Protecting trees is important for their health and longevity.
Root protection
Title: Ask an Arborist: How Do I Avoid Damaging My Tree’s Roots?
Sponsoring Organization: Arbor Day Foundation
Description: Helpful 5-minute video about protecting tree roots. Most of a tree’s surface roots grow vertically only within only the top two feet of soil. Most of the tree’s surface roots grow horizontally out towards the tree’s dripline. To avoid root damage, install mulch from the trunk flare of the tree out to the edges of the dripline, which is demonstrated in the video. This will keep mowers and weed-whackers away from the trunk and roots.
Trunk protection
Title: Ask an Arborist: How to Mow Grass Around a Tree Trunk?
Sponsoring Organization: Arbor Day Foundation
Description: A 4-minute video about protecting trees planted in fields. If possible, create a grass-free circle around the trunk to keep mowers and trimmers from contacting and harming the trunk. If that is not possible, put a flexible tube around the tree to protect it while using the trimmer.
Deer can damage newly planted seedlings as well as established trees by eating buds and leaves, and rubbing thier antlers on the tree trunks. Both insects and disease can impact tree health. There are four non-native invasive insects that require particular attention due to the damage they are causing to our trees in Westchester. These are the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), emerald ash borer (EAB), hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Beech Leaf Disease, and spotted lanternfly (SLF). For detailed information on these and other insects and diseases that can harm trees in New York State, refer to the NYS DEC website below. In addition, you can sign up to receive alerts from Cornell Cooperative Extension (Westchester), NYSDEC and Lower Hudson PRISM.
Preventing deer damage
Title: Damage Caused by Deer
Sponsoring Organization: Kansas Forests
Description: A one-page article with five ways to repel deer from browsing and rubbing antlers against a tree.
Title: Forest Health Issues: Pests That Can Harm New York State Trees
Sponsoring Organization: New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC)
Description: Learn about the symptoms and signs, hosts, biology, and available control strategies of many of the harmful insects and diseases that threaten trees and forests in New York State.
Title: Insect and Disease Problems
Sponsoring Organization: International Society of Arboriculture
Description: Insects and disease threaten tree health. Learn how to examine your tree to identify problems.
Pet waste and road de-icing salt
Title: Trash and Animal Waste
Sponsoring Organization: New York City Parks
Description: A one-page fact sheet that explains the harm to trees done by liquid and solid dog waste, by de-icing salts and by trash. It provides some suggestions to prevent these problems.
Invasive vines growing up electric polesThree of the most prolific invasive vines harming trees in Westchester County are Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), and English ivy (Hedera helix). While these destructive non-native vines are highly visible hanging from trees along our parkways, these silent killers can also invade your yard and destroy your trees. Oriental bittersweet and porcelain berry vines can quickly engulf and strangle trees, becoming thicker and woodier with age. They weaken a tree by blanketing the tree’s own leaves, thereby blocking needed sunlight, and ultimately kill the tree. English ivy is a non-native, invasive evergreen vine that has been widely planted in gardens as a ground cover. Unfortunately, this vine quickly grows up tree trunks, damaging the bark, weakening the branches, blocking sunlight, and killing the tree.
When removing these vines from your trees, take special care not to touch poison ivy, mistaking it for one of these vines, because contact with poison ivy can cause severe rashes. If you are unsure, contact a professional. Below is a well- illustrated guide to help you distinguish invasive plants from their native look-alikes, like poison ivy, which actually is a native source of berries for birds. (Mistaken Identity: Invasive Plants and Their Native Look-Alikes)
Refer to theCombating Invasive Species for detailed information on identifying each of these invasive vines and how to eradicate them.
Title: How to Identify and Remove English Ivy
Author/Source: Herndon Environmental Network
Description: Extremely informative six-minute video of an expert from the Herndon Environmental Network discussing why English ivy is considered a harmful invasive plant and how to remove it. She also gives a great demonstration using plastic straws and a piece of string to show how the vine kills trees.