Anthracnose – is a general term for a variety of diseases caused by several different species of fungi that affects numerous plants. See Sycamore Anthracnose.

Ansi A300 standard - is the American national standard for tree pruning is Its development process was approved by the American Standards Institute The A300 standard has been drafted to address pruning specifications across all geographic areas.

Anzi Z133 – is the industry standard for safety which covers everything from safe operation of tree care machinery, to the qualities that carabiners, helmets, and arborist ropes must have to ensure the safety of the climber.

Aphid – a small bodied insect that sucks plant juices which can slow plant growth or can cause the leaves to yellow, curl or drop early. Although the whitish cast skins they produce maybe unsightly, the most bothersome aspect of aphids is the honeydew they produce, making sidewalks, parked cars, or anything else underneath the tree extremely sticky. This honey is relatively harmless to plants, unless black sooty mold grows on it, reducing light to the foliage to the extent that it slows the growth of the plant.

B

Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) – A BCMA is an arborist who has reached the pinnacle of his or her profession. It has a higher level than Certified Arborists. Credential holders must be an active ISA Certified Arborist with a minimum of seven years experience as an ISA Certified Arborist.

Bracing – a tree support system that is used to provide supplemental support to leaders and individual branches by limiting movement. When a tree has a structural defect or condition that poses a high risk of failure, which may result in injury or property damage, a supplemental support system can often reduce the risk.

C

Cabling – Tree cabling involves the installation of hardware that is intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic failure. Support cables are used to reduce tree damage by limiting the lateral movement of branches and increasing the weight that a supported branch joint can sustain.

Certified Arborist – The Certified Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have a minimum of three years’ full-time experience working in the professional tree care industry and who have passed an extensive examination covering all facets of arboriculture.

Chlorosis - a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll, causing a paling or yellowing of the leaves. Chlorosis is commonly the result of nutrient deficiency such as iron or magnesium. Plants may die unless the cause of its chlorophyll insufficiency is treated.

Clearance pruning – Heading back or removing limbs to increase clearance from building, wires, lights, etc. Read guidelines.

Corrective pruning – Training young tree for good form and structure by developing strong dominant leader. Read guidelines.

Copper spray – Liquid copper is a fungicide spray and a key tool in disease prevention and treatment on a large variety of trees. It effectively controls diseases such as anthracnose, bacterial leaf spot, fireblight and botrytis among many others.

Crown clean - Removal of dead, dying, diseased, crossed, crowned, and weakly attached limbs from a tree. Diameter and amount of wood removed is appropriate to size, species, and age. Read guidelines.

Crown thin (15%-20%-25%) – Selective removal of limbs to increase light and air in the Tree ‘s canopy, and to reduce wind-sail. Read guidelines.

Crown raise – Underpruning of the tree canopy to increase ground clearance. Read guidelines.

Crown reduction – Cutting back to appropriate laterals(1/3 of diameter of trunk) to reduce the height and/or width of a tree. Read guidelines.

F

Fertilization – the recommended method of fertilization is called deep root fertilization where a high quality nutrient solution is injected into the root zone of trees.

Fireblight -  a contagious disease affecting apple trees, pear trees and rosebushes that is caused by a bacteria erwinia amylovora. Fireblight gets its name from the burnt appearance of affected blossoms and twigs. If pruning trees infected with fireblight, sterilized equipment must be used to prevent further spread of the disease.

Fungicide – chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores that can cause serious damage in plants.

Fusarium wilt – a common vascular wilt fungal disease that infect plants through the rootlets. Plants infected with Fusarium become yellow and wilt..

G

Girdling root – Roots that cross over the trunk of a tree instead of growing outward and should be removed since they can choke trees.

H

Herbicide – a type of pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed.

I

Insecticide – Insect control includes much more than the application of various chemicals in an attempt to eliminate an insect population. Insect control involves everything that suppresses an insect population or prevents it from increasing to damaging numbers.

L

Leaf spots – are round blemishes found on the leaves of many species of plants, mostly caused by parasiticfungi or bacteria.

M

Mechanical damage - damage done to the roots or trunk of the tree caused by something other than natural causes such as a lawn mower, hedger, etc.

P

Pine weevils – also called snout beetles, feed on the shoots and needles of pines and spruce as both larvae and adults. They also feed on the roots and trunk near the soil  causing unsightly cankers on the bark.

Pine pitch canker - is a virulent fungal disease of pine trees caused by the fungus Fusarium pini. Infected trees may exhibit a number of symptoms, including the appearance of canker: small areas of dead tissue which grow slowly, often over a period of years. The fungus infects branches from the tips down, turning needles brown, and creates a flow of amber pitch that runs down the trunk.

Pod-bid – The bidding together  of multiple properties within a geographical region.

Protective personal equiptment (PPE) – PPE is designed to protect workers from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with any workplace hazards. Besides face shields, safety glasses, hard hats, and safety shoes, protective equipment includes a variety of devices and garments such as goggles,coveralls, gloves, vests, earplugs, and respirators.

R

Radial trenching – a treatment performed to trees growing in compacted or poor soils. It is a way to get oxygen to roots, replace soil, and to alleviate compaction.

Rating – The rating of a tree is given by the inspecting Certified Arborist and takes into account both health and structure. See Rating Guidelines.

Recommendation – A recommendation is the suggested tree care specifications made by the on-site inspecting Certified Arborist at the time of the survey.

Request for Proposal (RFP) – A request for proposal  is a document for companies to receive offers of services or goods from potential vendors.

Root Pruning – the practice of cutting back the root system either combat a disease, such as root rot, or to restrict plant growth.

Root rot – a condition found in plants where the roots rot as a result of overwatering or poor drainage. The excess water makes it very difficult for the roots to get the air that they need, causing them to decay. A plant with root rot will not normally survive, but can often be propagated so it won’t be lost completely. Plants with root rot should be removed.

S

Soil compaction -Soil compaction reduces total pore space of a soil. Plants have difficulty in compacted soil because the mineral grains are pressed together, leaving little space for air and water, which are essential for root growth.

Sterilization pruning – the sterilization of pruning tools with alchohol or bleach between trees reduces the possibilities of spreading fungus or disease between infected and non-infected trees.

Structural Pruning – Developing for a strong dominant leader. Shorten competing stems and branches. Read guidelines.

Sudden Oak Death (SOD) – is a tree disease caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthorum. The disease kills some oak species. Symptoms vary from plant to plant, and may include leaf spots, needle and tip blight, shoot-tip dieback, and canker formations.  SOD treatment is commonly applied to Oaks not infected as a preventative measure.

Sycamore anthracnose – it’s the most serious disease of sycamore trees and is often confused with frost damage. The sycamore anthracnose fungi attack sycamore trees early in the spring, causing a rapid wilt of newly emerging trees.

T

Thrips – a tiny slender insect that feed on tissue surfaces and can stunt growth and cause leaves to become stippled, papery and distorted.

Tree Growth Regulator (TGR) – an organic chemical that suppresses the production of gibberellin, the plant hormone that is responsible for cell elongation in the growing tips of trees. The application will reduce the growth of the tree by up to 60%, depending upon the species of tree and the application rate. Chemicals like these have been used in the landscaping, nursery and florist industries for over 30 years to reduce the need for maintenance

Tree stakes – staking is usually done with a desire to promote root and trunk growth and protect a young tree from harm. Stakes should be removed after roots have established.

V

Vendor – A vendor in ArborPLUS.com is a tree contractor that has gone through a thorough application process and has been approved as a quality tree care professional.