Lookin' Good Treeman Service - Residential and commercial tree services including trimming and tree and stump removal for the greater New Orleans area

What is this white fuzzy stuff killing my hibiscus trees!!!

March 18, 2023 By Lookin' Good Treeman Service

This fuzzy white stuff is killing my hibiscus: How do I stop it?

Pink hibiscus mealybugs are covered with a white, fuzzy material that looks like mold or fungus. (Dan Gill)

Question: I have a hibiscus growing in a pot that has bloomed very well this summer. Recently, the plant has stopped blooming and is showing yellow leaves. When I look at the plant closely, I see a fuzzy white mold or fungus growing on the tips of the branches. What is this and what should I do to help my hibiscus?

Answer: This is not actually a fungal problem – these are insects called pink hibiscus mealybugs. The insects are covered with a white, fuzzy/powdery material. They cluster on the new growth and buds of hibiscus plants and are very obvious when they are present. They feed by sucking out the sap of the bush. While feeding they inject toxic compounds that can seriously damage or even kill a plant.

Pink hibiscus mealybugs can be controlled organically with several applications of a light horticultural oil, such as Year Round Spray Oil, All Seasons Oil or Organocide. Or you could use one of the pyrethroids (permethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin or others). Imidacloprid, applied as a drench, can also be used to control pink hibiscus mealybugs, either alone or in conjunction with the insecticides already mentioned. Do not use Malathion on hibiscuses, as they are sensitive to this insecticide.

Above is one of my Hibiscus trees that I am trying to save. These mealybugs are trying to take them out!

Love Your Trees? Don’t Fill Their Cavities!!

March 30, 2012 By Lookin' Good Treeman Service

Filling of hollow trees, a process called “cavity filling,” was practiced by arborists for many years. Today we know that the materials normally used to fill a tree cavity are very abrasive. Natural tree movements, such as swaying and twisting, rub the inside surface of the tree cavity against the filling, further weakening the tree’s defensive walls and allowing decay to expand. In addition, we know that these materials do not allow the tree to bend and therefore renders the tree more susceptible to storm damage. Also, because of these tree movements the cavity-filling materials do not bond with wood. Gaps are often the result and these gaps frequently trap water. This dark and moist environment allows decay fungi to proliferate.

Bob Rouse, Staff Arborist at the National Arborist Association, confirmed this when he said, “The cement holds moisture, creating a favorable environment in the filled cavity for the decay organisms!”

How should trees with cavities be treated? Recent research shows that it is better to leave the cavity open – remember no type of drainage, sterilization, fill material, wound paint, or scraping treatment stops decay – and simply take the necessary measures required to improve the overall health of the tree. A healthy tree has the strength to compartmentalize and wall-off decay.

In addition, this practice just causes havoc on the equipment when the tree and stump have to be removed. Chain saws and stump grinders cannot cut concrete and bricks.

In summary tree experts recommend:

Not filling cavities with cement, brick or any type of filler;
Supporting, if required, with cables or braces

We at lookin’ good treeman services are concerned with this practice and present the information above for the benefit of your trees.

A tree cavity is similar to a tooth cavity. Without proper treatment, the situation can only get worse. Unfortunately, cutting down on sweets and brushing more frequently will not help to prevent a tree cavity. In simple terms, a tree cavity is a neglected bark injury that can be the result of many factors. The most common are improper pruning, mechanical injury and storm damage.

Please Stop Topping Trees!

March 16, 2012 By Lookin' Good Treeman Service

A topped tree could become hazardous! — A topped tree could become hazardous

Tree topping was considered for years to be the easiest and cheapest way to make mature trees safer and reduce their size. Topping is an ancient practice – some cultures topped trees to create a harvestable crop of tree branches. Whether it’s because of tradition or just ignorance, millions of trees have been hacked with little or no consideration to their health and structural integrity. People who top trees have yet to recognize that following established industry standards of professionalism while pruning trees, can improve their health, growth and appearance.

What happens when trees are topped?

Trees maintain a delicate crown-to-root ratio. Topping removes the crown, upsetting this ratio and limiting the tree’s ability to sustain its own roots. This makes them more susceptible to insects and disease, and particularly decay. Limbs weakened by decay cannot handle the weight of rapid re-growth. In a few years, if the tree survives, it may become a bigger safety hazard than it was prior to topping.

What is the alternative?

Professional arborists have the ability to make the tree look more attractive, safer, and even smaller, with appropriate corrective pruning. The principles of proper pruning are to restrict growth in one area and encourage it in others, as well as to remove damaged or dead limbs. Pruning encourages growth, improves flower and fruit production, improves plant health, repairs damage and helps add aesthetic appeal to a tree.

Pruning at the right time

“Timing of pruning is very important to the health of your tree,” says Robert Rouse, Care Industry Association. On the other hand, many trees can be pruned year-round. Certain operations, such as deadwood removal, have no detrimental effect on the health of the tree no matter when they are carried out. This is so because the wood is already dead and has been walled-off from the rest of the tree by the plant’s defense mechanisms,” he says.

If you are unsure whether you should prune your tree or if your tree has been topped, consult a professional arborist who can offer advice or perform proper pruning.

(Article excerpt from TreeCareTips.org)

Seasonal Issues

March 14, 2012 By Lookin' Good Treeman Service

The Trees Make You Sneeze!

Pollen. That downy dust that travels windswept across our yards and along streets. That wonderful gift of Mother Nature that allows trees to reproduce and survive. That lowdown sticky stuff that coats our cars, flies up our noses, and gets sucked down our throats to cause weeks of misery for over 14 million Americans every year.

What are those little flakes? Pollen is the male fertilizing agent of flowering trees, grasses, weeds, and other plants and is composed of powdery granules that range in size from microscopic to visible yellow flakes. Pine and oak trees produce the largest pollen molecules; this is the pollen that you can actually see.

As for the really tiny pollen, though it might seem that the only reason for its microscopic size is so that it can attack us unawares, scientists tell us that its small size and light weight allow it to be carried by the wind. For wind pollination to be successful some trees must produce lots of pollen, and for allergy sufferers, lots of pollen produces lots of sneezing.

The allergen that triggers your allergy is produced only by the “male” flower part of a tree, and they can produce a lot of pollen. Some trees bear separate male and female flowers on the same plant, and are called “monecious.” Examples include honey locust, oak, sweetgum, pine, spruce, birch, sugar maple, black walnut, and American sycamore.

“Dioecious” tree species bear male and female flowers on separate plants. Dioecious male flower trees are the worst trees because they only bear pollen, and dioecious females are the best because they don’t produce any pollen and are allergen-free. The male trees were no doubt planted to replace the female trees and their very messy fruit, but as a result produce tons of pollen.

The best plants in your environment to reduce pollen-induced sneezing fits are dioecious females as they bear no pollen. Dioecious trees include American holly, ash, boxelder, cedar, cottonwood, juniper, mulberry, poplar and yew.

If you need help selecting or planting the right type of tree to help reduce pollen allergies, contact a professional tree care company in your area.

(Article from TreeCareTips.org)

Tree Tips – November

November 4, 2011 By Lookin' Good Treeman Service

It's time to call Lookin' Good! — It’s time to call Lookin’ Good!

As the hurricane season comes to an end (Nov. 30), inspect trees damaged by any storms. Consult with a certified arborist to do any work on the tree, if necessary.

November is a great time to plant trees, too.