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Tree Arborist vs Tree Surgeon: What’s the Difference?

berkeley tree service

Your yard is one of the most important parts of your living space. After all, it’s the first thing visitors see when they arrive at your home. Taking care of your yard is important to maintaining the appearance of your home and its value. If you need help with your trees, you may be wondering if you should hire a tree arborist or a tree surgeon. Although many people think both terms are the same, they aren’t, so homeowners should understand the difference in order to make the right choice.

Certified Tree Arborist

Arborists complete a formal program and testing in order to become certified in their field. This precedent was set by The International Society of Arboriculture. But just because someone says they’re an arborist doesn’t mean they’re certified, so it’s important to verify this information.

Of course, a certified arborist can focus on aesthetic services, but they can also identify any disease on the tree and give you recommendations about treatment. They can care for trees that are damaged by poor environmental conditions, and they’re also qualified to handle professional tree inspections.

Similarly, arborists have a vast knowledge of landscaping and know how to achieve the specific look that you want for your yard. Creating a beautiful yard isn’t about planting a bunch of trees and foliage and expecting them to look good together. An expert arborist will tell you about which trees and plants will thrive in your yard. They will consider the climate and soil type and help you achieve a healthy environment for your trees.

Tree Surgeons

Education is the main distinction between an arborist and a tree surgeon. It might seem like it should be the other way around, but a tree surgeon isn’t actually required to have any particular education or certification. For this reason, you can’t be sure how much knowledge someone offering these kinds of services may have because anyone can say they’re a tree surgeon.

For the most part, tree surgeons are hired to do things like remove trees or stumps. It’s always best if homeowners don’t handle the dangerous equipment these jobs can involve.

Tree Care For You

Do you need to take care of your trees? A trusted and qualified tree arborist can transform your yard and make your house look more beautiful. Contact us at Sexy Trees today by filling out this contact form on our site. It only takes a moment. Or, call us with your questions at 925-438-0805. As always, we’re here to help.

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Can Mistletoe Kill Your Trees?

mistletoe removal

Trees play a vital role. They provide shade and contribute to fresh air. Their roots keep soil from washing away, and wild animals nest in them. Sometimes trees can seem invincible, but the trees in your yard need special care. If you’ve noticed mistletoe cozying up to your trees, it’s best to remove it now before it becomes an issue. But can something as festive as mistletoe really kill your trees? Here’s what you need to know about mistletoe removal from trees.

What is Mistletoe?

Mistletoe is a bushy plant that grows on a variety of trees, particularly oak, pine, birch, hickory, and apple. It’s a semi-parasitic plant known as a hemiparasite, and it draws water and nutrients from the host tree it attaches to.

Because mistletoe grows very slowly it is not considered an immediate threat to a tree. Although, if left unchecked, over time it can slowly spread to cover the tree. This, of course, weakens the tree by robbing it of essential nutrients that are necessary for its survival.

Technically, the mistletoe itself will not result in the death of the tree, but will instead make the tree more vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, especially drought. The tree is then unable to sustain itself by storing enough water and nutrients to withstand drought conditions. In particular, young trees are especially vulnerable to mistletoe.

The University of Georgia found that trees infected with mistletoe suffered a 66% mortality rate after a severe drought. This was compared with 3% of non-infected trees. All in all, mistletoe creates a weakened immune system, which makes trees susceptible to any kind of sickness or harsh environmental conditions.

Caring for Your Trees

For health, mistletoe removal from trees is essential. It’s best to completely remove mistletoe from your trees as soon as possible, preferably in its early stages of development.

Unfortunately, mistletoe removal from trees is much more extensive than simply removing the visible part of the plant’s structure. Mistletoe can grow inside of tree branches. This can make some pruning necessary as well. However, removing too many branches from a tree can also harm its health.

Professional Mistletoe Removal From Trees

The best way to deal with a tree that has large amounts of mistletoe is to remove the outer mistletoe structure, provide extra amounts of water during drought conditions, and surround the infected tree with a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to conserve moisture. For professional tree services in the Alamo area, contact us at Sexy Trees. Contact us by phone at 925-481-3860, or send a message by clicking here.

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Autumn Tree Care

Tree Service Concord

Autumn is not only a beautiful season but also a brilliant time to plant many trees, along with preparing your trees for the winter season. Extensive periods of intense heat can weaken trees, making them more vulnerable to infestations. Helping your trees start to recover from the hot circumstances as they head into winter is significant to care for their long-term health, which also makes them less at risk to storms. Autumn tree care is a must for your trees.

 

Here are special instructions for outside tree care as the season changes:

 

Watering

At the start of autumn, make sure your trees are getting enough water while the weather changes from hot to cold. Water your trees until the soil freezes. Avoid watering after this point so as not to over-water the ground.  This will assure your trees have enough water to live during the winter.

 

Fertilization

As the leaves begin to change color and fall, look for signs that might point out your trees have a nutrient problem and may require fertilization. Keep in mind, fertilization can encourage rapid new growth, which could be injured in the winter, therefore, fertilize in the spring instead if possible. To conclude if your trees need fertilization, some of the things you can look for:

  • Leaves varying colors and falling earlier than usual.
  • Reduced development in branches and leaves.

 

Pruning

Make certain to remove any dead, unhealthy or spoiled branches. They all serve as points where illness or pests could enter that can cause further damage. And also, removing the dead, diseased and spoiled branches will make your trees look better. You can also trim branches that aren’t growing the way you would like.

 

Planting

Numerous trees can be planted during the autumn. Check with your local nursery to see which ones are good for autumn planting. Trees have a better chance to get their roots established because of the cold temperatures. Another benefit to planting trees during the autumn season is that many nurseries discount their plant supply.

 

Prevent  injuries

Branch breakage can be caused by frost and snow gathering or chewing and rubbing by animals. You may stop problems with young trees by covering their base in a hard or plastic guard. Wrapping trees with burlap or plastic cloth also can avoid temperature harm. However, it is essential to remember to remove the wraps and guards in the spring to avoid damage when the tree begins to grow. Damage to branches and trunks from plow blades or a sharp shovel can be harmful to trees.

 

Care for Young Trees

Since the autumn season is a perfect time to plant new trees, it is essential to consider that young trees are typically not developed enough to survive the constant freezing and thawing that might occur and young trees are especially susceptible to extreme temperature changes that come with winter, especially in colder areas. One thing you can do as a preventive measure is to place a wide layer of mulch around the base of the tree.

If you have questions about managing autumn tree care, contact Sexy Trees today!

 

 

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Heat Impact on Trees

Tree Service Alamo

When we were younger, we learned about photosynthesis.  This is the mechanism by which trees “breath”.  It is the process to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.  But, how does heat impact trees and this process.  It has a dramatic effect.

Heat Impact

During warmer weather, photosynthesis rates slow down and put more pressure on the trees.  In fact, the heat impact on trees is even more substantial as trees are losing water through their leaves while having lower photosynthesis rates thereby causing a dramatic impact on a trees ability to maintain itself.

Sun Rays

The heat impact from sun rays do result in some tree protections.  Trees as with humans have HSPs.  These are special proteins within them to help protect your body’s proteins from the higher temperatures.  They work to allow for continued cell functioning.  Beyond HSPs, there are other nutrients that help during the heat.  For instance, calcium can provide further stabilization assistance for the body.

Solutions

Beyond the natural protections, you can do a lot to protect your plants and trees.  Here is a short list of recommendations:

  • Modify watering to higher amounts to give your trees and plants more nutrients over the summer months.  Many times, this involves doubling or tripling the watering times during the warmer months.  We recommend spreading this out over the course of a 24 hours rather than merely extending the run time for each iteration.
  • Utilize mulch to keep moisture in and keep the trees cool.  A healthy layer of about 1-2 inches is recommended.
  • Use fertilizer and high quality soil to give your plants the right nutrients.  If you’re unsure, get your soil tested and then mix it with the right combination of nutrients.
  • Do not be afraid to use continued soil sampling to maintain the right balance.

If you have questions about how to maintain the right balance and protect your landscaping, contact Sexy Trees certified arborist.