Planning for Trees During Construction Do you have plans for a new construction project? Have you thought about how your trees will be affected? Construction projects, if not carefully planned out, can harm or even kill your trees. It doesn’t matter if your construction project is large or small. Even replacing underground pipes or wires to the house can impact …
Healthy Soil for Healthy Trees
Importance of Healthy Soil Healthy trees need healthy soil that is rich in nutrients, moisture and structure. In urban environments, soil does not always provide the necessities for healthy trees in the landscape. Compaction, lack of organic material, insufficient pore space, and other critical problems make a harsh environment for root systems. During construction, topsoil is scraped away, natural grades …
Why Do Leaves Fall?
How Leaves Work Have you ever wondered what brings out the fall color of leaves? To find the answer, you have to understand how trees and leaves work. Trees need to eat, just like you and I do. But their food is not fertilizer any more than a multivitamin is food for us. Carbohydrates and sugars are the tree’s real …
Tree Root Problems
Getting to the Root of the Problem Tree roots are often the most overlooked, neglected, and abused component of the tree’s anatomy. Tree root problems are a major part of a tree’s health. In the mid-Atlantic region, tree roots are located mostly in the top six to ten inches of soil. This is due to the abundance of clay and …
Are Your Trees at Risk During Storms?
Predicting which Trees are at Risk During Storms During a hurricane or tropical storm, how likely will your trees become damaged? It’s not always easy to predict which trees will fall victim to a storm, but there are factors that can increase the risk. Take a close look at your trees to see how many of the following risk factors …
When to Fertilize Your Trees
When Trees Need Fertilizer Are your trees looking a little peaked? They may be lacking nutrients and need fertilizer. Urban soils are often lack the nutrients that are found naturally in the forest, and trees have a harder time absorbing what is there. There are several factors that can lead to this condition: Competition from grass Elimination of natural sources …
Top Tree Pests in Mid-Atlantic
Despite our best efforts to take care of our trees, sometimes even healthy trees are attacked by pests and diseases. Here in the Mid-Atlantic region, there are a number of common tree pests and diseases we see every day. It is not an all-inclusive list, but it covers the majority of the culprits that plague the trees in the area. …
8 Signs of Trouble with Your Trees
Looking for Signs of Trouble As with people, when problems affect the health of your tree, early detection can often mean the difference between life and death. Signs of trouble with trees are sometimes obvious, but at other times, you may need to make a closer inspection. Because trees are living organisms, you should keep an eye out for these …
How Much Water Do Your Trees Need?
Trees Need Water How long could you last without water? Do you think you could go for a few days or maybe a week? Although we tend not to think about it much, trees also need water. In fact, they need it every bit as much as we do. A host of tree health problems are initially due to lack …
Keep Cool This Summer with Trees
Keep Cool under Trees Who hasn’t sought the cooling shelter of a shade tree on a hot summer day? At my son’s soccer games, whenever there’s a shady tree on the sidelines, parents and other fans find valuable relief and protection from the sweltering heat under its broad branches. Lower your Energy Costs In addition to shade, trees have an …