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Tree Care
EXPERT ADVICE ON HOW TO SAVE, REMOVE AND CARE FOR TREES IN YOUR LANDSCAPE River Birch trees with native Virginia Sweetspire. Photo courtesy of Home & Habitat.
Mature trees can provide shade, habitat and an effortless magnificence to a home, neighborhood, even an entire city. Think of the splendid places you visited during travels and here in the Houston area: do you think of trees along great boulevards? Trees at parks and universities? Trees on the grounds of historic homes? Trees of many sizes and shapes grow quite easily all over Houston, that is, provided our area receives its typical amount of rainfall. The past year’s severe drought took a great toll on the tree population across Houston and Texas. How can homeowners determine when a tree is truly dead and what’s the best way to remove a tree? Can a tree look dead, but still come back in the spring or summer? We asked Barry J. Ward, Executive Director of Trees for Houston, these tree-related questions to help readers save existing trees and make smart choices for planting and caring for new trees. Here are his expert responses. 64
1. How can a homeowner or neighborhood volunteer know when a drought-damaged tree cannot be saved?
During the winter, use a small, sharp knife to peel away the outer-most layer of bark. If it is green underneath, then it is still alive. Also, small peripheral branches should be flexible. If they snap, they are dead. The problem with stressed trees is that trees, unlike humans, can be mostly or partially dead. The key is knowing when to give up the fight. 2. Can a tree that looks dead be revived? Are there signs to look for? Steps to take?
Yes, but generally speaking, trees in this condition tend to not look as good even if they do come back. If the majority of, or even a few, primary peripheral branches die, the tree may never regain the classic, species-specific look you want. The key is to water well during the hot, dry months; don’t over-water during the winter. Most of our local varieties can drop leaves once over the course of a summer due to stress
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