Storm Damaged Tree

STORM DAMAGE TREE MANAGEMENT

Photo Courtesy of George Hoden 

Storm damaged trees left standing after general storm clearance activities have been completed can become hazardous. Trees that could quickly develop into hazards need to be evaluated and treated or removed. Good storm damage management is much more cost-effective over the long run than cleaning up fallen materials now and reacting to tree problems in the future. Evaluations should be performed by a certified arborist before or at the time of initial storm damage service. The goal is to minimize risk and protect assets, including the tree itself. Always remember to take proper safety precautions when dealing with and fixing storm damaged trees.

Initially, the homeowner can review storm damage according to the following three categories:

Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service

         Category I Damage

• Dead tree
• Snapped or twisted stem breaks
• Roots Broken-tree can be pushed over
• Leaning or bent pine
• Pine Lighting strike
• Branch damage leaving lopsided crown
• Hardwood with >50% crown loss
• Pine with >30% live crown damage or loss
• Large stress crack or twists in main stem

         Treatment: Damage is not treatable and

         the tree should be removed.

Courtesy of The National Park Service

 Category II Damage

• Hardwood top broken <50% live crown loss
• Hardwood branches with <50% loss
• Pine <30% of branches loss or damage

Treatment: Prune the damage (drop the crotch if needed). 

Water the tree as needed and watch for insect damage. 

A soil test is recommended ad fertilize the tree the following year according to the results.

         

          Category III Damage

• Hardwood lighting strike
• Twigs and small branches blown off
• Foliage destroyed or stripped
• Mechanical damage to main stem <30% of circumference effected

          

          Treatment:Minimize stress on the tree by watering as needed. 

          Have a soil test done and fertilize based on results the following year.

          Watch for insect damage while the tree is healing.

Reference: https://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/Storm_Damage_Quick_Guide.pdf

Additional Resource Links:

Ask a Certified Arborist: The Georgia Forestry Commission’s on-line service — “Ask the Arborist”. Complete a form and a certified arborist will answer questions and evaluate conditions.

http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/community-forests/ask-the-arborist/index.cfm

Is My Tree Dying? Is a helpful general publication by the UGA Cooperative Extension Office which discusses signs of a tree in danger. https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/C%201100_3.PDF

Certified Arborist List by The Georgia Forestry Commissions:

http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/community-forests/management/professional-assistance/Search-Arborist-Prompt.cfm

Managing Storm Damaged Trees Do’s and Dont’s:

http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/community-forests/management/trees-storm-safety/MSDTweb.pdf

Pansies and Johnny Jump Ups

September is the ideal time to plant violas such as pansies and Johnny jump ups.  With a seven-month growing season, and cold tolerance down to 20°F, these violas add color to mass plantings and containers.  The pansy plant is 8 inches across and 8 inches high with 1 - 4-inch blossoms. The Johnny jump up bloom is one inch across on a plant 12 - 15 inches tall.

	PANSIES
Sun light	Full sun best; 4-6 hrs. minimum
Plant selection	Select dark green, compact plants with white roots that are not pot bound Plants in 3”- 4” pots have better root ball
Bed Preparation	Plants require a soil temperature of 45°F to 65°F. Plants will not grow in compacted clay soil. Spread 3”- 4” of quality soil amendment or compost and till in 8”- 12” deep. Adding 1”- 2” composted cow manure adds slow release nutrients. Pansies do not like wet feet. A raised bed 3” - 6“above the original grade will improve drainage.
Planting	Make sure plants are well watered before laying out for planting. If they were purchased in advance, water daily to keep from wilting. Lay plants out to determine spacing. Space 7” - 12” apart. Ten inches apart is ideal.  Overcrowding will promote disease. Dig individual planting holes. Press soil firmly around plant. Water bed gently and thoroughly.
Water	During first two to three weeks, keep new plants moist but not soggy. Thereafter, provide one inch of water per week if there is no rain. Keep plants on dry side as temperature cools.
Fertilizer	When soil temperature is above 60°F, use a good balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) at 1 pound per 100 sq. ft. When temperatures cool, pansies must have a nitrate nitrogen. Check the label. Nitrate-based or time released formulations for pansies are fine.
Seasonal Care	Remove dead or fading flowers every two weeks to encourage more blossoms. Remove weeds. They rob pansies of water and nutrients. If air temperature is below 25°F plants foliage will wilt & turn gray green. If soil freezes, plants may be damaged. Special protection is required if air temperature is below 20°F for several days. Cover entire bed with 2” - 4” of pine straw.
End of Season	Pansies are cool weather plants. When the temperature rises the plants will elongate and flop over unattractively. Remove the plants during early May.

JOHNNY JUMP UPS ONLY

This viola does well in full sun and performs better in shade and cool conditions than the pansies.
These are the only exceptions, but all the above instructions are applicable.

References:  The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuh, 1997

Manual of Woody Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, Steven M. Stil,1994

Levels Of Shade

LEVELS OF SHADE

Photo By T. Engberg With NPS

Plants require certain light conditions to look their best. For example, purple heart (Tradescantia) needs full sun to retain its purple leaf color. If it is kept in the shade, the leaves will become green. On the other hand, Himalayan sweet box (Sarcococca hookeriania var. humilis) does well in dense shade and does not tolerate full sun.

 

Bob Westerfield, UGA Extension Horticulturist, defines levels of shade as follows.

Full sun	unfiltered sunshine all day (eight to ten hours)
Light shade	shaded two to four hours during the heat of the day
Partial shade	area receives four to five hours of shade
Filtered shade	may be shaded all day but shafts of sun light squeeze through the branches
Full shade	shade lasts all day, some reflective light present
Dense shade	day long dark shade with no reflective light

Sunshine abundance differs across every garden and landscape. It is important to determine how much sun each area of your garden gets before adding new plants or creating a landscape design. When you’re calculating the amount of light your garden gets, don’t forget shrubs, trees and structures will provide shade in different places at different times of day. It is also important to note that the afternoon sun is stronger than the morning sun and is often not tolerated well by plants needing partial shade, especially here in Georgia.  

The easiest way to determine how much light your garden gets is to spend a day monitoring light levels. Start at 10 AM and check every two hours to see what level of shade you see in your garden. If you don’t have time to calculate the light in your garden over a full year, just remember that the sun remains closer to the horizon during winter and will cause even small structures to cast large shadows.

Other Resources:

Site Analysis - Drawing a Landscape Design

Landscape Plants for Georgia

Reference: Shade - Defining Levels of By Walter Reeves

      Click the link for complete details: 2019 Cobb 4-H Plant Sale Catalog

When & How To Prune

When is the best time to prune? Most people think it's in the Fall, but that generally isn't the case. Would you like to know more about pruning, when and how to do it while  getting hands on experience?  Call our office and register for our "Tree Pruning Class" this November. 

Coyotes in Cobb County

Scooter, courtesy of Sean Poppy at the UGA Savanna River Ecology Laboratory

Lately there has been an increasing  number of articles  about coyotes in the local news, especially since the introduction of the "Coyote Challenge" in 2017.  Many Cobb residents are concerned by the  increased number of  publicized sightings, and the transmission of the  rabies virus. In this Blog we will touch on several subjects about coyotes such as  history, biology, conflict, and control methods for here in Cobb County.

History:

The coyote (Canis latrans)  is a member of the Canid family, and a native species to North America that has a rich cultural heritage especially among Native Americans. Historically they were thought of as a trickster and teacher to humans, but were  later considered  pests by migrating farmers. Their original range consisted of the Great Plains of the mid-west  and parts of Mexico and Canada. However with the onset of the  20th century they started spreading across all of North America, possibly due to excessive hunting, and the  lack of competition from wolves which were also heavily hunted.

Biology:

Coyotes are much smaller than wolves weighing in at around 15-50 lbs and standing around 21-24 inches at the shoulder. They are opportunistic feeders which has been a key component to their success, they scavenge, forager, and hunt for their food. They feed on a wide variety of items such as; carrion, fruits, vegetables, nuts, insects, and small mammals.They are predominantly lone  nocturnal hunters, but will occasionally hunt in the day time, and sometimes in pairs. They are  generally  monogamous and will mate for life. Females will typically have between 4-6 pups per a litter each year, and The pups reach maturity around 9 months of age. 

Habitat:

Currently coyotes can be found as far north as Alaska, and as far south as Panama. They are highly adaptive animals, and can be found in almost every environment on earth. Here in Cobb County they will predominantly hide in  forested areas, uncut fields, and abandoned lots, but they will go where the food is. Sightings in cities are not uncommon due to increased populations of rodents.

Conflict:

Coyotes will prey upon cats or small dogs, however the risk decreases based on the dogs size. They are usually wary of large dogs similar to how they were with wolves, and will avoid conflict. They will also prey upon small farm animals such as sheep, goats, and chickens.  They can also damage property by making their den in tool sheds, barns and around vacant houses. Many are also concerned about the rabies virus which they can carry, however the primary distributor of the virus  on the eastern seaboard is raccoons. 

Control:

Though coyotes can be hunted year around with a hunting license this is not always an option  for people in a residential area, and not always a preferred method. There are many different options of  control for home owners, some examples of which  are listed below.

Scooter, courtesy of Sean Poppy at the UGA
 Savanna River Ecology Laboratory

• Exclusion:  Proper Fencing in parts or all of your yard, keeping in mind they can dig, and jump. 
• Habitat Modification: Keeping your yard maintained and your grass cut, making the area hard for them to hide in. Clearing  property of debris piles and keeping it well light, can help reduce their activity in your area.
• Cultural: Keeping trash cans and pet food secure, and  also using the correct bird seed to avoid attracting rodents and other small mammals to your property. 
• Repellents: Noise makers, loud sounds and lights work, but  they should be used sparingly otherwise they will become accustom to them. 
• Guard Animals: Large trained dogs can deter coyotes, and there are several species bred for that  purpose. Research also suggests that Donkeys and Llamas have been  used successfully to defend herds from predation. Both animals have a natural dislike of canids and will act aggressively towards them.
• Lethal: If trapping and killing is required, it is recommend that you contacted a licensed wildlife removal specialist.  

Benefits:

Though many people identify coyotes as a nuisance, they play a very important role in the food chain and help balance the ecosystem. They are  important in reducing  rodent populations,  but they also help control the deer population. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the number of fawns per a doe surviving to hunting season has reduced by 22% since the mid-1990's. 

More Information:
For questions and concerns  please contact your county Extension Office, and check out the publications linked below for more information and control methods.

1.  https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201248_5.PDF

2.  http://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/management/Coyote.pdf