TREE & LAWN CARE BLOG
Quarantine Yard Projects!
Stuck inside? We have the perfect remedy for keeping busy during quarantine! Here are a few spring tips to keep your landscape healthy and thriving over the next couple of months.
Inspect your trees
Spring is a great time to detect dead trees on your property that might need removal. Be sure to walk your property and inspect each tree, looking for signs of disease, pests, decay, or fungus. If you spot and dead branches, it’s important to properly prune them back to ensure optimum spring growth. Make sure to check the soil around the base of your trees for any signs of mushrooms, as this can be a good indicator of root rot, which would not be uncommon due to the high levels of rain we have had over the past couple of months.
Mulch
Did you know mulching your trees can help enrich the soil content? When mulching around the base of your trees it’s important to keep the mulch away from the base of the tree to prevent root rot, however mulching at least 3 inches to 6 inches deep well ensure moisture retention in the coming hot summer months. Mulching around your trees also eliminate weeds. Eliminating the weeds around the base of your trees is important because it prevents your trees from having to compete for nutrients. It is important to use organic mulching materials as opposed to rubber mulch to provide the soil with the nutrients that it needs.
Fertilize
From your garden to your trees, everything can use a good fertilization every so often. Did you know that we perform deep root fertilization’s on trees at a low cost? Give us a call today to have a certified arborist come and inspect your trees, and provide you with a detailed prevention fertilization schedule for free!
Our offices are still open for business including tree removal, and mulching services.
Give us a call today for information on mulch delivery to your home, or to have a certified arborist come out to your property for a free inspection of your trees!
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How To Properly Care For A Fruit Tree
One of the most popular favorites among gardeners is fruit trees. With the rising number of antibiotics and GMO being placed in our foods, everyone is going organic and wanting to grow their own sources of food to be safe. Fruit trees, however, are one species that require a particularly large amount of maintenance over other species. We have listed a few tips and tricks to get the most out of your fruit trees in Atlanta.
Watering
This goes for any young species of tree, it is very important to keep up a regular water schedule until the newly planted fruit tree is established. We reccomend applying enough to moisten the soil to about 3-4 feet of depth, which is the extent of most roots.
Fertlizer
A certified arborist can assess the tree and give a healthy recommendation for the amount of fertilizer should be injected into the soil as well as a tree fertilization schedule. However, if you decide to use retail store fertilizer it is important to get the right kind, which would be a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer in a round motion about two feet away from the trees trunk & water immediately to ensure the fertilizer is taken down into nutrients of the roots.
Pruning Your Fruit Tree
Proper pruning is a must and unless you have a decent amount of experience it is important to hire professional tree trimmers in Atlanta to complete this task for you, as it could be detrimental to the health of your tree. When pruning your tree with shears, make sure you use clean, sterilized shears EVERY time you prune. Making sure to rid the tree of any dead branches or sucker growth is essential for supporting optimal growth in the younger years of fruit tree establishment. The most important part of pruning is the time of year it is done. It is vital that the tree is only pruned back in DORMANT season and not at all during summer or spring months. If you have questions regarding pruning fruit trees in Atlanta, please consult a certified arborist who can assist you with your tree care needs.
Pests
Unfortunately, fruit trees are highly susceptible to contracting certain pests such as aphids, etc. This will need to be treated at the first sight of the infestation so that your harvest won’t be threatened. Insecticides can be applied to the tree, if the condition is bad enough, by a certified arborist. Insecticidal soap is available at most home stores and works well for these types of problems.
A few other tips for your fruit trees health include:
Planting fruit trees 10-15 feet away from each other to avoid overcrowding.
Planting 3 feet away from sidewalks or any other structure, as the roots will become invasive.
Plant your fruit trees in a well sunny area.
Inspect your fruit trees often to avoid pests or diseases from taking over the tree.
Mulch around the base of your fruit trees to reduce weeds, ensure optimal soil moisture and prevent erosion.
Thin out the fruit tree by removing excess fruit that may weigh down the branches and prevent the tree from breaking. Less is more.
If you have questions regarding your fruit trees health or care, please give North American Tree Service a call for a free estimate and consultation by a certified arborist today!
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Why Shouldn't I Top My Trees?
Unless you are a certified Arborist or have a pretty good understanding of trees and how to take care of them, you might have a first instinct to look at a tree that might be growing too tall and want to give it a trim, just on the top.
This is call tree topping and it is very unhealthy for the tree as a whole and can result in a number of issues. When a tree is topped, all the branches on the top of the tree are chopped off into a stump-resemblance.
Why is Tree Topping Bad?
The main food resource, the leaves of the tree are mainly found in the top, the crown of the tree. When a tree is topped, the majority of this food source is completely taken away resulting in a lack of basic nutrition.
Tree topping usually involves a number of improper pruning cuts, preventing the tree from being able to heal itself as well as opening it up for pests and decay to enter.
Response growth is initiated when a tree is topped. Response growth is a number of short, thin, weakened branches that grow out of the trees stumps that are easily broken and fragile.
Topping your tree is a highly dangerous procedure that is unfortunately performed by power companies and some tree services today, usually to trim them away from power lines.
This procedure will be much more costly in the long run as you will have to spend more to repair the tree than to just remove it altogether. If you have an overgrown tree in Watkinsville that needs attention, please give us a call to setup a free estimate by one of our certified arborist’s in Watkinsville today!
We will recommend and pruning treatment plan for your trees that will keep them healthy and will be very inexpensive in comparison to the removal of a topped tree later on.
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What Can Heavy Rain Do To My Tree?
Rain is great for the trees and soil but what happens when your roots are constantly drenched in water?
Over-watering is a very real cause for tree decline and can be caused by heavy rainfall in flood plain areas.
Standing water around the root zones of your trees can deprive the roots of oxygen which may lead to root rot and ultimately tree decline. Excessive water can also wash away the soils built up around the base over time causing the tree in Decatur to become very unstable.
Trees with root rot in Decatur are very dangerous specimen to keep on your property because at the first storm or heavy wind, the is much more likely to uproot and blow over.
How can I detect root rooted trees?
Thinning canopies
Branch dieback
Small leaves
Yellow leaves
Sunken areas around the base
What can I do to protect my trees after heavy rainfall?
Prune back dead or dying branches
Add mulch to improve soil aeration and enhance soil nutrients
Keep an eye on any decay or fungi growing on or near the trees base
Perform a mineral nutrition and slow release nitrogen soil supplement fertilization
Leach the soil to remove sodium & flush sediments
Reset young trees that might seem unstable
Detecting problems with your trees as a preventative measure is necessary to prevent costly dead tree removals. North American Tree Service is staffed with highly trained certified Arborist’s in Decatur to help detect issues and root rot within your trees and formulate a plan to bring your specific tree back to health in a timely manner. Call today to set up an appointment to have your trees assessed by a certified Arborist!
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How To Tell If Your Trees Are Dead In Winter
During wintertime all of our favorite specimens that bring us the prettiest fall colors become bear branch and seemingly dead.
But how can you tell if your tree is actually dead or if it is just performing it’s natural dormant routine?
There are a number of ways to tell this without having a certified arborist from North American tree assess your property. We have put together a list of a couple things you can do to determine the health of your tree at home in winter time.
Look for buds
Even trees in the dormant season will have a number of buds along the branches and stems that are preparing to blame for spring. If your tree is showing no signs of buds, this could be a sign of decline.
Scratch the surface
You can perform a simple scratch test on the surface of the cambium layer of the tree to determine its health. Simply take your finger nail or a knife and scratch just the surface of the trunk of the tree to reveal the inside color. The color should be green, deadwood is generally brown and indicates the decline of your tree. If your tree is showing signs of decay or decline please call a certified arborist from North American tree service today for a free estimate on your trees in Atlanta.
Check the trunk
While trees are in dormancy, they tend to shed bark and replace it before spring time comes around. If you notice any spots on your tree with missing bark that hasn’t been replaced, this could be a sign of decline as well. Look for signs of cracking, open wounds, pest, or any kind of fungus growing anywhere on your trees in Atlanta.
These simple steps are a good starting point to determine the health of your tree however having a certified arborist come out to check your trees health is a necessity especially in winter time when the weather can positively or negatively affect your landscape.
Performing routine prevention practices is much more cost-effective than dead tree removal afterwards.
If you still have any questions about the health of your trees in Atlanta, feel free to call North American tree service to have a certified arborist come out today to assess your trees.
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Top 3 New Years Resolutions For Your Trees
It’s a new year and with it comes new leaves and new growth for your trees and garden! Those of us who haven’t been blessed with a green thumb find it hard to remember to keep up with our trees health so we have formulated a couple of small resolutions you can do this year to transform your landscape.
Have Your Trees Evaluated by a Certified Arborist.
Getting a free estimate by a certified arborist is first and foremost because it’s FREE! A certified arborist can determine the health of your trees and formulate a plan for for long term success for them.
Perform Routine Pruning Practices.
It’s time to clip back those dead ends! By removing dead branches from your trees regularly, it promotes new healthy growth to take over and allow your trees to soak up more nutrients. It is very important that these pruning procedures are done correctly, otherwise you could potentially damage your tree, leaving open wounds and subjecting it for pests to enter causing more long term problems including eventual decline. If your trees are too large or you are not confident in your pruning abilities, North American Tree Service offers low cost pruning with free estimates from one of our highly trained certified Arborists.
Fertilization.
This seems like a no brainer but is often a commonly overlooked procedure that can drastically improve the appearance and health of your trees! North American Tree Service performs deep root fertilization to inject the soil with the highest quality nutrients. Fertilization is often thought of as a solution to a dying tree rather than routine maintenance. However, performing deep root fertilizations can often deter these problems from ever occurring saving money in the long run with unnecessary tree removals.
New year, new growth! Make sure to follow these simple tips to improve you’re landscape and trees for the long run! If you still have questions or concerns about further protection for your trees this year, please feel free to contact North American Tree Service using the link below to get in touch with a certified Arborist & get a free estimate on your property today!
5 Most Common Crepe Myrtle Problems
Crepe myrtle trees are a local southern favorite for many reasons.
They require a little to no maintenance after installation, and bring a large variety of vibrant colors few other species can actually compete with to your landscape.
However they do bring about a few issues that can be combatted by using a Certified Arborist from North American Tree Service.
If you have noticed a black substance on your leaves, holes drilled in the trunks and limbs, spotting of the leaves, or a white powdery substance on the leaves you could have run into one of the problems listed below.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a plant disease caused by a fungus. This is one of the most common diseases contracted by crepe myrtle trees. It contains patches of powdery white or gray growths that tend to cover the leaves and sometimes the branches as well. If your crepe myrtle was planted in a shady area as opposed to a sunny area, it can be especially susceptible to contracting this disease. Humidity is a favorable condition for powdery mildew to grow. To treat this condition, the best thing to do is to move your crepe myrtles to a location that provides more sunlight and less humidity. North American tree service provides tree planting in Lilburn at a low cost. Another option you might consider is a fungicide or a pesticide treatment applied by a professional tree service in Lilburn.
Cercospora Leaf Spot
Cercospora leaf spot typically occurs during periods of humid or moist weather. The result of this infection can cause severe relief drop or defoliation, distorted leaves and more. To help prevent further infection make sure that you are sterilizing your pruning utensils and loppers so that your other crepe myrtles do not become infected with this disease as well. A fungicide can be applied to the crepe myrtle to effectively prevent and treat this disease.
Japanese beetles On Crepe Myrtle Trees
Japanese beetles are pretty easy to identify as they carry a very distinct metallic greenish/blue head. Crepe myrtles are definitely a favorite for Japanese beetles and they tend to feed on all of the foliage and flowers. Japanese beetles can spread quickly as they lay up to 1000 eggs per period. Younger crepe myrtles are especially susceptible to Japanese beetle infestation‘s. If you suspect your crepe myrtle has a Japanese beetle infestation it is very important to contact a professional tree service with a certified Arborist and Lilburn to address the situation properly.
Asian Ambrosia Beetles
If you have noticed tiny holes drilled throughout the trunk of your crepe myrtle tree, you most likely have an infestation of Asian Ambrosia Beetles. These beetles bore into the trunk and branches to deposit eggs into your crepe myrtle tree. However, crepe myrtles are not the only type of tree that Ambrosia Beetles will fit on, so it is very important to have your trees assessed by a certified arborist in Lilburn to properly identify and treat the infestation before it becomes fatal.
Sooty mold
Sooty mold is another type of fungus that tends to affect crepe myrtles. If you have noticed a black moldy substance that is spotty and covers the leaves, it is most likely sooty mold. This is a type of black mold and fungi that feeds on the honeydew of a number of different insects. This disease doesn’t necessarily kill your tree, however, it can tend to block the sunlight from the leaves which might cause leaf drop early in the season. Aphids, scales, or leafhoppers are different types of insects to be on the lookout for that may be the cause of the sooty mold. A basic fungicide or pesticide can be treated by a certified arborist in Lilburn for your crepe myrtles.
If you have any further questions about crêpe myrtle care or crepe myrtle diseases and insects, please feel free to give us a call at North American tree service and we would be glad to help you answer all of your questions about your trees. Click the link below to get started with a free estimate by a certified Arborist at North American tree service!
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Is My Lawnmower Damaging My Trees?
Have you noticed significant leaf drop or yellowing of the leaves on your tree lately? If your tree doesn’t have any open wounds and isn’t showing any signs of pest, disease, or decay, the problem could be your lawnmower.
Most homeowners do not understand the impact of using heavy machinery near the root base or the trunks of their trees. And often overlooked problem can cause serious damage to your tree including decay, and eventual death.
Usually it’s large wounds from pruning cuts that caused such damage however, small cuts from a weedeater or a lawnmower continuously running over the roots of your tree can add up quickly to a large problem.
The small wounds surrounding the roots of your trees, open up the tree for micro organisms to enter and attack the tree in Athens.
Decay fungi may also become active and start to eat away at the tree little by little leading to root rot, pests and other diseases.
What should I do?
If you notice large chunks of bark torn or chipped away near a spot that you recently cut, either try to reattach the bark or if it is too damaged, pull it away from the tree in Athens completely to allow it to heal properly. All of the tools used on your tree should be heavily sterilize each time to prevent the spread of different diseases from tree to tree.
If there is any grass or weeds around the base of your tree avoid killing them with harmful pesticides such as round up, as this could affect the tree as well. However grass and weeds also compete for nutrients with the tree on a regular basis so these will need to be removed to give the tree more potential for survival.
A certified arborist from North American tree service could come out for a free estimate to assess the damage of your trees and come up with a routine plan to get your tree healthy again.
The most important thing to remember is to be educated and aware of your trees in Athens when you are doing routine lawn maintenance in Athens Georgia.
if you have more questions about your trees in Athens Georgia, our staff of certified arborists are prepared to give you a written diagnosis of your trees health and a plan for future tree maintenance and tree trimming in Athens.