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Trees and People by Bill Pramuk
Bill Pramuk is a registered consulting arborist. His Trees and People column appears every Saturday. Bill can be reached at 226-2884 or info@billpramuk.com. Find him online at www.billpramuk.com.
November 7th, 2009
Visual tree assessment“Dear Bill: An oak tree fell on our garage last night. The tree trimmer said it was crown rot. I am very concerned about a couple more trees behind the house ...”
October 24th, 2009
Stumps and rootsHere’s a recent question that opens up a good subject:
October 10th, 2009
A green screen and a crape myrtle problemHere is a topic I want to revisit, since some good information has come to my attention: What is a good choice for an evergreen screen in the Napa area?
September 19th, 2009
Give them space Part 3: Root protectionMy previous two columns have dealt with space in terms of tree selection for a given purpose in a given space, and tree decline caused by the loss of growing space.
August 29th, 2009
Give Them Space 2My previous column, ‘Give Them Space’, touched on selecting and planting trees. The typical problem: The tree variety grows too large for the available space.
August 15th, 2009
Give them spaceThere is a poem by Ogden Nash, wonderfully brief and loaded with meaning:
August 1st, 2009
Tree health doesn't equal structural stabilityHere is an important point about trees, which bears repeating: Tree health is not the same thing as tree structural strength.
July 18th, 2009
Pests and other problemsBy now you have probably heard about the Light Brown Apple Moth. The tiny moth and its offspring, leaf-rolling caterpillars, have caused quite a stir around the state. Because of its threat to agriculture, aerial spray programs were proposed to attempt to eradicate it.
July 4th, 2009
Summer tree failuresAs I was heading south on Highway 29 between Yountville and Napa the other day, I noticed something unusual that prompted me to pull off the highway and take a closer look. A huge valley oak had collapsed, destroying a large live oak next to it and leaving a pile of logs, limbs and brush on the railroad tracks.
June 20th, 2009
Summer solstice and the growing seasonHere we are, already, at the longest day of the year. The spring rush of growth in trees and the garden has subsided. The first flush of roses has faded and the first flush of growth is maturing in the trees. Little apples are scattered on the ground under my tree — the annual event known as “June drop” when fruit trees naturally adjust the load they are able to carry.
June 6th, 2009
Comfort zones and cosmopolitan gardensIn late May, I had the pleasure of visiting New York City for my older son’s college graduation. In addition to the joy of being together with family and friends, I took the opportunity to do some tree-spotting at the parks and community gardens that are sprinkled throughout the city, including a visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a beautiful place I had first learned about more than 25 years ago.
May 23rd, 2009
Septic lines and tree rootsHello Bill, Can you tell me anything about copper sulfate and roots in septic lines?
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