Tree Maintenance For Beginners – October 2018: Part 4

Top Tree LLC can help you manage any tree hazards you have on your property. We are some of the best arborists in the Tri-Cities and can either give you advice on how to manage your trees or perform any preventative maintenance you need.

Diversity in the urban landscape concerns arborists everywhere. We learned from the near-extinction of the American elm due to Dutch elm disease that over planting a single species can have catastrophic results. In a homogenous culture, it only takes one pest or disease to devastate an entire tree population. It is now commonly suggested that no one species should represent more than five percent of planting. This increased diversity
is a challenge:

It will be hard to achieve the uniform look along streets that many find desirable
There’s no guarantee that a pest or disease with a broad host range will not do serious damage
A desirable variety of species might not be adequately available
Some species may not be as well adapted to a local urban environment as others
Our changing environment and/or global trade could introduce new and exotic pests.

More plant diversity doesn’t assure a problem-free urban forest future. However, it will also improve the biological diversity of insects and birds. And most important, more diversity will lead to the ultimate goal of urban forest sustainability.

Ivy on Trees
Although long used as a ground-cover and with a name synonymous with venerable old institutions; simply put, ivy is bad for trees. No ivy species is native to the United States. Many species are aggressively invasive and displace native species. In North America, the most common culprits are English ivy and Irish or Atlantic ivy.

Ivy is a problem in landscape settings because it competes with desirable plant species for water and nutrients, but most importantly, ivy leads to concern for tree structure and failure potential.

We look forward to helping you with all of your tree removal and tree trimming needs. When and if you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We strive to be your only and best option for tree trimmers in Richland.

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