Lafayette Tree Service Bringing Sexy Back Into Your Yards

Blog

Posted on

When Do Trees Grow Their New Leaves?

Concord Tree Care

 

While bare branches and naked landscapes are the telltale signs of winter, we expectantly await fresh, new growth in the spring. Warmer weather is the trees’ cue to leaf out and present their new springtime growth. But how do trees know when to grow their new leaves? And is there any way for us to predict this phenomenon?

While we can’t pinpoint with accuracy the date that trees will begin to sprout their new growth, there are various ways we can estimate the approximate timing by observing the environmental patterns trees respond to. This can help us to establish when to expect new growth by and how to best care for our trees to ensure they put forth new growth on time.

The Cue for Trees to Leaf Out

Trees sprout their new leaves according to temperature changes that are usually associated with going from winter to spring. During cold weather, it doesn’t make sense for trees to sprout new growth, with less water availability and sunlight. But once the weather starts warming up again, it’s time to capitalize on the increased sunlight and water availability.

Trees respond to two different aspects of our changing seasons. First, there must be a period of prolonged cold weather, at chilling temperatures between 25 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps to juxtapose the incoming warmer weather. These cooler temperatures trigger the balance of hormones and enzymes needed to break out new growth when warmer temperatures come.

While new growth won’t break through on the first warm day, once the days are more consistently warm, it signals to the tree that spring is here and it’s time for new growth.

Secondly trees respond to the longer days and shorter nights that come with changing seasons, syncing their new growth with the signals of spring.

What If Your Trees Don’t Sprout New Growth

There are several factors that can affect or inhibit new tree growth. Whereas trees have been shown to adapt to changing climate conditions, sudden changes can mean that trees don’t receive enough chilling to break dormancy once warmer weather comes.

If your tree seems to be barren but other trees in your area are sprouting new leaves and branches, don’t panic. It may be that your particular species of tree breaks out a little later than others. This is a normal phenomenon.

If you do become concerned that your tree is remaining leafless for longer than seems normal, contact your local arborist. An arborist will not only be able to diagnose any specific issues with your particular tree, but can also help you understand any local environmental trends that may be affecting new growth this year. If a tree is green inside, it’s still alive and waiting for its time to sprout forth.

However, if your tree doesn’t sprout or the new growth is shriveled or black you may need an arborist’s expert assistance to correct the issue.

While all trees sprout their new springtime growth on their own timing, if you’re concerned about your trees new growth, contact your local arborist for professional advice.

Posted on

Lafayette Tree Removal – Cedar Tree

Walnut Creek Tree Care

Posted on

Tree Trimming: Who’s Responsible For Trimming That Tree?

Alamo Tree Care

If you have trees in your garden, it is your responsibility to provide tree care and tree trimming. But what about trees from other properties that over hang onto yours? What about trees that are starting to infringe on public property or power lines that no one else seems to trim? Could it be that you’re also responsible for trimming those trees? Here we look at the responsibilities of tree ownership, and when you can (and should) trim trees.

Tree Care and Tree Trimming

Trees growing on a property remain the responsibility of the owner of that property. This means that no matter where the tree branches hang, if the tree trunk is growing is growing on your property, it is your responsibility. Taking care of a tree on your property means checking that it’s free of pests and diseases. This is important as an infected tree can begin to infect the trees around it as well causing widespread problems in an area.

It’s also important to have the branches of the tree you own trimmed regularly. Overgrown branches can infringe onto neighbors properties and public property, and can create a hazard if they grow too large and fall. Taking responsibility for the trees and plants on your property is an essential component of tree care and health.

Trees Overhanging On Your Property

One of the most common complaints that councils receive is that a tree branch is hanging over a fence and into a neighbor’s property. Neglecting to prune and care for a tree means that it’s branches can quickly start growing into other’s properties. These branches pose a problem by taking up extra space, dropping leaves, fruits or seeds, and creating a potential hazard with falling branches.

Fortunately, if you find your neighbor’s branches have overgrown, and they have now grown over the property line, you are entitled to trim them. However you may only trim these branches up to the property line. It is also interesting to note that you are not legally allowed to eat the fruit on branches of a tree that hang on your property. You also must be careful not to affect the tree in any way that could kill or severely damage it. If you cut too many branches or roots and it ends up destroying a tree on a neighbor’s property, you may need to provide compensation for that tree.

Trees And Plants On The Boundary Line

For trees and plants (such as hedges) that sit directly on top of the property boundary lines between you and your neighbor’s home, the question of ownership and responsibility is a bit more complicated. It may be that for trees and plants directly on the boundary line, both owners retain an interest and responsibility for the tree. For any decision involving trees and plants on the property line it’s good to discuss with your neighbor how to best approach their care and how to trim the trees.

Trees Growing Onto Public Property And Power Lines

It’s always best to avoid planting trees in a position that could infringe upon power lines. You may not be able to trim the trees on your property that a growing close to powerlines, as this can be dangerous.  Call a local arborist to trim the trees near your powerline or otherwise you can contact the local electrical company for safe and effective tree trimming.

Ultimately, it’s best to gain as much information as possible, and to talk to your neighbor or local authority before trimming a tree if there is any uncertainty.

Posted on

5 Signs You Need To Remove A Tree

Lafayette Tree Pruning

Trees make a beautiful and important contribution to our gardens and environment, so it’s a priority to preserve them wherever possible. However, sometimes despite our best efforts, trees need to be removed. While its best to avoid tree removal, there are circumstances where a tree must be removed. Here we look at 5 signs that can help you identify when you may need to remove a tree, and why tree removal can sometimes be very necessary.

The Tree Is Dead

When a tree is well and truly dead, most homeowners would prefer to remove it. Dead trees may be left behind in larger properties to provide homes for woodpeckers and other animals and insects. However, most homeowners with more compact yards prefer to remove dead trees for aesthetic reasons and to eliminate the possibility of spreading disease. Removing a dead tree of any size can be safely done by a qualified and skilled arborist.

The Tree Is Rotting or Diseased

If a tree is more than 50% dead or damaged, it’s large leader beaches are dead, or 50% of the root systems have been damaged, it’s probably necessary to remove the tree. If the tree is visibly rotten it should be removed, and if you notice large fungi growing near the base of the tree, the tree could be internally rotten. In this case the tree should be evaluated by an arborist, but may need removal.

Lafayette tree removal service

The Tree is Dangerous

Is the tree growing under power lines or near buildings or fences? Is the tree leaning or imbalanced with all branches on one side missing? A tree that is leaning or lopsided should be evaluated by an arborist as soon as possible as it could present a significant hazard. Trees that are leaning more than 15% will need to be removed in most cases.

The Tree Is Unsuitable for the Space

You or a previous homeowner may have planted the wrong type of tree or planted it in the wrong place. Now your tree is growing out of control or interfering with the plans you have for your home. While it is preferable to call a skilled arborist to provide pruning and corrective care to preserve the tree and try to make it work for your space, you may be left with no option but to remove it. While it’s best to avoid removing healthy trees, discussing your options with an arborist can help you find the best option for you.

The Tree Trunk is Damaged

If a tree’s trunk is damaged with cracks, vertical seams and old wounds, there is a chance it is rotting internally. A tree with a hollow trunk may survive for many years, but may not be stable. Because a professional’s judgement may be needed to decide if the tree is viable or not, you may need to consult with your local arborist. But as a general rule, if less than 25% of the trunk is rotten, damaged or hollow, the tree should be salvageable.

While its best to save trees wherever possible, occasionally there is no choice but to remove a tree. With regular tree care and attention to your trees health, you can preserve your trees, and safely and accurately evaluate whether a tree needs to be removed.

Posted on

The Effect of Rain Storms on Trees

Lafayette Tree Service

Rain storms can be both positive and detrimental for trees. On one hand, rain storms provide essential water to feed and fuel trees while the force of storm winds also strengthens trees and their roots. But similarly, the power of storms can damage trees, stripping them of leaves and branches, and even completely uprooting them. This becomes a major concern when large trees are growing in close proximity to dwellings or businesses. Understanding the effect of storms on trees is important for both home and business owners, as well as landscapers and professional arborists. This understanding can not only allow us to protect trees from storms and prevent storm damage, but also helps us to make the most of the benefits of rain storms on trees.

The Benefits of Rain Storms

Rain storms don’t have only negative effects on trees. Rain storms are also very beneficial for trees. Tree root systems are uniquely designed to hold large volumes of water if necessary, acting as reservoirs for storm water that helps to reduce flooding. This also acts as a source of water and nourishment for the trees when water supplies are low.

Rain storms usually include strong winds as well, and these can provide a beneficial effect for trees. Occasional strong winds help to strengthen trees and provide reinforced root systems to prevent trees bending, breaking or being uprooted. Research has shown that trees will specifically grow stronger in one direction to protect themselves from strong winds that consistently approach from one side.

How Rain Storms Can Negatively Affect Trees

Of course, the negative effects of rain storms on trees are often clearly seen in the aftermath of rough weather. Fallen branches, cracked, broken and split trunks, and completely uprooted trees can frequently be seen after bad storms. Rain storms can cause property damage for houses and businesses when trees fall on buildings, or branches go through windows. The stripping of leaves and branches from trees can also result in costly clean-up and to maintain the safety of outdoor areas.

How To Manage Storm Damaged Trees

If you have a storm damaged tree on your property, it’s important to control the damage as soon as possible. For minor issues, such as fallen branches and leaves, a simple clean up should eliminate the hazards on the ground, and regular tree care should help your tree recover.

However, more severe or complicated tree damage such as split or cracked trees or uprooted trees may require the work on an arborist to correct. A skilled arborist can prune your tree or remove your tree to control damage and remove hazards. Stump grinding can help to remove traces of a fallen tree and allow you the opportunity to regenerate your garden and replace the tree. It’s best to remove fallen or dead trees promptly, as they can rot or act as reservoirs for pests and disease if left fallen.

How To Prevent Tree Storm Damage

Regular tree care and arborist service helps to keep trees strong and healthy, and reduce the impacts of storm damage. Corrective pruning can eliminate issues as soon as they start, while cabling and bracing can protect weak branches. It’s important to pay close attention to dead or diseased trees, as these trees can be more likely to fall in the event of a rain storm.

By monitoring and correctly pruning the trees on your property, you can avoid tree and property damage, and allow your trees to take advantage of rain storms with less of the drawbacks.

Posted on

Professional Tree Trimming or DIY: Which Is Best?

Tree Service Danville

Pruning and trimming trees may seem like the ideal DIY gardening job for the weekend, but is tree pruning really that easy to do yourself? Many homeowners fail to realize that tree pruning can actually be a very dangerous and risky job. Professional arborists are not only expertly trained in safely trimming trees, removing trees and grinding tree stumps, but they are also able to recognize tree disease and pests as well as dead or dying trees and branches. Here we look at whether DIY tree trimming is safe and worthwhile, and when it’s time to call your local arborist.

The Size and Shape of Your Trees

Determining whether DIY tree trimming is feasible depends upon the size and shape of the trees you want to prune. Maneuvering power tools at a height when inexperienced or alone can quickly become a recipe for disaster. Trimming large trees is always difficult, and may require the removal of large and heavy branches. Furthermore, it can be difficult to determine which branches to remove from a large tree to accomplish the goals of pruning, while also protecting the health and strength of the tree. While DIY pruning might be suitable for small trees and shrubs, large tree pruning should be left to professional arborists for the sake of tree health and personal safety.

Tools

Sharp edges, power tools and high ladders are all part of trimming trees effectively and efficiently. However, these tools can be dangerous unless handled by a skilled and experienced professional. Hand saws, chainsaws and tall ladders can cause injuries and even death with careless or unskilled operation. Professional arborists are trained in effective and safe operation of power tools and specialist tools for tree trimming. While pruning your trees yourself might seem easy, the tools involved can be dangerous and should only be used by trained professionals.

Tree Knowledge

Professional arborists are not only trained in using tools and pruning techniques, they also know to best promote your trees healthy and safe growth. Arborists are skilled at knowing how to recognize tree pests and diseases as well as knowing how to carefully prune trees to promote their growth while guiding their size and shape. While it might be simple enough to cut your trees yourself, only years of professional arborist training and experience can promote the best health and wellbeing for your trees.

Safety

Ultimately, the question of whether you should prune your trees yourself or hire a professional arborist comes down to safety. Both your personal safety and the safety of your trees is at stake with DIY tree trimming. Professional arborists are trained to handle the heights, the tools, and the pruning techniques required to both safely and effectively prune your trees and maintain the health and beauty of your yard.

While DIY tree trimming can be useful for shrubs or small trees, taller or larger trees should be trimmed by a professional arborist. If ladders, power tools, tree removal or specialized pruning techniques are involved, call your local arborist for expert advice and professional service.

Posted on

4 Situations Where Trees Need Protection

Tree Service Concord

 

Throughout history, trees have been a source of shelter and protection for humans. Trees still provide protection by functioning as windbreaks, stabilizing soil, helping the land to store rainwater, and moderating soil and air temperatures. However nowadays, our trees are more likely to be treasured for their role as ornaments for our homes and gardens. While trees still provide protection for us, there are some situations where trees need our protection to grow and flourish.

Weather

Because we now plant trees outside of their natural habitat, we often need to protect trees from weather conditions that might negatively affect them. Most trees are wind resistant, bending and moving naturally with the wind. However, allowing your tree to become overgrown puts the tree at greater risk of succumbing to high winds. Professional tree pruning allows you to keep your tree’s branches in check and protects your trees from windy weather.

Cold weather can also affect trees. Paying attention to the outdoor temperatures and the forecast for the winter months can help you adequately protect vulnerable trees. If it is possible to move the trees or shrubs (because they are potted), move them to a more protected location. Other susceptible trees can be covered in a burlap, tarp or sheet frost cover to protect from cold weather. Talk to your local arborist about the specific needs of the trees in your garden, and how to best protect them during harsh weather.

Pests

Pests can be a normal part of every garden, but left to get out of control they can destroy your trees and plants. Protecting your trees from pests involves paying close attention to the state of your trees and your garden to monitor pest activity and stay prepared. Of course, you can always use spray pesticides to manage pests, but many homeowners prefer to avoid these. Instead, consulting with your local arborist about pest control and maintaining a clean and tidy area around trees helps protect trees from pests and limit pest attacks in the first place.

Home Construction

Building a new home or a new addition to a home is an exciting time, but the existing trees in your landscape need to be taken into account. Protecting trees during building construction should be a priority as trees offer so much to a property, including bolstering property values. Discussing your construction plans with a tree specialist or arborist can help you develop a plan that takes your existing trees into account and protects them from damage.

Exposed Tree Roots

Exposed tree roots can be an eyesore and a hazard, so what should homeowners do about them? Tree roots become exposed not because they grow above the ground, but because the soil that originally covered them has eroded away. The easy solution to protecting these roots from the lawn mower blade (and protecting the roots from being trip hazards) is to add a circle of mulch around the tree base. This offers a more stable solution to keeping the roots protected and minimizing trips.

While trees offer us the most protection, there are times when they need our protection as well. Developing a plan to protect your trees with your local arborist helps to keep your trees healthy, so they can continue to add beauty to your home for years to come.

Posted on

4 Steps To Reviving A Topped Tree

Tree Care Pleasant Hill

A topped tree can be the result of unskillful or over zealous pruning. Topping a tree is when the topmost, healthy, leading branches are chopped off the tree to provide a quick and lazy pruning solution. While tree topping is best avoided in favor of careful and dedicated pruning by your local arborist, if you do have a topped tree, all is not lost. From this point it is critical to seek professional tree care and allow your tree time to heal and regrow if you want to see it thrive again.

Call A Local Arborist

A topped tree needs extra TLC, and your local arborist is the tree professional who can offer it. An arborist can help identify where your tree pruning went wrong, and identify a plan to nurse your topped tree back to health.

Topped trees are weak and unstable and prone to decline, but with the care of your local arborist you can identify the care and corrective pruning your tree needs to flourish again.

Give Your Tree Time

One of the most important things a topped tree needs is time. A topped tree has lost its prime energy and fuel producing leaf growth, and needs time and specialized care to regenerate this growth.

However, you may be happily surprised at how quickly your topped tree starts to put forth new growth. These fresh new branches are called water sprouts, and they need time to establish themselves. Avoid tampering with these sprouts until they have grown to the original height of the tree, as this is a sign the sprouts have established themselves.

Protect Strong Sprouts

The strongest of these initial sprouts are called the leaders. The leaders are the dominant branches that should be the tallest and free from any damage, cracks or pests. These leader branches will become the strong new branches of the tree, so it’s important to protect them and ensure their growth and health is promoted.

Trim Sprouts

In the initial stages of your topped trees healing, there is limited resources and energy to support the new growth, so the strongest and healthiest branches need to be prioritized. Contact an arborist to come and identify the strongest and weakest branches and appropriately prune the weakest branches in order to allow the strongest branches to flourish.

 

The short sprouts that are stronger and look like they could catch up to the new leader should be left to provide additional volume to the new growth. The new leader sprouts need to be monitored in order to support their healthy growth and to ensure the regeneration of the topped tree. This careful pruning process needs to be repeated over the next 4-6 years in order to facilitate the growth of the new branches. Contact a professional arborist to expertly trim the new branches in order to train them and cultivate new growth without limiting the regeneration of your topped tree.

 

A topped tree can be successfully repaired and returned to it’s former glory, but it does take some extra time, care and attention from you and your local arborist to bring your tree back to full health.

Posted on

Walnut Creek Tree Removal

Danville Tree Service