Now is the Time to Shape and Strengthen Crape Myrtle & Fruit Trees

Crape myrtles and fruit trees can have a happy home in Georgia with our toasty summers and softer winters. While low-maintenance crape myrtles bring the color, fruit trees – think peaches, apples, pears, and more – can deliver popping produce. But they both require proper care.

When Should I Prune Crape Myrtle and Fruit Trees?

What’s the best time to prune trees in Georgia? When it comes to pruning crape myrtle and fruit trees, the Peach State has a winter window. Premier Tree Solutions suggests late January through February as prime time for pruning.

Since leaves have fallen, professionals get the best possible vantage point of a tree’s skeleton, and a better idea on how to approach pruning. And pruning during a tree’s dormancy period reduces the risk of sap loss and stress before spring arrives and the growth flush begins.

How do you shape and strengthen crape myrtle and fruit trees with pruning? Premier Tree Solutions suggests the following:

Crape Myrtle Trimming in Georgia

Have you ever noticed crape myrtle trees that have been reduced to unsightly stubs? That’s likely due to topping, an often harmful and indiscriminate pruning method caused by cutting the top of a tree’s main branches or trunk back to stubs. This harms the tree’s natural shape, creates knuckles, weakens branches, and amps up the risk of disease. Aggressive pruning, based on the myth that crape myrtles need pruning to flower, is sometimes known as “crape murder.”

According to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, the most aesthetically pleasing crape myrtle trees typically result from limited or no pruning. However, proper pruning can give way to stems that are strong enough to carry the weight of summer blooms. The following are recommended steps to proper crape myrtle pruning:

  • Remove suckers from the base of the plant.
  • As the tree grows, remove lower branches from the bottom third of the tree, which exposes the trunk.
  • Finally, check the canopy for any crossing or crowded branches and remove them.

Fruit Trees: Shaping for a Bountiful Harvest

Georgia’s favorite fruit trees need to get in shape, literally. Pruning and training help make it a reality by improving airflow, which combats Peach State humidity. Techniques differ depending on the variety. In general, apple, pecan, and pear trees benefit from central leader or Christmas tree-style pruning, while peach, nectarine, and plum trees are best served with an open center or cereal bowl pruning approach. Other varieties call for different cuts. However, no matter which variety grows on your grounds, the first step is always removing dead, damaged, or diseased wood.

The Gwinnett County Extension Service offers the following fruit tree pruning guide compiled from various University of Georgia publications.

Premier Tree Solutions: Your Crape Myrtle and Fruit Tree Pruning Pros

Considering crape myrtle or fruit tree pruning services? Premier Tree Solutions have the professional equipment and expert knowledge to help shape and strengthen your crape myrtle and fruit trees, allowing them to thrive come spring and summer. Call 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

Property Health Check: Why a Tree Inspection Sets the Tone for the Whole Year

Trees play an important role as part of your property. These towering works of natural art can serve as long-term assets, providing lush beauty, shady canopies, and enhanced property value.

However, in order to live their best lives, trees need proper attention. An unseen issue, such as disease or structural weakness, can manifest into a pricey problem. Ignore it, and you’re going out on a limb.

The solution? A professional tree inspection at the beginning of the calendar year helps avoid any potential challenges, while protecting your investment and enhancing the health of your whole landscape.

What is a Tree Inspection?

A tree professional, like those on staff at Premier Tree Solutions, can provide a tree inspection in the form of a comprehensive evaluation. They take a detailed look at a tree’s health, starting with its roots, all the way up to the canopy. How is the tree’s root flare? Is its trunk stable? What about branch structure? These and other questions help provide answers to best serve your tree and your property at large. According to Purdue University, tree inspections should take place, at a minimum, every five years. An annual investment in a tree inspection, however, is a seed well planted.

Catching Problems Early and Playing it Safe

The primary goal of a tree inspection is to detect issues as soon as possible and keep your trees, as well as everything that surrounds them, safe. To mitigate potential hazards, inspections attempt to catch any structural weaknesses that may prove risky when a tree faces severe weather. Inspectors keep an eye out for decay, hidden cracks, weak branch connections, and other telltale signs. The University of Florida offers a detailed look at tree risk assessment.

Catching disease and or pest problems out of the gate can be crucial when it comes to saving a tree. Damage can spread quickly, so nipping these issues in the bud allows for more effective treatment. Professionals know what to look for, and a close examination is essential. Once major damage becomes clearly apparent, it may be too late to save a tree. Inspectors hunt for things such as chew marks on leaves or branches; holes in the bark; sticky, waxy, or cottony material on tree limbs; a thin canopy; dead branches; and more.

Letting Your Investment Grow

A professional tree inspection continues your investment in the trees lining your property, bolstering their health into the future. Inspections help promote the longevity and vigor of trees by correcting any negative effects caused by environmental factors, such as soil or root issues.

A tree inspection report provides the owner with a plan on how to best care for the tree throughout the year. This could include pruning suggestions, when to fertilize, and additional helpful guidance. Taking advised action after a tree inspection helps preserve property value. Dying trees can put a damper on property value, while well-maintained trees can often allow property value to blossom by boosting curb appeal, increasing energy efficiency, preventing real estate hurdles, and more.

Premier Tree Solutions Can Inspect Your Trees

Looking to avoid a tree challenge before it arises? Invest in the trees adorning your property by having Premier Tree Solutions provide a tree inspection. Call 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

The Ultimate 2026 Pruning Calendar: When and How to Care for Your Trees

When pruning trees, timing matters. This is certainly the case in Georgia with our milder winters, early warm spells, and occasional freezes. Pruning at the wrong time can stress out trees. And who needs an ornery oak?

With that in mind, our expert tree professionals drew upon their knowledge, as well as data from the University of Georgia Extension, and put together a suggested tree pruning calendar for 2026. The goal: to help make sure you stay, ahem, a cut above.

Suggested Tree Pruning Calendar 2026

Late January-February: Early 2026 will be a good time for dormant pruning on many deciduous trees, those that shed their leaves seasonally. During dormancy, trees slow down their growth processes and stress levels are less risky. Late winter is a good time to prune fruit trees, especially temperate ones such as apple, peach, and pear. That’s when winter dormancy is wrapping up, and the risk of freeze injury won’t be as high.

Early to Mid-March: The sweet spot for renewal pruning of overgrown trees in north Georgia is early to mid-March. This type of pruning technique focuses on removing older, declining, unproductive wood in an effort to stimulate fresh growth while keeping the overall structure and health of the tree in good standing. It’s a method typically relevant for fruit and ornamental trees.

Early Summer: Trees that bleed lots of sap from pruning wounds include those of the shade and flowering variety. Think dogwood, maple, birch, elm, beech, willow, flowering cherry, and flowering plum. While these sap excretions aren’t harmful, they’re not necessarily aesthetically pleasing. The best way to keep sap bleeding to a minimum is hold back on pruning until after the leaves fully mature in the spring.

Late Fall/Early Winter: Skip pruning in the late fall and early winter. It can confuse a tree and slow down its dormancy process. During the fall, trees pull energy into their roots for the winter, and pruning can cause trees to redirect that energy toward healing or growth. Any new growth in the fall won’t have time to harden before the frost of winter. This puts a tree at risk of cold damage. However, there are some exceptions in terms of fall pruning. If limbs are damaged, diseased, or dead, they should be removed as soon as possible. The same goes for any branches that are hazardous and pose a safety risk. Check out Premier Tree Solutions’s fall pruning blog for more information.

Pruning Tips

To properly prune, you can’t simply go wild with your shears and snip with complete abandon. Technique and safety are paramount. Consider the following basic suggestions from Premier Tree Solutions:

  • Remember to cut just outside the branch collar. The branch collar is the swollen, ring-like area at the base of a tree’s branch where it joins the trunk or a bigger branch. This technique helps keep both the natural structure and healing mechanism of the tree intact.
  • Make slants when cutting. Slanted cuts stop water from collecting in the wound. Additionally, it assists in speeding up the healing process.
  • Use the right tools for the job. Depending on the type of project, consider tools such as pruning shears, lopping shears, hand saws, pole saws, or small chainsaws. Before investing in tools and going to work, research the appropriate tool for the task at hand. And don’t forget to keep tools clean and sharp, which only enhances their performance.

Call a Premier Tree Solutions for Your Pruning Needs

Premier Tree Solutions experts are just a call away and can provide personalized service for your specific pruning needs. We offer pruning services, including hand pruning. Our experts can assess the situation and prune your trees at just the right time. If you have questions regarding tree pruning, call Premier Tree at 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

How to Identify and Remove Invasive Plants Before They Harm Your Trees

Imagine an unwanted houseguest who overstays their welcome by raiding your fridge, covering you with negative attention, and leaving you with a parting gift in the form of an unshakable illness.

In a way, that’s what harmful, invasive plants can do to trees. They often compete for the tree’s resources, such as water and nutrients, sunlight, and space for growth. Their vines sometimes wrap around trees, causing strangulation. The weight of vines can weaken branches, making a tree more vulnerable to disease and damage. And certain invasive plants release chemicals in the soil, which block tree growth.

To properly protect your trees from these more-than-pesky plants, it all begins with invasive plant identification and awareness. The following are three of the most common ones that threaten trees in the Southeast. Additionally, we share tips on how to remove invasive plants.

English Ivy

This trailing and climbing evergreen vine has glossy, darkish green leaves. English ivy remains notorious for wrapping around and smothering trees, blocking sunlight from its leaves, adding compromising weight, and bringing moisture that welcomes rot and pests.

Removal tip: The University of Maryland Extension suggests creating an ivy-free band that spans about 3 to 4 feet above the ground. Start by first removing the leaves and smaller vines in order to expose the larger vines attached to the tree’s trunk. Then gently pry the vines away from the entire circumference of the trunk and cut off the vines. Once you’ve created the cleanest band possible, it will cause any vines above it to eventually die and fall off of the tree.

Chinese Privet

Although it’s an ornamental shrub with tiny, glossy oval leaves, arching branches, and white flowers with bluish-black berries, the Chinese privet has a reputation for causing trouble. It can choke out and displace native trees, and shake up ecosystems with its dense thickets. The Georgia Forestry Commission listed the non-native privet, which includes the Chinese privet, at the top of its 2023 non-native, invasive plants list.

Removal tip: If the shrub is small or young, pull it out by the roots. A recent rainfall can make the task easier. It helps to grab the plant’s stem and pull the whole root system from the ground. Removing larger shrubs calls for a leverage-based tool sometimes called a privet puller or uprooter. If you have to resort to cutting down the privet, finish the job by immediately brushing the cut stump with triclopyr, an organic herbicide.

Kudzu

It creeps, it crawls, it’s kudzu. Experts say the invasive perennial vine that’s known for covering Georgia landscapes and just about anything in its path can grow as much as 1 foot per day. Kudzu creates a lush, leafy blanket of green that has the potential to smother other vegetation. It blocks sunlight, which can result in damage and death to trees. In fact, the weight of a mass of kudzu can be heavy enough to pull down younger trees.

Removal tip: According to the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, kudzu roots can grow as deep as 9 feet. It’s difficult to eradicate kudzu and often takes multiple seasons, which span from May to late fall. As new growth appears, cut back the vines to the ground. Once vines are cut and removed, cover the area with heavy plastic. A poison ivy herbicide can be used for smaller infestations. After cutting large vines at the ground, you can brush the remaining base of the vines with a triclopyr-based herbicide.

Let Premier Tree Solutions Remove Invasive Plants

Trying to protect trees from invasive plants can be challenging, especially once they are wrapping around and smothering your trees. Premier Tree Solutions professionals can identify the culprit, and are equipped and ready to solve your specific problem. Call 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

Understanding Tree Roots: How Deep They Grow and How to Protect Them

It’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of a tree, from its majestic greenery to its outstretched limbs. However, what lies beneath the ground is equally important.

Understanding a tree’s root system is essential when it comes to promoting and maintaining its overall health and stability. Knowing facts about tree root depth, and how to support and protect root growth prove invaluable not only for the tree itself, but also for its surrounding environment.

How Deep Do Tree Roots Grow?

Most tree roots are concentrated in the top 6 to 24 inches of soil and can spread two to four times the diameter of the tree’s crown. Several factors influence tree root depth such as:

Tree Species: A tree’s genetics can determine what its root system will potentially look like. For example, trees on the larger end of the spectrum are known to have deeper roots, and the root distribution of shade trees can be shallow. However, soil conditions are eventually the deciding factor.

Soil: Soil types each have their own properties. Trees planted in soil with proper aeration and dependable moisture content helps promote deeper root growth. The same goes for soil with higher nutrient content. However, if the soil is compacted, waterlogged, or not aerated well, its oxygen levels will be lower and make for more shallow roots. And physical barriers such as building foundations and bedrock can cause roots to grow sideways instead of deeper into the ground.

Climate: Drier climates typically cause trees to have deeper roots, because they’re seeking water sources. On the other hand, trees growing in wetter climates tend to have more shallow roots as they stay closer to damp or waterlogged surfaces.

Keeping Tree Roots Healthy

The following are some basic tips to help promote tree root health and growth.

Mulching and Soil Care: Grab some organic mulch, such as shredded bark or wood chips, and spread a 2 to 4-inch layer around the base of the tree without touching the trunk. Proper mulching helps regulate soil temperature and moisture and can improve soil health and structure.

Watering: Watering your trees is one of the most important parts of keeping them healthy, but it can be tricky to say exactly how much water they need due to climate and other factors. Keeping the soil moist to a depth that includes the entire root system is known as deep watering. This can assist in speeding up the root establishment. However, too much water can harm a tree. A good rule of thumb is making sure that damp soil is allowed to dry for a short period of time so enough oxygen can permeate the soil.

Protecting Tree Roots: Trees are unable to thrive if their soil is compacted. Mulch can help discourage foot traffic underneath the tree canopy, which should be kept to a minimum. Exposed roots shouldn’t be cut. Doing so could result in destabilizing the tree and making it susceptible to disease. Make sure to protect the tree’s root system during any construction project by fencing off the root zone.

Let Us Help Your Tree’s Root System Thrive

If you have questions regarding your tree’s root system, call Premier Tree at 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

Winter Tree Care Made Simple: Steps for a Healthy Spring

Winter brings plenty of distractions, from the holiday bustle to limited daylight. But we can’t let them deter us from keeping an eye on our trees as the season shifts. Winter tree care is important for protecting trees from harsh weather, preventing property damage, and preparing trees for spring.

The good news is that basic cold weather tree care is fairly simple. Consider bundling up and following these winter tree care tips before the frigid temps close in.

Tree Care Tips for Winter

Beat the Freeze and Water: Keep a good eye on the weather report and water your trees before cold snaps. A thorough watering helps tree roots, especially those belonging to younger trees, stay hydrated during the winter. Make sure temperatures are higher than 40 degrees and schedule your watering during the middle of the day, which will give the water time to soak in before the soil potentially freezes overnight.

Time to Mulch: A little mulch can be like a warm blanket for chilly tree roots. Adding a layer of mulch around a tree’s base helps insulate the roots, keep the soil moist, and protect against freezing. Whenever you mulch near a tree, always keep it a few inches away from the trunk to avoid any moisture buildup or pest problems.

Say No to Frost and Sunscald: Young and/or sensitive trees need some extra protection from Jack Frost. Just before freezing temperatures drop, cover these trees with a lightweight fabric, such as burlap or frost cloth, which can serve as a shield. You can also use that same type of material to wrap the trunks of young trees in an effort to stop sunscald and frost cracks. Stay away from plastic, because it can trap moisture and overheat in the sun.

Watch for Dead or Diseased Branches: Winter storms often cause dead or damaged branches. Any time of year is a good time to remove these possible hazards. Additionally, removal can stop the spread of potential disease. Your friends at Premier Tree Solutions are always on hand to offer expert removal services.

Major Pruning Can Wait: Again, diseased or dead branches can be removed anytime. Postpone major pruning until late winter or early spring. This allows you to see the full extent of any winter weather damage and prepare the tree for the impending growing season. When the time is right, Premier Tree Solutions can provide expert pruning.

Chill Out and Call Premier Tree Solutions

Let Premier Tree Solutions assist with any winter tree care-related issues. Call 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

How Not To Damage Your Trees with Pruning this Fall

Although tree pruning can take place throughout the year, you’ll be going out on a limb if you attempt to prune a tree in the fall. While it’s not ideal, there are exceptions to the rule. Before breaking out the pruning tools this autumn, consider the following advice from the experts at Premier Tree Solutions.

Why Fall Pruning Isn’t Ideal

Fall pruning can confuse a tree and slow its dormancy process. During autumn months, trees pull energy into their roots for the winter, and pruning can cause trees to redirect that energy toward healing or growth. Any new growth in the fall won’t have time to harden before the frost of winter. This puts a tree at risk of cold damage. Additionally, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, decay fungi spread their spores in the fall, and pruning cuts make trees more vulnerable to infection.

Why Prune Trees in the Fall, If at All?

While the best time to prune trees in Georgia is between late winter and early spring, there are cases when fall tree pruning is acceptable. If limbs are damaged, diseased, or dead, they should be removed as soon as possible. The same goes for any branches that are hazardous and pose a safety risk. For example, if you see a branch hanging over a structure or a power line, immediately seek professional removal.

If your goal is to improve a tree’s appearance or structure, or accentuate its best features, it’s OK to trim back a few small branches in the fall. However, stay away from heavy cuts and wait until late in the season after the leaves have completely dropped.

Other reasons for pruning include improving the overall health of the tree; controlling or directing new growth; preventing the spread of disease; boosting air circulation and allowing light to shine through; correcting weak or narrow crotches in the tree; and resolving cross branching.

When it comes to fall tree pruning in Georgia, your geographic location can make a difference. Since North Georgia can experience frost and freezing temperatures in the winter, residents in this area should skip pruning trees in the fall unless necessary. South Georgia has milder winters, so minimal pruning, such as minor cleanup, is less risky.

Call a Professional for Fall Tree Pruning

If you’re considering pruning a tree this fall, your best bet is to consult Premier Tree Solutions for professional assistance. We offer pruning services, including hand pruning. Our experts know how to prune trees in fall and can provide the appropriate solution no matter the time of year. If you have questions regarding tree pruning, call Premier Tree at 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

Common Tree Diseases and How to Treat Them

Of course, trees aren’t immune to disease. However, it may be more serious than you think. Having a solid understanding of tree diseases is important for homeowners and property managers. Early detection and professional treatment can keep your trees healthy and happy, and the surroundings safe. The following is a closer look at four of the most common diseases and their symptoms to assist in tree disease identification. While we offer tips on how to treat tree diseases, consulting an expert with Premier Tree is always your best bet.

Anthracnose

Commonly found among shade trees – think sycamore, ash, oak, birch, beech, elm, walnut, or maple – this fungal disease affects the leaves. It causes spots and blotches, cupping or curling, and the premature falling of leaves. It’s typically spread through water when spores from inflected plants are splashed to healthy ones. Anthranose can also be carried longer distances by wind. Experts suggest treating the tree by pruning affected branches, removing infected plant debris, increasing light penetration, and promoting air circulation throughout the tree canopy. While anthracnose isn’t typically dangerous to most trees, it may cause temporary damage. Healthy trees can usually bounce back, but recurring, severe infections and certain types of fungus can weaken trees over time, making them more vulnerable to other factors.

Dutch Elm Disease

American elm trees are susceptible to this disease, which causes leaves to wilt, become yellow in color, and fall prematurely. It’s progressive and more branches may eventually show symptoms. Additionally, Dutch elm disease may cause brown streaks to develop on the outer layers of the sapwood of branches. Infected limbs should be pruned, while severely infected trees should be removed entirely. Penn State Extension suggests peeling the bark from the stump to below the soil line. Since bark beetle larvae may reside within, it’s important to burn or bury all wood 1/2″ in diameter or larger. A tree is salvageable if less than 5 percent of its crown exhibits symptoms. If that’s the case, find the lowest point of streaking and prune the branch at least 12 feet below that area. Fungicidal injections can then be used.

Fire Blight

If you notice blackened, wilted blossoms and shoots that have a burned look, it could be a case of fire blight. This disease is caused by a bacterium and only impacts members of the rose family. However, that includes a wide range of trees and shrubs. Some of the most common trees affected by fire blight include apple, pear, and hawthorn. Fire blight can prove fatal to trees, especially when the infection hits the roots, and it can spread quickly. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for fire blight, only control. Severely affected trees should be removed. Treatment typically calls for spraying and pruning. Prune 8” to 12” below the infected areas, and make sure and sanitize tools after use. Tools containing the bacterium can transfer fire blight to healthy trees.

Root Rot

Root Rot is a disease that causes the root system to deteriorate, leading to stunted growth, wilted and discolored leaves, and mushy, brown roots with an unpleasant smell. It’s typically caused by soil-borne or fungus-like pathogens found in wet soil that doesn’t drain well and has inadequate air circulation. Root rot can materialize in a variety of trees, especially if drainage is poor. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the disease. If detected early, the situation can be remedied by improving drainage, and pruning dead or infected roots. More severe cases may call for chemical treatments or the surgical removal of roots.

Get to the Root Cause

Again, a Premier Tree professional would be your best ally when addressing tree diseases. If you have questions regarding fungal tree diseases or suspect signs of tree disease, call Premier Tree at 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

Why Fall Is the Ideal Time to Plant Trees in Georgia

When should you plant trees in Georgia? The arrival of fall not only means leaves will change color, but the days get shorter, and temperatures become cozier. It’s also the ideal season for planting trees. The perfect combination of climate and biology makes for just the right conditions for root establishment, stress reduction, and long-term survival of newly-planted trees.

Why Is It Better to Plant Trees in the Fall?

You may ask: Why not plant trees in summer? According to an article published by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, cooler temperatures and rainfall during the fall combine to allow trees the opportunity to establish an extensive root system even during a plant’s dormancy. Throughout the majority of the state, soil temperatures remain warm enough to support root growth during most if not all of the winter months. This gives trees a bonus growing season before the stress of the extensive heat and potential drought found in the summer.

Consider the following fall tree-planting tips when digging in the dirt:

Location, Location, Location

Take a close look at the space where you’d like to plant a tree and make sure it’s a suitable spot once it begins to grow. Don’t plant it too close to nearby structures, and evaluate home much shade, sun, and moisture the tree will be able to receive. It’s crucial for a tree to have proper soil drainage. You can test it by filling a sample hole with water. If it drains at a rate of less than one inch per hour, you may want to consider a different type of tree or raise the planting site.

Prepping the Site

Experts suggest digging a planting hole measuring at least two to three times as wide as the tree’s root ball. The soil will compact over time, so don’t dig a hole deeper than the root ball. This will cause the tree to be planted too deeply, which can lead to its slow decline and eventual demise. Heavy clay soil is often found in Georgia. If that’s the case, score the edges of the hole, which will allow the roots to penetrate out of the planting hole. Always backfill the holes with native soil.

Preparing and Planting the Tree

Before planting the tree, carefully examine the root ball for girdling roots. These tree roots encircle and constrict the trunk of the tree or its other roots, which can cause the restriction of water flow and nutrients. Additionally, remove all wrapping, tags, and labels. When placing the tree into the hole, keep it straight and centered with the top of the root ball level with the soil surrounding it.

Give It Water and Food

After planting the tree, water it thoroughly, which helps settle the soil. Add a nice layer of mulch, about two to three inches, around the base of the tree. This feeds the tree, and it helps keep moisture and nutrients in the soil. However, don’t let mulch touch the trunk, which can suffocate the roots and build up moisture, causing wood decay.

Ask an Expert at Premier Tree Solutions

If you have questions regarding planting trees, or your trees are in need of trimming or pruning, call 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.

 

Georgia Tree Pests to Watch for This Fall and How to Stop Them

While fall is a great time to look at the vibrant, color-changing leaves on your trees, it’s also important to keep a watchful eye on potential tree pests. Many insects prepare for the winter and lay eggs during this time of year, some seeking refuge in trees and leaving damage in their wake. The key is to detect these pests early and properly identify them before the destruction is out of hand.

What Type of Bugs Come Out in the Fall?

There is an array of pests that descend upon trees during the fall, but several are more active or begin causing notable damage at that time. The following are three of the most common tree pests Georgians should take note of this fall, and how to best control them.

Ambrosia Beetles

Trees that are weakened or stressed, most notably oak, maple, and dogwoods, are prime targets for these little, wood-boring beetles. Although you’ll find them more active during the spring and summer, their destruction becomes more noticeable during the fall when trees are in decline. Watch for tiny, round holes in the tree’s bark and toothpick-shaped sawdust sticking out of the entry holes. The best way to stop them is by removing or destroying infested limbs or trees. Make sure not to cause stress to a tree, such as damaging its roots or overwatering. This can make the tree more susceptible to ambrosia beetles. Think ahead for next season by having preventative insecticides applied by professionals at the beginning of spring.

Fall Webworms

These creatures are known for creating white, web-like nests found at the ends of tree branches. They have a fondness for persimmon, sweetgum, pecan, and hickory trees. The caterpillars located inside these nests enjoy munching on leaves, which can cause extreme defoliation on young or stressed-out trees. If this becomes heavy or repeated, it can kill a tree by tapping out its energy reserves, which makes the tree more vulnerable to diseases and other pests. Although fall webworms rarely kill healthy trees, they can still weaken them, and the nests themselves are typically unattractive. Stop them by pruning out and destroying the nests as soon as possible. If applied early, insecticidal sprays can be effective as well.

Scale Insects

Scale insects, such as white peach scale and magnolia scale, can be especially troublesome tree pests in the fall. For example, the white peach scale can inflict significant damage to peach, plum or other trees and cause stunted growth, reduced fruit size, and even the death of the tree. The magnolia scale only attacks magnolia trees by sucking their sap, causing yellowing leaves, overall weakness, and the progressive death of their branches. Waxy spots or bumps on leaves and branches are telltale signs of scale insects. Applying horticultural oil in the late fall or winter is a good way to combat these pests. Experts also recommend pruning heavily infested branches and bringing in beneficial insects such as lacewings and ladybugs to take out the more damaging critters.

Consult a Professional at Premier Tree Solutions

Remember, you don’t have to face these bugs alone. If you have questions regarding fall tree pests or your trees require trimming or pruning, call Premier Tree at 404-252-6448 or schedule a complimentary assessment online.