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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 29th, 2008
Autumn tree risk issues: A look at woodIn my previous column, we looked at the subject of autumn tree health issues. Now, let’s look at the other side of the coin: risk and the properties of wood.
November 15th, 2008
Autumn tree health issuesThe recent good rain and the seasonal decrease in daylight and heat are bringing on changes in the trees. As the annual cycle of leaf and shoot growth ends, another phase begins. The much-needed rain allows roots to absorb water and minerals. As depleted leaves fall, trees store up the food they made this year. At the same time, under, on, and all around the trees, associated organisms are also entering a new phase of activity. Most are either beneficial or harmless, but for those that cause disease and decay it’s time for us to act.
November 1st, 2008
What hedge is a good bet?A few days ago I received this question: “What would be a good hedge in partial shade that won’t be a host for blue-green sharpshooters? We need a visual screen and we’re concerned about the insect that could spread Pierce’s disease into the nearby vineyard.”
October 18th, 2008
Tree roots and septic linesFor reasons I do not fully understand, sewer lines are most likely to get clogged when one is having a big gathering at the house. Sometimes it’s just because a well-meaning volunteer in the kitchen put two pounds of potato peels down the garbage disposal instead of putting them in the compost bucket. But it may also be because a faulty sewer line is filling with tree roots that are just doing their job: growing wherever conditions are suitable.
September 27th, 2008
When is a tree dead?Bill Pramuk
Trees & People
Trees & People
September 13th, 2008
Digging around treesIn projects that require digging or grading, trees are too often regarded simply as objects or obstacles. Roots that are inconveniently located in relation to the project tend to get cut, crushed, buried and suffocated. The above-ground portion of trees typically receive more careful attention, simply because that portion is visible for all to see.
August 30th, 2008
Palm tree questionsI have received several questions recently on this subject, so let’s take a look at some key issues about living with palm trees In Napa Valley: Which species are hardy enough to survive our winters? How do palm roots behave around sidewalks and sewer lines? Does ivy climbing the trunk hurt the tree?
August 19th, 2008
Orange blossom mysteryBill, There is a tree on the 300 block of Franklin Street, west side, the block where the big redwoods are growing along the street. It is large and has orange flowers. What is it? I’ve never seen one before. It’s driving me crazy! It is blooming as I write. The only tree I know in this area with orange orange flowers is the pomegranate. - LF
August 16th, 2008
Orange blossom mysteryBill, There is a tree on the 300 block of Franklin Street, west side, the block where the big redwoods are growing along the street. It is large and has orange flowers. What is it? I’ve never seen one before. It’s driving me crazy! It is blooming as I write. The only tree I know in this area with orange orange flowers is the pomegranate. - LF
August 2nd, 2008
Lichens on treesOver the course of many years working with trees, hundreds of people have asked me about “that stuff” growing on the bark, or hanging from the branches of trees. What is it? Is it a disease? Is it hurting the tree?
July 19th, 2008
Heritage trees fall in NapaWhen I served on the City of Napa Tree Advisory Commission (1994-1999) the City began the Registry of Significant Trees, a voluntary program whereby owners of trees on private property within the city limits can formally honor and protect special trees under Napa’s tree ordinance.
July 5th, 2008
Tired and thirsty treesIn the past few weeks I’ve started to notice trees showing the stress of a dry spring and early heat waves.
June 21st, 2008
Beware of hitchhikersOne of those bits of conventional wisdom I learned as a child and I never got over is: “Don’t pick up hitchhikers!”
June 7th, 2008
California peppertree problem increasing in NapaWhen I was living in Redwood City and working in a large wholesale nursery in the 1980s, California peppertrees were under assault by a new pest: the peppertree psyllid. Its damage — warty disfigurations on the leaves and severe defoliation — was evident throughout the region and it made the tree difficult to produce and sell.
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