Wednesday, June 4, 2003

Enemies of trees lurk in Fayette County

The worst enemies of yard trees, especially small ones, are often not insects or diseases, but instead are lawn mowers and string trimmers.

A bump with a lawn mower or a whack from a string trimmer may knock off sections of bark, sometimes killing a tree outright. However, continued bumping can also cause serious damage to the delicate tissue beneath the bark.

This is especially true for thin-barked trees such as dogwoods. This damage can disrupt the flow of nutrients and water up and down the tree, and can also allow rot to enter. The result is an unhealthy, unattractive tree.

Careful cutting can prevent this problem. However, it's much easier to avoid the need of cutting close to trees. This is best done by mulching around trees with pine straw or similar materials. Besides keeping grass away from a tree, mulch retains soil moisture and helps the tree survive droughts. Another option is to spray a circle around the base of each tree with a foliage-active herbicide such as Round-up, to kill grass around the tree. Follow label directions closely and be sure not to get any spray on the leaves of the tree. Do not use a herbicide with soil activity as this may damage the tree itself.

For more information on tree care, contact the Georgia Forestry Commission at 770-227-5522 or 770-358-1459, or visit www.gfc.state.ga.us.

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