Tree Care
Still Time For Anti-Desiccant
I’m a big fan of anti-desiccant. That’s why I post a reminder every fall. It’s clean, easy to apply and protects evergreens very well. Best of all you don’t have to wrap burlap around most trees and shrubs protected by anti-desiccant. Although it’s November already, you can still apply anti-desiccant. Just don’t pick a day […]
Distance Wildlife From Your Landscape Plants
Each year at this time, property owners ask for advice for keeping deer from eating their valuable landscape plants. There are no foolproof methods. When a deer is hungry enough, it will eat anything. Each year, one of our customers puts a container of flowering annuals on loved ones’ graves in three different sections of […]
The Importance of Fall Fertilization
If you fertilized your trees, shrubs and perennials in the spring, it should probably be done again now. The best rationale for fall fertilization is explained in the process a plant uses to convert the nutrients it consumes into food. Although you place fertilizer around the base of your plants, you aren’t “feeding” the plants. […]
Have Your Trees Inspected This Fall
We have to have our vehicles inspected every year to be sure they’re mechanically sound and many of us have an annual physical to make sure our body is working the way it should. The trees in your yard combine both biology and mechanics to stay healthy and sound. So, for the same reason you […]
Hold Off Fertilizing Woody Plants
Your woody plants, especially shrubs, may look a bit stressed on these hot summer days. Your first diagnosis may be that they’re hungry so you should feed them. Resist the temptation! They may be thirsty but they’re not hungry. Don’t fall victim to that common misconception that you can feed plants with fertilizer. Plants make […]
Birchcrest Is Open And Providing All Services
As the 2020 landscaping/gardening season gets into full swing, I want to remind you that Birchcrest had been deemed an essential business throughout this pandemic and remains open for business. All services are being performed and our service personnel are in full compliance with CDC guidelines as well as state and local regulations. Because our […]
Time For Emerald Ash Borer Treatment
Spring is the best time to protect your valuable, majestic ash trees from the insidious emerald ash borer (EAB). It’s this invasive pest that’s to blame for all the dead and dying ash trees that we see around town. If you have an ash tree, it’s a sure bet that it will become a target […]
Landscaping and the Current Crisis — We’re Still Here for You
We are living in scary times, and landscapers are affected, even if not as deeply as some other industries or individuals. Nature is oblivious to the current medical crisis affecting daily life all around the country — spring has sprung and your landscape or garden has needs that won’t wait until the coronavirus is contained […]
Repair Shrub/Tree Winter Damage
Shrubs can take a beating in winter. The wind can break branches. Snow piled on top of them can bend branches over, even to the ground. Overly saturated soil can cause the whole shrub to lean while frequent freeze/thaw cycles can cause them to come right out of the ground. Evergreen shrubs may have brown […]
Start The New Year With Nicely Pruned Trees
Weather conditions control tree growth. They react to temperature and light, and cold temperatures, short days, as well as winter dormancy provide ideal pruning conditions. You could say, if fall is for planting then winter is for pruning. That doesn’t mean going out with your chainsaw and starting to cut just because it’s winter. It […]
