Zimmerman Moth Damage

Zimmerman Moth

If you have a Pinion Pine tree or an Austrian Pine tree, look for these signs of the Zimmerman Pine Moth.

Problem. Masses of pitch(sap) accumulate on the trunk near a whorl of branches. The trunk may be swollen above the masses and shrunken below them, Tops and branch tips may wilt and droop to resemble a shepherd's crick, then turn brown and die. Trees are stunted and deformed.

Analysis: The Zimmerman pine moth (Dioryctria zimmermani) is a serious pest of pines in the North-Central states. It attacks most pine trees and Douglas fir. Adults lay eggs in midsummer close to wounds on pine trees. Worms that hatch from these eggs immediately crawl under loose bark and hibernate until spring. As the new growth begins to expand the following spring, the larvae feed inside the tops of small trees and the branch tips of larger trees, causing the characteristic "shepherd's crook." In the late spring, they leave these shoots and crawl to the trunk, where they tunnel into the trunk to feed on the inner bark. Their tumbling causes the swelling and pitch masses where they feed. In midsummer, they pupate and emerge as adult moths.

Solution: Prune and destroy shepherd's crooks as soon as they are discovered to destroy the worms inside them. In midsummer, spray with neem oil. Wet the bark thoroughly to reach the newly hatched worms hiding under loose bark. In the spring,, spray again to kill the worms as they crawl across the bark to enter shoots.

Utah locations found to have Zimmerman Moths by Master Arbor so far, have been the following:

Cedar City
Pine Valley town
Dammeron Valley
Veyo
New Harmony


Call us for consultation or to treat the trees.

Cedar Mountain Update

Palm Tree Care in Utah

Who's idea was it to Plant Palm Trees in Southern Utah anyway?

Well it has defiantly caught on, and now everyone seems to have at least one palm in the yard.

Everyone just needs to know how to take care of that palm now.

First of all lets look at the palms that do the best in this area.

Mediterranean Fan Palm,  Chamaerops humilis.  This is a small, multi-trunk palm that grows slowly, reaching a height of 10-15 feet. It will tolerate most soils, and could be stunted by drought; so water it moderately for best results. This palm prefers full sun to partial shade and is cold hardy to 10 degrees.

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera. This is the large palm you see all over town. It is a tall palm with a heavy trunk. That will grow up to 80 feet in height., but is usually seen at heights of 20 to 40 feet in this area. Such a big palm will need plenty of space so note this when planting. Don't put it too close to the house or fences. It will tolerate most soils, prefers full sun to part shade, and will benefit from moderate watering. The California Fan Palms are cold-hardy to 15 degrees.

Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortunei. This small palm grows slowly reaching only 15-20 feet. You will recognize this palm by the thick matted covered trunk fiber. It is best planted in partial shade and needs moderate watering. This palm is cold-hardy to 10 degrees.

Other palms seen in the area, but do not do well in this area:

Canary Island Date Palm
Mexican Blue Palm
Mexican Fan Palm

These palms often show ugly winter damage. They will prefer warmer areas and will winter kill in the St. George area.

Prune a palm to a 90 to a 45 degree angle on the tree fronds. Fertilize in the summer when the temperature is over 90 F. Fertilize with a palm tree fertilizer, which will have the proper amount of manganese and add some gypsum.

Stay away from those pesky thorns on the fronds. They will cause a lot of pain and blood loss if you are not careful. Tree guys don't like them much.

Have a good day and happy palm tree growing.

Kevan

Palm Tree Care in Utah