Poor nursery practices and poor planting practices are the two most common ways girdling roots are introduced into landscapes.

Other “tight spaces” include trees planted near homes, backyard structures, sidewalks, or roads. Even a perfectly placed tree can fall victim to girdling roots by the act of over-mulching its base –a trend that has resulted in the death of many trees by many well-intentioned homeowners

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Four Signs of Girdling Root Issues

1. The tree appears to be dying from the top down
2. The tree is late to leaf out in the spring and/or has smaller than normal leaves
3. There are visible roots above the surface circling the trunk:

4. There is no visible root flare:

Good - Root flare is above ground

Bad - Root flare is below the mulch

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Why do Girdling Roots Form?

In an attempt to survive, the trees root system branches out in search of nutrients, only to be blocked by nearby structures and are forced to re-direct backward onto themselves, serving as a tourniquet –cutting off the nutrients the tree was so desperately in search of. Root collar excavation serves to identify these “problem roots” before they cause permanent irreversible damage.

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How We Fix The Problem

Root collar excavation is a technique used to expose “problem roots” that may be suffocating your tree and cutting off vital nutrient uptake, ultimately leading to the demise of your tree. These “problem roots” are known as girdling roots. Girdling roots are roots that tightly wrap themselves around the base of a tree in an unnatural fashion. A tree root collar (AKA tree root flare) is the area where the first division of roots attaches to the trunk of the tree and is the area where girdling roots form.   

Root collar excavation is a process that involves directing high-pressure air at the base of the tree to displace local soil in order to inspect the root system. Once problem roots are identified we begin the process of careful and selective root pruning to remove the unwanted roots while keeping the tree healthy and vigorous.

Step 1

Review the tree to see if any visible roots are wrapped around the base of the tree. Another symptom of girdling roots is die-back starting in the top of the tree.

Step 2

Using an AirSpade, the soil will be blasted to expose the tree’s root system below the surface. Don’t worry, the AirSpade only moves the soil and does not hurt the tree and it’s fibrous roots.

Step 3

The arborist will then identify all the girdling roots and remove them using hand tools and/or a chainsaw.

Step 4

The root zone is then covered with composted mulch and voila! - the tree can “breathe” again!

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Contact Russell Tree Experts for Help!

It may be hard to identify girdling roots on your own tree so if you have any questions, our certified arborists at Russell Tree Experts will be happy to inspect your trees. We can perform root collar excavation year-round but we recommend doing this in early spring or late fall as it is healthiest for the tree.

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How to Avoiding Girdling Roots

1. Avoid over-mulching! Avoid those mulch volcanos.

2. Plan ahead! Pick your planting site wisely, use proper planting practices.

3. Choose tree species wisely! Some trees are at higher risk of developing girdling roots (ie: Maple, Crabapple, Cherry, and Pear trees).

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Did You Know Construction Can Kill Trees?

We see it all the time: trees surrounding a newly built home dying as a result of soil compaction and mechanical damage from heavy machinery, as well as change in the native grade affecting soil depth and water flow. A tree preservation plan is needed prior to construction which prioritizes your woody landscape as an important part of your construction project. With a Pre-Construction Tree Preservation Consultation from Arbor Answers, our experts will build a custom plan for your construction site to encourage the trees to thrive following the completion of the project. 

Options for the Pre-Construction Tree Preservation Consultation:

• On-site meeting to discuss construction plan and desired trees on the property
• Customized plan to help protect your trees during and after construction
• Installation of temporary fencing to give trees proper perimeters (if needed)
• Installation of temporary root zone protection (if needed)

Contact us before you build to maintain the beautiful wooded landscape you desire!