Month: September 2016

The Best Planting Times for Trees and Shrubs

planting timesTrees and shrubs can add appeal to your landscaping.  In the long term, trees can also provide shade to your home or your yard.  Fruit trees can even provide food grown right there in your yard. There are many good reasons for planting trees and shrubs.  So you may be wondering if there is a good time to plant.  The answer is a resounding yes.  There are both good and bad times to plant trees and shrubs.

Not in the Summer or Winter

Let’s start with the negative.  If you live in central Indiana, you never want to plant trees or shrubs in either of the more extreme seasons.  Summer and winter are not good planting times due to the harsh weather.  The summer in particular is a stressful time for all vegetation.  The heat and lack of adequate water require plants to tap into their valuable stored resources. Since planting is also a stressful event for a tree or shrub, it should not be done at a time of year that is typically taxing.  Planting in the winter is not only not advisable, it may also be nearly impossible.  Once the ground freezes, it will obviously be hard to dig a hole for planting.

Spring is Okay

Once the snow melts and the rising temperatures allow for the ground to thaw, you can start planting your trees and shrubs.  Typically, spring provides a mild climate for planting here in central Indiana.  Temperatures are usually moderate, without either the severe cold of winter or the severe heat of summer.  Rainfall is generally adequate during the spring season as well.  If you choose to plant in the spring, it is a good idea to do it well before the heat of summer sets in.  This gives the tree or shrub enough time to become adequately established in the new location before experiencing the stresses of summer.

Fall is Best

While spring is not a bad time for planting, it is not the best.  Fall is actually the best time to plant trees and shrubs in central Indiana.  The moderate climate of fall ensures that planted vegetation will not be assaulted by the stressors of heat and dryness.  Temperatures are falling at that time of year and rainfall levels are usually adequate.  This is similar to the conditions experienced in the spring.  An added benefit is the coming winter.  Trees and shrubs will usually go dormant in the cold winter months.  In the spring, trees wake up again to another moderate season.  Thus, the tree or shrub planted in the fall has two active seasons in which it can become well-established before the more demanding season of summer.

For those of you who are considering a planting, now is a perfect time to do it.  Planting now gives you the best chance of having a healthy tree now and in the years to come.  If you have a tree that looks unhealthy or that has been damaged, Ping’s is always available to help.  From our arborists to our tree removal experts, our experienced staff can solve your tree problems.  Call us at 317-298-8482 or schedule online at your convenience.

This post first appeared on https://pingstreeservice.com

Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs

Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs

tree fertilizerWe all try to eat healthy.  Get plenty of vegetables, enough dairy, and the right amount of protein.  But what about your trees?  What kind of nutrition do they need?  Obviously, trees do not “eat;” instead, they receive nutrients from the soil.  Since the quality of the soil can vary based on location and treatment, trees often benefit from regular fertilizing.

The Advantage of Fertilizing

Trees that are planted in suburban neighborhoods are often in particular need of fertilizing.  Home builders frequently remove rich top soil at the time of building.  Further compounding the problem is our habitual practice of carefully removing all fallen leaves each autumn.  In a natural setting, fallen leaves are allowed to decompose and add nutrients back into the soil.  Since we typically do not allow this to happen in residential areas, you may want to consider fertilizing.  When you fertilize your trees and shrubs, you give them the materials they need to grow and live.  Thus, a fertilized tree will typically grow faster, look healthier, and be able to better defend against insects and diseases.

The Type of Fertilizer

The type of fertilizer you need depends on the condition of your soil.  You can perform a soil test to determine any soil deficiencies.  A complete fertilizer will contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and a soil test will show how much of each nutrient is needed.  The strength of each nutrient in the fertilizer is shown through a numeric designation for each nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in that order.  For example, 10-10-10 would be a balanced fertilizer containing 10% of each of the nutrients.  Fertilizer can be purchased in either dry or liquid forms.

The Time for Fertilizing

The best schedule for fertilizing is to make applications in both the spring and the fall.  These are times when trees are not under the stress of extreme temperature and are ready to absorb the nutrients you are putting down.  For your fall application, early September to mid-October is ideal.  Tree roots can absorb nutrients as long as the soil temperature is above 40°F.

If you are unsure of what your trees needs or would just rather not mess with fertilizing yourself, the arborists at Ping’s can take care of it for you.  We can assess your soil condition, determine what your trees need, and fertilize your trees.  Give us a call today (317-298-8482) or schedule online to get your fertilizer treatment done while the weather is still good.

This post first appeared on https://pingstreeservice.com

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