Our Community in Fairfax County, Virginia

Years ago, an Asian insect called the emerald ash borer somehow made it into Michigan and started feeding on ash trees in the region.  U.S. ash trees have no resistance to the insect.  It emerges between May and July, lives for a few weeks and lays its eggs on an ash tree.  The eggs produce larvae that burrow into the tree and feed on the inside of the bark, eventually killing the tree.  Ash trees make up 1.5% of Virginia's forests.

The emerald ash borer has spread beyond Michigan to neighboring states, and pockets have shown up in our area from trees that were imported from infected areas.  Fairfax County responded to an initial outbreak detected in 2003 by removing the affected trees and any surrounding ash trees.  New infestations were discovered this past summer in Herndon, Newington and Baileys Crossroads.  The source and timing of these new infestations is unknown.  The insects can travel far before an outbreak is detected, and county experts fear that the insect may have spread beyond the point of control.

There is a quarantine of ash trees in nurseries, ash logs and firewood and wood chips from hardwood trees.  These items may move within Northern Virginia counties, but they may not move into or out of Northern Virginia to other parts of the country without a permit.

If you want to save your ash trees from the emerald ash borer, your only option is to treat the trees each year with an insecticide that works against the insect.  However, mites will eat the insecticide and flourish, so be prepared for a mite problem.

If you have ash trees, plan for their eventual removal by interplanting replacement trees now.  If you plant seedlings this spring and there is no drought in the first summer, in 10 years these trees will look just like young nursery tree stock.  That way, you save a lot of money, and when your ash trees die off, you will have young trees of another type already growing to replace the ash trees.

DO NOT CUT DOWN HEALTHY ASH TREES!  There is some chance that a genetically divergent strain of ash tree will resist the borer and flourish.  Chestnut trees were clear cut ahead of the blight, so we'll never know if any blight-resistant trees could have survived on their own.

For the most part, trees are an essential element of the neighborhood.  They provide shade in the summer, give some privacy, help the environment, and add to the value of the property.  Trees also add beautiful colors to the neighborhood with their spring flowers and fall colors or, in the case of evergreens, a constant green even in the bleakest days of winter.

Many trees are planted near the property line, which means that branches on one side often grow over property lines.  There may be some low-hanging branches from a neighbor's tree drooping over your yard that you would prefer went away.  You have several options.

First, talk to your neighbor or write them a note and ask them to cut down the low-hanging branches.  Consider something like this: "Hello!  Your trees are lovely, but there are some lower branches hanging over my yard that I would like removed.  Would you mind cutting these down?  Thanks!" You also can offer to cut them down yourself if the tree's owners are unable or prefer not to do it themselves.

If your neighbor chooses not to cooperate, you can cut-not break-the branches at the point where they cross into your yard.  It is far better for the tree to cut the branches back at the trunk, and it looks better, too.  That is why most neighbors will work with you if you ask.

If you have to cut the branches at the property line, try to cut as few as possible.  For each cut branch, several more will grow, and you will have more of a problem in future years.  It is best to cut only those branches that you can reach with your bare hands.

Topping trees is always a bad idea.  I did it once, and like other neighbors, I learned the hard way never to do it again.  Topped trees will continue to grow, but with several branches for each one cut.  If you want a small tree, plant a tree that will grow to the desired height.  All new trees start out small, but most will grow quite tall.

The first place to look for tree care information is the Website of the National Arborist Association. Look at the entries listed under "Information for Consumers."

Feed Your Trees
Fall is a great time to feed your trees. According to the International Society of Arborculture, all trees need certain essential elements in order to maintain health. Trees in the woods usually have ample supplies of these nutrients in the soil, so feeding is usually not needed.

Trees in developed areas may not be getting enough available nutrients to support health and vigor due to the lack of nutrients in the soil. Deep root feeding of your trees can help strengthen the trees to fight certain diseases, environmental pollution, and invading insects such as borers, etc. In addition, feeding promotes healthy growth and helps slow dieback and increases the overall health and life of the tree.

Deep root feeding is inexpensive and can also help save you money on future tree work.

Attention Homeowners
In our community and in surrounding communities there has been a rash of tree and landscape work by individuals that are not licensed or insured. An uninsured or non-licensed worker on your property represents a great liability for you as a homeowner. Not only can they do more harm than good to your plants and trees, but if they have an accident, you may be liable for their injuries. Remember, for your trees' sake, no license, no insurance, NO THANK YOU!

February is a great time to prune many trees.  The branches don't have leaves yet, which makes it easier to prune and to haul away the cut branches.

February is still not too late to spread grass seed.  As the ground freezes and thaws, the seeds tend to work their way down into the ground, increasing their chances of growing once Spring comes.