trmontano

We just had some serious storms come through Cortez and the surrounding county. Several trees received serious damage while other had nothing. Why is that? Here are some answers: Which way was the wind blowing? Usually our winds come out of the west. Trees, like humans, can respond to a load (weight or any force exerted on a tree) by reinforcing cell walls and tissue structure to strengthen parts of the tree. A consistent wind from the west will cause the tree to reinforce the tension side...

The main strategy trees employ in dealing with our hot dry summers is the ability to close off their stomata. If you remember from biology class, the stomata are the little openings on the underside of the leaves that allow for gas exchange into the tissues of the leaves. CO2 drifts into the stomata where it is critical for photosynthesis. The stomata also happen to be the exit site for water as it leaves the leaf and drives photosynthesis. This is important, as the water evaporating from the...

Because of an unusual spring, some of you may have noticed some alarming leaf and needle death in your trees. Here is what is going on. When a certain number of winter/spring days average above a temperature threshold, plants and insects will begin developing for the upcoming season. We call thpis Growing Degree Days. (click here to learn more). Our unusually warm winter and spring triggered this development earlier than usual. For trees, this process entails transforming stored...