There are steps you can take to protect your trees and the roots below from damage during construction on your property, however, plans aren’t always followed and mistakes are made. So what do you do to provide care to your damaged trees?

If your tree has experienced damage to its exterior, the first place to start is with the bark. Any tree bark that has been damaged should be shaved away to encourage healing. Lawn care experts recommend using a sharp knife to trim around the wounded area in a rounded motion, not cutting any deeper than is necessary to avoid cutting into healthy bark. Removing the damaged bark will promote moisture and nutrients into and around the bruised area. Just like a wound on human flesh, the tree will have a scar, but if the bark is properly cared for, the tree should heal around the wound.

If a large section of the tree has been damaged, for instance more than half of the tree’s circumference, you may want to consult your local West Berlin lawn care company to save it from dying. Trees will not immediately exhibit symptoms of damage, but without proper nutrients and moisture getting to all the parts of the tree, branches will become brittle and break off, leaves will fade and eventually the tree will stop growing at all. Your tree company can stop the dying process of the tree through intensive West Berlin lawn care that involves corrective pruning, fertilization and curative irrigation.

If your tree has become damaged during the construction process, call your local West Berlin lawn care company as soon as possible to save this vital feature of your landscape.

There are several different varieties of mulch to choose from, but many homeowners and commercial property owners seem to prefer cedar mulch. Cedar mulch offers the tree and shrub beds a hint of rich color, and of course there is the aromatic cedar smell that adds an extra incentive. Cedar mulch also offers landscape beds superior protection against soil erosion and compaction, weed growth and protects the roots of your plants, especially newly planted trees, from the hot sun. If you think cedar mulch is only useful when the weather is warm, you’ll be happy to know that mulch also protects the roots from freezing during spells of cold weather. So now that you know all the benefits of cedar mulch, you may wonder how you can make your own.

In order to make your own cedar mulch, according to tree care specialists, you will need cured cedar wood in the form of a stump or logs, a chainsaw, a hatchet and a hammer. Using the chainsaw, cut the cedar stump or the logs into two-inch sections, stacking the pieces atop one another. Once you have a complete stack, use the chainsaw to cut vertically down the stack again in one- to two-inch sections. Gather the stack back together and proceed to perform another vertical cut, this time forming a crosshatch pattern. All of the resulting wood shavings and pieces will serve as part of your mulch.

You will still have some smaller pieces that need to be broken up into tinier pieces. Use your hammer and hatchet to bust them up in whatever sizes you prefer. Place all the wood in a large container and add an amount of water that is proportionate to the wood chips. Tree care professionals say that for this project, a gallon of water is usually adequate. Make sure all the wood chips have been dampened by the water and let sit for three days. Drain the water from the container and let the cedar mulch dry in the sun for a day, turning it occasionally to make sure the undersides of the wood chips have a chance to dry out as well. Once all the pieces have dried, you have your very own source of cedar mulch to adorn your newly planted trees and shrub beds!

Making your own cedar mulch may be a fun activity, but perhaps you’re looking for a more professional approach. Call your local tree care company and ask about their mulching services.

So you’ve finally decided this is the season you will add an outdoor living space that will give you a place to escape to and take in the sounds, smells and sights of your gorgeous landscape, as well as provide a comfortable and convenient area to entertain great friends and family. Lawn care experts suggest adding a hexagonal gazebo might just be the perfect avenue to that destination!

Hexagonal gazebos are traditional in appearance, but add a style and sophistication to your landscape. And although you may choose a design and materials that exude luxury, West Berlin lawn care specialists say hexagonal gazebos are quite affordable. Furthermore, your property value will increase with this beautiful addition!

Hexagonal gazebos do not have to be one-size-fits-all in style. Lawn care professionals say there are several different options, including whether or not to add benches inside the gazebo and different types of railings. When it comes to topping your hexagonal gazebo, you can choose from a canopy top, an ornamental cupola or more traditional roofing shingles, perhaps to match the roof of your home.

Hexagonal gazebos typically come in 8 foot and 10 foot sizes. Lawn care pros suggest a great way to accentuate your landscape gazebo is by adding garden lights and seasonal plantings around the gazebo itself. The plants and flowers will give you something beautiful to gaze upon as you relax the day away in your landscape and the garden lights will allow you to enjoy this outdoor living space even on cool, summer nights.

Contact your local West Berlin lawn care company today to find out more about adding a hexagonal gazebo to your landscape this season!

Cedar trees are a favorite tree to plant on many landscapes and are relatively easy to take care of due to its drought tolerance. This tree has a pyramidal shape and grows relatively slow. There are different varieties of cedar trees and their height varies from one species to another. The eastern red cedar typically grows anywhere from 30 to 50 feet high, while the western red cedar can reach heights of up to 200 feet (however this is usually only typical for western red cedars that grow in the wild).

Many homeowners or commercial property owners use cedar trees as a pleasant-looking privacy screen. Others may plant cedar trees for the purpose of being windbreaks or hedges. Whatever the reason you choose to introduce cedars onto your landscape, West Berlin tree care specialists say mulch is an important part of caring for this special tree. Mulch will help keep the soil around the tree damp and loose.

Your West Berlin tree care professional can help you select the best type of mulch for your cedar tree. There are several different options:

• Sawdust or straw: Cost-effective, but doesn’t offer much in the way of nutrients to the soil.
• Bark nuggets/wood chips: Offer an eye-pleasing aspect to your landscape, has a slow rate of decomposition and stays put even through strong gusts of wind.
• Composted yard waste: Cost-effective, eco-friendly and offers an abundance of nutrients.
• Grass clippings: Making use of yard waste is always a plus, but West Berlin tree care authorities warn of using grass clipping too much. The clippings can become compacted when frequent or hard rain occurs and stop moisture from being absorbed into the soil, dehydrating the roots of your cedar tree.

Once you have decided on the right kind of mulch for you, you or your West Berlin tree care professional will need to pull out all of the weeds around the area to be mulched, so the mulch can be applied to bare soil. If mulch is applied on top of existing weeds, it will not only appear unkempt, but it also won’t prevent the growth of the weeds.

An area of three to six feet in diameter and two to four inches thick around the tree should be covered with high-quality mulch during any time of the year except in the beginning of spring. The ground is still thawing from the cold weather and the soil and the roots need time to thaw and respond to the warming sun. Mulch will prevent that transfer of heat. Although you want a wide area around the tree to be mulched, leave a gap of about six inches between the base of the tree and the mulch to deter insects and other unwanted pests.

If you want more information on mulching your cedar tree, call your local West Berlin tree care professional for expert advice.

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.

All grass types are susceptible to diseases and weeds, however, there are ways to prevent, deter and combat these issues through proper West Berlin lawn care techniques. But even with the absolute best care, you cannot guarantee that disease or insects will never be a problem with your St. Augustine West Berlin lawn.

St. Augustine grass is a sturdy type of turf and is able to assert itself over weeds as long as it is healthy and is receiving adequate care. If St. Augustine grass is left to fend for itself, it may become weak, at which time opportunistic weeds will stop popping up throughout your landscape. This is especially true if the West Berlin lawn is already infested with insects or has been infected with a disease. St. Augustine turf is usually found to have broadleaf and grassy weeds, however, chickweed, clover and henbit have also been found by West Berlin lawn care specialists to be a menace to this type of grass. These weeds respond best to hormone-type herbicides that are applied in the early spring. Other weeds such as fescue, crabgrass or annual bluegrass require a different type of treatment that includes precise applications of pre-emergent herbicides.

In addition to fighting off weeds, St. Augustine grass is also susceptible to a number of turfgrass diseases including Helminthosporium, brown patch, SAD, Pythium, gray leaf spot, rust, downy mildew and more. Most of these diseases are caused by the presence of fungi and can be easily controlled by a knowledgeable West Berlin lawn care company. SAD is a virus disease for which there is no chemical solution, which means only defiant types of St. Augustine grass are resistant to the disease.

Brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe diseases caused by fungi infecting St. Augustine turfs. Although these diseases seldom destroy St. Augustine, they weaken and thin the grass to the degree that the West Berlin lawn is extremely unattractive. Precautionary treatments of fungicides are most effective against these diseases.

To keep your St. Augustine West Berlin lawn primped and pristine, call your local West Berlin lawn care provider and ask about their weed and disease control programs.

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 West Berlin tree care specialists, you can protect your tree from the negative effects of this insect.

According to West Berlin 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 West Berlin 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 West Berlin tree care company.

Most homeowners know what services are necessary for good lawn care: proper mowing, aeration, overseeding, adequate hydration and fertilizer. Aeration is one of the most beneficial lawn care services, especially if you live in an area that experiences episodes of little to no rainfall. Aerating your lawn will allow the water from your irrigation system to reach the grass roots directly and be immediately absorbed. However, even though aeration ensures that your lawn and soil are manipulated, you should go one step further and also have your soil periodically tested by a lawn care professional.

A soil test is a fairly simple procedure and many lawn care companies offer the service for free in conjunction with their lawn care programs. The lawn care technician will take a small soil sample and have it sent to a lab. A qualified soil expert will examine the sample and look at the pH level (acidity); the presence or absence of such macronutrients as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen; the presence or absence of such micronutrients as iron, calcium, zinc, boron, manganese, copper and other nutrients that deter weed growth and enhance the lawn’s resistance to insect and disease infestations; the soil type, which can help your lawn care technician create a preventative plan to reduce the incidence of compaction; and levels of decomposed plant material, also known as thatch.

Once the results are back, your lawn care specialists can consult with you on what the best plan of action is regarding your lawn care regimen. To schedule a soil analysis, call your local lawn care company today.

Winter pruning allows West Berlin 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 West Berlin 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 West Berlin tree care company and schedule a consultation!

It isn’t uncommon for trees to be the cause of extensive property damage that may end up costing you thousands of dollars in repair costs. In some severe cases, a falling tree can even cause serious bodily injuries or death. Here are some West Berlin tree care tips to help you avoid the possibility of tree damage to your property.

The first step in preventing property damage from a tree falling is to call your local West Berlin tree care company. These experts can help you identify weak spots of the trees and other indicators that the tree or trees on your property could be potentially dangerous. The easiest way to keep your home safe is to make sure your trees are healthy, which can be easily done with the help of West Berlin tree care specialists.

Another problem to look for is dead trees. If a tree no longer has support, it is only a matter of time until the root structure completely gives way and allows the tree to collapse. Even if the tree itself isn’t dead, dead or dying tree branches are still a considerable hazard.

Another thing West Berlin tree care experts look for is rotting tree parts. This signals that the tree is weak, which means it could break and cause damage. Any kind of split or cracks in the tree should be immediately inspected.

A good indicator that a tree is likely to cause damage is by assessing its lean. If a tree is leaning considerably in one direction, there is a possibility that one strong gust of wind can be all it takes to break the tree.

If your trees are exhibiting any of these characteristics, it is important to call your West Berlin tree care company and get started on corrective action before your property is damaged or someone is hurt.