The Best Small Trees With Non-Invasive Roots

best small trees with non-invasive roots

If you’re looking for the best small trees to plant in your yard, you’ll want to consider those with non-invasive roots. Many tree species have expansive root systems that can damage sidewalks, driveways, and foundations. But there are a number of trees with shallow roots that won’t cause any trouble. As qualified arborists, we can help you choose the best small trees with non-invasive roots for your landscape and climate. So if you’re worried about invasive roots, don’t be! We’ve got you covered.

Who Should Choose Trees With Non-Invasive Roots?

People who should consider planting trees with non-invasive roots include those who have:

  • A tight budget – these trees are generally less expensive than their invasive counterparts
  • Limited yard space – trees with invasive roots tend to need more space than those with non-invasive roots
  • Homes with underground infrastructure such as water and sewer lines – the roots of many trees can cause damage to these lines

Best Small Trees With Non-Invasive Roots

When choosing new trees for your yard, keep in mind your local climate and soil type. Most of these trees will thrive in the Bay Area with adequate water and care.

Here are ten of the best small trees with non-invasive roots:

  1. The Chinese Pistache is a medium-sized tree that can reach up to 30 feet tall. It has reddish-brown bark and clusters of red berries in the fall.
  2. The Japanese Maple is a beautiful tree that is ideal for small yards. It grows to be about 15 feet tall and has red leaves in the fall.
  3. Orange Trees are drought-tolerant and can thrive in areas with little water. They grow to be about 20 feet tall and have fragrant flowers and fruit.
  4. The Crepe Myrtle is a small tree that grows to be about 15 feet tall. It has smooth, cinnamon-colored bark and blooms white flowers in the summer.
  5. Sweet Bay Magnolias are slow-growing trees that can reach up to 30 feet tall. They bear fragrant white flowers in the spring and green leaves year-round.
  6. The Redbud is a small, deciduous tree that grows to be about 20 feet tall. It has pink flowers in the spring and heart-shaped leaves.
  7. The Chitalpa Tashkentensis is a fast-growing tree that can reach up to 30 feet tall. It has lacy pink and white flowers in the summer and green leaves year-round.
  8. The Bronze Loquat is a small tree that grows to be about 15 feet tall. It has bronze leaves and edible fruit.
  9. The Arbutus ‘Marina’ is an evergreen tree that grows to be about 20 feet tall. It has red bark and white flowers in the winter, followed by a bitter red fruit that can be processed into jams or baked goods.
  10. Fruitless Olive Trees are a great option for people who don’t want to deal with fruit dropping from their trees. These beauties grow to be about 20 feet tall and have dark green leaves.

If you are having trouble selecting the ideal tree for your yard space, our arborists are here to help. We can recommend the best trees for your climate and soil type, so you can rest assured that your new tree will thrive.

Get in Touch With an Arborist 

At Sexy Trees, our wide range of services and care will keep your trees healthy and beautiful for decades to come. We believe in supporting our communities of trees through evidence-based techniques that you can depend on. 

Give us a call at 925-233-6877 for a schedule an estimate, or email us at [email protected] anytime with questions!

How to Properly Dispose of a Fallen Tree

properly dispose of a fallen tree

A fallen tree is a big safety hazard. It can damage anything beneath it and block your access to the driveway. Learn how to properly dispose of a fallen tree with this handy guide.

When a tree falls, the first order of business is to properly dispose of it. Leaving a fallen tree on your property can be dangerous and inconvenient, so it’s important to take care of it as soon as possible. In this blog post, we’ll outline the steps you need to take to safely and properly dispose of a fallen tree.

What to Do When a Tree Falls on Your Property

First, you need to assess the situation carefully and determine responsibility. Is the tree yours, or is it a tree maintained by the city? Often in the city or suburbs, city or county programs maintain trees in the right of way near the street or sidewalk. These trees may fall due to age, poor maintenance, severe weather, or other reasons, and it’s important to know who is responsible for removal before you begin taking action.

Once you’ve determined who is responsible for removal, take these steps:

  • If there is a danger of electric lines being damaged, call 911 and your power company right away.
  • If the tree is blocking a road or sidewalk, call your city’s non-emergency number to have it removed as soon as possible.
  • If the tree is on your property and poses no immediate danger, start planning for its removal. You will need to decide whether you want to remove it yourself or hire a professional tree removal company. (We highly recommend the latter.)

Properly Dispose of a Fallen Tree

Once the tree has been removed, you will need to properly dispose of the debris. This can be a time-consuming and difficult task, so we recommend hiring professional tree services with experience in removing fallen trees. First, the tree services will chop the tree into smaller pieces that can be easily hauled away.

Tip: Reuse parts of the tree! If the tree is in good condition, you can use the wood for firewood, lumber, or other projects. For example, if you have a fireplace or woodburning stove, properly cure the wood and use it for firewood. You can also use the trunk and larger limbs for natural landscaping, like creating a tree stump table.

Stump Removal

After the tree has been chopped up and removed, you will need to deal with the stump. People often don’t realize just how deep a tree’s roots can go, and removing the stump and roots can be a difficult and dangerous task. Professional tree services have the equipment and experience to properly grind down the stump and remove the root system.

Tip: If you’re planning to replant a tree in the same spot, save some of the wood chips for a natural mulch that will help the new tree get established.

Sexy Trees Has Your Back

If you need to properly dispose of a fallen tree ASAP, contact us at Sexy Trees. At Sexy Trees, our wide range of services and care will keep your trees healthy and beautiful for decades to come. We believe in supporting our communities of trees through evidence-based techniques that you can depend on. 

Give us a call at 925-233-6877 for an estimate, or email us at [email protected] anytime with questions!

Tree Care for Sexy Trees in 2021

tree care

Trees provide many benefits, but only when properly taken care of. You need to regularly tend to your trees if you want to enjoy the beauty and shade they add to your property. Although you can always call a certified arborist for professional tree care, knowing the basics is helpful. Do you want sexy trees in 2021? Keep reading…

Proper Planting

Choose an appropriate place for your trees and consider possible future changes. Have you always wanted to build a room addition? That’s not a good place for your new tree. Also, keep in mind how large the tree will get, and whether or not it will have enough sunlight. Make sure there won’t be a structure that blocks the light. Your tree shouldn’t be close to power lines, sewer lines, or other underground systems. Some types of trees can even  disturb pipes with their roots if they’re planted too close to the house.

Protecting the Roots

When selecting which trees to plant, it’s important to consider the best weather conditions for a species to thrive. You also need to understand how seasonal changes could affect the tree, depending on where you live. A layer of mulch helps protect the tree’s roots by locking in moisture and evening out the soil temperature. This is easy tree care for both summer and winter fluctuations.

Pruning

Pruning should always be done right to avoid damaging your trees. Bear in mind, too much pruning can be just as harmful as none at all. The goal is to help the tree grow strong and healthy. But incorrect practices can leave your tree vulnerable to insect infestations and other issues. Cuts should be clean, not jagged, so they heal properly.

Watering

Like other living things, trees need water to survive. Rain is usually not enough to keep your trees in good health. A little extra tree care is in order. Your watering routine will depend on the season, as well as the species of trees in your yard. For instance, you’ll likely need to increase the frequency during summer, and maybe even soak the roots once in a while. You probably won’t have to water your trees during the winter, especially if they’ve already matured.

Related Content: Your Tree Watering Guide

Mulching

Another great tree care method is mulching. Some of the benefits were already mentioned above. It can keep weeds and grass from growing around the base of the tree, too. Start mulching at least five inches from the base and go out as far as you like. Never cover the base of the tree with mulch. You can build up to four inches deep, using natural wood chips or bark. You’ll prevent the tree from drying out and may even avoid accidental snips when you’re mowing the lawn.

Related Content: The Magic of Mulch

Professional Tree Care

Rely on our experienced Berkeley tree service to help you maintain your tree care. At Sexy Trees, we do all the work so you won’t have to. Call our skilled arborists today at (925) 233-6877 for an estimate, or email by clicking here.

Summer Tree Planting Keys to Success

Lafayette Tree Service

Early autumn and spring are generally considered the best times to plant new trees, but there are some reasons summer tree planting is preferable. Trees are typically in a dormant stage during the fall, which means their growth is significantly slowed, almost like they’re sleeping. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and plant, here are some tips to ensure your summer trees flourish.

Not so Fast

If you plant small trees in the summer, consider leaving them in containers for a while. Trees that are containerized develop a healthy root system, which means they have a better chance to thrive. By keeping very young trees in a pot, it’s less likely they’ll experience transplant shock, a condition that can kill trees in all seasons, not just summer.

Provide Enough Water

There’s less rainfall in summer months, so you’ll need to manually water any trees planted at this time of year. Scheduling sufficient watering ensures that your trees don’t dry out and wither. If you help your new trees through the dry months, you can probably let nature take its course from autumn onwards. It just depends on your local climate.

Heeling In

Before summer tree planting, dig a large trench filled with fresh soil. Ground that has already been cultivated is ideal, but if not, use fresh compost and ensure there’s plenty of moisture to help roots get established.

The trench should be dug with a sloping back, and deep enough for the roots of the tree to be entirely covered. Once you finish your summer tree planting, cover the roots then help the tree remain upright by treading on the fresh soil.

The Best Trees for Summer Tree Planting

While summer tree planting isn’t considered ideal if you live in a hot climate, following these simple steps can ensure that your new trees make it through the dry season. If you’d like more information on the best trees for summer planting, call us at (925) 233-6877. We’re happy to answer any questions you have.

The Dangers of Improper Tree Pruning

Concord Tree Service

Trees offer homeowners so much, while requiring little in return. They provide shade and add beauty to any landscape. But did you know your mature trees can become a safety hazard if they aren’t pruned correctly? When trees become diseased or die, we offer Concord tree removal, but hopefully your trees just need a regular pruning schedule to keep them healthy. Read on to learn more about the dangers that can result from improper tree care.

A Botched Job

The most obvious downside of improper pruning, from an aesthetic standpoint, is that it’s the equivalent of a bad haircut. There’s really nothing you can do but let it grow out. In the meantime, your trees will look a bit awkward.

Weakening Trees

Poor technique can also weaken trees, making them more vulnerable to a number of things, like storms. It’s possible for the inner wood to become less dense, even though the tree looks healthy from the outside. When this happens, it increases the likelihood of broken branches.

The Risk of Injury

Inexperienced pruners run the risk of accidental injury to themselves, as well as property. Trees are heavy. Even branches often weigh a considerable amount, so they can cause significant damage when falling from what may seem like even a minor height.

Cutting through wood requires sharp, heavy-duty equipment. And a novice won’t have the experience needed to properly secure branches, or know where it’s best to cut. These kinds of mistakes can be fatal.

Branch Decay

Trees are alive, which means that while necessary for the structural integrity of the tree, pruning creates wounds that take time to heal. Improper pruning can compromise the health of a tree, creating needless cuts. Over time, this can lead to decaying branches.

Concord Tree Removal

We hope you now have a better understanding of the importance of proper tree pruning. If you’d like to schedule an appointment or speak with us about our Concord tree removal service, please call our office at 925-233-6877 or email us at [email protected] with any questions! We offer estimates.

Tree Planting Myths

Tree Care Blackhawk

Earlier this month, we discussed the benefits of adding new trees.  From improving breathability to increasing coolness and energy efficiency, trees have a big impact on your life.  However, how do you go about adding trees?  There are a lot of myths out there about planting trees.  Are they true?  We explore a few tree planting myths in this article.

Pruning in Advance

There is a belief that you should prune a tree before planting it, especially when an area appears dead.  The dilemma with this technique is that you maybe pruning too early.  Trees regain a dead areas nutrients.  Thus, it’s critical to allow the tree to go through its normal process before pruning.  If you do not, you maybe causing the tree to lose valuable nutrients.  Leave the tree alone and do not prune before you plant it.

Deep Planting

A common tree planting myth is that planting needs to be really deep to allow for the tree to take root but this is inaccurate.  In fact, if you plant a tree too deep then you run the risk of keeping nutrients and water away.  These vital vitamins tend to be nearer the surface so planting it deeply will restrict access to them.

Use Tight Bracing

Many individuals think that bracing new trees to make them sturdy is crucial.  This is partially true.  While bracing your new tree is important, you shouldn’t make it too tight.   The tree must be allowed to still sway. This movement allows trees to get much needed calcium so it can be healthy.

More Mulch

Mulch is good for keeping moisture and nutrients but there are limits.  More in not always better.  Keep the depth at no more than 3 inches of mulch to ensure that you aren’t suffocating the tree with mulch.

If you have questions or unsure of the tree planting myths or how to plant a tree, contact the certified arborist at Sexy Trees.

Japanese Maple Tree Care

Danville Tree Service

Japanese maples are generally hearty, healthy trees. Japanese maples are pretty easy to raise and care for. They tend not to succumb to disease or infection, but will perform poorly when their needs aren’t being met.

Your Japanese maple will appreciate it if you keep these things in mind:

Don’t Allow Japanese Maple Tree Roots to Sit in Water

If your Japanese maple doesn’t look healthy and well, there’s a good chance that the roots are overwatered. If the soil is too heavy, contains a lot of clay, or doesn’t drain well, that can be affecting the health of the tree. 

Before planting a Japanese maple, you can be sure that the ground is properly aerated with appropriate soil, and plant with the root ball only half burried. Once a tree is in its place, your best move is to monitor soil wetness. Be sure not to overwater, and your tree with thank you.

Don’t Spray Foliage

When you spray the leaves of a tree (any tree really) the water droplets act as little magnifying glasses, concentrating the sun’s power on a small spot until the water evaporates. Some leaves are bothered by this more than others. Although it certainly won’t kill your Japanese maple, this tree would prefer you spray the ground rather than the leaves. Or if you must spray the leaves, don’t do it on a sunny day, please. 

Don’t Over Fertilize 

These trees like soil rich in nutrients, but not rich in commercial fertilizers. In fact, they do better with no fertilization at all rather than many of the fertilizers available at the plant store. If you think your Japanese maple needs fertilizing, consult your trusted arborist.

Threats to Your Japanese maple tree

Of course, sometimes outside influences do attack your tree. Some of the problems that arise for this particular type of tree include: 

Pseudomonas Syringae

Pseudomonas syringae is opportunistic bacteria that usually attacks plants that are already damaged by other threats. It affects woody plants, including Japanese maples, which can display spotted leaves, and veins within the leaves can be blackened when infected. It can also cause dieback of small branches.

To learn more visit: Pseudomonas Syringae

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium Wilt is caused by a soil borne fungi but usually attacks plants that are stressed by other things like drought, frost, or wet soil. This fungus lives in the soil as small, darkened structures called microsclerotia. These microsclerotia may lie dormant in the soil for years. 

One or more branches, usually on one side of the tree, wilt suddenly. Sometimes the leaves turn yellow before they wilt, or leaf margins turn brown and appear scorched. Branches that die will need to be removed.

The best prevention for this fungi is a strong, healthy tree. There is some evidence that unbalanced fertilization (too much or too little nitrogen, for example) exacerbates this disease, but there’s no specific prevention or treatment. 

To learn more visit: Verticillium Wilt

Japanese Maple Scale

Scale insects are sucking insects that extract plant sap from the host plant. These scale have an armored exoskeleton, usually white. Scale insects are predatory, generally attacking unhealthy plants. The healthier your plants, the less likely they are to be attacked by scale insects. 

In trees with heavy infestations scale can cause premature leaf drop, branch dieback, or death of the plant. On Japanese maples, scale insects usually only attach themselves to the stems of the tree and not the leaves, so scrubbing the tree with soapy water and a scrub brush may solve an infestation.

To learn more visit: Japanese Maple Scale

Tree Borers

Tree Borers are a group of insects that lay their eggs on or inside of trees, where the young larvae eat through living tissues. Anything that bores into tree stems is commonly called a tree borer, whether it be beetles or clearwing moths. The symptoms and treatments are the same.

You can avoid initial infestation by having a professional prune your tree, eliminating unnecessary tree damage. Also, adding mulch around your tree and providing it with appropriate water and fertilizer will help it fight off borers and heal any previous damage.

To learn more visit: Tree Borers

Anthracnose

Affected trees often show spots that may look like scorching on the leaves. This fungal disease is prevalent during rainy seasons and conditions of high humidity. Rainy weather can empower this fungus, and drought can slow it down or stop it. 

Anthracnose remains active on leaves and twigs that have fallen to the ground, which helps it spread. Eventually spores are released from dropped leaves and re-attach themselves to the tree or new leaves. The easiest method of control is to keep dead twigs and leaves raked up from under your trees, and keep leaf litter that you suspect out of your compost pile.

To learn more visit: Anthracnose

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew covers leaves and stems starting with the underside, but becomes most obvious when it shows on the top of leaves with a white or grey powdery film. It thrives in hot, or hot and humid conditions, especially where a lot of plants are grouped together and air circulation is poor.

Trees are weakened by this mildew, but rarely seriously injured. Rake up and dispose of any affected leaves. It’s best not to put the affected leaves in your compost bin. 

Cut off affected portions, restrict fertilizing, water only at the soil level and do what you can to increase air circulation to control a powdery mildew infection.

To learn more visit: Powdery Mildew

Aphids

Aphids feed by attaching themselves to the leaves of a plant and sucking nutrients out of the leaves. Resulting leaf damage can be unattractive, but your Japanese maple tree will likely not suffer more than some leaf loss. They have a number of natural predators including lady bugs, so they usually don’t last long once they appear. You can treat them with insecticidal soap or rinse them off with a blast of water.

To learn more visit: Aphids

Phytophthora Root Rot

This is a fancy way of saying that the root system is rotted because of excess moisture. Japanese maples are susceptible because they don’t tolerate wet heavy soils that drain poorly. Of course solutions include planting shallowly, and never overwatering. If you’re having a problem with root rot, consult a qualified arborist for advice.

To learn more visit: Phytophthora Root Rot

Why Cash Paid Contractors Are a Threat to Your Property

Concord Tree Service

Does it seem like a hassle to locate licensed, insured contractors for your jobs? Do you know that even when you hire what appears to be a quality contractor, they may be using staff that they hire and pay cash the same day?

It can seem appealing to hire day laborers, or companies that do hire them. Or maybe you want to hire a friend or neighbor? You may even know a cash worker to have completed projects like yours before. But there are also overwhelming unknowns when you work with cash paid contractors.

And all these problems are avoidable simply by hiring a reputable company with a full staff on payroll.

How Could It Go Wrong?

Off Payroll Staff Aren’t Traceable.

No paperwork means a worker can’t be held accountable for their mistakes, and has no incentive to perform their job at top quality. All they have to do is get through the day with the appearance of competence. The long-term quality of their work has no relevance to them.

Also, without documentation of exactly who the workers are, there’s no documentation that proves the staff has any safety or skills training, and no way to prove or disprove anyone working the project are qualified to do the work. When it can’t be demonstrated that the workers are qualified or unqualified, there’s very little incentive to be picky about who’s on a work crew.

Only Real Staff Get Quality Training

Employers have multiple incentives to train their staff well. The financial investment of on-the-job training, safety certifications, and ongoing skill training makes perfect sense when an employer is fostering a long-term relationship with their team.

But cash workers have no formal relationship to their company, foreman or crew leader. Why care if someone gets better at their job, knowing you may never see them again? As a result, the workers that take cash jobs rarely have anything more than the basic knowledge they need to complete a job. A job where nothing unusual happens, and nothing goes wrong.

You Have Liability

The liability for workplace injuries, damage to water, power, or sewage lines, or work that’s not up to code would normally fall on your licensed, insured contractors. When you’re working with whoever showed up that day to earn cash, then the liability is yours. Both the financial liability and the legal liability.

If you’re hoping your homeowners insurance will save you from paying medical bills and lost wages to an uninsured worker that gets hurt on your project, we’ve got bad news. Standard homeowners insurance or landlord liability insurance exempt damage caused by the knowing use of illegal or unlicensed contractors.

Landlords need to be aware of what their property managers are doing. When a property manager brings in an unlicensed or uninsured contractor, they are in danger. Courts have generally held both the property owner and property manager liable for anything that goes wrong.

Uncertainty that Licensed Insured Contractors Solve

If everything goes perfectly to plan, then insurance doesn’t matter, theoretically. If you’re willing to gamble your home or property on that unlikely event, then don’t worry I guess. But if you want to be sure you won’t suffer unnecessarily for mistakes or unforeseen challenges, you NEED to work with licensed, insured professionals.

Licensed and responsible contractors carry a lot of insurance, from contractors’ liability insurance to workers compensation insurance. All these different forms of insurance coverage ultimately protect the customer if things don’t go according to plan. It’s a requirement that to have a contractor’s license the applicant must carry a minimum level of insurance.

Sexy Trees is a licensed, bonded and insured Certified Arborist with a full staff of trained tree care specialists. For more information on finding a quality contractor, visit the Contractors State License Board.

The Magic of Mulch

Danville Tree Removal

You’ve probably heard that mulch is important to your landscape. Have you ever thought about why that is? Apparently lots of people have thought about it, and so much that the phrase “the magic of mulch” has gained popular use. Don’t believe me? Google it.

Why did “the magic of mulch” become a thing, instead of “the utility of mulch” or ”the practicality of mulch”? Probably because what mulch does is pretty whimsical and impressive, really. But before we go into that, what do people use as mulch?

 

Basic Mulch Types

 

When you’re looking for mulch, you’ll find that you have three basic category types: organic, mineral, or synthetic. Organic mulch can be shredded hardwood, bark based, coconut coir, wood chips, corn husks, leaf litter, and other natural plant materials. Mineral mulch includes pea gravel, crushed brick, volcanic rocks, marble chips, and shale. Synthetic mulch can be shredded rubber, black plastic sheeting, and landscape fabric. Sometimes synthetic mulches are layered under organic or mineral mulches.

 

Mulch and the Microbiome

Mineral and synthetic mulches do something good for the miniscule life in your soil: they keep it cool and moist. But organic mulches offer more than that: they contribute new nutrients and living microbes to the rich and bustling microscopic life in the soil. Within soil there are fungus, bacteria, nematodes, algae, earthworms, ants, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, snails, and slugs, all sharing a balanced ecosystem. Organic mulch supports and contributes to that. If your soil were not vibrant with life, your trees, shrubs, and grass wouldn’t be either.

 

Mulch and Water

All types of mulch reduce evaporation of water from the soil. Water is crucial to your healthy garden and trees. Not only do the plants themselves need water, but so do soil-dwelling microbes and tiny animals like ants and worms. This water retention becomes especially important during hot or dry spells or in hot or dry climates. There is no danger that using mulch will keep your soil too wet, mulch brings water management benefits and no drawbacks.

 

Mulch and temperature

Part of the magic of mulch is that it keeps soil and roots warmer in cold weather and cooler in hot weather. It has an insulating property that brings the soil below it closer to middle ground temperatures by reflecting away heat and retaining the warmer ground temperatures when cold hits. Almost all areas experience either hot summers or cold winters, if not both. This makes mulch’s insulatory magic useful everywhere.

 

Mulch and Your Trees

Mulching your trees is pretty easy, and yields great benefit for the tree. What you don’t want is to under-mulch or over-mulch. No sparse see-through layers and no grand mulch volcanoes with your tree trunk erupting out.

Keys to mulching your tree well:

  • Remove grass and weeds within the “drip line”, area under the thickest parts of the tree canopy
  • If there’s old mulch, rake it to make sure it’s not compacted
  • Add about 3 inches depth of fresh mulch covering the “drip line”
  • Make sure the flare of the trunk (where it widens above meeting the ground) is fully above the mulch-line. No mulch should be against the trunk or within the first few inches.

If you have questions or need suggestions about mulch, contact Sexy Trees.