Watch out, Bud!: What Happens if a Tree Buds Too Early?

Caring for plants is a difficult process, and trees are no exception. While you may look at a tree as the sturdier and thus more resilient alternative to a potted plant, the truth is that trees are at a huge risk for much of their life—especially for those that produce fruits or flowers.

Trees, like any other plant, rely on weather patterns to know when and at what rate they are supposed to mature and bloom. When weather patterns are unusual, trees can easily be thrown off their anticipated schedule. Just as you may grow confused when the temperature hits a sudden high or low mark for the season, your plants are going to grow just as confused. The difference is that while a sudden drop in temperature for you may simply mean you’re without the proper jacket for the day, it could leave your tree at dangerous odds for survival—especially if your tree is rather young.

Trees maintain a growth cycle that is designed to have them blooming when the season is right, most typically in the spring. A warm winter can throw that growth cycle off, causing a tree to begin budding in the winter. If the weather stays warm and there are no sudden shifts in temperature, then this may only cause your tree to have an odd but not otherwise unhealthy blooming schedule. The danger comes when a tree buds in the winter and then a cold front moves through, leaving all those buds exposed to freezing temperatures.

It is for this reason that blooming too early can put unnecessary stress on trees. When this happens, any new growth that has developed could become shocked and damaged, potentially causing long-term damage to the tree. This is especially a concern for fruit and flowering trees, of which the buds are most vulnerable.

There is not all too much you can do if a tree begins budding too early, but you can make some interventions in the best interest of your trees. Cutting off buds as they develop will cause the tree to put its energy toward growth within the trunk, helping the tree to become sturdier and thus more likely to survive freezing temperatures and sudden temperature drops. This is an especially helpful tactic with young trees. But if you have already let the buds develop, then the next best thing you can do is try to support survival by covering your tree during hard frost and freeze warnings.

Premier Tree Solutions can help. We specialize in a number of arboreal areas, including tree removal, tree trimming, pruning, storm damage reparation and cleanup, branch clearing and debris removal, stump removal, grinding, Bobcat work and more. If you need tree-related help, give us a shout. Let us know how we can help today at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Holy Shiitake: Which Mushrooms are Safe?

Mushrooms are easily among the most intriguing of all the plant species. Though technically fungi, there may not be another plant that will so quickly garnish a reaction from just about anyone as much as the mushroom. Countless varieties exist, from the highly colorful to the highly ugly. While some are delicious and nutritious, a regular culinary staple, others are incredibly dangerous to consume, causing side effects that can range from poisonous to psychedelic. While this information summarizes the range of interactions between mushrooms and human consumption, it does not even begin to touch on the relationships that mushrooms have with other plant life.

When you see a patch of mushrooms growing in your yard, it is a good idea to take a close look at what is going on and how the mushrooms may influence the life of your trees and other plants. Mushrooms are a physical formation of a collection of fungus, which is why they are referred to more scientifically as “fungi.” They can grow in grassy patches, in wet areas or even out of a rotting log. The location of the mushroom, its color, and its shape are all determining factors as to whether or not the mushroom is safe to touch, let alone safe to be near your beloved trees.

Before addressing any mushrooms in your yard, it is essential that you note the marking attributes, including:

  • Color
  • Shape
  • Size of the pores
  • Size of the stem
  • Habitat in which the mushrooms grew
  • The number of mushrooms present

Use this information and check the images against an encyclopedic reference. You can easily find online listings of the types of mushrooms you most typically will find in your region.

In general, there are some benefits to having mushrooms around your yard. Mushrooms can help clean up dead plants and plant parts that are decomposing on your property. This helps to improve and maintain soil fertility, enriching the microbiology of the soil and thereby improving plant performance and veracity with symbiotic associations between root structures. However, some mushrooms can actually cause plants to develop diseases — some of which are actually quite serious.

Just because a mushroom is toxic for human consumption doesn’t mean that it is going to cause damage to your greenery.  Simply pulling a mushroom out of the ground may give the superficial appearance of removal, but in some circumstances, it could actually cause further spreading of the fungi. Too close to one of your trees and that could mean long-term damage if you are dealing with a particularly troublesome type of mushroom. Before touching a mushroom, and certainly, before attempting to remove it, you need to consult a professional to ensure that you understand the type of mushroom you are dealing with.

Premier Tree Solutions can help. We specialize in a number of arboreal areas, including tree removal, tree trimming, pruning, storm damage reparation and cleanup, branch clearing and debris removal, stump removal, grinding, Bobcat work and more. If you need tree-related help, give us a shout. Let us know how we can help today at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.