As oak troubles go, some are more serious than others. Here we discuss the nine oak ailments you're most likely to encounter, and what you can do about them. In most cases, the best cure is prevention. For tips on keeping an oak healthy and vigorous, see opposite page.
Another important point about quality wood � unlike anything else in your house, it only gets better with age. For example, wood floors look better with scrapes and marks that give it an authentic appeal, and are reminiscent of time spent with your family. Solid wood furniture takes on a rich patina with time, which glows quietly and emits a subtle sense of ageless pride.It really makes no difference whether your house is brand new or 80 years old; formal and conservative or modern contemporary. Wood works in all types of homes and is durable for even the busiest household.The four worstPruning out dead twigs minimizes damage but can't eliminate it. Spray in March with the fungicide benomyl.Uncover the infected root crown and leave it exposed to air, and stop watering within the drip line. In advanced cases, consult an arborist about removing the tree.One of the nice things about quality wood is that it can be country style in design; made from oak and suitable for the cottage or country retreat. It can be made from Danish teak; with a minimalist look and feel. Or it can be traditional; built from flamed tiger oak and used in a grand foyer.From her earliest years as a child, the Lord prepared this Mystic and future Saint for her mission, by molding her into the vessel necessary to carry out His commands. She wrote in obedience to her spiritual director the following words to her Savior:Diagnose by pruning away several dead twigs and removing several inches of bark where living tissue turns to dead. If the girdler is the cause, you'll find a gallery of tunnels filled with brown frass, and possibly a larva. Prune out infested twigs.Mulch from the trunk to beyond the edge of the canopy; fallen leaves, left to decompose naturally, are best. For a neater look, try a layer of ground bark or rock.Oak root fungus Armillaria mellea). Infected trees die back slowly, and leaves can hang on and stay green for months; the tree's wood takes on a mushroom odor. If you suspect oak root fungus, peel back the bark at soil level; white or cream-colored fungus tissue underneath signals infection.We have been molded from clay from the very beginning by our Lord the Potter. No one has ever been exempt from the need of His Grace and Love. Was this not Our Lord's way of telling her and us that only two were born holy, without the stain of original sin, Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary? Our lord is reminding us that even the Saints were sinners and subject to Him and His laws? Is He not trying to teach us that they were just souls who fell in love with the Lord, simply brothers and sisters like us, only specially chosen by the Lord for a mission on earth? Are they not to be an example to us of what God can do with our Yes? The choice was theirs; they could have said Yes or No. Here is the story of a sinner who said Yes and became a Saint."O my only love! How indebted I am to You for having predisposed1 me from my earliest childhood, by becoming the Master and Possessor of my heart, although You well knew how it (my heart) would resist You! As soon as I could know myself, You made my soul see the ugliness of sin, and impressed such horror of sin upon my heart, that the slightest stain caused me unbearable torment; and to put a stop to my childish impetuousness one needed only to tell me it was offending God. This stopped me short, and kept me from doing whatever I was eager to do."One of the attractive aspects about decorating with real wood is how well it blends with the rest of your home � carpet, curtains, accessories and wall color. There are so many choices in wood stains these days that you can literally match your home�s wood to any color or design scheme.Pit scale (Asterolecanium). Often associated with Cryptocline twig blight, pit scale attacks oak twigs. Pinhead-size insects are green, golden, or brown; they live, immobile, in a depression in the bark. By sucking the sap, they reduce an oak tree's vigor.Step into the Lord's special helicopter and fly with us to Paray-le-Monial, a quiet little town with a great message. As we walk through the narrow streets of this quaint village nestled unobtrusively in the center of France, if we are still, we can hear Our Savior's most passionate cries. Here Our Lord will speak to our hearts just as He did to a little nun in the 17th century, over a period of 17 years. In the Chapel here, Our Lord shared His wounded and bleeding Sacred Heart because of His love that was not returned.Shhh! Pause a moment! You can still feel the presence of our Lord Jesus, as you climb up the steps to the Chapel. But not so keenly as when you enter the Chapel. He is here, a faithful God to an unfaithful people. Our Lord Who asked Margaret Mary to share His message of Love with those who had grown cold, who had traded Him in for lesser gods, He is here! You can hear Him with the ears of your heart, as He once again cries out that tremendous love that drew Him to become Man and suffer death on a Cross. He is the same God Who showed His wounded Sacred Heart to Margaret Mary, revealing the pain He feels because of the neglect and apathy of the family, for whom He suffered and died, the same One Who commissioned her to tell us that His Heart, pierced on the Cross, still bleeds out of love for us, His ungrateful children. "My enemies placed a Crown of Thorns on My Head, My friends on My Heart."Three borderline troublesPrune only to remove weak or dead branches or to limit pest damage (or also, occasionally, to thin the canopy of a mature tree to reduce wind resistance). For oaks, as for other large trees, have an experienced arborist handle major pruning (and spraying).Dieback. Three kinds of fungus cause dieback: Diplodia affects branches, Cryptocline and Discula affect twigs and leaves.Oak moth, California oak worm (Phryganidia californica). Adult moths lay eggs in live oaks twice a year, in spring and fall (three times if weather is mild). Young larvae feed on the surface of leaves (injured leaves turn brown) till about half-grown, then eat through the entire leaf. Severe infestations can almost defoliate oaks.Feed only as needed. Yellowish leaves and lack of new growth in spring may indicate a need for nitrogen. In early winter, spread a 10-10-10 fertilizer (about 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of soil surface) to slightly beyond the drip line.With these words, Our Lord called Sister Margaret Mary to humility, reminding her that she was His, and that renewed, more powerful devotion to His Sacred Heart was His will and His design, not hers; cautioning her, she was nothing; He is all! She was simply to say Yes! to Him and not become puffed up that He chose her for His will on earth. Are not His words to St. Margaret Mary, to us the Faithful as well, lest we think otherwise and fall? Did not St. Saint Paul tells us that no one may boast; for we have faith, and are part of the Mystical Body of Christ by the Grace of God and His merciful Love.Crown rot (Phytophthora, Pythium). Too much moisture around the base of the tree stimulates this water-mold fungus, which attacks roots. Infected trees decline slowly; foliage becomes increasingly sparse. Live oaks are most susceptible.Be still; close off all the distractions of the world and come with us into the real world of Jesus Christ. According to St. Louis Marie de Montfort, it most assuredly appears that we are in the days of great Saints. If your heart's desire is to be a Saint, come with us, as we share with you, the life and visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the little nun who would suffer greatly and willingly for her Savior.In spring, look for little green droppings from feeding larvae; May through June and again in September and October, look for fluttering moths.Often, no countermeasure is required. In severe cases or for high-value trees, have the tree sprayed with horticultural oil.Gall wasps (Cynipid wasps). Galls on oaks are common on twigs, leaves, flowers, and roots, or in acorns; they assume different sizes, shapes, and colors-from rosy, pea-size blobs to apple-size goiters, depending on the insect that makes them. Rarely a serious menace, the insects puncture leaves to deposit eggs, causing leaves to turn brown.Without question, nothing beats natural wood in your home�s interior decorating if you are after genuine warmth, unique character, grace and permanence. Carved wood crown moldings from a time gone by still exist in stately homes all across the United States. Georgian dressers and hall trees can still be located in antique stores everywhere. Imagine buying a solid wood fireplace mantel today and have it end up in your grandson�s living room one day.Avoid overthinning or stubbing branches. Stubbed branches respond with vigorous watersprout growth that is susceptible to mildew. Large pruning wounds leave the tree more subject to decay.Oak twig dieback occurs on coast live, valley, interior live, and sometimes blue oaks. Infection pattern among nearby trees is unpredictable; trees untouched by the fungus may grow right beside ones that are severely afflicted."Our friends in high places - Role Models - Sources of Inspiration"Microscopic young scale crawlers arrive in spring and early summer; they don't move far, and they colonize current growth and one-year-old wood.Poor growth and dieback of twigs are common results of infestation. Dieback is most noticeable during the summer and early fall. Affected twigs of deciduous oaks retain their dead leaves throughout winter. Severe infestation delays leafing out of deciduous oaks in spring. Control mature pit scale with sprays of horticultural oil in January.Bacillus thuringiensis is an effective control if applied to coincide with the appearance of young larvae.
Avoid overthinning or stubbing branches. Stubbed branches respond with vigorous watersprout growth that is susceptible to mildew. Large pruning wounds leave the tree more subject to decay.
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