Behind the Issues with the Barkleavies
Old growth in Pennsylvania includes majestic white pines, eastern hemlocks and other species hundreds of years old, remnants of the primeval expanse of forest observed when William Penn settled the state. Go here and click on the old growth auto tour to plan your visit to these mystical groves or check out the the Pa Forestry Association’s Big Tree Committee and order your own copy of the Big Trees of Pennsylvania book. Most importantly, protect and manage forests and woodlots so that they, too, can be enjoyed for generations.
Proper Pruning helps trees to live long, healthy lives and decreases long term maintenance problems. Trees should be pruned when they are young, especially during the first 10 years of their life when the task is easier and cut surfaces heal faster. If you hire someone to do your tree work, make sure they are a certified arborist. Untrained tree workers can do more harm than good. For more information on arborists and how to prune and care for trees visit here.
Buffers act as living filters, capturing pollutants washing off roads, parking lots, farms and lawns before they reach streams. These forested strips along our waterways trap silt and sediment that can smother aquatic life. They even hold stream banks in place, reducing erosion and protecting property. What would a stream be without the shade of trees to keep the water cool for the fish that we seek? Learn more about conserving and restoring stream buffers at http://www.iconservepa.org/protect2.html.
The hemlock woolly adelgid, a fluid-feeding insect, arrived in the Pacific Northwest from Asia in 1924 and was first found in Pennsylvania in 1967. In the ensuing decades it has spread to 50 counties, sucking the sap from the base of the needles of the eastern hemlock resulting in the death of the tree. Individual trees can be protected with pesticide treatments. Find more information about hemlock woolly adelgid and the control options available to landowners here.
