Texas Tree Health Warning Signs for Homeowners

Texas Tree Disease Experts We Interviewed

For this article, HOMR spoke to several North Texas tree care experts about tree diseases, tree pest control, and best practices for annual tree care.

We rate Chippers Tree Service as the best Dallas tree service. HOMR used internal data from past DFW tree jobs where we hired Chippers. We also spoke to an ISA certified arborist about current tree health concerns in Dallas County.

To supplement our research, HOMR referenced several scholarly articles from the following sources:

• United States Forest Service
• USDA Forest Service
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• International Society of Arboriculture, Texas Chapter
• Arbor Day Foundation

Don’t just rely on our experts — learn how to talk to your own “tree guy”! These are the 10 best questions to ask your tree service during an estimate.

Healthy Tree Checklist for Homeowners

Many tree health headaches can be prevented with simple annual maintenance. Create a tree health assessment schedule for tree pruning and trimming with a trusted service provider. 

But how do you prevent sick trees without calling in a tree expert? Use our Texas tree health checklist, and spot an infected tree before you have to call an emergency service.

Texas Tree Health Assessment Checklist

Giving your trees a check-up is simple. Assess the trees on your property using this 4 step checklist — each tree should take 5 minutes or less!

Step 1: Tree Location

• Is your tree far enough away from your foundation, siding and gutters?
• Is your tree infringing on garden spaces, landscaping features or other trees?
• Is your tree a safe distance from power lines and fences?
• Do you notice any unusual sap or sawdust near the tree roots or surrounding area?
• Is your tree getting enough sunlight or shade for its needs?
• Do you have enough room to mow your lawn without damaging the tree’s base?

Step 2: Tree Trunk and Tree Bark

• Is your tree bark the color it’s supposed to be? Any discolorations?
• Are there new dark streaks or lines running through your bark?
• Are there any holes or bore marks in your tree trunk?
• Do you notice any strange horizontal “cracks” in the trunk’s bark?

Love simple solutions like this checklist? Keep your yard beautiful without the hard work — check out our top low maintenance Texas landscaping tips.

Step 3: Tree Branches

• Can you see any damaged or broken branches that seem out of place?
• Do you notice rounded green or brown growths on your tree branches?
• Are there eggs or larval colonies on the undersides of any branches?
• Are there any webbed nests at the ends of your tree branches?

Step 4: Leaves

• Are your leaves turning yellow or brown in the wrong season (summer)?
• Does your tree have as many leaves as last year? Less? More?
• Are your leaves curling? Do they appear burned or scorched?
• Are the edges of your leaves different than usual (i.e. dry, serrated)?
• Do you notice holes or chew marks on your leaves?

Use your answers to these tree health questions to inform any next steps. If you notice anything that worries you, keep reading — or skip right to hiring a tree expert.

Hire a certified arborist or tree doctor in your area ASAP — message us 24/7!

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Are You Accidentally Killing Your Trees?

Installing 5 mature trees to your property costs $3,000-$4,500 — the same as putting a down payment on a new car. The difference: it takes up to 50 years for a live oak tree to mature. 

You wouldn’t go under the hood without knowing what you’re doing. So why do we trim and treat our trees without knowing what we’re doing first?

Use these pro tips for proper tree trimming, pruning and general tree care.

Are You Trimming Your Trees Too Often?

Think of tree trimming like cutting any other living thing — you’ll create wounds. If you trim too much, you leave more wounds than the tree can protect. The tree becomes exposed to wind and weather damage. It also creates an overload of entry points for pests, diseases and fungi.

Trimming a tree too much also creates an imbalance between foliage and root system. This imbalance means there aren’t enough leaves available to provide food for the tree. The tree becomes malnourished and eventually begins to die.

It’s also important to schedule when you trim. It’s ideal to trim a tree during its dormant season — it won’t leak sweet sap that attracts pests. Also, don’t trim or prune during seasons when key pests and diseases affecting that tree are alive and spreading.

Is your tree a safety risk? Then don’t worry about a schedule — cut now.

Here’s a helpful chart to help establish a tree trimming schedule:

Most mature trees do not need yearly trimming. If you're unsure about what types of trees you own, a good rule of thumb is scheduled tree pruning every 3-5 years. Some slow-growing mature trees can be trimmed every 5-10 years.

Here are 4 specific tips for successful Texas tree trimming:

• A large percentage of Dallas homeowners specifically ask us about live oak trees. Young oak trees should be trimmed every 2-3 years, and mature live oaks should be trimmed every 3-5 years.
• Make sure to trim any branches near your home or power lines. This should be done regularly — never let a tree branch rest directly on your home or power lines. One bad storm, lightning strike or freezing event could cause immense damage.
• Service mature trees more often if you have leaning branches or branches that overhang your roof.
• Prune trees more often if they live near gardens or home foundations. Don’t let them (or their roots) impede on your property or other plants.

Schedule regular tree trimming through HOMR — we’ll do all the legwork for you.

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What’s the Right Way to Prune a Tree?

Smart tree pruning always begins with a thoughtful approach. Every cut you make into a tree should serve a purpose — each one can change the way your tree grows for good.

Trees “seal over” the damage caused by pruning. When you prune off a branch, that branch will not grow back the way it was. The cuts you make — especially when pruning a young tree — are important. 

Here are 5 strategies for successful DIY tree pruning:

1. Small cuts > large cuts. Drastic cuts are tempting, especially if you’re the “get it over with” type. But small cuts are always best. They cause less damage to your tree, and any mistakes you make are more easily corrected.
2. Location, location, location. Don’t cut directly on the branch collar (the bulge at the base of a branch where it connects to the trunk — see the photo above!). The collar contains protective chemicals that slow decay organisms from entering healthy parts of your tree.
3. Eliminate competition. If 2 main stems are competing to be the primary trunk of your young tree, pick one and prune the other. 
4. Keep limbs facing outwards. If you notice a tree limb that is turning inwards back towards the trunk of your tree, prune it.
5. Sharp cuts only! Use a sharpened, clean saw blade to make pruning cuts. Dull blades cause jagged cuts that harm your tree. Small cuts should be made with a scissor pruner. Use a pruning saw for cuts over ½” in diameter.

Don’t feel comfortable with DIY tree pruning? Call a pro for regular maintenance. See why we recommend Chippers Tree Service and Supreme Tree Service for Dallas tree service.

5 Other Ways Homeowners Hurt Their Trees

Here are 5 other common ways homeowners accidentally harm their trees:

1. Planting non native trees. The easiest way to kill a tree is to plant it somewhere it doesn’t want to live. If your tree species isn’t accustomed to Texas soil and climate conditions, it won’t thrive here.
2. Using harmful herbicides. Herbicides are often used to kill invasive tree species — so why wouldn’t they also kill the trees you want to keep? Don’t use herbicides near your trees. Period.
3. Filling cavities with concrete. It’s a popular misconception that filling tree cavities with concrete strengthens the tree. Let your tree heal itself — concrete only helps kill it.
4. Building over the roots. Building a shed, addition, deck or patio over the growing roots of a tree may cause damage to those roots. Make sure to give the root system enough room to grow and expand underneath the structure.
5. Cutting through the roots. Lawn irrigation is important. So is proper yard drainage. But don’t run either set of water management pipes near your tree’s root structure. 

Need a jumpstart on tree health care? Message us 24/7 for a free recommendation.

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5 Texas Tree Diseases (and How to Spot Them)

A large number of HOMR members live in Texas, and have similar tree species on their properties — specifically live oak, elm, crape myrtle and Texas ash. These native tree species in Texas deal with 5 major tree diseases:

1. Oak wilt (aka oak blight)
2. Dutch elm disease
3. Fire blight
4. Hypoxylon canker
5. Bacterial leaf scorch

Let's look at these 5 tree diseases, how to identify them, and why they're so destructive.

Oak Wilt (or oak blight) is a fast-spreading fungal tree disease that affects red oak and live oak trees. It affects trees above and below ground, making treatment difficult. It spreads via root transmission — when one oak is infected, its roots pass the fungus to neighboring oak trees.

• Oak wilt symptoms: Check your oak tree leaves regularly for yellow or brown veins. If left untreated, these leaves will then turn brown at the edges and fall off prematurely. If you see these signs, call a tree service with a certified arborist immediately.

Dutch Elm outbreaks are one of North Texas’ greatest tree health concerns. Dutch elm disease is spread by elm bark beetles and can kill an elm tree in as little as 1 year. Avoid pruning your elms between April and September to help prevent Dutch elm — this is elm bark beetle migration season.

• Dutch elm symptoms: The first sign of Dutch elm disease is yellowing, wilting leaves on a single branch of your tree. Don’t hesitate to call a tree care service or certified arborist — this leaf wilt spreads quickly to the rest of your tree. Infected branches display brown streaks under infected bark. If Dutch elm persists, immediate tree removal is necessary.

Fire Blight usually occurs on flowering and fruit-bearing trees. Check pear, apple, hawthorn and berry trees for symptoms. Leaves will turn brown or black, and curl like they’ve been scorched (hence the name). Tree branches infected with fire blight develop cankers and lesions that eventually spread throughout the branch system. 

• Fire blight symptoms: Fire blight cannot be treated, but it is preventable. Diseased trees should be removed immediately. Hire a professional to spray susceptible trees with bactericide in the spring to prevent fire blight.

Hypoxylon Canker is commonly find in live oak trees in Texas. Unhealthy and overgrown trees are particularly vulnerable. The hypoxylon canker fungus enters through damaged limbs and trunks — telltale symptoms include dead branches and dusty spores. 

• Hypoxylon canker symptoms: Initial signs of hypoxylon canker fungus include yellowed leaves that don’t grow to full size. Sap in the cankered areas may turn white. If you notice these symptoms, it's time to get a certified arborist consultation.

Bacterial Leaf Scorch is a nasty bacterial infection that restricts the flow of water from your tree’s roots to its crown. It spreads through leafhoppers and other related insects, so it’s urgent to contain and treat the disease before it travels to other trees.

• Bacterial leaf scorch symptoms: Look for premature browning of your leaves, beginning with older leaves towards the center of your tree and spreading outward. You’ll first notice this early browning in mid to late summer.

7 Texas Tree Pests (and How to Spot Them)

Tree pests can cause immense damage to your trees and surrounding plants on your property. The following 7 tree pests are commonly found in North Texas tree service areas:

• Fall webworms
• Oak gall (oak apple gall)
• Elm leaf beetles
• Elm bark beetles
• Giant bark aphids
• Spider mites
• Barklice

If you notice any of these pests on or near your property's trees, contact a pest control company and/or tree service immediately. Here’s how to spot these pests.

Fall Webworms

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The fall webworm is actually a moth in its larval stage. They prefer shade trees and shrubs — hickory, elm and oak are among their favorites. 

Fall webworms are more of a nuisance than they are dangerous, but you need to eliminate them before they lay eggs. Each batch contains 400-1,000 green eggs, deposited on the undersides of leaves. 

How to spot fall webworms: Look for the classic fall webworm nest — a webbed shape nest on the ends of your tree limbs. These nests appear in late summer-early fall. Fall webworms come in a variety of colors. In Texas, they’re usually hairy with reddish-orange heads and tan bodies.

Oak Gall 

Oak galls are ugly growths found on the twigs and leaves of oak trees — especially the live oaks of Texas. They’re also called “oak apples” due to their somewhat apple-shape. But inside these oak apples are a nasty surprise: they serve as homes for wasp larvae.

Proper pruning and regular tree care eliminate most oak gall concerns. While these galls don’t severely damage your oak trees, you risk wasp infestation by keeping them around.

How to spot oak gall: Live oak galls form in late summer-early fall. Look for clusters of hard, yellow-green globules on the undersides of oak branches. As the galls mature, they turn brown and grow to 1-2 cm in size.

Elm Leaf Beetles

Elm leaf beetles do a great deal of damage to the foliage of your elm trees. They cause leaves to turn brown or appear skeletal. These leaves may fall prematurely, leaving your elm trees bare by mid-summer. If left untreated, elm leaf beetles will kill every new round of leaves your elms produce.

If elm leaf beetles are not eradicated, they can kill your elm tree entirely within a few years.

How to spot elm leaf beetles: Mature elm leaf beetles measure around ¼” in length. They are olive green with distinctive black stripes running down their centers and sides. Elm leaf beetle larvae are black, and then turn a dull yellow before reaching maturity.

Elm leaf beetles are known to infest the walls of homes during cold winter months. 

Elm Bark Beetles

Elm bark beetles are incredibly dangerous carriers of Dutch elm disease. They dig small holes into the bark of elm trees to lay eggs, where they hatch and feed. 

Dutch elm is an invasive fungal disease that is transmitted when elm bark beetles feed on elm trees. Dutch elm can kill a tree in as little as one year. 

How to spot elm bark beetles: Adult elm bark beetles have black heads and reddish-brown bodies and wing covers, often coated with thin yellowish hairs. Larvae are white, fat grubs.

Look for what appears to be sawdust, either at the base of elm trees or in bark grooves. This is a telltale warning sign of an elm bark beetle infestation.

The best time to get rid of tree pests was yesterday. Message us ASAP for a free quote!

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Giant Bark Aphids

Giant bark aphids are the largest aphids in North America. Females lay eggs in late fall, and colonies form under branches in the spring. These generally result in massive infestations that quickly take over a tree.

Giant bark aphid infestations cause severe damage to your live oaks, red oaks, myrtles and elm trees. These infestations cause entire limbs to die off, and can result in tree death.

How to spot giant bark aphids: Giant bark aphids are roughly ¼” in length. They’re a gray-brown color with distinctive black spots. They have long legs which make them appear larger than actual size, and often have a waxy coating as adults. Male giant bark aphids have wings, while females do not. 

Pools of sticky sap under your trees are a clear warning sign of bark aphid infestation.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are incredibly common in Texas. Unlike other tree pests, they’re microscopic — you won’t be identifying them with the naked eye. While they prefer coniferous trees, spider mites also like elm, oak and fruit trees.

Spider mites feed on the fluids within leaves. This causes your tree’s leaves to eventually turn brown and die off. 

How to spot spider mites: Sadly, their microscopic size makes it tough to see spider mites without looking for other warning signs. Does your tree suddenly appear to have dusty leaves? This is an early indicator of spider mites.  

A simple test for spider mites: take a leaf and shake it over a white surface. If you notice small moving dots, you likely have spider mites. Call an exterminator or tree pro immediately.

Barklice

Barklice feed on the lichens and algae found on your pecan and oak trees. They aren’t harmful to your trees (or to you) — in fact, they’re referred to by some as “nature’s recyclers”.

So why get rid of barklice? You don’t want them anywhere getting inside of your home, where they can infest and spread quickly. They also create unsightly webs over time.

How to spot barklice: Barklice are either black or tan, and may or may not have wings. They’re generally seen in large clusters on oak and pecan trees

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