Why does the Austin area lose sycamore trees almost every summer? Sycamores, Platanus occidentalis, are on the list of local Austin trees that are much less drought tolerant. They enjoy cooler, wetter weather, lower temperatures and more water during the summer months. Most healthy sycamores in the Austin area enjoy shaded, mulched root zones, as opposed to exposed roots …
I get this question very often. People see the ball moss in the live oaks on the dead limbs and automatically think it is killing the branches and that it will eventually kill the tree if it is not removed. The truth is that ball moss is an epiphyte, or air feeder, and is not …
Once oak wilt is diagnosed, many people are at a loss as to what to do. In the course of my career here in Central Texas, upon being called onto a property, many people have told me that once live oaks get oak wilt, that they are untreatable and that they should just let them …
Central Texas Tree Care has installed hundreds of cables in Austin area trees over the last 10 years and I am very proud of our record. My staff is highly trained and seasoned in this area and we now properly install more cables every year than just about any other local company. The purpose of …
Central Texas Tree Care has installed hundreds of cables in Austin area trees over the last 10 years and I am very proud of our record. My staff is highly trained and seasoned in this area and we now properly install more cables every year than just about any other local company. The purpose of …
Fake grass. When we think about fake grass, many of us think back to the astroturf in football stadiums, or the cheap fake grass they used to use in the grocery store produce sections or various department stores. The fact is that ‘fake’ or man-made grass has come a long way since then. Stick with me here. …
Topping? Lion-tailing? What do these terms mean? Of the damage that can be done by improper pruning, topping and lion-tailing are certainly two of the worst things that can be done to tree. Why you shouldn’t top your trees Topping involves removing the tops of the limbs and leaving huge, ‘stubbed off’ limbs and nothing …
Are there smaller diameter dead limbs throughout the canopy of your live oak? In a drought, the live oaks, as with most trees are also experiencing stress. The good news is that live oaks are extremely drought tolerant. They are resilient and can handle long periods with very little water. Very few diseases affect live …
Maintaining Bradford pears in the United States is a multi-million dollar per year industry. When Bradfords were more widely planted, billions or dollars were spent maintaining, bolting, cabling and bracing them. Cities are and have been moving away from Bradford pears for years, and are replacing them with less problematic, more easily maintained and longer …
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: when is the best time to prune my live oaks? Is there a “correct” or “better” time? Many people believe the spring is a bad time, or summer is a bad time. Are they right? Are they wrong? The bottom line is that there’s a lot of …
When is the best time of year to prune my live oaks? Read More »
