Winter storms uproot trees and cause flooding in Santa Cruz mountains

The storm door finally opened the week of Jan. 18 prompting many to exclaim they hadn’t seen weather like this since the big 82-83 big storms that wreaked so much damage. In Boulder Creek, “the dam” rose to near 1982 levels. 

In the mountain areas,rainfall levels were in excess of 12 inches in 5 days. Felton evacuated families from their homes near the covered bridge due to the river spilling over its banks. No one was hurt, the river subsided and folks were able to return to their homes.

High winds coupled with saturated soil caused many trees to uproot, sometimes causing property damage, other times  taking out power lines. Road closures, power outages, rising rivers and streams, mudslides; all good mountain living! Many were without electricity, some for up to three days.

Many weather stations are claiming the return of El Nino, which means the storm door, may be open during the next several weeks bringing more events like we just experienced.

Tree Solutions continues to stress the importance of tree risk assessment inspections to help determine if there are obvious signs of imminent failure. Oftentimes, these inspections and mitigative procedures can prevent tree failure and property damage from occurring.

Predictions call for a minimum amount of rainfall and by Wednesday we may actually see some sun!

Tree Care Forum

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To the extent of the knowlege and experience of Tree Solutions, We are happy to offer information and to discuss current local tree care trends and issues on the central coast of California.

Although we intend to discuss tree care and other issues, this blog is not intended to replace site visits and thorough assessment before offering specific recommendations.

We are open to information, discussion and suggestions by all just as long as it is presented in a respectful manner. This forum is for people everywhere who have a respect and care for trees and other living things on the planet.

Tree Solutions Winter Newsletter

Read about our Winter Season recommendations which include:

• Tree safety inspections
• Fruit tree management tips
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) planning
• Plant Health Care (PHC) planning
• Dormant season pruning recommendations
• Soil Restore, organic fertility

Please visit:  http://www.treesolutions.com/news/  to view this newsletter and more.........

Sudden Oak Death

The Sudden Oak Death pathogen Phytopthora ramorum is very aggressively infecting and killing  coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)  black oak (Quercus kellogii) and tan oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) trees along the central California coast.

In the California coastal areas,this pathogen is most active during the warmer springtime months. The pathogen requires a water film to reproduce. It is most commonly spread by adjacent bay laurel trees whose leaves carry microscopic spores called zoospores. During rain events, spores germinate and are splashed onto tree trunks. Other means of spread are mud from animals and recreational devices such as bicycles. Although there is not a cure for already infected trees, a treatment is available via trunk drench or injection into the tree trunk.

Please visit our website www.treesolutions.com for comprehensive information about Sudden Oak Death and many other subjects related to Plant Health Care.

For more in-depth information about best management practices for sudden oak death control, click onto this link.   http://www.treesolutions.com/sudden-oak-death/sudden-oak-death-overview/