While on my way to check on the oaks in the previous post, I happened upon another client whose oaks I treated with fire mimicry last September. I stopped to say “Hi” and mentioned that I would return in September for the one-year checkup, but he was anxious to see how his oaks were doing yesterday, so I took the time to re-photogrpah his oaks, Here are the results after 10 months . . .
Yesterday, in Fairfax, CA, I examined a number of coast live oaks that I treated with fire mimicry for the first time in July of last year. The first tree I examined was a a large oak that was severely diseased and near death last year. I told the owner that I did not think it could be saved, but he insisted I try. As you can see in the above photo my attempts to save the tree were unsuccessful. The oak came down in a storm this past January.
Fortunately, the owner had me treat his other oaks, some of which are infected with stem canker disease (probably Sudden Oak Death). As you can see in the following photos, all are showing noticeable improvement in just one year. I’m happy to attribute some of this success to the plentiful rains this past winter, however, considering I’ve gotten similar results at the height of the recent drought (see Archives 2013 – 2016), I’m certain that the fire mimicry treatments are assisting in the recovery of these oaks.
Two years ago a property owner in Piedmont, CA contacted me about the declining health of their oaks. When I inspected the trees I found a couple of them had stem canker infections (possibly Sudden Oak Death), including the oak pictured above. Most of the oaks were free of infections, but still showed signs of poor health. Now after two treatments using fire mimicry, the oaks, generally, are showing a noticeable improvement in canopy health and density. Note that the photos are not exactly two years apart, but when I re-photograph the oaks again in October I’m betting that the trees will not have lost much, if any, vigor.
Last week I inspected several coast live oaks that have received three fire mimicry treatments over the past five years. A couple of these oaks have bleeding stem cankers (probably Sudden Oak Death) that have been treated surgically as well. It will be a few more years before I know if the diseased oaks have recovered, but in the meantime these and the other uninfected oaks appear to be doing fairly well.
A couple of the oaks have lost a few limbs in the storms this past year, but are otherwise healthy. I should add that the wet winter has played some role in the improved canopies, however, results from these same oaks in prior years (2013, 2015) indicate noticeable improvement even under severe drought conditions.
Seven years ago I began treating a group of coast live oaks with fire mimicry. Several of the oaks are infected with bleeding stem cankers, probably Sudden Oak Death. Despite being diseased, the oaks have shown a steady recovery over the years as can be seen in these photos from 2013, and 2015. On Tuesday I checked on these oaks again and as the photos here show their health, for the most part, continues to improve.
For all the fear-filled hype about diseases and insect pests ravaging our forests, I find very little news about the fact that, whether or not the trees are infected with this disease or infested with that pest or stressed by climate change, sick trees can be brought back to health. I know this from doing the work, treating sick trees, and seeing the results such as these.
On Monday I checked on three coast live oaks trees in Marin County, CA that I’ve been treating with fire mimicry for several years. The first case study (above and below photos) shows the recovery of a large oak after five years of ongoing fire mimicry treatments. The canopy of this oak is clearly lusher and denser compared to the time of initial treatment.
To remind the reader, fire mimicry treatments are based on traditional forest management practices used by past and present native people in California and elsewhere. The treatments focus on creating habitat and soil conditions favorable for oaks and other native trees.
(Note that the pine tree behind this oak has since been removed.)
The next case study is a large coast live oak that has received ongoing fire mimicry treatments for three years, as well as several surgical procedures on stem cankers. When I first examined this oak it was severely defoliated and had several small stem cankers (possibly Sudden Oak Death disease) in the trunk. I told the owner that I was not sure the oak could be saved, but he insisted I try. It appears that the owner’s insistence has paid off. The oak has shown a noticeable improvement in canopy lushness and density (see photo sets below). Read the rest of this entry »
Three years ago I began fire mimicry treatment on a grove of coast live oaks here in Big Sur. This is an area with serious oak decline problems, with many oaks having stem cankers (probably Sudden Oak Death). My crew and I did significant clearing and pruning of the oaks and fertilized the soils with compost tea and alkaline-rich minerals, and I performed stem canker surgeries on several of the oaks. The owner was adamant that we NOT apply a limewash to the trunks, due to the aesthetics of the white-trunk trees. The oaks were treated again in 2015 with compost tea and soil minerals.
Today I visited the oaks and re-photographed them. Here are the results. While most of the oaks showed a positive response, some did not. My sense is that limewashing the trunks would have given better results. Still, it is useful to see that clearing, pruning, compost tea, and soil minerals, without limewash, can benefit the oaks.
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