Ryan Rose

Spring Time Tree Maintenance Step by Step: Part 2

Grown and mature trees can seem self-sufficient, but our arborists at Top Tree LLC agree: Healthy trees will not happen on their own. Trees are “low-maintenance” and NOT “no-maintenance”. Tending to seasonal chores helps keep trees healthy and protects your landscape investment. Get your trees off to a growing start by following six simple steps for spring tree care. Here is step 2 of 6:

Mulch helps soil retain moisture and suppresses weeds around your tree. It’s most crucial when caring young trees. Mulch will also help trees that have been in the ground up to 10 years, but it’s OK to mulch older trees as well.

You should shoot for a 3-inch-thick layer of mulch around your trees but not against the trunk. When mulch is piled against the trunk of trees it holds moisture and heat, which helps give diseases such as canker an easy point of way in.

There are some simple ways to make your own mulch. The best way to start is by using organic materials. Another material to make mulch are wood chips. It’s an easy and efficient way to get woodchips from any pruning your have done before and then run the remaining branches through a mulcher.

If you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree removal needs in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree removal service provider.

Spring Time Tree Maintenance Step by Step: Part 2 Read More »

Spring Time Tree Maintenance Step by Step: Part 1

Established trees may seem self-sufficient, but our arborists at Top Tree LLC agree: Healthy trees do not just happen on their own. Trees are low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. Tending to seasonal chores helps keep trees healthy and protects your landscape investment. Get your trees off to a growing start by following six simple steps for spring tree care. Here is step 1 of 6:

Clean up your tree! Start the new growing season with a quick cleaning of your trees. By this time you have removed any remaining decorative holiday lights. Don’t allow lights to stay wrapped around tree trunks or branches. If you forget about them, you risk restricting growth.

When temperatures rise, get rid of any wraps you placed around trunks during the winter.
Rake up any debris that collected under your trees during winter, such as small branches, leaves, or fallen fruits. This is especially important with trees susceptible to fungal diseases, which can grow over winter on debris. Examples include pines infected with diplodia tip blight or crab apples affected by apple scab.

Keeping your trees clean can save you a lot of headache down the road. If you need help cleaning your trees, we can surely help. Sometimes doing just a little quick trimming of your branches can be the best way to minimize your worries.

If you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree removal needs in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree removal service provider.

Spring Time Tree Maintenance Step by Step: Part 1 Read More »

Addressing Tree Wounds (Part 3)

Filling a tree cavity is generally expensive and not recommended. Filling does not stop decay and often during the cleaning of the cavity, the boundary that separates the sound wood or the callus growth from the decayed wood is ruptured. Thus, this cleaning for cavity filling can have more detrimental effects on the tree than if it were left alone. Care must be taken not to damage the new callus tissue that has formed in response to the tree damage and subsequent decay.

Pruning Tree Wounds
Proper pruning should be used to remove dead, dying and broken branches; to remove low, crossing or hazardous branches; and to control the size of the tree. However, pruning of any kind places some stress on the tree by removing food-producing leaves (if the branch is alive), creating wounds that require energy to seal, and providing possible entry points for disease.

Pruning cuts should be made to maximize the tree’s ability to close its wound and defend itself from infection. When pruning, make clean, smooth cuts. Do not leave branch stubs. Leave a small collar of wood at the base of the branch. The branch collar is a slightly swollen area where the branch attaches to the trunk. Cutting the limb flush with the trunk will leave a larger area to callous over and a greater chance of decay organisms entering the wound. The optimal pruning time is in the winter (dormant season) when temperatures and infection rates are lower and when trees are not actively growing.

Healthy trees usually recover from wounding quickly. Try to keep wounded trees growing vigorously by watering them during droughts and providing proper fertilization. This will increase the rate of wound closure, enhance callus growth and improve the resistance to decay mechanisms.

Keep In Mind
If you have multiple trees to remove or just don’t have the time to do it, we are here for you. We can handle all of your tree removal needs in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and even West Richland. We look forward to being your preferred tree removal service provider.

Addressing Tree Wounds (Part 3) Read More »

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