Proper Tree Planting and Pruning - Apex, NC

Proper Tree Planting and Pruning

Mark SiburtSenior Zoning Compliance Officer

Town of Apex, Planning Department

International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist FL-5853AM

Proper Tree Planting and Pruning

• How to Plant a Tree• Pruning Techniques• Crape Myrtle Pruning• Gloomy Scale• Town of Apex Arbor Day Celebration

How to plant a tree

How to plant a tree

• Step 1 – Quality Tree• Check tree for good structure and

branch attachment • No major wounds or decay• Good healthy tree

How to plant a tree

• Step 2 – Root System Quality• No circling roots or girdling roots

• Remove if present• Trees with excessive circling roots

should be culled

How to plant a tree

• Step 3 – Tree Shipping• Cover trees with tarp when

transported• Lift tree by container handles,

never by the trunk• Store trees in shade if not planted

immediately

How to plant a tree

• Step 4 – Planting Hole Preparation• Dig hole 2X the diameter of rootball

and slightly less than the depth of the rootball

• Top of rootball should be slightly above soil level

How to plant a tree

• Step 5 – Tree Preparation• Remove black weed cloth liner, plastic wrap or container• Remove any string or wire wrapped around trunk• Cut any circling or

girdling roots

Before: Notice the circling roots After: Notice the cut roots

How to plant a tree

• Step 6 – Tree Planting• Place tree in center of hole with

the rootball slightly above finished soil grade

• Make sure tree is straight in hole

How to plant a tree

• Step 7 – Finishing Planting• Create soil berm 2-3 inches high

around the edge of the rootball to create a water holding area

• Water immediately

How to plant a tree

• Step 8 – Irrigation• Automated low volume drip irrigation best• Manual watering schedule:

• Daily for 1 month• Every other day for months 2-4• Weekly if necessary until establishment• Water during droughts or dry spells

longer than 2 weeks

Proper Pruning Techniques

Proper Pruning Techniques

• Why do we prune?• Remove dead or diseased limbs• Clear obstructions from streets, sidewalks and buildings• Eliminate fruit• Reduce size or slow growth rate• Remove structural defects • Develop a strong structure

• Structural Pruning Strategies:

1. Develop or maintain a dominant leader2. Identify lowest branch in the permanent canopy3. Prevent branches below the permanent canopy from

growing too large4. Space main branches along dominant trunk

5. Keep all branches less than ½ the trunk diameter

6. Suppress growth on branches with included bark

Prune to promote strong structureTrees require about 25 years of training

to develop strong structure.

“PowerPoint slide by Edward F. Gilman, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, IFAS, University of Florida."

Before After

Reduce stems as indicated by the red arrows.

“PowerPoint slide by Edward F. Gilman, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, IFAS, University of Florida."

Codominant Trunk• Codominant trunk with included bark.

• Large brown area on trunk is where bark of fallen limb was against the main trunks bark.

• No connective tissue in brown area.

Branch bark ridge

Collar: swollen area at the base of the branch where it joins the trunk. The tissue is rich in energy reserves and chemicals that hinder the spread of decay. Good pruning cuts avoid cutting into the collar.

Collar

"PowerPoint slide by Edward F. Gilman, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, IFAS, University of Florida."

Where to cut?

Make good pruning cutsStep 1Make an undercut about 12 inches from the trunk.Step 2Make a topcut farther out on the limb.Step 3Remove the stub with final cut, being careful not to cut flush against the trunk. Leave the collar intact.

“PowerPoint slide by Edward F. Gilman, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, IFAS, University of Florida."

Topping

• August 2012

Topping

• March 2016

Topping• April 2017

Why NOT to “Top:” 8 Good Reasons• Starvation: Topping removes so much of the tree’s leafy crown that it

dangerously reduces the tree’s food-making ability.

• Shock: By removing the protective cover of the tree’s canopy, bark tissue is exposed to the direct rays of the sun. The resultant scalding can cause the tree’s death.

• Insects and Disease: The exposed ends of topped limbs are highly vulnerable to insect invasion or decay fungi spores.

• Weak Limbs: New branches that grow from a stubbed limb are weakly attached and more liable to break from snow or ice weight.

• Rapid New Growth: Instead of controlling the height and spread of the tree, topping has the opposite effect. New branches are more numerous and often grow higher than before.

• Tree Death: Some tree species can’t tolerate major branch loss and still survive. At best, they remain weak and disease-prone.

• Ugliness: A topped tree is a disfigured tree. Even with new growth it never regains the grace and character of its species.

• Cost: The true cost of topping is often hidden – lower property values, expense of removal and replacement if the tree dies.

Arbor Day Foundation; Bulletin #8: Don’t Top Trees!

Verify an ISA Certification

• https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/verify

Crape Myrtle Pruning

Crape Murder

• A Crape myrtle that has been topped. "Crape murder" consists of topping at position 1 (in the photo above) the first year, position 2 the second year, and position 3 the third year, whereupon topping in the fourth year often occurs below position 1 and repeats the sequence in subsequent years.

ENH1138: Crapemyrtle Pruning, Gary W. Knox and Edward F. Gilman

Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2009. Revised April 2010. Reviewed August 2018

Figure 2.

Crape Myrtle Pruning

• Topping and pollarding typically delay flowering up to one month compared to unpruned Crape myrtle.

• Properly placed, Crape myrtle is a low-maintenance plant needing little or no pruning.

• A Crape myrtle that requires routine pruning to fit into its surroundings should be considered for replacement with a smaller-maturing cultivar.

ENH1138: Crapemyrtle Pruning, Gary W. Knox and Edward F. Gilman

Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2009. Revised April 2010. Reviewed August 2018

Gloomy Scale

Gloomy Scale

• Gloomy scale is primarily a pest of red maples but has been observed feeding on other tree species including sugar maple, elm, tulip poplar, hackberry, boxelder, buckthorn, sweet gum, gallberry, mulberry, native hollies, and soapberry.

• Gloomy scale is found throughout the southeastern United States as far north as Maryland, south to Florida, and west to Texas.

Gloomy Scale, Melanaspis tenebricosa (Comstock), Hemiptera: Diaspididae; Steven Frank, Professor and Extension Specialist, Entomology and Plant Pathology and Adam Dale, Graduate Research Assistant, EntomologyPublication date: July 3, 2015; Revised: Sept. 18, 2019

Gloomy Scale

• Gloomy scales use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to penetrate the tree bark and feed on parenchyma cells, which synthesize and store organic products within the tree.

• This damages the tree by robbing it of nutrients and energy necessary to grow.

• Heavily infested trees will exhibit twig and branch dieback, thinning canopy, and eventual death.

Gloomy Scale, Melanaspis tenebricosa (Comstock), Hemiptera: Diaspididae; Steven Frank, Professor and Extension Specialist, Entomology and Plant Pathology and Adam Dale, Graduate Research Assistant, EntomologyPublication date: July 3, 2015; Revised: Sept. 18, 2019

Gloomy Scale• Prevent gloomy scale infestations and long-term management by

selecting correct planting sites for red maples.

• Impervious surfaces reduce water availability and increase soil and air temperatures. Gloomy scale becomes more abundant as tree canopy temperature and drought stress increase.

• Research has shown that reducing plant stress by proper planting and watering can reduce susceptibility to infestation and damage by gloomy scale.

Gloomy Scale, Melanaspis tenebricosa (Comstock), Hemiptera: Diaspididae; Steven Frank, Professor and Extension Specialist, Entomology and Plant Pathology and Adam Dale, Graduate Research Assistant, EntomologyPublication date: July 3, 2015; Revised: Sept. 18, 2019

Town of Apex Arbor Day Celebration

Arbor Day Celebration• March 20, 2020

• Time: 2:00 PM

• Seagroves Farm Park Located at 201 Parkfield Drive

• Tree CAP is partnering with the Bee City Committee

• Five trees will be planted to celebrate the five years as a Tree City USA

• A mix of large shade trees and small flowering trees will be planted to enhance habitat for native pollinators

Mark SiburtSenior Zoning Compliance Officer

[email protected]