Winter 2019

Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has now been found in many parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. We are recommending that every property owner in our region with ash trees discuss a management plan with their arborist. If you decide to remove your ash trees, winter is a good time to do it. If you choose to treat or inoculate your trees, it is better to wait until Spring. Either way, schedule a visit with your arborist as soon as possible.

For additional resources, please visit our EAB page at almstead.com/eab.

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a tiny, half-inch long, invasive insect that infests and kills native North American ash species, including green, white, black and blue ash.  The female beetle lays its eggs in cracks or crevices in the bark of the tree. Upon hatching, the EAB larvae feeds on the layer under it — which causes disruption of life-sustaining sugar, water and nutrients through the tree. Most trees die within 2-4 years of being infected with EAB.

Signs of EAB on your ash trees, include:

  • Tiny D-shaped holes, S-shaped galleries and splitting bark (see image on top right).
  • The presence of the small, metallic green insect (see image on bottom right).
  • Thinning crown of the tree – due to lack and water and nutrients.
  • Excessive sprouting — new growth at the base of the trunk or on the main branches of the tree.
  • Woodpecker damage — EAB are often sought out and attacked by woodpeckers.
  • Look for “blonding” effect on bark on southern side of tree stem (see image on top-left).

Do you have a management plan for EAB?

In This Issue:

Almstead Around Town

North Haledon Day: New Jersey Branch Manager, Ryan Duff, and the Almstead team celebrated North Haledon Day (it is the hometown of our NJ branch) by discussing arboriculture with town residents and handing out free Western Red Cedar saplings... (more)

TCIA Accreditation Renewed

Almstead recently underwent an extensive review of practices and was awarded a renewal of its accreditation by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). “The program is considered the gold standard in the tree care industry....” (more)

Invasive Plants

In addition to invasive insects such as spotted lanternfly and EAB there are also a number of invasive plants that cause havoc on our landscapes and ecosystems. Invasive plants are those that are not native to a particular region and harm the environment, the economy, animal or human health.... (more)

Storm Damage Prevention

As we head into winter, it is prudent to think about the trees on your property. Many tree weaknesses and defects are not obvious, so it is always a good idea to have an arborist perform an annual 360° visual inspection of your trees surface roots, trunk and canopy... (more)

Air Spading & RCX

Early coloring of leaves and thinning on the crown are often signs of tree stress caused by girdling roots. We use an Air Spade (a high-pressure air compression device) to expose the roots. This is known as Root Collar Excavation (RCX)... (more)

Our Annual Summer Picnic

The Almstead family hosted their annual summer picnic for employees and their families at D’Onofrio Park in New Rochelle, NY. We were in the middle of a July heat wave but everyone stayed cool because of the large misting fans placed strategically all around the picnic area... (more)

Places To Visit: Skylands

New Jersey’s Botanical Garden (NJBG) is also known as Skylands. It is a part of the Ringwood State Park and includes 96 acres of specialty gardens surrounded by 1000 acres of woodlands. The property was acquired in the early 1900s... (more)

Register below to receive Arbor Notes via email:

Submitting Form...

The server encountered an error.

Form received.

Letter from the CEO

 

This year we tried something new in the way we approached our company’s strategic planning for the future. We gathered our arborists, managers and key employees and got them involved in charting the direction of our company. It was the brainchild of my brother, Michael Almstead (VP), who also took the lead in planning, organizing and directing its execution. Our aim was to set yearly and long-term goals for our company and determine strategies for achieving them with input from our staff... (more)

Beech Leaf Disease

Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) is a relatively new disease (discovered in 2012) that affects American beech (Fagus grandifolia), European beech (Fagus sylvatica) as well as Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis). An otherwise healthy-looking tree first develops deep green patches between the veins of its leaves. In a later stage, the leaves become thick and leathery and eventually crinkle up. The buds on these branches also die and stop producing leaves... (more)

Trees to Consider:

Tuliptree

Tuliptree is a fast-growing tree with bright green leaves that resemble tulip flowers in profile and turn golden yellow in fall. It has greenish-yellow flowers that are located high in the tree and its stems are aromatic. George Washington planted many in his gardens at Mount Vernon. It was also used by Daniel Boone for his famous 60’ dugout canoe.... (more)

Antidesiccant Treatment

If there are evergreen trees and shrubs on your property, have them assessed for an anti-desiccant treatment (winter protection) as soon as possible.Common trees and shrubs susceptible to desiccation in our area include: hemlocks, rhododendrons, evergreen azaleas, andromeda, laurels, arborvitae, leland cypress, ilex, and boxwood.

LOCATIONS:

 

Lower Westchester County, NY and New York City

58 Beechwood Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10801

914-576-0193

 

Upper Westchester (North of I-287)

15 Broadway, Hawthorne, NY 10532

914-741-1510

 

Fairfield County, Connecticut

547 Hope Street, Stamford CT 06907

203-348-4111

 

Bergen & Passaic Counties, NJ

504 High Mountain Road, North Haledon, NJ 07508

973-636-6711

 

Contact us for a Free Consultation

Submitting Form...

The server encountered an error.

Form received.