- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Trees are facing stress from a variety of pressures in California, including climate change and exotic invasive pests, reported Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times.
“There are lots of invasive pests everywhere because of global warming and the movement of plant materials in general,” said Philippe Rolshausen, UC Cooperative Extension subtropical tree specialist at UC Riverside.
Yellowing leaves, a thinning canopy and branch die-back are symptoms that the tree is sick. UC Master...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Low rainfall in the state of California is stressing landscape trees in urban areas, reported the San Jose Mercury-News.
Igor Lacan, UCCE advisor in Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda counties, says it's difficult to make blanket statements about which species are in trouble, since a tree's water- and heat-related health depends on its location.
Some species on a south-facing slope might show drought stress, while the same species on a north-facing slope doesn't....
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Cooler, breezy weather in California this week is a welcome sign of autumn. After three years of drought, the beginning of fall holds hope for a "normal" rainy season. Since the hoped-for stormy weather can release branches from trees, UC Cooperative Extension horticulture advisor Michelle LeStrange reminded readers in her Visalia Times-Delta column today to take a close look at their landscape trees.
"It’s better to find a broken branch in your tree," she wrote, "than on your car."
She suggests trees be inspected before and after storms for leaning, weakly attached multiple trunks, a split where large branches attach to the trunk,...
