The Beautiful Benefits of Tree Mulch!

Tree owners carry a lot of responsibility on their shoulders: health, appearance, and legal obligations should always be taken into consideration! However, a few new mulching tips and tricks will ensure the trees on your property will not only make your greenscape the envy of neighbors but may also significantly increase property value. Proper mulching will protect many vulnerable species from harsh conditions and drought. Your trees will reciprocate the effort with increased longevity.

Not every tree needs mulch, but some love it!

Getting Started

Mulching consists of a few simple steps. Clear the grass around the tree, out to the end of the farthest protruding branches if the situation permits - the root system of the tree extends beyond just the base! You should then cover this cleared area around the tree with two to four inches of loosely arranged organic matter such as shredded leaves or natural compost.

Plastic and other un-compostable materials can interfere with the exchange of gases between the soil and air, as well as the transfer of water and should not be used. Take care to leave about two inches of space around the base that is free of mulch - if material is placed too close to the trunk, it will adversely affect health by encouraging decay.

What Else is Mulch Used For?

Mulch helps to insulate the soil, protecting it from harsh weather conditions that vary from extreme temperatures while keeping the roots moist even when the soil is abnormally dry. This practice helps to prevent weeds that can act as competition against the trees roots. Proper technique also allows homeowners to avoid mechanical damage that can occur during lawn maintenance. The soil will benefit due to less traffic, decreasing the effect of soil compaction while providing more oxygen - allowing water to flow effortlessly through the soil surrounding the tree.

Mulch is not necessary for every species or in every climate, so make sure to contact a tree service professional if there is any doubt! Better safe than sorry!

Tree Services: Low Price Doesn’t Mean Low Quality

Homeowners often do everything in their power to avoid it, but there are inevitable circumstances in which man is no match for nature, and a tree service professional is the only solution. Let’s face it: no matter how well we care for our trees, gardens, and landscapes, a strong storm or freak accident can wipe out our hard work in seconds flat. Nothing is more disappointing than finding a mess of our yards – except maybe realizing that the mess is too big for one person to fix. 

When shopping for the best tree service, consumers commonly face the same dilemma: we want top quality service, but not sky high prices. You would think that a great service will cost a pretty penny, but did you know that the best companies out there are never the most expensive? In fact, many of those top dollar businesses need to charge high prices just to cover their own costly mistakes! It may seem counterintuitive, but quality tree care professionals do not have to charge huge rates: efficiency, excellence, and experience lead directly to savings for the consumer. 

How They Save and You Win

An experienced tree care professional already knows the ins and outs of the business: they do not have to waste time making mistakes and correcting them. They get in there, get the job done, clean up, and scoot out. It sounds simple – especially if you have ever invested in amateur services before. Since these quality professionals get the job done quickly and correctly, less man hours are being spent which translates directly into savings for the customer.

Why Experience Matters

There are certain jobs such as stump grinding and land clearing that can be completed by an amateur – provided they have the proper tools and plenty of hours, days, or even weeks. We all know that every hour of work is going to cost us money, so avoid this nightmare situation and go with a tree service professional that already has the proper tools. This heavy-duty equipment is not cheap, and if you choose an inexperienced amateur there is a good chance that the fee reflects the cost of the tools that have yet to be paid off. Established service providers own their own tools – saving you money again.

Value of Emergency Tree Services

Although trees present many benefits to a homeowner in regards to property value, aesthetic tastes, and environmental health, there are still many ways that an improperly cared for investment can turn into an expensive headache. Keeping the number of a professional emergency tree service may save you time, money, and structural damage with nothing more than a simple phone call. The DIY types, like myself, often cringe at the thought of hiring a helping hand – but regardless, adding another entry into your address book is a small step compared to the inconvenience of lawsuits that can ensue from improperly cared for trees.

When the Going Gets Rough

Tree collapse and storm damage can take a devastating toll on property, creating a time consuming and costly hassle. While proper pruning and routine maintenance can generally prevent these issues, there are situations like hurricanes, tornadoes, and undetected disease that can wreak havoc with little to no prior notice. Removing and disposing trees is no small task – especially if there are power lines or damaged pipes to worry about. Homeowners need to have a backup plan at all times, one that includes everything from emergency utility shutoff to transportation to manual labor. This can become overwhelming for the most experienced property owners.

Choosing a Service

Instead of spending money and time on equipment and dangerous work, smart homeowners typically have the number of a trusted local tree care professional. Going local ensures that the professionals will have the specialized knowledge of local tree varieties, which is a must for those accident-prone ornamentals. Emergency specialists already have the high-tech equipment necessary for a quick and safe removal, saving you the huge expenses of investing in tools you may only need once in your life. Be sure to pick a  tree care service that offers environmentally responsible cleanup – that way you can feel good about keeping your property safe.

Before the Best Season to Plant Trees Approaches - Considerations

The perfect time to begin planning for a new tree is fast approaching. Homeowners who may have attempted and failed to raise a healthy tree from sapling to maturity have learned the hard way; while it may seem as simple as digging a hole and inserting a sapling, there are actually just as many wrong ways to plant a tree as there are right. Tree service professionals see the same thing, year after year - simple mistakes lead to dead saplings. To avoid the need for a removal expert any time in the near future, make sure to take into account the following factors before making any major decisions:

The Basics

First things first: check with city regulations. There are often specifications about how far trees must be planted from power lines, roads, homes, property lines, gas lines, etc. Really, the list can go on forever. It is important to figure these things out even before picking a species of tree – there should be resources on your state. The last thing a homeowner wants is a fine for damages to city property. After the legal restrictions are out of the way, consider the available planting space left in your yard. Now you are ready to get down to the more enjoyable aspects of this beautiful home improvement.

Species

We always recommend native trees for their hardiness and bountiful environmental benefits. Although this does not necessarily narrow your selection, your options may be somewhat limited by certain attributes of each type of tree. Size, growth rate, required maintenance, and of course, aesthetics often play a major role when a homeowner is shopping for a tree. None of these should be ignored, because they can take up a lot of your time and affect property value a great deal.

Placement

This is where the basics and the species come together in the final decision. Consider current and future arrangements of vegetation near the planting area. Will the tree canopy obscure light once the tree is mature? Will the final root length interfere with a home’s foundation or any other permanent fixtures? Does the root structure form deep enough as to not interfere with other nearby trees or plants? These are all questions that a tree service professional would have no trouble answering, but the homebrew solution is to research, research, research!

Have fun, and happy planning!

Easy Tree Stump Removal

Okay, so, the title of this article is kind of a joke. There is no such thing as quick or simple removal without contacting a lawn care professional. Unfortunately, tree stumps can take up huge amounts of space in a potential garden- so their existence can be quite a burden until they finally degrade years later. So how can we accomplish the daunting task of removing an unsightly stump? Either you can gather up the commitment to take care of the headache yourself, or you can hire somebody to do the job for you. Whichever way you choose to take back your yard, you will enjoy the freedom to plant a new tree, extend your garden, or just enjoy soft luscious grass.

Do it Yourself

The stump removal process begins with our favorite tool: the chain saw. The stump should be cut down as close to the ground as possible to remove the excess wood. After you are left with just a small amount of stump it is time to drill a few holes to fill with nitrogen fertilizer. Then it’s time to soak the entire area, roots and all, with water before covering with a tarp. Mulch and stones will keep the tarp in place while providing the perfect atmosphere for moisture and decomposition. Now it’s time to kick back and remain patient. This method only speeds up the natural decaying process of the tree stump- reducing the decomposition period by years! Of course, there is a much faster way to get the job done…

Choose a Professional

Yeah, as much as we all love the entire idea of DIY, sometimes you just have to give in to the people with the right tools. A tree service professional should have no problem undertaking the task of stump grinding, which means that your month long job could be completed in just hours! What these professionals do is utilize a powerful piece of machinery that will grind away the stump and remaining roots, leaving the ground fertile and ready for beautiful new growth. What’s left behind after stump grinding is basically all-natural mulch. Homeowners often go this route so that they can avoid the stench of rotting trunk hanging around the yard for months. To be honest- I don’t blame them!

Trees as Crime Deterrent: You Wouldn’t Believe It!

You’ve probably come to hundreds of conclusions about why your neighborhood is plagued with constant acts of crime and vandalism. It could be a new seedy venue that opened nearby, or a recent rise in poverty rates, but why your neighborhood and not the next one over? According to the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific NW and Southern Research Stations it could be because your street is not lined with big, luxurious trees. 

Wait… What?

It’s absolutely true! The study, which encompassed 2,813 family homes, showed that neighborhoods with large trees were less likely to have been the victims of crime or theft. It may seem like a very strange coincidence but there is actually a dead simple common-sense reason that this phenomenon occurs. A neighborhood that is full of large street trees often has the appearance of being properly cared for, and therefore more likely to have security measures in place. Since this connection occurs on a primarily subconscious level, the actual economic level of the area often holds little persuasion over this gut assumption.

Before you rush out to plant some trees, consider that since this is simply a trend but definitely not foolproof. In fact, the same study also came to the conclusion that an abundance of SMALL trees or shrubs will actually raise the crime rate by making the area a more appealing place to hide. This effect can easily be cured by routine pruning and careful placement. Just another reason to contact a professional before planting anything that could hurt your property value!

Environmentalists are always learning delightful new facts about the positive benefits of native trees and a healthy ecosystem, but I’d never have thought that home security would be one of them. Of course, the slightly improved chances are no reason to forego an alarm system but it certainly is nice to know the multitude of ways that our investments pay off.