
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 3, 1994                   TAG: 9404040203
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LARGE-TREE CARE NOT THAT GLOOMY

Q: I read with interest your article published Sunday, March 6, concerning tree damage and pruning. While I agree with you that shade trees should not be topped, I have difficulty figuring out how to handle the trees I have or want to have to shade my house. If I had enough money and space, I would treat my trees as they do at Monticello, prop them with guy wires so that the limbs do not break down or off. But lacking that, there seem to be only one or two alternatives: let the trees grow until they become hazardous to life and property, then cut them down and replant; or prune the tips of the branches when the trees get to the right size.

The first alternative is very disappointing in that one gets accustomed to, even dependant on, the shade provided and must start all over and wait for the trees to grow large enough to provide the shade desired. The second alternative would be a nice thing to do but would be increasingly difficult as one got older and would probably require special equipment to get around the whole tree, especially the top. Have you any other alternatives? What would you do with white pines that have the tops broken off and are getting too wide at the base for adjacent plantings? Thank you for any help you can provide or sources that I can consult, such as books at the public library. R.W.B., Pulaski

A: Landscaping with trees is not as gloomy for those of us without big budgets as your first question implies. Realistic alternatives are:

For new landscapes: get advice from trained landscape designers and/or nursery person to select tree species that are long-lived and dependable (avoid weedy trees, those with brittle wood, and those that are fast growers); properly place new trees so that they will not be in a hazardous location to people, vehicles, or property; and begin pruning and training trees when they are young to develop a strong form rather than your idea of pruning tips once a tree gets to the right size.

For older trees already existing on a given landscape: identify those trees and do some tree research either through your library (I don't have book lists), a book store, or nurseryman to learn if any of those trees are known to be short-lived or problem-prone; and consider hiring a certified arborist or other knowledgeable tree professional to evaluate those trees, and then set up a schedule based on your budget for recommended corrective work or tree removal. These suggestions allow us to be managers of the landscape, rather than allowing the landscape to manage us.

White pines that have had their top broken off should be treated as any other landscape tree with injury. The wounded part where the break occurred should be cleaned by making a sloped cut on the trunk just above the side branch(es) that come out right below the wound. This work should be done as soon as possible after the injury. No pruning paint or compound is recommended.

Your options for dealing with the width of the lower section of the white pines are: remove those lower limbs completely back to the branch collar at the trunk, which will give the pines a rather unnatural look; or if the lower parts have only slightly invaded neighboring spots, all the side branches can be trimmed back each year in late spring, but only to the point where greenery still comes out on the branches.

Q: When and how do I apply fertilizer to a 23-year-old Norway maple tree? N.A.M., Buchanan

A: Do you know for sure that the tree needs nutrients? The best time to fertilize is when trees and shrubs need nutrients or when new growth is desired, coupled with when conditions are conducive to fertilizer uptake. Generally, this means late fall, just after your tree has dropped its leaves. Research has shown that a split fertilizer application can also be beneficial to trees in need - applying half of the yearly rate in late winter to early spring (February to early April), with the rest in mid-fall. Pale leaf color, smaller than normal leaf size, or soil test results are good indicators of the need for fertilization.

If your maple actually needs fertilizing, simply scatter the measured amount of desired fertilizer on the soil or grass surface under the tree and water it in. If the soil under the maple is compacted, aerate it first or at least vigorously rake the soil.

Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given. PLEASE DON'T SEND STAMPS, STAMPED ENVELOPES, SAMPLES, OR PICTURES. Gardener's checklist

Jobs for early to mid-April:

Don't be in a hurry to remove the foliage of spring flowering bulbs after the bulbs bloom. The leaves manufacture the food for the bulbs, which is stored down in the bulb for next year's bloom. If the foliage is removed prematurely, the bulb may not flower next spring.

by CNB