Shrubs Need Maintenance Too

Shrubs and bushes need care and maintenance just like trees do. Just like trees, shrubs and bushes need to be pruned and trimmed.

Bushes and shrubs are just as likely to be attacked by insects and other pests. That means they need to be inspected for bug infestations and fungal infections. Fungal infections and bug infestations can quickly spread to other shrubs and bushes and to your trees. If bushes and shrubs get too big they may have to be removed. Such removal should be done by a professional tree service because these plants can grow back quickly from roots if they are not properly removed. All of the roots of a dead, sick or infested bush or shrub should be pulled up because fungal inspections can spread to other brushes and trees through the roots. A professional tree service will be able to do this quickly and properly. Just like trees, brushes and shrubs should be inspected by a professional arborist on a regular basis. Such an arborist can spot problems and properly remove diseased or infested shrubs and brushes. A professional tree service can also properly prune and trim shrubs and hedges. Thick Underbrush Brushes and shrubs can even become a fire hazard. Thick dry underbrush can easily catch fire and the resulting blaze can destroy everything on a property. Removing underbrush is one of the best ways to reduce the fire hazard on a piece of property.

Thick underbrush can also be home to a wide variety of animals and bugs that you don’t want on your property. This includes squirrels, rabbits, rats, mice, scorpions, snakes, ants, spiders, ticks and chiggers. Therefore removing it can make your property safer and healthier for your family or your tenants. Finally, thick underbrush can get in the way of building or development efforts. Having it removed by a professional service can reduce the cost of construction and excavation without reducing the natural beauty of your property.

How Vulnerable are Your Trees to Pests and Blights?

It seems that there is an army of pests and an almost number of fungal diseases attacking Columbus's trees these days. Not surprisingly many property owners are wondering how vulnerable are my Houston trees to these threats?

This question is hard to answer because every tree is different. Experts note that some species are more vulnerable than others. Red Oaks are more vulnerable to Oak Wilt but all Oaks are threatened by that deadly fungus. Most tree experts think that native species of trees are in greater danger because many of the pests are invasive or exotic insects and diseases. Examples of this menace include the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Long Horned Beetle, both of which are threatening trees in the Midwest.

The sad truth is that all trees are vulnerable to these pestilences these days. The number of invasive species seems to be increasing everyday and the destruction they do is multiplying. Such menaces often attack the largest trees that add the most value to properties. All property owners need to realize that all of their Los Angeles Trees are potentially in danger from such threats. The problem is actually worse than homeowners imagine, because insects and fungal infections can kill a healthy tree in a matter of months. That is why it is so important to get your trees inspected by a good tree service that employs professional arborists on a regular basis. The pros can spot the threats before they get out of control and kill your trees. If there is a fungal infection or insect infestation, professionals can often stop it by spraying. If they cannot they can remove the infected or infested tree in a safe and speedy manner so the threat does not kill all of your trees. The threats to Austin’s trees and trees all over the country are increasing everyday. Therefore it is vital that every property owner employ a professional tree service to preserve the beauty and value of his or her property.

You Should Use a Licensed Professional Tree Service for Spraying

You should always use a licensed professional tree service when you get your shrubs and trees sprayed. The main reason you should do this is an obvious one: the safety of yourself, your family, your neighbors and your trees. The herbicides and pesticides used in tree spraying can be dangerous chemicals if they are not applied safely. If the spraying is done by professionals there should be no danger from it. If the spraying is done by amateurs a lot of damage can be done. Recent news reports indicate that a herbicide called Imprelis killed large numbers of pine and other trees in the Midwest. The reason this chemical killed those trees was that it was improperly applied. That means you could be putting your trees in danger if you use an amateur tree service. Your best course of action is to have all tree spraying done by a professional service that is licensed and established in your community. There are several reasons you will want to do this. The first is that a professional service will do a professional job. Nobody wants to have amateurs come on their property with dangerous chemicals. That is exactly what could happen if you hire somebody who knocks on your door to spray your trees.

A second and equally important reason is that an established service based in your community can be held accountable for its actions. If they do any damage you can call them back and have them fix it or at least get some damages out of them. A professional service will be bonded or insured so that damage is covered. A third reason is that you could be held responsible for any damage done by an amateur service. If your neighbors’ property is damaged by such spraying, the neighbor can sue you for the damage. A fourth reason why you should hire a professional service is that it could be illegal to be have somebody without the proper license spraying your trees. A person who is going around taking money for spraying does not necessarily have a license. Most door to door tree service people do not. You could be held liable and even face a fine for using an unlicensed service to spray your trees. An established professional tree service in your community will have the proper licenses. That way you can avoid any legal trouble and keep your trees healthy. More importantly you will know that your family and your neighbors will be safe because the spraying was done by a professional.

Selective Tree Removal

Selective tree removal is vital for the health and appearance of trees. Selective removal means the felling of trees that are sick, dead or unwanted. It is vital for forest health because many dead and sick trees contain pests and tree killing fungus. The only way to prevent these from spreading to the rest of the trees is to get rid of the infected or infested wood. Even the roots and stumps of dead trees can spread such plagues. Keeping a reasonable distance between trees usually a few feet can prevent the spread of diseases and pests. It also makes for healthier vegetation because fewer trees are competing for fewer resources. In many cases whole groves can die out because too many trees can use up the water and nutrients.

Thick strands of trees and lots of shrubbery can also create a major fire hazard. Selectively removing trees will reduce this hazard and make it easier to move through the woods. A good rule of thumb is to cut down any tree that is within five feet of another tree. This will make your property easier to move through and more attractive. You will be able to mow grass and remove weeds along the bases of the trees. The best method of selective tree removal is to hire a professional arborist to examine your trees and tell you which ones to remove. An arborist cannot only tell you which trees to take out. Arborists from a professional tree service have the tools and equipment necessary to take out the unwanted, sick or dead trees safely, quickly and efficiently. Such professionals can bring in equipment such as stump grinders so that entire trees are removed quickly. This will reduce the chances of pests or diseases spreading to your healthy trees and eliminate the fire hazard posed by dead wood.

What Stump Grinding Can Do for You

Cutting down the trunk is often the easiest and quickest part of the tree removal process. Once the trunk is gone, the stump remains and it can be both an eyesore and a nuisance. In addition to being an eyesore, a stump can be an obstacle to vehicles and to landscaping efforts. Stumps can also be home to pests and fungus that can kill your other trees. Therefore removing them is critical to maintaining the health of your trees. Removing a stump can be tough without the proper equipment. A bulldozer can be used to rip out a stump but it can also tear up your yard in the process. The old fashioned stump removal methods of dynamiting and burning are both dangerous and illegal. Fortunately there is a modern method of removing a stump that is safe, legal and environmentally friendly. It is called stump grinding and it involves a special machine that pulverizes the stump into sawdust.

The sawdust can then be hauled away or composted to make mulch. If a professional stump grinder knows his job, it could look as if there was never a tree in the location to begin with. Once stump grinding is done a new tree can be planted on the site, the site can be landscaped or used as a site for a patio. If you are clearing land for a building site, stump grinding is necessary.

Another advantage to stump grinding is that no special disposal is needed for the old stump. Once the stump is ground up it can be composted or simply tossed into the trash. Many trash services will not haul away stumps but they will haul away sawdust. The best way to get rid of a stump is to call a reputable professional tree service with a stump grinder. Such a service should be able to come out and give you a free estimate on the grinding job. It should also be able to do any other tree removal work needed such as felling dead, dying or unwanted trees. It can also plant new trees to replace dead ones and preserve the beauty and value of your property.

Watering Your Trees

The ongoing drought in many parts of the country - obviously has many homeowners worried about the health of their trees. Quite a few people are wondering when and how they should be watering trees. Unfortunately a lot of home and property owners do not know how to water trees. Simply placing a sprinkler near trees or spraying a tree down with a hose will not necessarily water it. These methods will not work with trees because most trees get water through the roots. Water sprayed on the trunk or the surface of the ground may not reach the roots. Therefore you will have to water the tree through the roots. Fortunately there are a number of good methods of doing this. Watering a tree through the roots makes a lot of sense because you will actually use less water. The easiest method of watering a tree is ground soaking. This can be done by soaking the ground with water. A good way of doing this is to lay a hose right next to the tree and let water run out. You will have to leave the hose there for around 30 minutes to get the water to reach the roots. A variation on ground soaking is to use a sprinkler to soak the ground. If you use a sprinkler you should use a small one that covers the only area immediately around the tree. There are special tree sprinkles available from hardware stores for this purpose. Tree sprinklers can be attached to buried-sprinkler systems as well. In some cases it can be possible to use water diverted from an irrigation ditch for soaking. If you can simply let the ditch water run over the ground around the base of the tree. Another popular water conserving method of watering trees is to drip stakes. A drip stake is a metal or plastic stake that you drive into the ground at the base of the tree. Once the stake is in the ground a hose is attached to provide water. This method takes the water right to the roots so they are the most efficient method of tree watering. Deep drip stakes can be purchased from hardware and other stores and online for a fairly low price.

When to Water Trees Always water your trees when you notice that the ground has dried out. If the ground on your property becomes very hard it might be a good idea to water trees. You should also consider watering trees if it has not rained in your location for more than a month. All trees will need water but leafy species like Aspens and willows will need more. You should try watering because trees can die fairly quickly if there is no water in the ground. The last you will want is to pay for tree removal for your favorite poplars or spruce. If there has been drought in your area, it would be a good idea to have a professional tree service take a look at your property. The experts at such a service can tell you what care your trees need and takes the steps necessary to keep them alive. They can also tell you when and how you should be watering your trees.

Dead Trees Must be Removed

The terrible forest fires burning in parts of the west prove one thing: dead trees must be removed. If you own wooded land or property adjacent to woodlands, forests or empty lands you need to remove all dead and dying trees from your property. The reason for this is obvious dead trees are the fuel that spreads forest fires. Just this summer, two large towns in New Mexico Las Alamos and Raton were threatened by forest fires. A large forest fire also burned in the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of home owners.

The reason the fires are so bad this year is the drought in much of the West. Despite record snowfalls in Colorado and other states, there has been little or no precipitation in many areas for months. This means that the forests are dry and likely to catch fire. To make matters worse, Colorado is in the midst of a terrible pine beetle epidemic. The pine beetle is a pest that kills trees and makes the situation worse. This means it is a good idea to have a professional tree service look at your property. A tree service’s arborists can remove dead trees and dying trees quickly and effectively. More importantly a tree service can stop the spread of the pine beetle by spraying for it. Such a service can remove dead trees safely and effectively. If you have pine, spruce or evergreen trees on your property you could vulnerable to forest fires. If any evergreen tree’s needles turn brown it is probably dying and will have to be removed. The sooner the dead tree is removed the sooner the fire danger will be lessened. A dead tree is a major fire hazard because in the present drought conditions in the west it can go up in flames in a few minutes. A wildfire can go through a forested lot as quickly as the wind can blow. This means that just minutes after a tree on your property goes up in flames your home could be up burning. By the time the fire department reaches your property all of your possessions could be destroyed.

Therefore you owe it to yourself and your family to have professional arborists look at your property. These experts can take the steps necessary to remove the fire hazard posed by dead trees.