Decorating an association's grounds isn't an easy job; decisions needed to be made on dozens of design elements, plant species, arrangement, and so forth. Along with shrubs, bushes, and flowers, trees are central component of any landscape—and while it might seem hard to overlook something as big as a tree, oftentimes tree care gets neglected when community associations draw up landscape maintenance programs.

The Right Choice

Because of weather conditions and other climate-related issues, certain trees grow better than others in New Jersey. With that in mind, most arborists insist that choosing the right tree species and putting it in the right place is critical.

"Oak trees—specifically red, white or black oak—are a good selection because while they're not a very slow-growing tree, they'll survive for a long time here," says Dennis Metz, an arborist at Shearon Environmental Design in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

"As far as evergreens are concerned," continues Metz, "as long as you're not in an area heavily populated with deer [which tend to feed on evergreens], they're good. Holly trees, white pines and Norway spruce are also good selections. White pines won't tolerate salt very well, and they tend to grow quite wide. They can grow up to 60 feet wide and 90 feet tall, so you have to give them room."

"We do a lot of condos," says Mike Harris of Bartlett Tree Care in Piscataway, a company specializing in scientific tree care, "and a lot of maple trees are used as street trees. I personally like red maple; there are superior varieties, like October Glory or Red Sunset, which are a little more compact but have a decent fall color. If you have the right growing conditions and the trees were appropriately selected for the site, it should be fine."

Trees don't just stand there though, and they need to be cared for. No matter what type of tree is growing on your association's grounds, problems can come up.

"Maple trees are common yet they can sometimes get girdling, roots which strangle themselves," says Michael Magrini, an arborist representative for Bartlett. "Then there's the Bradford pear, which has poor branch structure and are especially prone to breaking apart as they age in adverse conditions."

Tim Ghiselli of DuBrow's Nurseries in Livingston also recommends plums, maples, and birches as trees that will thrive in New Jersey's climate and require less maintenance.

Planning to Plant

Neglecting to think about how trees mature and grow is a huge mistake that some people make before they even plant the first sapling. That's why it's important for a proper tree plan to be designed specifically for your association. Planting willy-nilly without regard to growth patterns, soil quality, drainage, and exposure to the elements is a recipe for trouble. One mistake especially common in suburban developments is planting too close to sidewalks, driveways, and buildings. As trees age, they may encroach on buildings, sidewalks and paving, damaging both the structure and the tree itself.

"Trees will grow into things," says Ghiselli. "Trees grow into buildings, and they'll grow into walkways—that's the biggest mistake," says Ghiselli. "If you are going to do a landscaping design for a building, you set the plan up so there are intervals of removals or intervals of transplanting throughout the life of that plant [to prevent ingrowth]."

Other common problems include branches overhanging onto roofs and causing damage, leaves clogging gutters, and promoting algae growth, which destroys roofing and siding. Tree shade also hinders bush, plant and flower growth.

"The penalty for [poor planning] is a lot of money having to be spent down the road," says Magrini. "A poorly thought-out plan will end up being more costly for the community, and will result in a less-than-attractive landscape."

Nothing upsets an arborist more than people who treat trees with little or no regard. When homeowner associations simply cast tree thoughts aside, and choose any old tree, it gets an arborist mad.

"Sometimes, they're just not thinking about the future," Metz says. "They're planting things right up against buildings, or they're putting white pines in three-foot wide parking islands, or four, five feet away from the foundation of the building. This is a huge, huge mistake. You must think 15 to 20 years down the road—that's where you design your planting from."

A Healthy Tree is a Happy Tree

Trees that get sick can become troublesome—and expensive—so the best plan for tree health is to minimize stress to the tree and keep it healthy all year round.

"The object is to keep a tree in as good a shape as possible so it can fend things off by itself," Magrini says. "When a tree starts to decay, it never heals."

"You have to start before they even get sick," Metz adds. "The only reason trees get sick is usually because their immune system gets weakened by something. If the tree is in good health to begin with, its immune system will be up and running strong."

Supporting a tree's robust good health could be as simple as watering them when they need water, and not over-fertilizing.

"A tree orients its growth pattern based on what's available in the soil around it when it's planted there," Metz says. "To go in and force-feed a tree with fertilizer every year, I think is a disservice to the health of a tree, because once you start that fertilization program, you're basically sending it into shock. I believe in allowing a tree to naturally get adapted to its environment based on what's available to it at the time of planting."

The buildup of mulch from fallen leaves can also help the trees stay healthy, as it brings water and nutrients to the roots. This is why trees out in the woods stay healthy despite the absence of constant care.

"One of the things you see in a lot of condo complexes is that the guys doing the maintenance are using lawn mowers [too close to the tree trunks] because they don't have mulch rings around trees," Harris warns. Mowers are a tree's worst enemy, as their blades can cause terrible injuries to trunks and bark that can weaken the entire tree and provide an entry point for pests and other threats. Harris also cautions against using too much mulch; "If they do have mulch rings, they often have too much material piled up, and that creates all kinds of root problems."

Bringing in the Experts

There's plenty for managers and people working on the landscaping to look for on a day-to-day basis to make sure the trees are staying healthy. Keep an eye out for decay, obvious splits and cracks and small leaves, say the tree pros.

" If you can't see the root flare at the base of the plant where the roots come out from the trunk, then that's going to create problems," Harris says. "Check if the area is too wet. Look for wilted or discolored leaves; leaves that are off-color or are very pale can indicate a nutrient deficiency or a pest problem. If on the very top of the tree you notice a lot of dead branches and it is working down into the tree, that is often indicative of rot problems. And broken branches are a problem, of course."

Aside from regular attention from association staff, it's important for arborists to check trees annually. A visual inspection by a qualified expert can save lots of money and keep trees alive.

"My biggest recommendation for any manger is to work with a certified arborist or tree expert," says Metz. "That way, they know they are dealing with someone who has the training and has gone through testing. The one thing I suggest for every condo or co-op at least minimum is to have a tree hazard assessment done at least once a year. An arborist will go through and observe all the trees near the buildings, sidewalks, roadways, and can advise the property manager of potential liabilities those particular trees may represent. The truth is, nature is not a perfect science. Things will blow over, branches will fall off—but if you have a proactive program throughout the community, you're going to minimize that liability. Go from there and attack those hazards as your budget allows."

For a three-person crew with equipment, Metz estimates a range of $875 per day up to $1,400 a day based, on what they are doing.

Pesty Problem

Because of bugs and pests that love to feed off trees, homeowners will also need to have a pest management system in place.

"You need a qualified technician to perform visits on a monthly basis during growing season—maybe seven or eight visits a year," says Harris. "What a guy will do is a full site analysis, look at species of the plants, identify the problems and treat them as needed."

Pests come in all shapes and sizes and the type that may attack your association's trees depends on the climate and specific time of year.

"Every insect has its cycle," Ghiselli says. "And some are more detrimental than others. A tree in proper health is the best defense against most insects and diseases."

Magrini agrees. "A vigorous tree is less prone to having pests, but if they do have them, they have to be managed with a responsible pesticide application."

Not all pests are controlled by sprays. While it might be simple to rid an evergreen of a mite or scale with one, there are other methods that work better for other pests.

"You can do something as harmless as horticultural oils—which work by suffocating an insect—rather than poising with a heavy pesticide," Harris says. There are also pesticides, such as Merit, Imicide and Pointer, which are materials injected into the crown of the tree and absorbed to kill insects, says Harris.

Not the Top

There is one thing that all arborists will agree on, and that's that the process known as "topping" is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Tree topping involves indiscriminate chopping of a tree down to a specific height.

"It's the worst thing in the word," Metz says. "Any arborist who considers himself a professional will refuse to do that. That's a death sentence for a tree. The reason is, a tree doesn't have the anatomy to heal that topping cut. Decay begins to form in that topping cut and proceeds down into the tree, at which point the lateral branches to the right and the left will begin to fall off because the tree is decaying down from the top. Topping should never be done."

And remember, say the professionals: trees aren't just disposable objects. They need to be shown lots of care to live a long, healthy life. Trees provide shade, privacy, add beautiful scenery and can add value to an area simply by their presence, and with the appropriate level of care and maintenance, your association's leafy assets will remain a source of pleasure and beauty for decades to come. n

Keith Loria is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to The New Jersey Cooperator.