BigTreeSupply.com: Why Trees Get Sick

By Nancy Penrose

There are many reasons why a healthy tree can get sick, such as pests, injuries, disease and poor maintenance. Even the environment can adversely affect a tree’s well-being.

There are several ways to tell if a tree is doing poorly. Some of the more obvious signs include areas of decay and evidence of infestations. A tree may also have health issues if it isn’t growing or has prematurely dropped its leaves. Other indicators of illness include early ripening, wilting, loss of color, and trunk or branch abnormalities.

Trees can become infected from pests such as aphids, root weevils, leafrollers, spider mites and the codling moth. The pests will either burrow into the tree or start feeding on it. Sometimes they do both.

Trees can also get blight, a type of fungi or bacteria, and root rot. When a tree has blight, it will initially turn brown and then die. Root rot is also a fungal pathogen and can kill a tree. Indicators of root rot include dieback and foliage discoloration.

Storms can cause broken branches, split branch forks and snapped stems. When wood breaks and becomes exposed, it can become infected by microorganisms. These types of injuries, depending on where they occur, can also damage the tree’s overall health.

Trees can also be injured by bad pruning, garden equipment like lawnmowers and weeders, as well as foot traffic if it’s near the tree’s roots.

Environmental factors that affect the health of your tree include pollution and herbicides that drift in from other locations.

Trees can also have a difficult time adapting to a new environment. If you’ve recently planted a tree or had a tree transplant and it isn’t doing well, check for soil and drainage issues, as well as too much or too little light or water.

Trees are an investment and will need proper maintenance and care to survive. As professional tree arborist, specializing in big trees, we can answer all of your questions about tree care and how to keep your trees healthy.


Nancy Penrose is owner of Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com), (tree nursery Snohomish, WA), one of the largest Seattle tree nurserys (visit Big Trees Planting Service page at http://bigtreesupply.com/planting-service/), specializing in large trees for sale and tree transplanting. For more tips on tree landscaping go to http://nurserytrees.net/. See our video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEP1vudflm0 and connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Trees-Inc/193731105108

Big Trees Inc. To Save Hospital Campus Trees

SNOHOMISH, WA - Big Trees Inc. (http://bigtreesupply.com), a Washington state tree sales and transplanting company, will help save more than a dozen trees at a hospital campus during a project involving the re-routing of utilities. The trees currently provide privacy to surrounding neighbors.

“We’re very happy to have the opportunity save these large trees,” says Nancy Penrose, owner of Big Trees. “In projects like these, many times the trees end up in a grinder.”

According to Penrose, reusing trees during a construction project always generates goodwill and support for the endeavor. “We really enjoy helping out with this aspect of a project because of the positive impact it has on the community.”

Thirteen trees will be moved out of the path of construction, including cedars, hemlocks, firs and hornbeam trees. Some of the trees that will be relocated are over 20 feet tall. There are also a few trees that weigh between 4000 – 5000 pounds.

The trees will be balled, burlapped and brought to a storage bed that is beyond the reaches of the construction area. The re-routing of utilities is expected to take 1 to 2 years to complete. Once the project is finished, the trees will be root balled again and moved back to their original locations.

“Replanting the trees will give neighbors the same privacy they had before the undertaking began,” says Penrose.

Big Trees Inc. (http://www.bigtreesupply.com) is located in Snohomish, WA, in the Seattle area. The company is one of the area’s largest tree nurseries, with over 120,000 trees available in over 300 varieties. They not only can deliver young trees but also mature trees in a wide range of sizes, including spring flowering, deciduous, evergreen, and privacy trees. The company also transplants large trees. Their blog can be seen at http://www.bigtreesupply.com/blog/