Finally getting some time to focus more on my landscape and I'm very concerned about many of the trees on my property. Only knowing a little about the previous owner, I don't believe anything has been done to help the trees in over a decade and I admittedly don't know much about trees either so I don't really know the proper way to care for trees. Starting with my front yard, I've got 4 old trees that I've trimmed a large number of dead branches. Not entirely sure I did it right, but I cut back every branch that didn't have foliage on it to within a couple inches of a branch or main trunk that did have foliage. There were MANY small and large branches that you could just snap off. I got as high as I could with a 15' cutter standing on a 12' ladder but there were still a good number I couldn't reach. What concerns me the most is that the trees are all covered with a layer of moss/algae from base of trunk all the way to the higher branches. I'm concerned that this could possibly be a disease hurting the trees??? I have no idea what type of trees I have, but it seems to be on all my trees except the pine trees, which need some attention too! Any advice or recommendations on chemicals, fertilizers, treatments, and pruning techniques to help nurse these trees back to better shape would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Moss and lichen generally do not hurt trees so I would not worry about that growth on the bark. There are numerous websites that will help with tree identification which is best done in the summer since leaves make identification much easier.

 

Moss grows in damp wet locations, grass, trees, rocks, nothing to worry about, it looks cool!

 

Photo 1 and 3 are likely black locust trees.

 

Middle photo looks like a maple of some sort, maybe even an oriental. Others are most likely black locust,they are real dirty in the spring when the blooms fall off. And they do have a lot of dead material on them naturally. I take it you live in the relatively far south with that moss? The moss on trees I've noticed starts about at Wilmington, NC and on south. Not here in VA. We just have moss on the ground and the north sides of the larger trees, oaks, etc. There's plenty of lichen around though.