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Watch out! Dead trees represent dangerous problem


Part of a fallen Jeffrey pine rests where it landed on a cabin roof. The top 20 feet broke off and did further damage.
(Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Bark beetle infestation takes its toll on pines



When a tree falls in the forest, it makes a big thud.

Fortunately in this case, someone was around to hear it -- and call the property owners. The fallen pine had landed on their cabin's roof.

That cabin sits next to our place in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. If the tree had leaned a little more east, it would have smacked our roof instead.

It was a loud and graphic reminder that California's dead trees won't stand forever. That includes city and suburban trees as well as forest inhabitants.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, California has lost an estimated 129 million trees since 2010, due to drought and bark beetles.

In California’s pine forests, those two factors go hand in hand. Prolonged drought weakens trees and cuts back on their ability to produce sap. The sap helps protect trees from bark beetles; low sap, more beetles.

Bark beetles, which particularly attack pines, have been munching their way through our state’s forests at alarming rates. They’ll keep eating and multiplying as long as there are vulnerable trees. And there are many millions more.

These beetles don’t limit themselves to wilderness areas; they invade urban forests, too. According to the UC Cooperative Extension, about 200 species of bark beetles are found in California. Species that attack pines are now common in many communities.

These beetles don’t attack dead trees; they go after the weak and living. After they do their damage, other insects move in to finish the job.

That’s what happened to this particular Jeffrey pine, a skinny 60-foot tree on a steep slope. Its neighboring pines had previously succumbed to bark beetles and been removed. Of its little grove, this pine was the last to go.

This lone pine had stood like a naked totem for a few summers. From the outside, it seemed solid enough. But on this August morning, the bugs finally ate their way through the base. The whole tree broke off at the crown and collapsed, falling over as if sawed to the ground. Although it seemed kind of far from the cabin when standing, it hit the roof with full force. When it smacked the edge, the top 20 feet of the tree broke off, rolling down and causing more damage.

That’s what bugs can do.
The tree  broke off almost as if it has been sawed.
For more on tree health and arborist recommendations: www.sactree.com

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Garden Checklist for week of May 11

Make the most of the lower temperatures early in the week. We’ll be back in the 80s by Thursday.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)

* Plant dahlia tubers.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Add mulch to the garden to maintain moisture. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch-to-1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.

* Remember to weed! Pull those nasties before they set seed.

* Water early in the day and keep seedlings evenly moist.

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