Month: March 2023

Not everyone enjoys doing yard work, but after a long winter, it is nice to walk around the yard and see how things are doing– taking a detailed look at things you haven’t looked at in months.

When it comes to your trees on your property, it’s important to maintain the health and the look of them throughout the warmer months. Getting a head of the game in the spring is crucial.

The Benefits of Having Your Trees Professionally Trimmed

Take, for example, the trees in your yard. When’s the last time you had any of them professionally trimmed? All too often, people wait ‘til “the last minute” to call in a professional trimming company like Big Foot Tree Service. You know how it goes: a tree looks like it’s dangerously going to fall on a house, vehicle or person in the yard, so it must be trimmed immediately, right?

That said, springtime is an ideal time to get trees trimmed whether they’re “on the brink of falling over” or “just a little overgrown by now.”

Trees go dormant in the winter. They basically take a rest– much like most people! Spring, though, is the time to grow again, so it’s like Mother Nature turns them back on, and suddenly they’re sprouting leaves and looking alive again. Right before all this takes place, it’s a good idea to have a trimmer come and “prune” away the dead branches, as well as get rid of diseased or pest-ridden parts of the tree(s).

Safe Trees on Your Property

For most, it’s a safety issue. A good trimming will help clear paths so people aren’t hitting their heads (or eyes). Trimmed up trees make it easier to get in and out of driveways. Plus, before more storms hit New Jersey, a good trimming can help prevent “the big one” from falling down at the time you least want it to– mid-storm!

Have Big Foot Tree Service trim your yard trees this spring. This will help support new growth and make your tree or trees look better for all to see and enjoy. Trimming also helps shape the growth of the tree so that it looks pleasing to the eye. Canopies can also be thinned out, as needed.

Need some trees trimmed? Call 973-885-8000 today or visit us online for more information!

The post Have Your Trees Professionally Trimmed This Spring appeared first on Big Foot Tree Service.

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

Need help selecting the best tree for your Hardiness zone 7b yard? Understanding different tree species’ characteristics and growing habits will help you plant a tree that fits perfectly in your yard.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following tree species and growing information for zone 7b landscape trees.

What is a Landscaping Tree?

Landscaping trees are planted to create diversity and serve one of many purposes on your property. These trees come in all shapes and sizes and can be among the most significant assets to your yard by providing shade, privacy screens, wind protection, wildlife refuge, visual interest (curb appeal), and other uses.

What are the Benefits of Landscape Trees?

Landscape trees reduce air pollution and noise pollution. They also filter water and absorb rainfall, lessening the impact of flood and stormwater and preventing soil erosion. Trees also attract a variety of birds and natural wildlife, providing food and shelter.

Note: A large, healthy tree can absorb approximately 40,000 gallons of groundwater annually, returning it to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.

What are the Best Trees for Your Front Yard?

Flowers add pops of color, and mulch creates a clean, well-manicured look. With trees, you can balance height and width in your landscape. Trees are among the best ways to draw the eye, add height, and create a relaxing balance. Curb appeal helps sell a home (trees significantly contribute to curb appeal), and here are a few of the best front yard trees:

• Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) reaches 15 feet
• Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) reaches 75 feet
• Cherry (Prunus avium) reaches 25 to 30 feet
• River Birch (Betula nigra) reaches 60 to 70 feet
• Magnolia (Magnolia) reaches 70 to 80 feet

Tip: Avoid catastrophic structural damages by planting your trees at a safe distance from structures on your landscape.

What are the Most Low-Maintenance Landscape Trees?

Once you have determined your tree’s purpose in your landscape (flowers, evergreen shade, privacy, etc.), you should consider the tree’s maintenance. Some landscape plants drop fruit and nuts, while others grow with invasive or surface roots, disturbing your yard, driveway, and foundation. Consider the following low-maintenance landscape trees:

• Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) reaches 25 to 35 feet with delicate branches and vibrant foliage
• Jacaranda (Jacaranda) reaches 25 to 40 feet with striking blue and lavender flowers
• Redbud (Cercis) reaches 10 to 20 feet with deep red, bright yellow, or two-colored foliage
• Frangipani (Plumeria) reaches 20 to 25 feet with non-invasive roots and an abundance of beautiful flowers
• Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) reaches 25 feet with deep purple foliage and pink/white flowers

Tip: All tree species require seasonal pruning and thorough inspection after severe weather.

What are the Best Trees to Plant Near a House?

Smaller trees with shallow or non-invasive roots pose little or no risk to your home. Consider the following low-risk tree species:

• Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) reaches 30 to 40 feet
• Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) reaches 50 to 70 feet
• Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) reaches 50 to 80 feet
• Sweetgum (Liquidambar) reaches 60 to 75 feet
• Crabapple (Malus) reaches 15 to 20 feet

Tip: Towering tree species like southern pines and eucalyptus should be given extra space and not planted within 40 to 50 feet of landscape structures.

Why do Landscape Designers Prefer Male Trees?

Trees with male reproductive organs are preferred in landscapes because they don’t drop messy seed pods or fruit. However, they do produce and release pollen.

Note: When female trees, which capture pollen, are absent from significant landscape areas, the entire area can be blanketed by mass amounts of pollen.

What is the Best Pine Tree to Plant in Zone 7b?


Pine trees are often used in landscapes as privacy screens and specimen trees because they are fast-growing, shapely, and evergreen. Consider the following pine tree species for your landscape needs:

• Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) reaches 60 to 90 feet
• Austrian or Black Pine (Pinus nigra) reaches 50 to 60 feet and requires ample space to flourish
• Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) reaches 70 to 80 feet
• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) reaches 50 to 80 feet
• Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) reaches 50 to 80 feet

Tip: Avoid planting pines near driveways and carports (overhanging branches can leave your vehicle or structure riddled with sap droppings). Pine trees produce and drip sap. The sap flow is heaviest in spring and early summer. During winter, sap slows down and picks up again as spring approaches.


Marietta Georgia Zone 7b Landscape Trees

In this article, you discovered species information and growing characteristics for several popular zone 7b landscape trees.

Knowing which trees to plant around your home and landscape will help you create a beautiful yard with purpose and elevated curb appeal.

Planting the wrong tree species in the wrong location can result in catastrophic root damage to your landscape, driveway, pathway, foundation, and home if it falls on your roof.

Sources:
usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/evapotranspiration-and-water-cycle#overview
extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP517.pdf
extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=b625#title11
uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-6126.pdf

For the original version of this article visit: https://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com/choosing-a-7b-landscape-tree-for-your-marietta-yard/

Need help figuring out how to identify and stop root rot from killing your trees, shrubs, or plants? Your ability to quickly identify Armillaria root rot will help you take swift action to eradicate it from your landscape.

72tree.com gathered the following information about the causes, identification, treatment, and prevention of Armillaria root rot.

What is Armillaria Root Rot

Armillaria root rot is a severe tree and woody plant disease. Armillaria can also affect palms, succulents, ferns, and other herbaceous plants. This disease is caused by multiple fungi in the genus Armillaria, also known as shoestring root rot, oak root fungus, honey agaric, or honey fungus.

Note: Armillaria mycelia may live hundreds of years or die within months. Armillaria’s lifespan depends on an available food supply. As long as nourishment is accessible and temperature and moisture are suitable, an Armillaria mycelium network will produce new sporophores (mushrooms) each fruiting season (late summer and fall).

What Causes Armillaria Root Rot?

Armillaria root rot is caused by several species of Armillaria fungus. The disease can occur in many different evergreen and deciduous tree, shrub, and plant species. Armillaria can survive many years in wood debris like old stumps or root systems. New infections typically occur when healthy roots grow close to or graft (inosculate) with diseased roots.

Armillaria Infection Identification

Many known species of Armillaria exist in North America and are not easily distinguishable from one another. The most common and pathogenic species to trees (specifically conifers) are Armillaria mellea and Armillaria ostoyae.


Trees show symptoms and signs of Armillaria infection at different rates. Trees under stress, like during the summer heat or drought, are more likely to become infected and show rapid decline symptoms. Young trees may show symptoms and die within months or days compared to older trees, which may show symptoms for years before dying. Symptoms typically appear as the following:

• Dramatically reduced terminal growth
• Yellowing and browning of foliage
• Whitish resin around a tree’s base
• Creamy-white fans of fungus between bark and wood at the root flare
• Brown or black fungal rhizomes (resembling shoestrings) beneath the bark, on the roots, and in the soil
• Large groups of tan-colored mushrooms (honey mushrooms) near decaying wood in late summer and fall
• Sudden death of young trees (often in groups)

Note: An Armillaria-infected tree’s foliage typically wilts, turns yellow, and browns without falling from the tree.

How Does Armillaria Root Rot Spread?

Some species of Armillaria will produce mushrooms near (or on) infected tree roots or trunks. While new infections can result from airborne spores released by Armillaria mushrooms, the most common way this disease spreads is by underground rhizomorph growth originating from an infected tree, shrub, or plant.

Tip: Infected plants can spread this disease to shrubs and trees with roots in their vicinity (and vice-versa).

Can Armillaria be Treated?

No. Once a host is infected, there is no effective treatment (cure) for Armillaria root rot. The disease can be managed (somewhat) by consistently removing dead trees, shrubs, plants, infected stumps, and entire root systems. Armillaria requires consistent moisture to survive. In large stands or groves, excavation around the root crown can be an effective deterrent but not a cure.

Can a Tree Recover from Root Rot?

Slowing Armillaria root rot in plants, shrubs, and trees is possible by removing affected roots and dead wood if the foliage is in the early stages of root rot or if the decay isn’t widespread. Unfortunately, because digging up larger trees to access decayed or dead roots is virtually impossible, slowing root rot in established trees is very difficult.

There are no chemical controls for honey fungus at present. The only viable option is to dig out the affected plant, shrub, or tree complete with all its roots and burn it.

Which Fungicide is Best for Root Rot Prevention?

Apply any of the most effective fungicides (those with thiophanate-methyl, polyoxin-D, triflumizole, or fludioxonil) preventively to uninfected soil. Once a plant, shrub, or tree is infected with Armillaria root rot, the fungi’s mycelia also contaminate the surrounding soil and are highly resistant to fungicides and other chemical treatments.

Armillaria Root Rot Elimination

The only absolute method to eliminate Armillaria root rot is the complete removal and incineration of infected plants, shrubs, and trees, including their foliage, trunks, stems, and roots.

Eliminating this fungus in contaminated soil requires extended desiccation and exposure to sunlight.

Note: If planting in previously exposed soil, select Armillaria-resistant species. Armillaria-resistant tree species include the following:

• Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
• Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
• Ash (Fraxinus)
• Cypress (Cupressus)
• Cherry (Prunus avium)
• Crabapple (Malus)
• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
• Holly (Ilex)
• Leyland cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii)
• Maple (Acer)
• Sweetgum (Liquidambar)

Tip: Hire a certified arborist to help you completely remove infected plants, shrubs, and trees, sterilize contaminated soil, and plant new, resistant species in their place. Find an ISA-certified arborist (or verify one’s credentials) by visiting treesaregood.org/findanarborist.

Armillaria Root Rot

In this article, you discovered crucial information about Armillaria root rot and how to eliminate it from your property.

Knowing how to identify and deal with Armillaria root rot will help you remove and destroy infected specimens and preserve unaffected trees, shrubs, and plants.

Failure to quickly identify and prevent Armillaria root rot from spreading across your property will result in tree, shrub, and plant death, leaving your soil virtually useless.

Sources:
fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5187208.pdf
ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74171.html
extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/armillaria-root-rot
extension.psu.edu/armillaria-root-rot
extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/02/inosculation-making-connections-woods

This article was first published on: https://www.72tree.com/armillaria-root-rot-identification-treatment-and-prevention/

If you are a homeowner or property owner, the chances are good that you’ve tried out a few DIY or ‘do it yourself’ projects over the years. It can be fun to try your hand at remodeling, painting, and even landscaping around your home and yard. For the most part, we are thrilled that you are enjoying sprucing up your space! But if you are considering removing large overhanging branches on your own, we advise against it. When it comes to trees and landscaping, DIY is not a good idea. 

At Red’s Tree Service, we recommend that our customers don’t ever attempt landscaping their trees by themselves, which includes things like major branch trims or felling a tree There are a few reasons why we think it’s best to hire a professional crew like ours to handle your landscaping, so continue reading to find out what not to do, and what we recommend instead.

Don’t Mess With Ladders and Heights

One of the skills that professional tree services can offer is equipment to handle heights. Something like a ladder would never be secure enough for you to climb up into a tree and stable enough to let you trim it. No matter how certain you might be that a ladder or other device can hold you up while you trim, we promise, it’s just not worth the risk.

Instead, call a professional tree service like Red’s where our crew will come with trucks and professional equipment that will allow us to reach the tops of trees with no risk to us or yourself. We would rather keep things safe than sorry, no matter what your good intentions might be. 

Don’t Use a Chainsaw

If you’ve ever handled a chainsaw, you know that it takes a bit of practice and skill to be able to use it safely. Many people don’t realize this, thinking they can just purchase a chainsaw and start managing the pruning and landscaping of their tall trees all on their own. 

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to not attempt to use a chainsaw while on a ladder or while pruning trees. There are so many reasons for this, but if the chainsaw were to malfunction, if a branch were to get caught in the chainsaw, or if a limb were to fall unexpectedly, knocking you down with it, would lead to disaster or major injury. 

Chainsaws are really dangerous pieces of machinery that should only be used by those that can handle them safely and confidently. If you do own a chainsaw, know that it is still a risky piece of machinery, and should only ever be used when standing on firm ground, not with branches or limbs overhead. For the rest of your yard pruning, you should leave it to the experts.

Don’t Take Electrical Risks

One factor that you may not have considered when thinking about pruning your own tree limbs is the risk of electrical accidents. If a large limb accidentally falls onto an electric pole, it can send dangerous currents of electricity back up the limbs and to the person trimming the tree, causing major injuries or death. 

Another thing to consider is if a live electric wire falls to the ground, now making the entire area unsafe for anyone who might encounter it on accident or on purpose. We know this sounds scary, but that’s why we take this safety advice so seriously. Large tree limbs cause accidents like this all the time, and we don’t want anything like that to happen to you or your family. 

Don’t Underestimate Gravitational Pull

Most of us learned about gravity in elementary school, but there’s a big difference between knowing the theory of gravitational pull, and understanding how trees and limbs might fall. Professionals who cut down trees every day are experts at using the proper tools and techniques to ensure that a tree falls or lands in a way that is safe for the surrounding area. That way there is no risk to people, property, or electrical wires as we discussed. 

People who are not experts at managing the gravitational force of heavy limbs and trees often accidentally send trees falling in the wrong places, causing severe accidents or destruction of property. Long story short, it simply isn’t safe for most people to attempt to bring down a tree. 

How To Solve Your Landscaping Problems

After reading all of these negative scenarios, you may be wondering: how can I deal with a tree or branches that are dangerous and threatening my home and well-being? The answer is with Red’s Tree Service!

Our team of skilled professionals has all the tools and training they need to keep you and your home safe while removing potentially dangerous foliage. Even if you aren’t quite sure if a branch or tree needs to be removed, you can request an assessment of your yard so we can determine if your tree is posing a threat, if it needs a trim, or if it needs to be removed. 

Get the Landscaping Service You Need!

No matter what the challenge might be, Red’s Tree Service is here to help you with your trees. Give us a call to assess your property, trim, remove trees, remove stumps, or help nourish your trees with deep root fertilization. We are available to customers across the MidSouth, so give us a call today!

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