Tend to Your Trees This Summer With These Vital Tips

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Tending to your trees throughout the summer months can do wonders to improve the shape of your landscape, not only for the duration of the summer, but throughout the rest of the year as well. Property owners in Medford, Oregon, can apply the following five tree care guidelines to keep their trees in excellent condition and cultivate beautifully maintained landscapes this summer:

 

Mulching

 

If you didn’t have the chance to mulch your trees in the spring, it is not too late to begin now. Mulching your trees is a primary tree-care responsibility because it subdues weeds that compete for water and food, coordinates soil temperatures, and helps to conserve soil moisture. Mulch your trees with three to four inches of hardwood mulch. The correct method of mulching trees is to spread the mulch in a doughnut shape, encompassing the base of the tree without placing mulch in contact with the trunk.

 

Examining for Tree Pests

 

Inspect your trees for pests on throughout the summer to reduce the risk of tree decay. Even though most insects are not harmful to trees, recognizing pest concerns in advance can help you prevent them from increasing in number and causing significant damage to your landscape this season.

 

Pruning Your Trees

 

Even though the best time to prune your trees is during the dormant stages, there are a few circumstances when you’ll need to prune your trees over the summer. If you see any lifeless or rotting branches on your tree, be sure to prune them as soon as possible to preserve your trees health and your own safety. If you have any trees that flower in the springtime, including magnolia, cherry, or lilac trees, make sure to prune them in the beginning of summer after they have flowered fully.

 

Fertilizing

 

A vital component of caring for your trees in the summertime is making sure they have the nourishment necessary to foster the development of their leaves and guard against possible diseases and harmful insects. If your tree is growing in an urban or suburban location, it might have more fertilization needs than one growing in a natural environment.

4 Situations When You Might Consider Tree Removal

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The state of Oregon is well known for its gorgeous natural landscape. While the trees are an essential feature of the state’s beautiful landscape, there are some circumstances when homeowners might have to remove a tree from their front or back yard. Here are a few of the most common reasons people decide to have a tree removed.

Unsafe Conditions

Tall trees are remarkably beautiful, but they are also incredibly strong. If a thick tree topples down on your home, it could result in devastating damage. Trees surround some homes and can potentially fall during a harsh rain storm. Since the warmer months tend to involve strong rains and wind, many people may opt to have a tree removed in order to ensure the safety of their homes.

Damaged or Unhealthy Trees

Sometimes there are problems with a tree that increase the chances it will fall on a house. Among these defects are:

  • Cracks or fissures in the trunk of the tree
  • Hanging branches within the tree’s upper crown
  • The presence of fungi at the base of the trunk, which can cause the tree to decay

When your property has a tree showing these signs, it might be more likely to fall during a spring or summer storm. Consider calling a professional if you notice any of these concerns.

Protect a Home’s Foundation

While a yard full of crisp green trees is certainly beautiful, a tree positioned too close to a home can harm its foundation. When the tree roots grow underneath the ground, they can easily come in contact with your homes foundation and start negatively impacting the structural base of a house. Trees that are situated above a home also often drop leaves into gutter systems, which can clog the drainage and result in severe water damage on a roof.

Lack of Sun

Trees providing shade are an excellent when you have a patio or a porch in the front or back of your home. But sometimes trees grow so tall that they can block a significant portion of the sun, which is not good for the health of your yard or your plants.

Fall Tree Care Tips

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Fall Is the Time for Tree Health Inspections

Fall is an excellent time to assess the health of your trees in Medford and to schedule pruning or removal services before winter. As the leaves begin to drop, you may notice some of your trees showing signs of damage, rot, or pest infestations. Summertime can encourage warm-weather infestations and other problems. Use fall to your advantage to get a clearer picture of your trees’ health. Then, call Quality Tree Service for tree care.

Fall Is the Time for Tree Health Inspections
Fall Is the Time for Tree Health Inspections

Check for Tree Infestations

Oregon trees must stand up to several common diseases and nuisance insects, including aphids, elm leaf beetles, emerald ash borers, webworms, cankers disease, and fungal diseases. Signs of these issues may include trees losing foliage prematurely, leaves that look eaten, leaves that brown too early, or trees dying without explanation. The technicians at Quality Tree Service can assess your trees and remedy them or remove dead trees as necessary.

Rehydrate Your Plants

Winter can be hard on Medford trees, with dry weather and winds drying up the soil and weakening root systems. Fall is the best time of the year to focus on the soil, fertilization, and hydration of your landscaping. You may need to schedule subsurface watering to prevent stress during the winter months or feed your trees with extra fertilizer. Give your trees the hydration and nutrients they need to thrive in cold weather.

Remove Hazardous Branches

Now that leaves aren’t crowding your trees and concealing problems, you may spot branches that are broken or appear dead. Schedule removal of these limbs right away to prevent property damage or injuries. All it takes is a strong gust of fall wind to send dead tree limbs crashing to the ground. Dead limb and tree removal in fall are a great way to prevent hazards during winter storms. Quality Tree Service can trim hazardous branches and keep your home safe all winter long.

Sources:

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trees/60047

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/7-tree-maintenance-tips-fall.htm

http://www.davey.com/arborist-advice/articles/fall-checklist/

 

 

 

How To Have Beautiful Winter Landscaping At Your Home

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The winter season is a great time of year to spend time around the house staying warm. This is especially true once the holidays have passed, since the chaos dies down and taking a little bit of time to rest is always nice.

If you aren’t planning a vacation or a trip out of town this winter, you might be hyper-aware of your house and your yard. Spending more time at home means really having time to tune into how cluttered or unkempt your home and your yard are.

While spring is the traditional time of year to do any decluttering or real gardening, there is plenty that you can do during the winter months to get your yard and your home prepared for spring.

Winter landscaping might seem a little pointless with all of the cold weather – not many plants or flowers can really survive the extreme temperatures. However, there are some simple things that you can do to improve the look of your outdoor landscaping, without trying to battle the weather:

  • If you’ve recently purchased your house, you may have some newly planted trees. Look for cracks around the planting hole, and fill in any with soil. This will protect the roots from the cold weather and ensure that your tree grows nicely and will look great in the spring
  • If any tree branches might be damaged by heavy snow or ice, it’s a good idea to prune them in advance. A landscape professional can recommend what branches should be cut before the winter storms start.
  • Should a winter storm hit, the wind can be particularly destructive. Secure any items that might get damaged by high winds, such as potted plants, awnings and outdoor furniture.
  • Wrapping plants and smaller trees in burlap or a frost protection fabric can help protect them from temperatures that drop below freezing, and planting them alongside a house or fence can give them some protection from the wind.

Improving the curb appeal and look of your yard is always a good thing – no matter what the season is. Use these simple tips for winter landscaping and get in the habit before the spring arrives.

 

The Dos and Don’ts Of Using Mulch In Your Landscaping

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Spreading mulch is a great way to protect the root systems of your trees and bushes and also creates a gentle barrier between the fragile ground around your plants and the cold temperatures.

However, before you decide that you need to spread mulch all over your yard, it is important to be knowledgeable about the pros and cons of having mulch in your yard.

Your outdoor landscaping is an important part of your home’s curb appeal and should be well cared for all year around. Some people think that the winter months are a time to be more relaxed about their landscaping. However, it is actually the perfect time to get your landscaping ready for the spring season.

Laying mulch in your yard is a great thing to do to protect your trees – but, it is important to know how to work with this material.

Here are a few tips for you to follow:

  • If you, or someone who is visiting your home, is a smoker – make sure there is an old bucket with sand outside for cigarette butts. Throwing cigarette butts into the flower bed where there is mulch can easily lead to a fire. Obviously, this is more or a risk during the summer months when the weather is dry. But, throwing cigarette butts into the mulch bed is a bad habit any time of the year and it is best to set the expectation.
  • During the winter months it isn’t as necessary but, during the other months of the year it is important to water the mulch on your property to keep it moist and flame-retardant. Mulch is dark in color and can retain a lot of heat and get to high temperatures. Keeping it wet can help to keep those temperatures at a minimal level.
  • Make sure to spread mulch evenly and not too thick. When there are large piles of mulch that are very thick, steam can be created when the warmth within the mound of mulch mixes with the cold air. It is important to minimize this reaction as much as possible by spreading mulch no thicker than four inches.

Keep your home and your trees protected by following these tips on how to work with mulch.