These large London plane trees along the waterfront in Poulsbo, WA help intercept and slow down rain water. This spring we have been encountering some extraordinary rainy weather. Since March we have been hearing about the rain setting records throughout Washington—for instance, in the entire month of June, Seattle usually averages 1.45 inches of rain. … Continue reading Timely Tree Tips: Rainfall interception in urban areas
Timely Tree Tips: Tree Owner’s Manual
Think back to the day you planted your latest tree. It may have been during Arbor Day, which recently passed in April, or during the fall planting season. You did your research to find the perfect planting spot for your perfect tree. You properly planted the tree, mulched around it and topped it off with … Continue reading Timely Tree Tips: Tree Owner’s Manual
Timely Tree Tips — Assessing Damage After a Winter Storm
Recently, it seems like the whole state was blanketed with winter storm activities, which has now left some parts of Washington experiencing flood risks, avalanche warnings, and post-storm tree damage. When winter storms sweep through, they can leave behind wet, heavy snow or thick layers of ice. If a tree is weak, diseased or previously … Continue reading Timely Tree Tips — Assessing Damage After a Winter Storm
Winter Tree ID Part 1 – No Leaves, No Problem
Winter may seem like the worst time of the year to identify trees− because without leaves to look at, recognition of common species can become tricky for most people. However, arborists regularly inspect, prune, and perform other maintenance activities on trees in winter months and knowing the species is key to getting the job done … Continue reading Winter Tree ID Part 1 – No Leaves, No Problem
Tree City USA Bulletins & Resources
Annual Tree City USA applications for Washington communities were due on December 1. Did your community submit their 2021 application? If not, you can still do so, email Jessica.Lloyd@dnr.wa.gov for more information. To help cities maintain and grow their tree cover, the Arbor Day Foundation has published more than 100 Tree City USA Bulletins on … Continue reading Tree City USA Bulletins & Resources
Timely Tree Tips: Summer Tree Care
Whenever there’s a heatwave like the one we experienced at the end of June, people are warned to stay indoors, drink plenty of fluids and watch for signs of heat stress. These are steps we instinctively take to cope with hotter than normal temperatures. Similarly to ourselves, our trees also just endured numerous days of … Continue reading Timely Tree Tips: Summer Tree Care
A Tree to Try: Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
The attractive Aesculus × carnea (red Horsechestnut) tends to be a mystery− its origins are unconfirmed and a subject of controversy among arborists and researchers alike. Some sources claim the origins lay in 1820 Germany, while others in 1858 France, and there may be additional claims we are forgetting to mention. Regardless, most experts believe … Continue reading A Tree to Try: Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
Preparing Your Urban Forest for the Next Storm
Wind, ice, snow and wildfires can leave a city a mess. The snow and ice storms we experienced in western Washington earlier this year knocked out power lines and littered sidewalks, business districts and streets with limbs. Trees that were otherwise healthy and strong may have been damaged, and more frequently, the unhealthy and more … Continue reading Preparing Your Urban Forest for the Next Storm
The complex issue of urban soils, people and trees
A couple years ago, during what I thought was a business-as-usual downtown park tree planting, my volunteer group came across a startling discovery. They were digging large holes for our 2” caliper trees then, at about 2 feet of digging, “clonk”— shovels started to hit a plane of bricks. The planting instantly became not-so-normal as … Continue reading The complex issue of urban soils, people and trees
Winter Tree Care – 4 Easy Tips
This article is a repost from Washington DNR's Ear to the Ground blog posted on November 18, 2020. To view the original article, click here. Did you know that your trees need care throughout the winter to maintain their health? Or that you need to start that care now, before a big freeze hits? Even though trees … Continue reading Winter Tree Care – 4 Easy Tips
Forester’s Notes During a Pandemic
This article is reposted with permission as it originally appeared on the Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry E-Newsletter on August 5, 2020. Click here for the original version and to subscribe to the newsletter. These are the Forester's Notes of Kevin Zobrist, Professor at the Extension Forestry, Washington State University. Protecting the vulnerable This virus … Continue reading Forester’s Notes During a Pandemic