Red Deer property owners should notice a lot more tree growth this month.
That’s because the rain that flooded basements and dampened moods in June was actually good news for the city’s previously drought-stricken pines and elms, says municipal urban forester Susan Katzell.
“They are coming out of drought mode. They hadn’t been growing a whole bunch the last few years,” she added.
Last month’s downpours have relieved the kind of stress that had caused some trees to grow new shoots and leaves out of their trunks instead of their crowns, said Katzell.
The trees are now able to store more energy needed for growth, she added. “We are seeing a lot of elongation and larger leaves and twigs as they are trying to recuperate.”
City workers are still replanting more than usual, annually, since the wind storm of 2017 knocked down 685 street trees. “We are still moving forward with that,” Katzell noted.
However, not all of the knocked-down trees in the city will be replaced. As a nature preserve, the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary is allowing nature to take its course, without human replanting, resulting in more meadow land.
This summer, city arborists are busy tackling an uptick in fire blight on hawthorn, mountain ash, apple and other fruit trees, said Katzell.
Blight, which enters a tree at the tip of the branches, causes leaves to, droop, die and turn brown — but not drop off. It can infect also blossoms, shoots and even root stocks of trees.
If left unchecked, it can eventually kill trees.
Katzell said infected branches need to be cut off about 18 inches below the diseases sections. The removed branches and leaves should be either burned or put into a sealed bag and landfilled. They should not be composted in the green bins, she added.
Pruning sheers need to be washed thoroughly between each cut to avoid transferring blight to other branches.
Some websites, such as planetnatural.com indicate liquid copper or an anti-bacterial treatment could help reduce the problem of blight.
Katzell said trees are an investment, so she advises consulting with an arborist or garden centre expert if you suspect a tree is diseased.
Educationally, she also recommends the treesaregood.org website.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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