Lichens and tree trimming

[JamesTX]

I have a few questions, but thought I'd combine them into one thread to save some time...

1. I've always heard that lichens on live oaks were harmless - is this true?

2. At what age should you start pruning trees? Specifically, I have live oaks, red oaks, and Bradford Pears.

3. I have two live oaks (too close together) and they seem to be a few weeks apart when it comes to leafing out each year. I'm surprised since they get the same amount of water and light. Is this normal? The one that is the later bloomer has a considerable amount of lichen growth, while the other doesn't.

Thanks.
James

 

[Stumper]

Lichens seem to be almost completely harmless (In theory they could interfere with photosynthesis in the bark cortex on some species-NOT a Serious issue). I generally do not recommend pruning in the year of planting but after the tree has a chance to get established early pruning can save a great deal of work later. The object should be to develop a good structure that will yield few conflicts for the tree as it matures. As much as possible go slow and try not to remove large percentages of leafy growth in any given year.

Having 2 trees of the same species that operate on different schedules is fairly common-I don't know if there is any relationship between the lichens and your oak's schedule.

 

[treeseer]

Stumper's right--see http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/pruning_young.asp for some guidance. The sentence about most landscape trees needing 8 feet clearance is bs--many trees do not need to be raised that way.

For the best guidance, get a good arborist on site. Please post pictures of the lichened tree--its late leafing is curious.

O and Stumper I love your sig. This being the 37th anniversary of Martin's death, I salute him.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

This is anecdotal but from my observations there is a correlation between tree decline and large lichen populations. A little is a sign of health, if it's everywhere they've become opportunistic on a sick tree.

If these are young trees, i would go with Justin's suggestion that the second is becoming suppressed canopy where the first is dominant. There are allso genetic variations between trees that influance habits, unless they are true clones. Which is not the case with most American oak species, they do not tolerate cutting or clonal propigation, so any variation in the nursery is varietal, not cultivar (unlike English oak which has scads of cvs.)

Or am I rambling?

 

[Stumper]

Or am I rambling?

Yes but you are doing it exceedingly well.

 

[JamesTX]

Hey, ramble on. I need the help!

I'll try and get some pictures up. Does anybody know if I can upload to the forum or do I have to have the pic hosted somewhere else?

 

[NickfromWI]

no, you can put the photo here. we prefer .jpgs (Don't use .JPS- those files are way to big for ANYONE's computer, AND few of our computers can read the files anyways).

And don't make the file so big that it changes the size of the thread window thingy.

love
nick