Wet, windy weather knocks down trees 'left and right'

The recent heavy rains and powerful winds enabled Mother Nature to score a series of knockout victories over trees in Fallbrook.

"Trees are falling left and right," reported Roger Boddaert, a.k.a. the "Tree Man of Fallbrook," Jan. 20.

In his travels that wet and windy Friday, Boddaert, a certified I.S.A. arborist, noted, "I was on Olive Hill Road and saw some major, big eucalyptus trees falling down. I was on Live Oak Park Road and saw a number of oak trees falling down over there. I was on Los Alisos Road and saw some other major oaks come down."

Falling trees are dangerous and have already claimed one life in Fallbrook this year as an 84-year-old motorist was killed Jan. 9 when a large roadside tree toppled onto his minivan as he was driving on Willow Glen Road.

Cases of property damage have also been documented. Earlier this winter, a Fallbrook man awoke to discover an old pepper tree on Calmin Dr. had fallen onto his 2008 Chevy Colbalt, resulting in a total loss.

"Trees are a liability," said Boddaert, before quickly adding, "they give us wonderful benefits, from cradle to coffin with toothpicks in between and cabinetry and desks, and all the other attributes of beauty, environment, shade, and cooling our homes."

Trees also give cause for concern, especially this winter, with the combination of an abundance of rain following several years of drought taking its toll.

"More and more and more are going to fall," said Boddaert. "We have to understand the fact that trees are vulnerable to exterior conditions. Rain is one of them, saturated soil is another one. You correlate wind and rain together and some of these very, very large canopies that will not allow the wind blow through, and wet soils, you have topping.

"We don't have very deep soils down here, and a lot of trees don't have very deep root zones," continued Boddaert. "If you look at some of these falling trees, maybe there are two or three feet of roots going down."

Trees that have been weakened – either by man or nature – are the most susceptible to go down.

"One of our concerns in Fallbrook is our native oak trees, which are really being impacted in a number of ways," said Boddaert. "No. 1, we, man, we've come into this oak woodlands and we've altered drainage, we've poured asphalt around their root zones, and we overwater when not required."

Older trees are also more vulnerable to come down.

"People think of oaks as large, majestic, big – they'll live forever and ever," said Boddaert. "Along Live Oak Park Road, our green forests are going gray. Things get old."

Boddaert said it is important for people to regularly check the trees on their property.

"It's all about stewardship," said Boddaert. "It's about caring for these living organisms. We brush our teeth every day and get medical checkups, why should we not care for these living organisms as well. And there's specific things like pruning. Pruning really is an art and a science. There are too many guys running around with chain saws that don't know their rump from a cup of soup."

So how does one know if a tree on their property is stressed or a danger to come down? The best way to find about the health of a tree is to hire a certified, licensed and insured arborist like Boddaert.

"We (certified arborists) have gone through schooling, we have experience, and we must maintain our CEU's (continuing education units) over the years," said Boddaert. "This is why I'm constantly involved in workshops."

In trying to determine if a tree is in trouble, Boddaert advised looking at the tree from the ground up. Following are some tips.

Ground inspection: Look for cracked or raised soil, which could signal that the tree is in the process of uprooting. Look for fungi such as mushrooms on or near the tree's roots, which could indicate root rot.

Trunk inspection: Look at the architecture of the tree and how it's formulated strength wise. If it has multiple trunks, inspect where the trunks connect for weakness. Look for cracks or cavities, which can cause the tree to break or split. Cavities can collect decomposing organic material that can cause the trunk to get internal heart rot. Look for holes caused by insects, such as hole shaped like a capital D, indicative of the gold spotted oak borer. Look for frass, the refuse and excrement of boring insects, their fine sawdust shavings. Look for places where there is no bark or the bark is falling off, which can indicate a fungus attack.

Canopy inspection: Look to see if the wind can blow through it. A thick canopy that doesn't allow the wind through is like a sail on a boat capturing the wind. In very wet and windy conditions, this can cause a tree to tip over. Look for powdery mildew, which is a leaf fungi.

For more information about trees, visit the Arbor Day Foundation web site, www.arborday.org., or the International Society of Arboriculture web site,

www.isa-arbor.com. To contact the Tree Man of Fallbrook, Roger Boddaert, call (760) 728-4297.