Tree Care Questions
How can I help a tree that is struggling after the hot dry summer?
An effective way of improving the vitality of a struggling, stressed or diseased tree is to improve the soil structure and nutrients in its rooting area. This can be achieved with Deep Root Injections of water containing organic fertilizer and mychorrizal fungi in the spring and fall. Soils under a tree that are compacted and…
Read more »
Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea)
Last year there was a large infestation of ‘Fall webworm’ in the Comox Valley and across many parts of Vancouver Island. You may have noticed the large ‘tent’ webs on red-alder trees along the roads and highways starting in July and August, and perhaps in your gardens too. While the caterpillars and their webs may…
Read more »
“Is it possible that we don’t own our trees?”
As property owners, we are often excited to have our own space to customize and make our own, from the details of the home to the landscape. In short, we enjoy the feeling of ownership. However, in general, we are usually still part of a community. We may have to share the cost of repairing…
Read more »“Can we top this tree? Should we top this tree?”
Topping involves making (often radical) reductions in height that disrupt the natural growth pattern of the tree. Firstly, if we can agree that nature generally has a reason to its design, then we likely don’t want to disrupt the natural form and growth patterns of the trees we care for. Secondly, we must recognize that…
Read more »“Does this tree need to be pruned?”
Our philosophy is that a naturally grown tree that has had no human interference living outside of a man-made environment does not need to be pruned. But the truth is that in the urban environment, humans and trees coexist, and we often have desires and objectives that require altering the tree in some way. A…
Read more »