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Common Questions About Tree Pruning

tree care

If you have trees growing on your property, you know that one of the most important maintenance routines is pruning. Below are some common questions and answers regarding pruning techniques for your Lafayette tree service.

Is Pruning Important For My Trees?

Yes. You need to regularly prune the trees on your property to keep them healthy and looking their best. Pruning when the trees are younger ensures they gain a sturdy structure. Also, removing ailing branches allows the remaining limbs to get more energy and grow stronger. When pruning your trees, you make them more visually appealing, and also reduce the potential hazards they pose to people and property.

When Should I Have My Trees Pruned?

It’s often best to schedule a pruning service in winter when there’s less risk of insects or infection. Trees have time to recover before all that spring growth. It’s also easier to identify dead branches during winter than in other seasons. This is because many trees lose their leaves. Although, you can still prune other times of the year, especially if your trees have begun to look a bit shabby. In spring, tree bark is usually softer. That can make tree care easier. You do have to be careful, though, because you could easily damage the new branches.

How Frequently Should I Have My Trees Pruned?

Tree pruning should be done at least once every year. However, you can schedule Lafayette tree services more often if your trees need them. Arborists are able to determine if special circumstances require pruning, such as a tree branch rotting, or new construction that’s obstructed by tree growth.

Are There Specific Pruning Techniques I Should Use?

While tree pruning may seem easy, it requires expert knowledge and a refined skill set. The best way to guarantee proper tree care is to hire experts to handle the process. Alternatively, you can study up to learn the appropriate techniques and prune them yourself. They include:

Hazard Reduction Pruning

This is done on larger branches that pose a danger. It should be handled carefully to guarantee safety.

Maintenance Pruning

This technique is used to remove dead branches or branches that are infected. The goal is to allow the tree to continue growing properly, without hindrance from the affected branches.

Related Content: 3 Tools for Tree Pruning

Crown Raising

You remove the lower hanging branches to increase the aesthetic appeal of the tree.

Vista Pruning

Allows removal of tree limbs without damaging the tree. Vista pruning removes branches that block a beautiful view.

Should I Treat Pruning Wounds?

You shouldn’t add any product to the surface of the tree, as it could cause decay. Make sure you make a clean pruning cut that will allow natural healing.

Related Content: The Dangers of Improper Tree Pruning

Why Hire a Professional Tree Company?

Tree companies have the knowledge and experience you need to guarantee clean cuts and proper healing. A Lafayette tree service will also have the equipment and insurance to cover any accidents on the job.

Lafayette Tree Service

When you need tree care in the Bay Area, contact us at Sexy Trees by calling (925) 233-6877.

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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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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

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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.

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Tree Pruning Tips in Time for Spring | Alamo Tree Care

Alamo Tree Service

In preparation for the spring growing season, there are a few things you can do to help your trees stay healthy and strong for years to come. These aren’t large tasks, in the scheme of things. As you know, trees don’t ask much of you in general. With a few days of attention a year, you can have hearty, lush trees for years or decades.

Start Before Spring Growth Begins

While your deciduous trees are still bare, visually check them for signs of disease or damage that might be masked by full leaf cover later. This is also the best time to prune, while pruning is least likely to spread pests or diseases that are inactive in winter. Target dead, unhealthy, or dangerous branches for pruning, and follow safe tree pruning tips.

If you have any doubts about proper tree pruning, educate yourself on tree pruning. Hire a professional if you aren’t sure you can do it in a way that’s safe for the tree, and safe for all people and property involved.

Readying for Blooms

Before your trees bloom, they’ll need to be in good health to get through the energy expenditure of blooming! Ensure they’re prepared by using a long-lasting fertilizer at the very start of Spring. There are multiple fertilizing and nutrient-delivering options available, talk to your local arborist if you’re not sure what option is best for your tree and goals.

Spring in Full Swing

When spring has fully arrived, it’s time to renew mulch under your trees, making sure you’re using an appropriate mulch for your landscape and applying it properly. This’ll prevent weeds and grass from leaching nutrients away from your trees, and preserve moisture for your tree’s roots.

If you need help with pruning, fertilizing, or other tree care, call Sexy Trees (925) 233-6877

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Arborjet Therapy for Oak Tree Care

Concord Tree Care

People love oak trees. They’re majestically broad and protective feeling, with dense green foliage spans.

 

About Oaks

Oaks grow naturally across the Southeastern USA. They can be found on the east shore from southeastern Virginia to Florida and west to southern and central Texas. They grow naturally in the sandy soils of low coastal areas.

Oaks have male and female reproductive systems on the same plant. They flower every spring from March through May and acorns mature in September and fall off by December. Live oak acorns are long, dark brown to black.

They seldom grow over 50 feet tall, but the crown of the tree can have a span of 150 feet wide. That’s why it’s an incredibly popular shade tree! Oak tree wood is so sturdy that they were used for shipbuilding years ago, but today they’re mostly decorative trees.

 

Oak Wilt and Fungal Infections

Oaks tend to grow in huge groups with interconnected roots, which makes them extremely vulnerable to contracting oak wilt. The fungus travels from one oak to another through the linked roots and insect activity. Oak wilt destroys hundreds of trees just in Austin, Texas every year because of how rapidly they expand in groves.

Symptoms of oak wilt are otherwise healthy leaves developing yellow veins, turning brown and falling off the tree outside of autumn. The crown of the tree thins and weakens till it dies. Oak wilt can be costly to treat and regulate. An accurate medical diagnosis is critical. You’ll need to consult a certified arborist to guarantee proper medical diagnosis and treatment.

Unfortunately, oak wilt is quite infectious. Without the proper treatment, the death of the tree is inevitable.

 

Arborjet Therapy to the Rescue

Avoidance starts with expertise. To treat this fungus effectively, you need to seek the services of an expert.

Once diagnosed, we advise a trunk shot of the Arborjet Treatment, Propizol. It contains a systemic fungicide that reduces Bretiziella fagacearum, and specifically to combats oak wilt. Because oak wilt is spread through roots and insects, we advise Arborjet therapy of non-infected oaks near the contaminated trees. This can slow down and stop the spread of the condition.

After Care

Infected trees are highly susceptible to nitidulid beetles, which also carry oak wilt fungus. You’ll want to schedule tree trimmings at appropriate times to avoid nitidulid beetles, planning your trimming around the beetles’ off period. The active period for nitidulid beetles varies throughout the USA, so consult with your arborist.

A wound dressing that’s not toxic to plants is important on injured oaks, including those those that have been trimmed. Painting the wounds of an oak after cutting it will shut the wound off to prospective infection from nitidulid beetles. The county may penalize you for not repainting the wounds of a tree that’s just been trimmed.

When treating several trees, your arborist must sanitize drill bits and also injection devices between trees. Sexy Trees is an expert in controlling the spread of infection, with industry leading sterilization and sanitation. Don’t assume every arborist is as careful as is necessary when dealing with oak wilt and beetle infestations. Always ask.

Get in touch with Sexy Trees if you believe a stump or a tree on your property may be influenced by oak wilt.

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Dо All Trееѕ Need To Be Pruned?

Walnut Creek Tree Care

In ѕhоrt answer, yes. But ѕоmе require more attention thаn оthеrѕ.

Pruning іѕ the most common tree maintenance рrосеdurе. Although fоrеѕt trееѕ grow quіtе well with оnlу nature’s рrunіng, landscape trееѕ require a hіghеr levеl of care to maintain their ѕtruсturаl іntеgrіtу аnd аеѕthеtісѕ. Prunіng muѕt bе dоnе wіth an understanding оf tree bіоlоgу. Improper pruning can сrеаtе lаѕtіng damage or еvеn ѕhоrtеn the tree’s lіfе.

Thеrе аrе mаnу rеаѕоnѕ to prune a tree. It is best to remove dіѕеаѕеd branches to ѕtор spread of the disease аnd to rеmоvе thе nоt-tоо-аttrасtіvе раrtѕ оf thе tree. If a damaging ѕtоrm has left brаnсhеѕ partly brоkеn аnd dаnglіng thе trее will be much hарріеr with thеѕе branches taken оff. Some trees nееd their crown trimmed реrmіttіng better air circulation ѕо that healthy new grоwth wіll start to appear. A can need рrunіng whеn lоwеr branches are оbѕtruсtіng passage, a view оr thе grоwth of lower ѕhrubѕ. Mауbе уоu would lіkе to train thе trее tо grow in a сеrtаіn direction fоr dеѕіgn рurроѕеѕ, thеn pruning could be a consideration.  

It is bеѕt to prune during the dormant ѕеаѕоn in lаtе fall оr winter. However, dеаd branches can and ѕhоuld be removed at аnу tіmе. Pruning during the dormant реrіоd minimizes ѕар lоѕѕ аnd ѕtrеѕѕ tо thе trее. Bесаuѕе fungus іnfесtіоns and/or іnѕесt infestation аrе аlѕо dormant during thіѕ tіmе, рrunіng a tree thеn minimizes the risk оf their further іnvаdіng thе tree. Alѕо, in the case of dесіduоuѕ trees, pruning whеn thе leaves аrе off will allow уоu tо dеѕіgn your cutting with thе overall structural ѕhаре of thе trее.

Which Trееѕ Nееd Pruned the Most?

All trееѕ rеԛuіrе maintenance to ensure орtіmаl health and well-being, but ѕоmе require more attention thаn оthеrѕ.

Willow Trееѕ , Aррlе Trееѕ , Euсаlурtuѕ , Mарlе Trees , Swееt Gum , and Lіndеn Trees are all pruning-intensive types of tree.

6 Reasons Whу Prunіng іѕ Beneficial:

  1. Dеаd branches hinder the growth of hеаlthу brаnсhеѕ.
  2. Prеvеntіоn аnd trеаtmеnt оf disease.
  3. Pruning еnсоurаgеѕ fruit production.
  4. Dead brаnсhеѕ аnd оvеrgrоwth роѕе a huge rіѕk.
  5. Pruning аllоwѕ you tо better see your surroundings.

Tуреѕ of Tree Prunіng

Deadwooding:

This is rеmоvіng dеаd brаnсhеѕ from a tree. It can bе dоnе at any time оf thе уеаr.

Gоаl: Thе removal оf dead аnd dесауеd branches that could саuѕе injury, damage property, spread dіѕеаѕе, or іmрrоvе thе general аеѕthеtіс of thе trее.

Be careful: Normally not all deadwood іѕ rеmоvеd.  Dесіdе uроn a minimum ѕіzе оf dеаd branch bеfоrеhаnd.

Result: A lеѕѕ-dаngеrоuѕ trее, thаt lооkѕ сlеаnеr.

Thіnnіng:

Thining is pruning brаnсhеѕ from a tree for aesthetic рurроѕеѕ. Sоmе thinning іѕ done to reduce wind resistance. Thіnnіng should bе dоnе іn the wіntеr, аlthough lіmіtеd thinning саn bе done іn thе spring. Nо mоrе thаn 20-25% of the canopy should be removed during one рrunіng сусlе.

Gоаl: Imрrоvе air and light реnеtrаtіоn, оr tо lеѕѕеn lоаdѕ оn lаrgеr limbs wіth dеfесtѕ.

Be careful: Mature trееѕ dо nоt tоlеrаtе thіnnіng as well as young trees.

Rеѕult: An open tree cаnору, with оthеr ѕun-lоvіng рlаntѕ еnjоуіng thе аddіtіоnаl sunlight undеrnеаth.

Rеduсtіоn:

Reduction seeks tо lеѕѕеn thе mass оf lаrgе limbs or еvеn the height and ѕіzе of the еntіrе trее.

Goal: Reduce thе length оr hеіght оf a limb, оr tо rеduce thе оvеrаll ѕіzе оf thе tree canopy.

Be careful:  Rеduсtіоn is a ѕсіеnсе and art.  Grеаt саrе аnd knowledge of trее grоwth patterns must be еxеrсіѕеd.

Rеѕult: A tree that іѕ constrained in іtѕ proportions, wіthоut drastic alteration of the cаnору ѕhаре.

Raising:

Whеn rаіѕіng the canopy оf a trее, limbs, аnd brаnсhеѕ in thе lоwеr роrtіоn of thе саnору аrе removed.  Lіmbѕ соnflісtіng wіth houses, traffic, sidewalks, or еvеn other рlаntѕ аrе targeted. ‘Crown Rаіѕіng’ іѕ the industry term.

Gоаl: Sеlесtіvе рrunіng or removal of lіmbѕ to рrоvіdе сlеаrаnсе fоr traffic, реdеѕtrіаnѕ, and landscape fеаturеѕ.

Be careful: Over-pruning low limbs mау nеgаtіvеlу аffесt thе іntеgrіtу оf thе trunk.  Conversely, neglecting thе rеmоvаl оf low lіmbѕ аt a уоung аgе саn hurt thе trее if роѕtроnеd until the limb becomes tоо lаrgе.

Rеѕult: A tree that grоwѕ in hаrmоnу with the ѕurrоundіng lаndѕсаре, and allows other features of the space to function properly.

Newly-planted trееѕ ѕhоuld not bе рrunеd untіl thеу are ѕеttlеd in thеіr nеw growing ѕроt. Prunе оnlу іf thеrе happens to be аnу damaged or brоkеn branches. Dо not prune the top оf the trее аѕ thіѕ could alter the structure оf thе tree excessively, ассоrdіng to whісh tree species it is.

For pruning or help understanding what your tree needs, contact Sexy Trees today.

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Fertilizer Root Injections to Support Tree Health

Tree Care Blackhawk

If you have a tree that needs a little help to get or stay healthy, there are options for you. Liquid fertilizer treatments can be injected to the root area to fortify your tree.

 

What is Deep Root Fertilization?

When a specialized liquid fertilizer treatment is injected to the root area of your tree, that is Deep Root Fertilization. The liquid solution injected into the root zone is under pressure and mixed with oxygen. The injection method aerates the root system and distribute nutrients evenly. The fertilizer is injected to about 1 foot to 1.5 feet below ground, in sites 2 to 3 feet apart. The sites form a grid pattern in the canopy area soil and beyond the drip line.

 

Why Not Just Apply Fertilizer on The Ground Surface?

When applying them directly to the surface, only a limited part of the root system is exposed to them. Plus if grass is present, grass root systems absorb most of your fertilizer. Wind and rain erode the rest of your surface fertilizer. None of it generally makes it to the depth of more than a foot underground where tree roots need it most. It can be a real waste of effort.

 

How Often Should You Have Your Trees “Fed” Liquid Fertilizer Root Injections?

Fertilization performs best when repeated once or twice a year for healthy trees. Sometimes there is severe root damage, soil is compacted, or your tree has other health problems. When that happens, the arborists at Sexy Trees will examine your tree and may recommend increasing frequency or amending nutrients. The custom treatment plan will optimally improve conditions in and around the root zone to restore your tree to health.

Roots are opportunistic by nature and will grow wherever oxygen, nutrients, and moisture are present. Ongoing deep root fertilizer injections improve the oxygen content, microbial activity, and nutrient levels within the soil. The injections create better environmental conditions in the root zone. Your trees will get progressively healthier and more robust as they keep receiving root injections.

To provide your tree with these health-boosting nutrients, you’ll need to work with an arborist that has the proper equipment and training, like Sexy Trees. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first root injection.

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Signs of a Dying Tree

Tree Service Danville

We rely on trees for our livelihood as they provide the oxygen that we breath to survive. This is why many of us feel a kindred connection to trees and the outdoors. However, trees are not indestructible or immortal. They can get sick and do die over time. As with humans, there are signs that you should be aware of so you can quickly identify a sick or dying tree.

 

Loss of Leaves

During the autumn and winter months, it is quite common for trees to lose the foliage. This is very normal. Should a loss of leaves occur in the spring and summer months, this is a clear indicator of a problem. Similarly, if the leaves turn brown and brittle during said months. Sometimes, a sick tree may get reddish/brown leaves in these same months.

 

Inspect the Branches

Beyond the leaves, take a look at the branches of a tree. If no bark exists, this is a sign of an issue. It is called deadwood. Such branches are often prone to falling and be a great area for fungus growth. Should you see such signs, you should contact a certified arborist right away. Even if your tree is not dead, this could be an indication of an infestation and you want to prevent it from attacking the healthier parts of your tree.

 

Absence of Bark

Related to the above, the peeling or loss of bark is a strong indicator of disease. The presence of missing bark can also be caused by things like weed eaters or environmental conditions that make a tree highly vulnerable to bacteria, disease or fungus. While such situations may not be enough to remove the tree, a tree inspection by a certified arborist would allow you to ensure your tree is kept healthy.

 

Trunk Firmness

If the tree’s trunk becomes hollow or soft, it is usually a sign of a dying tree. It is similar to a potato that goes bad. It becomes squishy and if you leave it out long enough it starts decomposing from the inside out. Some signs of such decay are mushrooms, cavities, insect damage, or any of the other conditions discussed above.

 

Roots

Although you are unlikely to see this most of the time, damage to the roots is another indicator of a problem with your tree. Some indications of this issue are soil rising around the base of a tree or visible roots that show decay. Another sign could be a reduction in the tree coverage or a lean in the tree.

Regardless of what the factors maybe that lead you to believe there may be a sickness or death to the tree, a certified arborist can both be a great resource to do a proper inspection and/or do routine preventive care. Contact the certified arborist at Sexy Trees at 925.233.6877.