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palm tree maintenance

Bay Area Pests: The Palm Weevil

Written by Jerry White on .

Are your palm trees safe from invasive Bay Area pests? The palm weevil, which crossed the US-Mexico border several years ago, is continuing to spread north. A study by the University of California recently uncovered that the palm weevil flies much faster and spreads more rapidly than previously anticipated, and how easily area trees could fall prey to this palm tree pest.

Palm Weevils Pose a Substantial Threat to Trees in the Bay Area

Palm weevils attack many palm species throughout the region, including fruit-bearing date palms, coconut palms, sago palms, African oil palms, and Washingtonia fan palms. If the palm weevil impacts date palms in Imperial and Coachella, their damage could cost millions. If you fear a palm weevil infestation, contact an Arborwell tree wellness expert immediately. Palm weevils can kill a Canary Island palm tree in just 49 days. Hundreds of palms in Tijuana and San Diego have already succumbed to the pest. Worsening matters, the palm weevil also carries a roundworm on its body that is a known vector for red ring disease, which is lethal to date palms.

Black Palm Weevils May Be Harder to Eliminate Than Red Palm Weevils

Unlike their relative, the red palm weevil, brought to the US from Southeast Asia for food, the jet-black South American palm weevil may prove harder to eradicate. The pest is spreading naturally from neighboring Mexico, stretching its wings as far east as Texas and as far north as Bonita, CA. Once infested, a single palm tree could host up to 1,000 weevils. Females of the species are remarkable flyers, capable of covering 61-87 miles in a single day, increasing the likelihood of infestation and widespread destruction.

Timely Pest Control is Crucial to Managing Palm Weevil Infestation

With their prolific procreation and capacity for flight, it is essential that we all work together to prevent and control the spread of the palm weevil. Early identification of infested trees is crucial. If you see signs of crown damage or drooping/dead fronds, we recommend scheduling a complimentary assessment from an Arborwell certified arborist right away. We recommend removing infected trees from your Bay Area apartment community, HOA, commercial office, retail space, industrial park, or government facility immediately. This will not only stop the spread of the pests but prevent collapsing trees from injuring bystanders.

Identify and eliminate palm weevils fast with help from Arborwell Professional Tree Management. Contact us to schedule a complimentary tree assessment from a certified arborist for your San Jose, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Seattle, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Hayward, or Oakland commercial property today.

palm weevil, pest conrol, pests, Prevention

industrial an commercial tree service

Arborist Care for City Trees

Written by Jerry White on .

At Arborwell, our ISA certified tree care professionals service Bay Area and Seattle city forests of all shapes and sizes. The trees growing beside HOAs and apartments, near retail centers, corporate campuses, and parks, endure a lot of abuse. They suffer from their proximity to large buildings and swaths of pavement, damage from people and cars, drought and weather extremes, poor drainage, and untended pest infestation and disease. When city budget cuts leave city trees without the arborist care they so desperately need, it leads to serious consequences for both plants and people

The High Cost of Severely Neglected City Trees

The Arborwell team understands that neglecting the care of city trees costs far more in the long run than providing routine maintenance. Most of the emergency maintenance calls we attend to present far more in liability risk than proper tree care. Are these tree care issues putting your business at risk?

  • Dying, disease, and pest-ridden trees pose a serious safety risk. Left unaddressed, they can fall on vehicles, buildings, and pedestrians, leaving property owners and city governments liable for damage and injury.
  • Fallen limbs from trees with heavy overgrowth can damage power lines, causing outages. They can also block roadways, obstructing access. 
  • Unattended roots can crack and lift sidewalks and roadways, necessitating costly pavement repairs.

You can avoid these emergency issues with a minimal investment in timely care. At Arborwell, our plant health care experts can ensure your trees remain healthy and sustainable, benefitting the community. 

Maximizing the Benefits of City Trees

Trees are a key part of a happy, healthy urban environment. City trees clean the air and water, offer welcome shade, and reduce stormwater runoff. They serve as a habitat for area wildlife, combat the urban heat island effect, and provide a relaxing, natural ambiance for residents to enjoy. If only for a bit of routine maintenance, they could live much longer, healthier lives, increasing in value as they age. 

Keeping Up with Tree Care Responsibilities

Our knowledgeable arborists know that city trees don’t require intensive maintenance. In fact, they need less care as they mature. With a thorough evaluation, our experienced staff can develop a long term, proactive plan for your city trees with your budgetary needs in mind. We offer comprehensive services, including:

  • Pruning trees to reduce risk from fallen limbs
  • Cleaning up following storm damage
  • Clearing branches or trees that block or pose a hazard to structures and utilities
  • Removing and replacing dead trees
  • Quickly identifying and treating diseased or pest-ridden trees and mitigating spread
  • Addressing nutrient deficiencies
  • Removing invasive species
  • Improving species and age diversity of the trees on your grounds

You require preventative health checkups with your doctor annually. Trees need the same level of proactive care. Is it time to schedule a primary care visit from one of our ISA certified arborists? Contact Arborwell Professional Tree Management to schedule an evaluation and start caring for the city trees on your San Jose, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Seattle, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Hayward, or Oakland property today.

arborist, tree care, tree health, tree maintenance

commercial tree services

Palm Trees – Regular Maintenance is Crucial

Written by Jerry White on .

Palm trees are an essential part of the California atmosphere, inspiring daydreams of fun in the sun. Maintaining the good looks of palm trees on your commercial property, however, is anything but a leisurely endeavor. Though routine maintenance is essential for picture-perfect palms, palm tree care is complicated. 

Most Palm Tree Species are Not Native to the Area

Despite the many varieties of palm trees in California, only the California fan palm – also known as the desert palm or Washingtonia filifera – is native. All other species are imported. Other non-native species, such as the date palm introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century and other species brought here for palm gardens created by Europeans in the mid 19th century, are non-native, imported into the region as immigrants arrived in the US. 

Each Palm Tree Type is Suited to a Certain Climate

There are over 2,500 palm species worldwide. Only 11 are native to North America. They thrive in a range of climates from deserts to rain forests, each requiring specific growing conditions. Imported species, such as Mexican fan palms and Canary Island date palms, often lack essential nutrients common in their native growing environments. These deficiencies make the trees more prone to stress and disease. Even Native California fan palms present unique maintenance challenges in the current California climate. Fan palms need a great deal of water in the soil to thrive, which currently drought-prone regions across the state struggle to provide.

As many native fan palms, planted during regional beautification efforts in the 1930s, reach the end of their 75 to 100-year lifespan, some local governments are no longer replacing the trees. This is partly due to climate-related water shortages, and also to the threat of pests  such as the red palm weevil, which are making it difficult for palms to survive. For these reasons, there is a movement toward the re-introduction of native, drought-resistant plants and trees.

Palm Trees Present Many Maintenance Challenges

It may be tempting to tackle routine maintenance tasks yourself, until you consider the height of your trees. Palm tree maintenance is not for the faint of heart, including inexperienced property owners and uninsured lawn care services. Proper care requires a thorough knowledge of arboriculture and safety practices. With help from a trained arborist, you can avoid tree care injuries, alongside issues associated with improper pruning, such as:

  • Over-trimming that can weaken palms, making them more prone to storm damage
  • Improper landscaping around palms that can result in mechanical root damage from trimmers
  • Paving or using rocks around palms, which increases temperatures, burning roots, and reducing water/nutrient absorption
  • Delayed maintenance that increases fire risk and the risk of injury and damage from falling fronds and trunks
  • Suffocation by palm fronds due to improper pruning technique (pruning from below) and septic arthritis from palm tree thorn injuries
  • Excess germination of nuisance palm saplings on your commercial property

Prune your palms properly and safely with help from the Arborwell team. Contact us at to request an estimate for regular palm tree maintenance for your Hayward, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Livermore, Palo Alto, or Walnut Creek property today.

palm trees, tree maintenance, tree wellness

Arbor-wellness: Pear Rust

Written by Jerry White on .

My Pear tree is losing leaves right now and I notice these yellow/orange spots on the leaves and twigs too?

That is most likely a disease called pear trellis rust. It is one of several leaf diseases found on pear trees specifically. It can be a serious problem if not treated. The first step is to remove the fallen leaves and twig because the spores found in those help to spread it.

Is this a serious problem? It seems to be getting worse each year?

Pear trellis rust can be a serious disease and it often will impact the health and survival of pear trees. Stunted growth, thinning in the canopy, and branch dieback will occur after several consecutive years of infection. In areas where the disease is prolific, it can eventually cause death of the pear host. Though juniper plants are part of the disease cycle, they are not normally harmed by the disease.

How does it form?

One unique thing about most rust diseases is that they require a second type of host plant in order to successfully establish and reproduce. Without the second host you won’t have the disease on the desired plant. In this case the secondary host is juniper plants. Junipers planted within 1,000 feet are probably acting as the second host. Spores produced from the gall-like infections on the junipers travel to the pear trees in early spring by wind and rain. They infect new leaves as they emerge on the tree. In late summer, fruiting bodies emerge on the underside of leaves and on twigs, which then transfer the disease back to junipers.

 Do I have to remove my junipers?

That is the easiest way to control this disease on Pear trees. Remember though that if neighboring properties also have junipers, these plants may also be an alternate host if they are planted close enough. Another option is to replace your existing junipers with a variety of juniper that is resistant to the disease. These include – AmiDak, Bar Harbor, Blue carpet, Blue star, Winton’s Carpet and Juniperus communis ‘Aurea’ and J. communis ‘Compressa’ .

Can I keep my existing junipers and still control this problem on my Pear trees?

There are management techniques which involve timely treatments of the pear trees in the spring, usually more than once each season. Supplemental system treatment in the fall helps to prevent the disease as well. You can also prune out the galls on the junipers in early spring (Before April 1st), but they are hard to find and don’t look anything like the disease when you see it on Pear trees.

If you are concerned about Pear trellis rust on your pear trees, contact you Arborwell arborist who can evaluate the trees and recommend a program for them.

Fill out the form below to set up a site inspection.

arborist, dieback, pear, preventative, rust

Arbor-wellness: Leaf Scab

Written by Jerry White on .

Leaf Scab becoming a problem again.

Leaf scab diseases are a type of fungal infection that affect the leaves of apple, hawthorn and crabapple trees primarily. There is more than one fungal organism that creates this disease, but how they attack a tree and the treatments for them are very similar, so we will simplify the discussion by calling them leaf scab diseases.

Apples, crabapples, and hawthorn all can be affected by this disease, as well as some pear tree types. Out breaks are more severe after a wet, cool spring.

The fungus develops in the early Spring after spores are produced and distributed by wind and rain.

These spores infect newly forming leaves causing small brownish-green lesions on the young leaves. Once established on the new leaves, new spores are form and the process is repeated. As the disease develops on the leaves, the infected areas change colors and spread, until most of the leaf is affected and it falls off. Fruit can be affected too and even flowers may show symptoms. The fruit will become deformed and fall off prematurely.

Some varieties of flowering fruit trees are resistant and it is important when planting new ornamental hawthorn, crabapples or pear that you select the right varieties.

Older varieties are often most susceptible and need regular treatments to prevent early leaf fall. While it typically doesn’t kill the tree outright, the lack of leaves reduces the health and vigor of the tree and makes it more susceptible to other problems.

Arborwell has successful and cost-effective preventative programs available as well as “rescue” type programs that may be needed in certain situations.

Your Arborwell arborist can determine if this is a problem in your landscape and recommend an appropriate program for you.

Fill out the form below to set up a site inspection.

arborist, Leaf Scab, plant health care, preventative tree care

Arbor-wellness: Sycamore Scale

Written by Jerry White on .

When sycamore trees fail to thrive, we often look at leaf diseases like anthracnose and powder mildew as the major culprits. While these diseases are easy to spot, there is an insect that is much harder to see that often times contributes to sycamore problems. Sycamore scale is a small (1/16”) scale that feeds mostly on leaf tissue. This reduces the vigor and overall health of the tree. When sycamores are weaker they tend to get leaf diseases worse, which continues the downhill spiral of tree health.

These tiny scale insects overwinter on the bark and in the duff below the tree, then move to the leaves during the early spring. As they establish on the leaves they begin feeding and reducing the ability of the tree to produce and store energy in the form of sugars. When they are quite established, you can often see little “pinpricks” on the leaves as you look through the canopy. Left untreated, the tree will slowly begin to decline.

While unchecked infestations of Sycamore scale typically do not kill a tree outright, the trees are weakened enough that other diseases more easily attack both the leaves and the twigs. Excessive leaf drop from leaf diseases and twig dieback from branch diseases can become problematic season after season.

A good program for preventing diseases, regular nutritional feeding and proper watering should also include insect prevention to keep these tiny scale insects from becoming a problem. If you are concerned about your sycamore trees your Arborwell arborist can inspect and develop a program that encourages a healthy tree and discourages insects pests like Sycamore scale.

Fill out the form below to set up a contact-free inspection.

arborist, arborwell, plant health care, scale

certified arborist

The Role of an Arborist for Commercial Landscaping

Written by Jerry White on .

There are many facets to caring for the grounds of your commercial property. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with these tasks, from regular maintenance like pruning and irrigation to soil health, and pest and disease control. These areas are where the skills of our San Diego certified arborists shine. What role can an arborist take in caring for your commercial landscaping?

Site Evaluation

Our arborists can evaluate your grounds, compiling an arborist report based on current or planned uses for your property, gathering essential data on:

  • Tree species and condition
    By identifying the type, location, number, and condition of trees on your property, our arborists can recommend a specialized care plan to support each species’ health and lifespan.

  • Microclimate
    Identifying the unique climate of your property, and how it differs from the surrounding area, can help you address tree health issues and select the best plant species for your grounds. 

  • Types of soils on your property
    Our team has a thorough understanding of local soil types and how they impact tree health, irrigation, and fertilization needs.

  • Watering and irrigation
    Our San Francisco Peninsula experts know you can save water, manage drought, and improve the health of your trees with proper irrigation.

  • Fertilizer use
    Our knowledgeable arborists can identify fertilizers you’ve used in the past, how they’ve affected your soil, and the need for additional soil amendments.

  • Pests and diseases
    With an expert eye, an arborist can quickly detect ailing trees, recommending proper treatment options.

Learn more about our San Francisco, Oakland, and East Bay area services.

Landscaping Design

Once we’ve gathered essential information on your commercial site, we will enhance your landscape design. Our experienced arborists can help you select and plant trees ideally suited to thrive in the environment on your property. We have a thorough knowledge of tree species, providing you with a variety of noninvasive, native, drought-tolerant options. We can find solutions to enhance privacy, provide shade to reduce cooling costs, serve as a windbreak to reduce heating costs, improve air quality, control erosion on your San Jose area property, and more.

Planning for Long Term Plant Health

With proper care and maintenance, your trees will remain healthy, valuable assets within your landscape. After addressing the immediate needs of your plants, the knowledgeable arborists at our Seattle office will devise a long-term strategy to support the future health and longevity of your trees. Like the healthcare of people, vibrant, flourishing landscapes are the result of small, consistent investments in preventive care, directed by a professional arborist. 

Tree Safety and Maintenance

A skilled arborist can quickly identify the safety and maintenance needs of trees on your Sacramento property. Our knowledgeable arborists can help you control property liability ensuring adequate clearance surrounding trees for pedestrians, vehicles, and utilities. We perform regular trimming and pruning to remove damaged, diseased, or dead branches, clean up messy fruit that can pose trip hazards, and identify other potential risks before damage or injury can occur.

Meticulous Care, Unparalleled Services

Our professional arborists are renowned for their technical expertise, attention to detail, and superior customer service skills. We excel in providing tree care solutions that enhance the community while supporting and protecting the environment. Let us help you transform your west coast commercial or residential property, adding value and appeal with beautiful, healthy well-groomed trees.

Proper care of trees is an investment that generates considerable returns. Learn more about the complementary role an arborist can play in your commercial landscaping care program. Schedule a tree assessment, or contact your local San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area, or Seattle Arborwell office to learn more today.

arborist tree care, arborists, certified arborists, isa certified

psyllid

Arbor-wellness: Tipu Psyllids

Written by Jerry White on .

The “Tipu Tree” or Rosewood is widely grown as a landscape ornamental and shade tree in southern California. They are popular because they are drought and frost tolerant, are thornless, and have attractive clusters of bright yellow flowers. About twelve years ago, an exotic pest called the Tipu psyllid was found in San Diego county and has established itself throughout the region, causing damage every year by feeding on the leaves and dripping honeydew on the ground and objects below the trees.

Trees infected with the Tipu Psyllid often lose their leaves prematurely.
Both the larval nymphs and the adults feed on the young leaves and branches of Tipu trees. When present in large numbers, the leaves will curl and drop off. Both produce the honeydew (the sticky sap underneath the trees). When honeydew is present on the tree, a black sooty mold will also tend to grow and becomes one of the more obvious signs of the insect’s presence.

In South America, where the Tipu psyllid is native, there are insect predators that help to keep Tipu psyllid in check. Unfortunately, none of the insect good guys are established in Southern California. So, treatments are generally warranted when the insect has established itself in the area.
It is best to proactively treat Tipu trees during the winter or early spring to prevent these insects from establishing, but there are measures that can be taken during the spring and summer if an infestation is discovered.

Your Arborwell arborist can provide a program to identify and if needed treat your Tipu trees. Contact us today to set up an inspection!

psyllids, southern california, tipu

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