As a tree ages and develops problems, arborists and property owners must often take action to keep the tree healthy and safe. Sometimes, simple steps, such as supplemental fertilization or minor corrective pruning, may be enough to solve the...

A few days ago, we discussed the importance of selecting wind-tolerant tree species for those living in windswept areas (San Francisco and the Bay Area are particularly good examples, and not just because these areas are plagued by the aptly...

Like many other facets of the natural world, trees are the subject of innumerable myths and misunderstandings. As professional arborists, our job is to help separate fact from fiction, thereby allowing our clients and readers to better care...

Not so long ago, arborists and other tree professionals would coat fresh pruning cuts with a latex- or petroleum-based paint. The goal was to prevent the advancement of decay, which could ultimately kill the recently pruned tree. However, one...

Urban trees must cope with a constant parade of assaults. They live amid polluted air, grow in confined areas and suffer scars from delinquents and ne’er-do-wells. However, these damaging deeds pale in comparison to the primary threat facing...

Tree bark is roughly akin to the skin of animals; it helps to define the boundary between the internal and external world, and it provides protection against a variety of threats. While bark fails to attract the same level of attention that...

DRAFT

Today, we wanted to talk about an avoidable, but all too common, threat to your trees: girdling. Girdling occurs when something wraps around a tree branch or trunk, and causes damage to the tree’s vascular tissue. Severe girdling damage...

Trees help to reduce the local temperatures in a variety of ways. 

Among the most important ways that they do so include the process of transpiration, in which trees draw water from the ground and pump it into the air and through the...

We are pleased to announce that on June 16, 2015, Arborist Now received accreditation from the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). But what, exactly, does that mean?

The Basics

The Tree Care Industry Association is a trade...

Common Traits of Invasive Species

Quick quiz: What do the following species have in common?

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), giant reed (Arundo donax), gold spotted oak borers (Agrilus coxalis), quagga...