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Gardens A Healthy Tree, A Giving Tree

Writer Jennifer Vollmert

Trees

I think that I shall never see 
A poem lovely as a tree. 
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; 
A tree that looks at God all day, 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 
A tree that may in summer wear 
A nest of robins in her hair; 
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 
Who intimately lives with rain. 
Poems are made by fools like me, 
But only God can make a tree. 

—Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)

A healthy tree is a giving tree.

For the past 35 years, ISA certified arborist Robert “Bob” Jurgens has dedicated his career to promoting and caring for thousands of trees in Memphis and the mid-South. Trees add character to the landscape and serve their purpose for the environment. Jurgens, owner and president of Jones Bros. Tree & Landscape, has noticed significant changes in tree development during recent winters. 

Jurgens says this region has had milder winters since the ’70s and ’80s, and, as a result, this has prompted the planting and successful growth of tropicals, those trees more typically used in Mississippi and Florida that are not indigenous to this climate. “Back then, the trees would freeze out in winter,” he explains. “What we are able to use now (as far as plantings), we were not able to use then, and the trees that have been established have done well.” 

Due to the climate change, however, “We are seeing more problems with insects,” Jurgens points out. Without the hard winter freezes, he says that the insect population is at a larger scale and destructive to the trees.

Though trees, in general, do not need to be watered in the winter as they do in other seasons, evergreens, maples and newly planted trees do need to be watered. Jurgens says the best time of year to prune trees is in winter when they are dormant. He explains that pruning young trees is different than pruning mature trees. Training the young trees, 25 years or less, will help them develop into structurally strong trees. Pruning mature trees focuses on maintaining health, appearance, form and structure. People tend to over prune, Jurgens warns, and says that consulting an arborist is wise. Incorrect and over pruning is harmful to the structure of the tree. 

It is productive to prune in winter because the foliage has fallen, allowing the arborist to inspect the tree’s structure for any damage, cavity decay, stress fractures, disease or insect problems. Correct pruning precludes the dangers of falling limbs. Remove dead and dying branches affected by disease, infestation and/or storm damage and have the hazardous trees removed. As winter settles down and we welcome the spring season, Jurgens stresses, “It is important to keep all the trees that were planted in spring—the dogwoods, oaks and maples—healthy through the winter months.” 

Jurgens offers some Tips on “Maintaining Healthier Trees” from a recent seminar he conducted on the subject:

 

1. Water—supplement rainfall during heat stress and/or drought conditions.
2. Fertilization is necessary to help rebuild urban soils and should be done annually.
3. Pruning—It is very important to understand the tree’s biology and structure before pruning. For every pruning cut there is a growth response.
4. Cavities—Do not dig into cavities to clean them out.
5. Hazard Evaluation—Trees do not heal. Watch for structural cracks, root rot, lean-shift in the center of gravity and V-crotch forks with included bark. 
6. Insect and Disease–Target destructive insects; 70 to 90 percent of all plant problems are due to site or environmental stressors.