Tag Archive | tree care

Dormant Oil Kills Many Pests As They Sleep

Petroleum jelly is good for treating burns and other human injuries. It’s also good for treating trees and shrubs for insect pests while they sleep. In the case of trees and shrubs, I’m referring to dormant oil spray. Dormant oil spray is particularly effective against aphids, mites and scale. This material is highly refined oil […]

Why Winter Pruning Is Healthy For Most Trees

Our arborists don’t take the winter off. In fact, winter is one of our busiest seasons for tree pruning. That’s because deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves) are dormant in the winter. Removing branches during pruning wounds the tree, and winter dormancy acts as nature’s anesthesia. Pruning wounds have the rest of the winter […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Tree Risks: Real or Fake?

Owning trees can be compared to owning pets. They are both enjoyable to have and life wouldn’t be the same without them. But with the pleasure they provide comes risks and responsibilities. We’re all familiar with pet risks like dog bites and cat scratches but do you know the risks trees present? The most obvious […]

Trees Do More Than Look Nice

Everyone loves the beauty of a tree. Joyce Kilmer even articulated his love of trees in a famous poem, entitled simply Trees. Beauty is the main reason we plant trees, but nature’s giants reward us multi-fold for this gesture. We learn in school that trees provide us with the oxygen we need to breathe and […]

What Insects Will We Be Fighting This Season?

Plant Health Care (PHC) professionals are our industry’s doctors. It’s their job to examine plants, diagnose any insect or disease problems and treat the plant in the most environmentally friendly way. This is a pretty tall order, and I thank them for taking on this task. Like doctors who treat humans, PHC professionals have to […]

Dormancy Signals Pruning Time

With their bright hues, tree leaves let us know that they will soon go dormant for the winter. That also tells us it’s a good time to have your deciduous trees and shrubs pruned. The plants have stored all the food they’ll need to sustain them trough the winter. The chlorophyll has disappeared from the […]

Protect Your Evergreens from Winter Winds

Colder weather and higher winds keep reminding us that Ol’ Man Winter is just around the corner. Winter winds can cause your evergreen leaves and needles to dry out and die. You don’t have to experience this reality every season. Make this the year that you protect your evergreens. Unlike deciduous trees and shrubs that […]