Fall Tree Problems

Fall tree problems

During this fall you may have noticed some issues with your backyard conifers. Fall is a great time to check out your trees to see if they are ready for the coming winter months.

We noticed a couple of problems with our conifers and so we decided to check in with Terrill Collier of Collier Arbor Care (503-72ARBOR) to ask him if these problems were going to damage our plants.

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The first thing we had noticed was a large amount of ‘needle drop’. Terrill explained that what we were seeing was normal. As a conifer gets older it will lose its needles just like a deciduous tree will lose its leaves. You can tell if it is a normal drop by looking where it is occurring on the branch. The end of the branch should have 1-2 years of new growth on the end. If the drop is occurring towards the middle or interior of the tree, that could be normal.

The second problem was more serious. It was a Cedar Canker. This problem is a fungal problem and you can tell if you have it by looking at the tree. You will see scattered dead and dying branches all over the tree. If you look closely at the branch you will see tiny resin droplets on the branch and if you cut one open you can see brown, dead wood under the bark.

If you are wondering if you may have problems with the trees in your garden you can give Terrill and his crew a call. You can also start thinking about getting your trees ready for winter by looking for the 8 warning signs that every homeowner should know on the Collier Arbor Care website. Take care of the problems now so you don’t have issues this winter.

Originally aired on GardenTime TV. See the GardenTime web site for more videos and information about the show)