What You Should Know

We love trees and enjoy educating others about how to care for the trees on their property. This being the case, we feel it’s highly important that you know about wood decay. Wood decay is caused by fungi and bacteria that enter weak areas of trees, such as wounds, cracks and crevices. Once these weak areas become sites for insects and decay, trees loose their structural strength.

Could your trees be affected by wood decay? Here a few common signs and causes:

• Weaknesses in the bark tissue, mushrooms or seepage
• String trimmer or mechanical damage
• Excess moisture from irrigation or poor drainage
• New plant landscapes around mature trees
• New home construction – heavy equipment causing soil compaction
• Crown dieback or tip decline

Luckily, Fannin Tree Services can evaluate your trees for indicating signs of decay organisms, as well as manage and improve the health of diseased trees. Our trained tree care technicians take the utmost care by sanitizing our tools between trees and sealing large pruning wounds with an organic pruning sealer. Some wood decay is not curable, but with proper soil management, and early identification, the life of a tree can be greatly prolonged. We build stable organic carbon in the soil as well as soil microbial activity to allow the plant to recover more naturally. Our goal is to stop or slow the disease and create a soil environment that replicates nature.

Please do not hesitate to contact Fannin Tree Services today if you notice any signs of weakness in your trees. Now is the perfect time of year to have our ASCA Consulting Arborist complete a tree risk assessment and check your trees’ structural strength!

Trees Are Headed into Dormancy

November will soon be drawing to a close, which means leaves will begin to drop, and plants will go into dormancy; think of it as their hibernation time. This being the case, it would be wise to have a Certified Arborist, competent in structural tree pruning and risk assessments, evaluate your trees. As your trees’ growth slows down, we can correct growth patterns by reducing co-dominant stems and identifying weaknesses in the canopy.

Other benefits of dormant pruning include:

• Vibrant new growth – Pruning during trees’ dormancy makes way for lively new growth during springtime.
• Visibility – By late fall, most trees have shed most (if not all) of their leaves, so it’s much easier to view trees as well as identify mistletoe and dead or diseased branches.
• Plant Pest & Environmental Conditions – The pressure for insects and diseases is at its lowest during this time.

If you’re interested in having your trees professionally pruned, allow our Certified Arborist to evaluate them and provide recommendations for pruning and structural support management. If you’ve got fruit-bearing trees on your property, it’s best to wait until the wintertime to prune them, for this is the best time to do so.

It’s the Best Time of Year to Give Your Trees a Little TLC

Fall is the best season for planting trees—but did you know it is also a great time to give your mature trees a little extra protection? As the days get cooler, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your trees are healthy and thriving for many seasons to come.

Four Preventative Methods to Protect Your Trees This Fall

1. Install Structural Support Systems – Larger trees are prone to weak branch attachments. A Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist should evaluate your trees for safety concerns and install customized structural support systems.
2. Apply Oak Wilt Decline Preventative Treatments – Your oak trees may be at risk of oak wilt, a disease that spreads through trees’ wounds and root grafts. Not all oaks need to be treated for this disease, but you should consider applying an oak wilt preventative fungicide if it has been identified within a one-mile radius from your area.
3. Utilize Proper Pruning Techniques – Applying professional pruning techniques will actually allow trees to grow more evenly over time on their own. Beyond this, proper pruning makes trees stronger during storms and less vulnerable to breakage.
4. Construction Mitigation, Planning and Protection – It is very common for mature trees to die due to new home renovations and construction. If you are building a new home this fall, utilize an ASCA Consulting Arborist to partner with your construction company in order to properly plan and manage your project.

Whether you require a tree risk assessment, professional pruning services or an ASCA Consulting Arborist, Fannin Tree Services has everything you need to protect your trees this fall!

Tree-Planting Time Is Here!

After our hot Texas summers, October ushers in crisp breezes and cooler days like a breath of fresh air. Pumpkins and apples are piled high at grocery stores and children are buzzing with excitement for Halloween candy and costumes. But October also marks the beginning of tree-planting season!

It’s true; most of us associate fall with farewells to our gardens and flowers. While images of October are filled with orange leaves, this is actually the perfect time of year to plant trees for many reasons, including:

• Better weather conditions – The mild temperatures and rainfall enable trees to establish their root systems before winter rolls around.
• Better soil conditions – In the fall, soil is typically warmer and less damp—perfect conditions for planting.
• Optimum planting environment – Cooler fall days make this planting season the most enjoyable for gardeners and green thumbs alike

The planting season has only just begun. Make sure to take advantage of the season and come out to Fannin Tree Farm to find the perfect tree to plant this fall! All of our premium trees are always backed by our one-year Fannin Guarantee.

It’s About to Be the Perfect Time to Plant Trees

This summer has been quite eventful here in North Texas. It started out a bit wetter than normal and came with quite a few storms. Then the heat returned full force to remind us all what summers in Texas are really like. Even though summer’s not officially over yet, fall is right around the corner, which means the perfect time to plant trees is upon us.

When it comes to trees, spring is the time for new growth, and fall is the ideal time for planting. Why, you ask? The soil conditions from autumn rain and cooler temperatures provide the perfect planting environment, allowing trees’ root systems to acclimate to their new surroundings as they head into dormancy and before they wake up for spring growth.

So if you’ve been thinking about getting a new tree for your residential or commercial property, take advantage of this time to select the perfect one! View our tree inventory here. As always, we are happy to help you during the selection process in any way we can! Feel free to give us a call, or contact us here anytime.

It’s a given that insects and other pests can be bothersome to humans and animals alike. At the same time, certain pests can be troublesome for trees and plants and cause structural damage and disease. Do you know about three of the most common tree pests?

• Aphids – These tiny insects are no strangers to landscapers, as they like to damage leaves and stems by cutting into them and drinking vital nutrients. Aphids grow to be no larger than match heads and can be multiple colors, including black, white and green.
• Thrips – These winged pests tend to be smaller than aphids but inflict damage the same way by puncturing leaf and soft-stem tissue and sucking out the nutrients and juices. Signs of thrip damage include leaves that are discolored and malformed.
• Whiteflies – These small, winged pests are white in color and like to feed on the bottom of leaves. Aside from causing discoloration and damage in leaves, whiteflies can spread various tree diseases.

If you notice any discoloration, peculiar damage or anything that leads you to suspect pest infestation in your Fannin trees or other existing trees you should treat them immediately with Bayer Advanced 3-In-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control. If problems persist, give us a call, and we’d be happy to help in any way we can. Click here for more information about Bayer Advanced pest control.