Falling limbs can pose a real danger, if their weight helps to trigger a fall to the ground. Still, that is only one of the reasons for scheduling a well-advised time for pruning the yard’s trees. In other words, the trees’ response varies from season to season.

Here in Northern California, we know that water is a precious resource when it comes to our lives, our trees, and our abundant wildlife. With our longstanding drought, it’s important to conserve our water as much as possible. But we also need to be aware of how our drought conditions affect our trees and shrubbery and make sure they are getting enough water to sustain them.

The small town of Moraga in Contra Costa County, has always been known for its delicious pears, particularly the Bartlett variant; so it’s not surprising that the town took the news of a regional ‘fire blight’ infestation last October very seriously. To curb the disease, citizens asked for volunteers to help with the pruning. The San Jose Mercury News explains how this bacterial disease reached Moraga’s local pear industry.

The Cupertino City Council recently passed an ordinance amending the rules on tree removal in the city, Matt Wilson of the San Jose Mercury News reports.