Rock gardens are becoming very popular and common according to tree care experts because they are perfect places for plants that can be exposed to long periods of sunlight without becoming dehydrated. Some homeowners use the areas of their lawn that have dry soil to plant more drought-tolerant plants so the area will have a unique appearance instead of looking bland or barren.  Although some of these plants may not be the prettiest, tree care specialists say they offer a great deal of aesthetic appeal, especially against the rock garden. If you’re looking for something different, ask your tree care company about installing these rock garden favorites this season (and as an added plus, they’re all known for repelling deer).

Lamb’s Ears

Tree care agents admit these flowery plants are easy on the eyes and very touchable. They produce a light purple flower on tall spikes and have silverish foliage that feels much like velvet.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Tree care experts say if you’re looking for a plant that will not only keep deer away but other animals as well, the prickly pear cactus offers the same benefits of having a protective barbed-wire fence without actually having one, except it’s much prettier. This plant is largely found in the eastern United States and produces beautiful yellow flowers. The plant itself grows to be six to 14 inches in height.

Hens and Chicks

This oddly named plant is another popular deer repellant, and is a delight in the home garden. It acts more as a groundcover than a decorative plant, but does produce a small amount of flowers and typically appears in small, subtle mounds.

Stonecrops

Tree care professionals say deer do not seem to not have an appetite for this plant. Producing yellow, orange, red or pink flowers, stonecrops stand as a favorite in the stone garden community, possibly because it offers contrasting colors in the flowers and leaves, which can appear bluish-green, off-white, greenish-yellow or reddish-pink. If you’re looking for a plant that is more ornamental with a variety of colors to enhance your landscape, stronecrops is the way to go.

Many homeowners confuse black medic with white clover because of its three leaflet clover-like leaves that make them appear very similar. Tree care professionals say you are likely to see this weed in your lawn in the months between May and September. Unlike other weeds that stick out like a sore thumb, black medic is low-growing and generates bunches of tiny, vividly yellow flowers that are noticeable in the late spring and early summer. Tree care technicians say their stems are slightly hairy and they grow in dry soil that is high in phosphorous.

Another irritating weed that homeowners are likely to spot in the early spring and be hounded by until September without professional tree care intervention is the broadleaf plantain. This weed is grayish-green in color and begins its lifecycle in mid-spring. The egg-shaped weed has wavy-edged leaves that grown near to the ground. In the early summer, tree care experts say the seed stalks will begin to rise and will last through early fall. Unfortunately for a tree care professional without the right expertise and weed control program, broadleaf plantains can overtake desirable lawn grasses by suffocating them. They key to eliminating this bothersome weed is to eliminate the seeds; tree care agents say this plant grows from seeds and re-sprouting roots.

Curly dock is another incessant weed that pops up in lawns. This weed has lance-shaped leaves which turn a reddish purple color in the summer and fall. A narrow spike emerges from the center of the plant where small greenish flowers occur. Tree care technicians say you are more likely to see this weed during bouts of hot, dry weather. As the grass suffers, curly dock thrives.

Don’t let weeds be a drain on your lawn; contact your local tree care authority for a rigid and effective weed control program.

Proper pruning techniques are extremely beneficial to the health and overall appearance of your ornamentals. However, it is important to consult a tree care specialist to find out the proper times and pruning styles for the type of shrubs you have on your landscape. Consulting a tree care expert before taking the first cut will ensure that you won’t actually be harming the shrub. There are different ways to prune your shrubs, tree care professionals say, and it’s important to know the benefits of each technique.

Shearing

Shearing is probably the most common type of pruning and is used to give shrubs an elegant and purposeful appearance, as well as regulate their height. However, the practice of shearing is detrimental to a shrub’s health, according to tree care authorities, because the careless cuts give disease and decay an open invitation into the plant. Shearing also does not remove the dead and dying portions that are located on the interior part of the plant, which prevents new shoots from developing.

Rejuvenation Pruning

There are some types of shrubs that actually benefit from annual or bi-annual pruning that involves cutting the plant all the way to the base. Removing the existing parts of the plant encourages new growth in the following season.

Renewal Pruning

Tree care specialists say the best way to maintain the health of your shrubs is by removing a quarter of the oldest stems at the base of the plant. Known as “thinning,” this process allows the shrub to maintain a natural and distinguished appearance. The thinning of these branches near the base also allows sunlight to shine on the base, which is necessary for stimulating new growth.

Selective Pruning

Selective pruning involves cutting at branch collars to take advantage of the shrub’s built-in protective tissues. This type of pruning also accentuates the natural form of the shrub.

If you aren’t sure which pruning technique is best for your shrubs, call your tree care authority.

Tree care specialists say that a structurally sound tree that is professionally cared for is an important quality to your landscape and will even increase your property’s value. It is for this reason that winter pruning is a must. There is no better time than the winter for Troy tree care specialists to evaluate the health and structural needs of your ornamentals.

What can be distinguished during winter pruning?

When Troy tree care experts prune your trees in the winter, they are looking for signs of damage caused by disease, insects or other problems. They inspect the tree for damaged limbs that need to be removed in order to maintain the health and vitality of the tree. However, it’s also important for them to maintain the structure of the tree so it does not become physically weakened. During the winter, they are better able to obtain this information because there are no leaves to hide possible damage.

Newly planted trees can also be inspected to see how well they are flourishing. The first few years of a tree life are very important, and if there is something that should be corrected, now is the time to do so. One specific problem Troy tree care authorities look for is “co-dependent branches.” These are branches that are not attached to the tree in a structurally sound manner. If this condition isn’t corrected when the tree is still young, the branches are more likely to break when the tree is older. This may not sound like a serious issue, but as a property owner, it may be hazardous to have a tree on your property that has limbs that are easily broken.

Call and schedule a winter inspection with your local Troy tree care expert!

Winter pruning allows Royal Oak tree care experts to fully assess the health and structural integrity of the tree without the interference of foliage. It is important to have this process scheduled early on in the winter in order to give Royal Oak tree care specialists time to accurately diagnose any problems and devise solutions to keep your landscape looking beautiful.

Winter is the ideal time for pruning because the limbs can be fully assessed without the weight of foliage on them. Pruning is generally known to encourage growth, so when it occurs during the growing season, new tissue and bark are constantly being added to the branches. When the foliage is no longer on the tree, proper pruning can take place to establish how much dead or decaying material is on the tree.

Pruning during the growing season is encouraged, but can disrupt the tree’s energy. Tree care authorities say that since leaves are the primary food source for trees, the pruning that goes on during the summer actually decreases the amount of energy the tree is getting. Obviously the tree is capable of getting through the winter on reserved energy sources, so pruning does not have as much of an impact.

Another reason why winter pruning is ideal and beneficial is because the tree is completely dormant, including disease and insect activity. Pruning sometimes makes trees vulnerable to insect infestations and diseases, especially if the pruning techniques aren’t performed correctly and the tree is wounded. If perchance the tree is wounded during winter pruning, it will be able to seal before or during the early spring before insects and diseases become active once again.

For more information on winter pruning, contact your local Royal Oak tree care company and schedule a consultation!

Ever wonder what to do with those scraps of food that shouldn’t go down the disposal, but create a terrible smell if left in the garbage for more than a day? Or perhaps you’re looking to enhance the growth of your trees and shrubs in a more natural and cost-effective manner? Tree care experts recommend using your kitchen waste to make your own all-organic mulch.

The first step in this journey toward a more eco-friendly way to fertilize your trees and shrub beds is by choosing the right type of composter. Many tree care specialists recommend using worm bins. Filling the bin with live worms, your kitchen waste will be broken down by the worms and voila! You have a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your landscape! Using a worm bin is also beneficial because you can keep it inside your home if you wish for easy access. The only rule when it comes to worm bins is to not leave it in direct sunlight.

If you’re not sure how to use a worm bin or where to get the materials (or the worms), check with your community’s Department of Water and Power; they may offer worm bins as well as instructions on how to use them.

So what can you throw in the worm bin? The ingredients that make up worm bin mulch can range from fruit and vegetable rinds and pieces to most landscape debris, according to tree care professionals. So instead of throwing your kitchen scraps in the trash, or even to the dog, think about creating your own personal brand of all-organic mulch.

If making your own mulch is too much of a hassle but you still want to bring a more organic approach to fertilizing your ornamentals, call your local tree care company and ask about their organic fertilization program.

According to Royal Oak tree care specialists, insect activity is a serious problem for Leyland Cyprus trees. Because this tree is a conifer and not a deciduous tree, it makes it an uninviting host for most insects. However, it is not altogether out of harm’s way when it comes to insects. Tree care experts say bagworms and spider mites are two of the most menacing bugs. Their presence can cause discoloration, defoliation and sometimes even death if they are left untreated and allowed to continually feed and breed on and within the Leyland Cypruss.

Bagworms are a real problem because with each generation, the infestation becomes larger and larger. A female bagworm lays between 500 and 1,000 eggs before she dies. When the bagworm larvae emerge, they either remain on the host tree or they will spin a silken thread and “fly” to a nearby tree or plant. Because of their ability to transfer to other plants, bagworms not only pose a threat to the Leyland Cyprus, but to all nearby trees and shrubs. Unfortunately, only a few generations of bagworms can annihilate an entire landscape. While the larvae cocoon in the bags they create, they feed on the surface of the leaves, stripping the leaf of its epidermis, or the skin of the leaf.

As they develop into caterpillars, entire branches of the Leyland Cyprus can become completely defoliated. Tree care experts say it is easier to control bagworm infestations by manually removing the bags they form in the early spring or fall before the larvae have hatched. However, if the Leyland Cyprus is too large for this to take place, the tree can be sprayed with an effective insecticide to eliminate current populations. If the bagworms have already hatched, they are more difficult to control with sprays, which makes preventative care so important.

Call your local Royal Oak tree care authority for more information on protecting the Leyland Cyprus from bagworms.

When the leaves on the trees start to fall, each year you are faced with a tough decision: to bag, or not to bag, that is the question.

Raking and bagging leaves is a tedious landscaping chore. It means spending countless hours outside, hoping and praying a gust of wind doesn’t come along and undo all your hard work. However, despite your disdain for this Troy tree care have-to, you know that leaving the leaves on the lawn isn’t an option. Or is it?

Many homeowners believe in the power of mulching. Tree care experts say it is a common misunderstanding that using a lawn mower to mulch leaves is bad for your turf or landscape. Quite the contrary, actually. But mulching the leaves and cutting them up into teeny tiny little bits, you will create a buffet of nutrients and organic matter on which your landscape can feed and thrive, all thanks to your beautiful ornamentals.

In addition to the nutritional benefit and the fact that mulching leaves with a lawn mower requires less time and effort, Troy tree care specialists say there is also an environmental benefit. Unless you use the brown leaf bags provided by Lowe’s or The Home Depot, you’re probably filling plastic bags and hoping the garbage men don’t get too nosy when loading your trash into the compactor. These plastic bags will end up in landfills, taking up even more room and putting a material (plastic) into the ground that will never decompose.

So the next time your landscape is covered with leaves, Troy tree care authorities recommend revving up the mower and getting those leaves mulched!

Because Leyland Cyprus trees are coniferous and not deciduous, they are resilient to most diseases and insect infestations that are devastating to other trees. However, because they are coniferous and not deciduous, some of the insects they do attract are among the most harmful when it comes to a tree’s health.

Leyland Cyprus trees still have a few environmental enemies that are capable of severely damaging, if not altogether killing the tree, including bagworms and spider mites. One of the ways to prevent these infestations, as well as the damage that occurs along with the presence of these tree pests, is to engage in helpful Warren tree care practices. As with all plants, correct pruning procedures must be engaged in order to keep the tree healthy. According to Warren tree care experts, if proper techniques are not followed, the tree can become severely and irreparably injured.

Tree care specialists say Leyland Cyprus trees will greatly benefit from bi-annual shearing. Over-shearing, which means shearing more than twice a year, can actually weaken the tree and leave it vulnerable to fungal infections. Tree care authorities recommend spaying the Leyland Cyprus with fungicide immediately after it has been sheared. In addition to fungal infections, the Leyland Cyprus usually only suffers from four other diseases: Seiridium cankers, Botryospaeria, Cereosporidium and Phytopht, also known as root rot. The good news is that with the right preventative Warren tree care, the Leyland Cyprus may remain unaffected by these diseases.

To find out more about proper Warren tree care procedures for the Leyland Cyprus, call your local Warren tree care company and schedule a consultation.

Leyland Cyprus trees are generally resilient to most insect infestations because they are coniferous trees. Many insects prefer to nest and feed off of deciduous trees, however not all of them. One such pest is the spider mite. Tree care experts say spider mites are one of the top tree pests that can have a serious and damaging effect on the Leyland Cyprus tree. Thankfully, with the help of professional Troy tree care specialists, you can protect your tree from the negative effects of this insect.

According to Troy tree care authorities, spider mites have proven, along with bagworms, to be one of the most difficult insects to control. Since spider mites have been an irritant for Leyland Cyprus trees for so long, they have developed an immunity to many of the different chemicals that had been used to eliminate these destructive insects. They negatively affect the Leyland Cyprus by piercing the tree with their mouths and sucking out the sap (which is essentially the life force of the tree), resulting in discolored needles. If spider mites are allowed to feed without interruption, the needles will ultimately turn brown, die and fall off.

Spider mites can be a death sentence to the Leyland Cyprus, so it is important to have qualified Troy tree care experts help you get populations under control as soon as possible. Tree care authorities do not favor the use of insecticides because other beneficial bugs will also be killed when the insecticide is applied. It is important to allow spider mite predators such as ladybugs to remain on the tree and create a natural pest control solution. For this reason, miticides are the recommended solution to heavy spider mite infestations.

To learn more about keeping your Leyland Cyprus safe from unwanted pests, call your local Troy tree care company.