Tree Maintenance Tips During Fire Season

We previously sent only part of the information on tree maintenance. Here is the advisory from Ken Katz, followed by the link to the University of California website where you can get the information.

Street Tree Advisory May 10, 2014

A group led by community volunteers Eric Hughes and Russell Hill has been talking to the city about volunteers working in cooperation with GABA to replace about a dozen missing street trees up and down Grand Avenue.

Since the City of Oakland no longer prunes street trees due to severe cutbacks in the Tree Division, Eric and Russell have also proposed lightly pruning the existing street trees - again, in cooperation with GABA.

Unfortunately, a recent walk-through inspection revealed that many (if not, most) of the pear trees, have blackened limbs and/or clusters of blackened leaves. According to Mitch Thompson, the city’s Arboricultural Inspector, this is most likely due to a bacterial infection called “Fire Blight”. Here’s his advice about when to prune:

It’s easier to do fire blight pruning in the summer or winter. Right now, the disease is active and spreading through the wood. If cuts are made now, the pruning tool has to be dipped in a 10% bleach solution after every cut. If you wait until summer or later, tool sterilization is not required when pruning, because the disease is not active.”

And here’s his advice about how to prune infected branches:

You have to make the pruning cut well beyond where the infection is apparent. The latest recommendation is to cut at the second branch junction beyond the infection.

The attached flyer from the University of California explains the procedure in the section “Removing Diseased Wood”.

Sometime this summer, we will be seeking a consensus regarding what kind of trees to plant; how we can work with GABA (or vice versa) to make this happen; and verify that individual business owners agree to replacement trees in front of their properties.

Ken Katz

This the website, where you can get links to more information and see photos http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7414.html

For more information call UC at (530) 750-1370