Tree Health & Hazard Assessments in Reno, NV

Tree health and hazard assessments answer the question most homeowners actually have: is this tree all right, and is it safe? In Reno the usual worries are a pine browning from the top, an elm whose leaves turn lacy and drop in July, a cottonwood dropping limbs on calm days, or a big tree that seems to lean more after a windy winter. An assessment looks at the tree from the roots to the top and at what it would hit if it failed, then lays out the options: leave it, prune it, water it differently, have it treated by a licensed pesticide applicator, or remove it.

What we look at

• The root zone. Soil heaving, cut or damaged roots from trenching or hardscape, fungi at the base, girdling roots, and how irrigation reaches the roots on a drip-watered lot.
• The trunk. Cracks, seams, cavities, bark falling off, oozing sap, and old wounds that may hide decay.
• Forks and limbs. Tight V-shaped unions with included bark, long heavy limbs, dead branches and broken limbs hung in the crown.
• The crown. Thinning, dieback from the top or tips, off-color foliage and early leaf drop.
• The target. The house, a play area, the driveway, the neighbor's yard, the service line.

Common problems in Reno trees

Drought stress. Nevada is the driest state, and University of Nevada Extension notes that drought-stressed trees are more vulnerable to insects and disease. Many Reno trees were planted on lawn sprinklers and are now on rock beds with a few drip emitters near the trunk, which rarely waters a mature root zone.

Elm leaf beetle. In northern Nevada the beetle feeds mostly on Siberian elm. Larvae skeletonize the leaves, which curl and drop early. Extension says it is usually not fatal on its own and that summer watering helps; spraying or systemic treatment is for licensed applicators.

Bark beetles in pines. Drought weakens a pine's resin defenses, and beetles that get in release pheromones that draw more beetles. A pine fading from the top down, with pitch tubes or fine boring dust on the bark, needs a prompt look, both for the tree and for the pines next to it.

Weak wood. Siberian elm, cottonwood, silver maple, willow and 'Purple Robe' locust are all on the City of Reno's prohibited list for city property, in part for brittle wood or a high rate of limb failure. Mature ones are not automatically dangerous, but they are worth checking regularly.

What you get

After the visit we explain what we found in plain terms, with photos where they help, and give you a written quote for any work we recommend. Nothing is required. If the right answer is to leave a tree alone and change how it is watered, that is what we will say. If the tree is on city property, we will point you to Reno Urban Forestry at 775-321-8373; if it is near high-voltage lines, to NV Energy.

Call (775) 600-6504 to set up a visit. If you can, send photos of the whole tree, the base and anything that worries you.