Month: February 2021

Trees add value to a person’s property. They provide both shade and privacy, while also looking pretty, too. If you’ve been thinking of adding some trees to your property, there are basic things to consider.

First, consider “scale.” If you have a smaller house, it wouldn’t make sense to plant a tree that will grow very tall and wide over the years because it would look out of place. Instead, try and match trees that look like they “fit” the overall look, color, shape and size of your home. Generally, you would plant smaller trees close to the house and larger trees farther out in your yard.

Next, consider if you want to be raking leaves in September and October. If you don’t, plant evergreens—the trees that look green year round and typically have pinecones instead of leaves. Pine trees have soft, long needles and help keep wind off your house, as well as protect you from having to see your neighbor’s yard. Spruce trees are also popular, with their fragrant needles and hardiness.

Also, keep in mind your climate—some trees do well in colder climates. For instance, you wouldn’t plant a palm tree in your New Jersey yard, but an oak tree would be fine. If you live in an urban location that’s prone to more pollution than a suburban or rural neighborhood, consider Norway maples, Washington hawthorns, or crabapple trees. Willow oaks go well near the street, as they grow to 50 feet tall and can form a canopy over the road if your neighbors plant them too.

Japanese maples are very attractive—they look great in a person’s front yard and have dark red leaves, which stand them out from the many other trees with green leaves. Also consider Redbud trees, with their pink/purple flowers in the spring, and overall heart-shaped leaves. Weeping cherry trees, with their pink/white flowers, grow 15 to 25 feet tall and spread wide. They’re called weeping because they have long branches heading downward that remind people of tears streaming down a person’s face.

Finally, you’ll want to consider how slow or fast a tree will grow in your yard. Hardwoods take longer than softwoods, and some trees take literally hundreds of years to grow! In general, evergreens take about 7 to 12 years to reach the size and height of what most people want and expect of their yard trees. If you’re looking for the “fastest growing trees,” consider Empress, Willow Hybrid, Lombardy Poplar, Hybrid Poplar, Weeping Willow and American Sycamore.

If you live in New Jersey, you should call Big Foot Tree Service at 973-885-8000 to discuss your yard’s potential for new trees. The crew at Big Foot Tree Service can advise you on the best trees for your property to best suit your needs.

 

The post What Are the Best Trees to Plant on Your Property? first appeared on Big Foot Tree Service.

This post first appeared on https://www.bigfoottreeservice.com

Trees bring our homes to life with beauty and can provide a sense of security and privacy. However, if a tree is sick or damaged, it can begin to cause more harm than good! You may wonder how to know when to remove a tree, versus having it treated or trimmed. When a tree could potentially cause damage to your home or family, it’s important to seek out a trained professional to help solve the problem. Let’s take a look at a few reasons your tree should be removed!

Signs of Illness

Sick trees that are left untreated can cause extensive damage to your property, injure people, take down power lines, and so much more. That’s why it’s important to check your trees for signs of illness on a regular basis. Some signs to keep an eye out for include:

• Excessive leaf drop out of season
• Leaf discoloration
• Weak, rotting branches
• Chunks missing from the trunk
• Peeling bark (in species where this is not the norm)

In some cases, you may be in the clear and have your tree treated and cured. However, if the tree is too far gone, you should have it removed before it leads to more costly problems. A sick tree can spread the disease to surrounding trees and wreak havoc on your foliage!

Trunk Rot and Fungus Growth

If you notice fungi growing on your tree, it could be a sign of internal rotting. Mushrooms growing under your tree aren’t necessarily an issue, but when the fungus is on the trunk, you might need to take further measures, since this is a sign your tree is unhealthy. If the diseased tree is left untreated, it could get weak and develop root rot, foliar, wilt, or canker disease. Trees with these or other diseases should be removed, as they could fall and damage your home or other property. 

Invasive Roots

Trees have both vertical and horizontal roots. Horizontal roots can become destructive if they begin to grow into other features of your property. Invasive roots can cause a multitude of costly problems, including: 

• Damage to your landscape, such as gardens and other trees
• Broken pipes and sewage lines
• Damage to the foundation of your home
• Damage to sidewalks, driveways, or walking paths
• Tripping accidents

If the roots can not be cut without compromising the health of your tree, you should have the tree removed to avoid any potential damage. 

Overhanging Branches 

Trees with overhanging branches can eventually grow into power lines, which can cause major problems. Branches may also become too heavy and fall onto homes, vehicles, or, in truly awful cases, people. You should never attempt to trim branches that are touching power lines on your own. If you happen to touch the power line in the process, you could suffer an injury that might have otherwise been avoided.

Weather Damage

Storms and harsh winds can cause damage to trees, including broken or fallen branches and weakened roots. These can both cause major damage to the surrounding area. Water saturated soil can also result in the entire tree falling. In this case, it’s absolutely essential to have the tree removed to avoid further damage or potential road blockages or injury. 

Environment

The environment the tree is in will play a large role in your decision to have it removed or not. A tree growing on a ledge or near a body of water will typically have a shallow root system. If something happens to cause the land around the tree to wash away or become loose, the tree could fall. Additionally, if you are having construction done on your home that requires the removal of some trees, and leaves others exposed to more sunlight or altered conditions, those trees could die and eventually fall. It is safer to have the tree removed by a professional early on, rather than risking the possibility of additional damage and costs down the road. 

Signs of Stress

Stress isn’t limited to the human species! A tree that is struggling to survive will show signs of stress, as well. If the upper branches of your tree are starting to die, you may notice new shoots at the base. This could indicate that your tree is trying to survive. In some cases, it may be possible to save the tree, but if not, you should have the tree removed before any decay spreads and causes your tree to fall.

Do you have a tree that might need removal? Contact Red’s Tree Service!

As the Memphis area’s professional tree service, Red’s Tree Service has been serving the community for over 40 years. Our certified, trained arborist can help diagnose and treat your trees while providing expert advice on trimming and removal. We want you to have everything you need to make the most informed decision for your trees!

If you have a tree you’ve been considering having treated or removed, our family-owned business would be happy to help. Contact us today to discuss your project and let’s get it done together!

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

Avoid your trees falling or dying from a disease that can often be treated. Knowing how to identify and treat tree diseases will prevent avoidable death, and help you encourage healthy, robust tree growth.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on identification and treatment of anthracnose, canker diseases, and Dutch elm disease, all of which attack, weaken, and kill trees.

3 Tree Diseases

The following three tree diseases can be tricky to treat. However, once you identify a disease and know how it affects your tree, you can take immediate action to treat it. The following are three common diseases found on trees in the US and around the world:

Anthracnose Tree Disease

Anthracnose is a common fungal disease infecting shade trees. The disease causes the following symptoms:

• Bud death
• Twig death
• Leaf cupping/curling
• Dead, irregular spots on leaves
• Dead tissue along leaf veins
• Dead blotches between leaf veins
• Unseasonal or premature leaf-drop

Treat an anthracnose disease infection by:

Avoiding Spraying Tree Foliage – Anthracnose fungi depend on splashing water and wind to carry them from one host to another. If you try to wash the disease off the foliage, you contribute to the fungi’s perpetuation.

Collecting and destroying fallen leaves – Dead leaves (when left on the ground) provide an optimal location for fungi to lie dormant.

Pruning – The fungi and acervuli (fruiting structures) found in blighted twigs should be pruned back and destroyed. Crown thinning allows more air and light to reach inner branches and foliage; this helps fight against the fungi.

Note: In extreme cases of infection, excessive pruning may be required. When this is the case, contact a professional tree service to evaluate the situation.

Tip: Destroy pruned portions of the tree and its leaves in a fire pit or have a bonfire.

Tree Canker Diseases

Cankers are localized areas of bark and cambium necrosis (dead spots commonly exhibiting an open wound) on stems, twigs, branches, and/or the trunk caused by bacteria or fungi. Canker disease causes trees to display the following symptoms:

• Leaf chlorosis
• Reduced twig and smaller leaf growth
• Dead leaves remain attached to the tree
• Dead branches or limbs (dieback)
• Water sprouts growing from the trunk, large limbs, or roots
• White, decayed sapwood in the tree’s cankered areas
• Outer bark sloughing off of branches and/or trunk

Treat cankers on limbs and branches as follows:

• Carefully prune affected limbs and branches from the tree.
• Wood infected by any bacteria or fungi should be handled cautiously.
• Do not run these limbs and branches through a wood chipper.
• This wood can and should be burned.

Treat cankers on tree trunks as follows:

When cankers reach the tree trunk, there is little to nothing you can do to prevent the tree’s eventual decline and death. However, if your tree was healthy and robust when the infection occurred, it is possible that the tree compartmentalized (isolated) the infected wood on its own.

Note: Hire a professional tree service to carefully evaluate and determine a course of action for your tree.

Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch elm disease (DED), caused by a fungal pathogen (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi or Ophiostoma ulmi), is responsible for the decimation of native American elm species. This disease is most often vectored by European (Scolytus multistriatus) and North American (Hylurgopinus rufipes), and banded elm (S. schevyrewi) elm bark beetles. However, the disease may pass from tree to tree via root grafts with infected trees. Symptoms typically include:

• Leaves on one or more branches in the outer crown turn yellow, wilt, and eventually turn brown.
• Fallen leaves are noticeable in spring or summer.
• Symptoms often appear in late spring and/or early summer but may occur at any time during the tree’s growing season.
• Leaf yellowing and wilting continues down infected branches toward the tree trunk.
• How fast the signs spread down the tree depends on the tree species’ health and susceptibility. Infected trees may die in a single growing season or over multiple years.
• Brown streaking can be seen on the sapwood of wilted branches when the bark is stripped away.
• Confirm a DED infection by sending a sample of branches with leaves displaying symptoms to your University’s local extension for analysis.

Dutch elm disease can be treated when caught in very early stages by:

• Reducing the number of beetle breeding sites by promptly removing dead or dying trees.
• Immediately pruning away DED infected branches.
• Immediately removing trees with many DED infected branches.
• Burying, debarking, burning, or chipping wood from DED infected elm trees.
• Severing root grafts between neighboring elms before the infected tree is removed to prevent infection.

Tip: When considering injectable fungicides to prevent DED, hire a certified arborist to apply the injections.

Note: This disease affects native American elm species, like American (Ulmus americana), slippery (red) (Ulmus rubra), rock (Ulmus thomasii), September (Ulmus serotina), and cedar (Ulmus crassifolia) elms.

Treating Tree Diseases

In this article, you discovered essential information on how to identify and treat anthracnose, canker diseases, and Dutch elm disease before they weaken and kill your trees.

Taking swift action to help your tree and prevent its death will help you save thousands in potential physical and property damages.

Your failure to recognize a tree disease in its beginning phases can result in the swift death of your tree and infection of other surrounding trees.

Sources:
uaex.edu/environment-nature/forestry/health/disease-problems.aspx
ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-tree-04
extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/anthracnose-trees-and-shrubs
s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/687/2015/06/MG-Canker-and-Wilt-Diseases-3.27.15-01.pdf

Prevent losing the opportunity to repurpose your tree stump. Once you have your dying or dead tree removed, leave the stump and transform it into something special.

72tree.com gathered information on what you can do with a tree stump after having the tree removed.

Tree Stump Repurposing and Decor Ideas

When it’s time to cut down your tree, you’ll want to think ahead and determine what to do with the stump. You could have it ground down or removed by the tree service, or you could preserve and repurpose it in your yard. Consider the following:

• How tall of a stump do you want to keep?
• If you are planning to landscape or hardscape, will the stump interfere with or complement your project?

Here are ten ways to creatively repurpose your tree stump:

1 – Plant a Tree in Your Tree Stump

This may seem odd, but when your stump begins to decay in the center, you can plant a sapling or robust outdoors plant right in the stump. Simply cover the roots with nutrient-rich compost and silty soil, water two to three times per week.

This would most likely work best in a stump cut within one to two-feet of the ground. Taller stumps would work for climbing or crawling plants.

2 – Tree Stump Plant Pedestal

Showcase your favorite potted plants by placing them atop the stump. You can also use your stump as a location for your indoor plants to get some sun.

The stump height for this use would depend on your preference. The cut across the stump should be as level as possible for maximum stability.

3 – Tree Stump Statue Pedestal

One way to give your garden statue a more organic look is to use your tree stump as its pedestal. You can complement your statue with surrounding plants or climbing vines.

The stump height for this idea will depend on the statue’s weight and your ability to anchor it to the stump. The statue’s stability will also depend on a level cut across the stump.

4 – Tree Stump Backyard Art

Your tree stump can be used to display letters, trinkets, figurines, or any outdoor collectibles. You could even place some lawn chairs around the stump and serve up some tea.

The stump height for this use will depend on what you intend to display and how within reach you want it.

5 – Tree Stump Carving Art

If you’re into carving, a tree stump will offer you a “blank canvas” and a chance to show off your creative skills.

Stump height for this project depends on what you plan to carve.

6 – Tree Stump Large Shapes

In addition to carving artwork into a tree stump, you can use the whole stump to carve or cut out large objects like a giant Christmas ornament or an oversized mushroom.

Stump height for this project depends on what you plan to create.

7 – Tree Stump Chair

Depending on the stump’s location and diameter, you might benefit from transforming it into a chair.

The stump height for this idea depends on how tall you want the back of the chair to be.

8 – Tree Stump Chopping Block

Both useful and somewhat ironic, you could turn your tree stump into a chopping block, giving you a sturdy surface to split logs for a wood-burning stove or fireplace.

The ideal height for a tree stump used as a chopping block is between twelve and sixteen inches.

9 – Tall Tree Stump Caricatures

Create striking imagery when you have a life-size or larger-than-life caricature carved into your stump, overlooking your yard. If you ever move, cut the stump at ground-level and take your masterpiece with you.

Stump height for this project depends on how tall you want the caricature.

10 – Let Your Stump Decay

If you enjoy seeing the decay process and the different flora and fauna it attracts, your tree stump will be the gift that keeps on giving. You can start or accelerate the decay process by drilling wide holes deep in the stump, filling them with water, and a high-nutrient-content fertilizer.

Stump height for this is at your discretion.

Tree Stump Removal

In some cases, keeping your tree stump after tree removal may not be in your best interest. Take these scenarios, for example:

• If the tree’s roots were buckling your driveway, you may want the stump removed to guarantee root death.
• If your tree is being removed due to severe vascular diseases like oak wilt or anthracnose, keeping the stump may help spread and perpetuate the disease in nearby trees.
• If your tree suffered catastrophic damages from a boring insect infestation, stump removal may be required to prevent subsequent tree infestations.

If you decide to manually remove your tree stump, read How To Remove a Tree Stump Without a Grinder.

Giving a Tree Stump New Life

In this article, you discovered multiple ways to keep and repurpose a tree stump after the tree has been removed.

By keeping your tree stump after tree removal, you gain an opportunity to express your artistic and design-savvy by creating a useful structure or attractive showpiece.

Removing the stump after felling your tree strips you of the opportunity to create something unique with years of durability.

Sources:
ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11441
munews.mansfield.edu/?p=757
s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2073/2014/03/Landscaping-with-Dead-Trees.pdf

This article was first published on: http://www.72tree.com/what-to-do-with-a-tree-stump/

 

Winter in New Jersey tends to bring nasty storms which can literally shut down some areas for several days in a row. With that in mind, how should a person prepare for a nasty winter storm?

First of all, do you have an emergency kit in your home and/or vehicle? Things like snow shovels, blankets and wood for a fireplace or wood-burning stove come in handy when the temperatures go below freezing. In anticipation of a storm approaching, make sure you have a flashlight, battery powered radio, water, snack food, matches, and necessary medications in case the power goes out and/or you’re stuck somewhere for a long time.

Winterizing Your Home

You can winterize your home by insulating walls and attics. During a storm, let your faucets trickle to help prevent pipes from freezing. In case a pipe bursts, know where and how to shut off water valves. Keep in mind where a fire extinguisher is kept, just in case you need it. If you know of a tree close to your home that looks like it might tip over in harsh winds, don’t stay in the rooms where it could come crashing down.

While travel can be harsh during a storm, sometimes you’ll find yourself driving in the worst wintry conditions ever. Have you checked your vehicle’s antifreeze level lately? Are your brakes, battery, lights and heater in good working order? It’s better to get a vehicle repaired before a big storm than to be stuck somewhere during a storm having not taken care of problems when the weather was nice outside, you know?

Keep Safe Inside Your Home

Finally, if there’s a “Winter Weather Advisory,” that means there could be weather problems causing people inconveniences and you should use caution on area roads and such. A “Winter Storm Watch/Warning” is worse– it means heavy snow and/or ice could/will occur and you might lose power. If and when you hear of a “Blizzard Warning,” that’s your cue to stay where you are rather than risk frostbite, getting stuck in your vehicle in a white-out, and/or having to deal with considerable amounts of blowing snow for three hours or more.

After the Storm Cleanup

It’s important to know that a severe winter storm can bring some damages to your property, especially to your trees. If you have damages to your trees after a storm, Big Foot Tree Service can help you out. We can come and cleanup your yard of any storm debris, cut down dead trees, and remove dead branches. Contact Big Foot Tree Service at 973-885-8000 today or visit us online for more information!

 

The post How to Prepare for a Nasty Winter Storm first appeared on Big Foot Tree Service.

This post first appeared on https://www.bigfoottreeservice.com