Are Your Birch Trees Suffering or Dying? Could be a Bronze Birch Borer Infestation

We've noticed quite a few Birch trees around Seattle beginning to die. Often the top of the tree will dye first, and before you know it, the whole tree looks like it's in decline.

The major culprit: Bronze Birch Borer

Prevention:
- deeply water your Birches once per month in dry weather
- mulch around the roots
- have a professional drench the roots with a pesticide once a year

If your Birch tree shows 30%+ dead, it is unlikely to recover and should be removed.

To read all about this bronze birch borer, check out this well-researched article by Kim Pokorny of The Oregonian:  Birch trees losing ground

Tree on House in Ravenna, Seattle: Emergency Tree Removal

Ouch! Blooma Tree Experts rushes to remove this large Maple stem from Seattle house.

We received the phone call about 7:00 pm--a huge Maple tree stem, the size of a tree itself, had crashed onto a roof of a home in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle, WA. We assembled our crew, and off we raced.

Here is the raw, broken stem where the large stem used to be.

 

The base of the stem was rotten, so it was only a matter of time until it failed. The homeowners were fortunate that their strong balcony took the brunt of the fall.

Martin Macauley coordinates the stem removal from the house, ensuring it doesn't crash into neighbors' garage.

Jefferson's Monticello Tree Being Smothered by English Ivy

Last week we visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and admired hundreds of beautiful old trees, most barren for the winter. Then we saw the most substantial ivy vine/tree that we've ever witnessed. Take a look at these stunning photos:

This thick vine with its grasping tentacles is embracing the tree -- to death.

 

 

In the left photo, you see the ivy, green and vibrant, as the tree itself lies dormant and leafless. The photo on the right shows the top of the tree, rising above the ivy. It's surprising to us that this English ivy has been allowed to grow so vigorously on the Monticello estate. It should be removed to ensure a long, healthy life for the tree.

5 Reasons to Remove English Ivy From Your Tree

Sometimes we are called to a home to inspect a tree with ivy climbing on it. The homeowner will ask, "Should we remove the ivy?" The answer, always, is "YES!" (And yes, we offer to remove the ivy for the homeowner.)

A Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra being smothered by Ivy.

The same Lombardy Poplar after we cleared out the all the Ivy. It will now live.

 English ivy harms a tree in 5 ways:

1. Weight: ivy is very heavy, putting a tremendous burden on a tree. Because the ivy is evergreen, it remains vibrant and growing even while the tree is dormant. This can add strain to a tree from its weight and by catching the wind (dynamic load) during its most vulnerable months.
2. Suffocation: where there is ivy, there is little to no light getting through to the tree's leaves. Since photosynthesis is one of the primary ways a tree receives nutrients, and sunlight hitting a tree's leaves is how photosynthesis occurs, it's easy to see how ivy will prevent this process. For more info on photosynthesis, go here.
3. Constriction: like a boa constrictor, ivy grafts to itself, creating a constrictive blanket, like a sock. This prevents the tree's ability to increase its girth, a requirement a tree to support itself.
4. Nutrient Theft: at the root level, the ivy's roots will lay above a tree's roots, competing for water and other nutrients. In addition, the ivy prevents leaves and other debris from landing around the base of the tree; these organic materials provide nutrition to the tree.
5. Pore blocking: Lenticils are tree pores on the bark that allow the exchange of gases. The ivy blocks this, which interferes with a tree's basic function. For more info on lenticils, click here.

Removing English ivy is a time-intensive, challenging project. The Blooma Tree Experts can remove ivy efficiently and thoroughly, thus giving new life to a formerly constricted tree.

Here is the same Lombardy Poplar today; photo is courtesy of Google Earth:

Beautiful!