MENULast May, we introduced the concept of integrating edible plants (veggies) into your flower beds. At the time, this was a relatively new concept that was just starting to gain traction. Well, it appears that it didn’t take long to find significant appeal.Each year, the Garden Writers Foundation sponsors research into garden trends for the upcoming year. So hot on the subject of edible gardens were the people who wrote the survey questions that this year’s survey concentrated solely on edible landscapes.The GWF survey found that 58 percent of the respondents plan to grow edible plants in 2015. A quarter of the respondents plan to plant edible plants in the ground, while nine percent (one in 10) plan to use containers and 24 percent plan to use both methods.Forty-four percent of consumers responded that they grew edible plants in 2014. Of these, 38 percent, or 1/3 of them, said they planted edible plants in the ground; 15 percent said that they used containers and 32 percent said they plant in both the ground and containers.A quarter of last year’s respondents didn’t grow edible plants because they simply lost interest in the activity; 18 percent said a lack of success was the reason. “Too much work” was mentioned by 17 percent of respondents, with “took too much time” (14 percent) and “too expensive” (7 percent) rounded out the top five.Of those not planning to grow edible plants in 2015, more than one‐third (37 percent) said it’s because they don’t garden. Nearly one in five Americans (17 percent) reported that they won’t grow plants because they moved to a home where gardening isn’t possible, while 9 percent said it’s too much work.According to respondents, insect and disease control (39 percent) and time (38 percent) are the greatest challenges to edible gardening. Wildlife control was considered to be the greatest challenge by 28 percent of respondents.If you really want to enjoy your own home grown produce this season but are concerned about pests and wildlife or don’t have the time, call us. Let our professionals help you design attractive planting beds that incorporate both traditional landscape plants and edible plants, and then look to us to help you maintain them. You’ll get the satisfaction of improving your family’s quality of life, and get ooohs and ahs from neighbors, without having to do all the work. You do as much or as little of the work as you want.
The answer to the title question is that they often do freeze and break. Have you ever seen cracks running up and down the trunk of a tree? This is caused by the freezing and thawing of water in the outer portions of the trunk. In the tree care industry, these are referred to as frost cracks.Some have compared trees freezing and breaking with plumbing pipes bursting. However, it isn’t the same phenomenon at all. Pipes burst when they are filled with water, which then freezes, expands and causes a weak spot in the pipe to burst. In the case of trees, there are thousands of liquid-carrying “pipes” – the phloem and xylem – and they are more elastic than plastic or metal pipe. Besides, there is less liquid flowing through these vessels when the tree is dormant.Trees are most apt to freeze and break when the temperature plummets before the tree goes completely dormant. Even then, in our area, it is usually only the vessels near the perimeter of the tree, closest to the bark, that are apt to freeze enough to break. Thick bark trees can often prevent the trunk from breaking but thin bark trees don’t have that protection. Consequently, they are the trees that most often split and form frost cracks.Although frost cracked trunks on thin bark trees are most common, weak xylem and phloem vessels anywhere inside a tree can break. But these interior broken vessels don’t affect the bark, and there are so many of these vessels running up and down the trunk that these breaks won’t affect the tree’s health. Also, the sugar in the phloem reduces water’s freezing point.There are a few ways to protect thin bark trees from frost cracks. One is to wrap the trunk with burlap or tree wrap. If you do this, be sure to remove the wrap in the spring. You can also build a wood structure around the trunk. When planting a thin bark tree, it’s a good idea to keep it out of the path of the prevailing wind. Also, a good layer of mulch will help keep the roots warm and, as a result, the liquid that flows in the vessels will be warmer.On the plus side, a frost cracked tree is not in imminent danger of dying. As I said above, there are so many fluid transport vessels that they can take over for those that broke and caused the frost crack.If you have any questions about protecting your trees this winter, we will be happy to answer them.
I’ve written about how to create winter interest in your landscape and, hopefully, you’ve done some of these things. Now that winter is upon us, here are a few more ways in which you can use this winter to plan for next winter.In the spring, add some plants to your garden that have winter interest. Our designers have a whole list of plants that have features that are visible in winter. These features include bark, twigs, berries or even late flowers like witch hazel or early bloomers like hellebores.Some parts of our area are in USDA zone 6 while others are in the colder zone 5. If you live in zone 6, consider planting winter jasmine or heavenly bamboo. This bamboo is non-invasive, so you don’t have to worry about it getting out of hand.Don’t just make a winter garden. Intersperse these plants with your other plants for four season interest. In a new landscape, include plants with winter interest as part of your plant palette.Do you have hydrangeas in your landscape now? Did you cut them back or are the flowers still visible? If you did cut them back, make a note to leave them next year. The flowers will stick up above the snow like oversize snowflakes. If you didn’t get around to cutting them back, you already know how attractive the blooms can be.There you have it. A few ways in which you can add winter interest to your landscape and enjoy a truly four season experience. Every time I see landscape features for every season, I jot them down so I can share them with you when I have enough to fill a page. I hope you enjoy them.
How do you remove snow from your driveway and sidewalks? Shovel? Plow? Blow? Under pavement heating? Every method has an effect on your landscape. None could be considered great for your plant material, but some take a greater toll than others.Shoveling, of course, is the most strenuous. Blowing is time consuming, Under pavement heating is expensive. Plowing is costly, too, in more ways than one, which I’ll explain.Shoveling is fine for young, fit people, but can be a health risk as we age. There’s no choice, however, for removing snow from steps, porches and other small areas. You should also shovel snow from around the base of trees to deter small rodents from burrowing under the snow and feasting on the your trees. I’ve seen mice actually girdle trees, compromising the tree’s vascular system and killing it.Plowing is the only practical snow removal method for our business, but I prefer blowing my driveway. Driveway plowing can cut off edges of the grass if the operator doesn’t aim correctly, and it can be difficult to aim a plow and truck and keep it on course, especially if your driveway bends or curves.Even if they aim properly and don’t cut sod from the edges of the driveway, they may cut it during another common move. Plow operators have to pile snow somewhere, so they often push it into the front yard. The snow pile is usually peppered with small pieces of sod from the edge of the driveway. Worse yet, if you have a tree in the front yard, the plow operator may pile snow up against the trunk, which is my greatest fear. It has all the downsides of a mulch volcano plus it’s usually piled only on one side of the trunk exerting pressure on that side of the tree, which can cause lean or even failure.Blowing allows you to cut nicely defined edges, and you’ll know immediately if you are off the pavement. The pattern in which a blower throws snow is better for your landscape. It tends to scatter rather than pile. Rows formed by blown snow are not as high as piles and are much lighter and less dense.I’ve tried to give you the pros and cons of each removal method. Now, you’ll have to weigh these pros and cons for yourself and decide which method best meets your needs. I’d like to hear your opinion. You can just send a comment below.
Birchcrest Tree & Landscape is ranked 15th on Rochester’s list of Top 100 fastest growing privately owned companies. For that, we thank each of you who put your trust in the 95 professionals who are part of the Birchcrest family. We also thank Rochester Business Alliance and KPMG, LLP for sponsoring this program.To be eligible for this honor, a company must have earned at least $1 million in revenue in each of the three most recent fiscal years.I started this full service tree care, landscaping and lawn care company in 1981. While we enjoyed steady growth from the start, we have enjoyed even greater growth in the last 10 years. This growth culminated in our being eligible for the Top 100 listing this year.I attribute the company’s success to the dedication, education and creativity of our staff. Birchcrest employs 10 ISA Certified Arborists, two ISA Board Certified Master Arborists and eight NYSNLA Certified Nursery & Landscape Professionals.I personally thank you for your business, and look forward to serving even more of you in 2015.
We have received a number of inquiries asking whether chipped up Christmas trees can be used for mulch, and whether the chips can be spread now or whether they have to be aged.The answer to the first question is that they can be used now, as long as the tree was healthy. If you take your tree to a public chipping station, the bag of chips you receive may not be from your tree. However, nearly all Christmas trees come from Christmas tree farms where they are well cared for and are not likely to carry insects and diseases. Most municipalities will use chips that residents don’t take to mulch around public trees. A few may use them only for trails.In answer to the second question, you can use the green chips if you just spread them on top of the soil. If you mix them into the soil, they could pull nutrients from the soil.This conclusion is the result of research by a prominent arboriculture professor who planted a dozen trees. He left four unmulched as a control. He spread fresh chips on the soil surface around another four trees and mixed chips into the soil around the last four. After a year, he found no difference in the soil nitrogen between the surface mulched area and the control trees and only a slight decline in the amount of nitrogen where he had mixed the fresh chips into the soil.If you are concerned about using fresh chips in your own landscape, just mix in some fertilizer before spreading them. This holds true for chips from trees you have had pruned as well as your chipped Christmas tree.The professor’s conclusion was in an article that appeared in two trade magazines several years ago. This professor was one of three prominent research arborists the author spoke to when researching the article. All three of them said that fresh chips would not deplete soil nutrients, and that fertilizer could be mixed in if you doubted these conclusions.
The answer to the title question is that old standby: It depends. At Birchcrest, the fee varies by the size and complexity of the project, and there are several ways to determine a fair amount. Most residential customers pay a design fee that will be applied to the cost of installation. Occasionally, we have billed the design fee as a percentage of the total job or commission on the products and services purchased on your behalf. For the customer who wants to do all or part of the work, we may charge a straight design fee.There are times when customers ask why we charge for our designs when some of our competitors don’t. It’s because we provide finished designs prepared by a professional landscape designer. Those who don’t charge give you a quick sketch on a piece of notepaper or lock you into a contract to use their company for planting and construction.It should be noted that professional designs are copyrighted and that the company that created the design owns the copyright. A landscape designer is the “author” of these creative works, many of which can take a substantial amount of time to complete.Professional companies like Birchcrest never mail a landscape design to a customer. We always make an appointment and present it in person. Our designer will review the plan with you, get your feedback, and then take your comments back to the office and make any modifications.We never leave plans with customers until the design fee has been paid. That’s when we exercise our copyright privilege to assign rights to use the design. It also protects us from those few unscrupulous people who would take our plans and shop them around for the lowest bid. In such cases, inferior plant materials and installation can reflect badly on our company when the customer tells friends that they have a landscape by Birchcrest.If you retain our well trained installation staff, you can proudly, and accurately proclaim that your new landscape is by Birchcrest. You will also have the Peace of Mind of knowing that you have only top quality materials installed by people who are experts at what they do. Best of all, we guarantee the plant material that we install for a full year.
I just looked out the window at my landscape. There’s no doubt about it. Winter is here. As I write this, there’s no snow, although some is in the short term forecast.There’s not a leaf to be seen, except those Mother Nature piled up in a corner of the patio to await my disposal. Sure, there’s tall, tan ornamental grass blowing in the wind. There are plenty of evergreens and even a couple of river birch with exfoliating bark, but what else can I do to make my landscape more interesting this winter?Let’s start with the material at hand. I’m actually a leg up on many landscapes. Ornamental grass is probably the number one material used in local landscapes to add winter interest. It turns brown, is often tufted with seedheads and is tall enough to peer above most snowbanks to vary the color from white. The evergreens are a nice touch, but I don’t recommend planting a whole yard of evergreens or that will be as boring as a sea of snow.Interesting bark on deciduous trees is another nice touch. I chose river birch because it’s not prone to the pests that feast on white and paper birches. You lose some of the color and brightness of the bark (it’s more of a brown color) but it tends to exfoliate more. Other trees with interesting bark include paperbark maple, cherry, sycamore, European hornbeam and shagbark hickory. The bark on these trees is so interesting that you may look forward to fall defoliation so you can enjoy the bark.Oh yes, I have one big holly with its red berries. Hollies are a symbol of Christmas and the winter holidays. Remember, you need separate male and female hollies to produce berries.Putting out squirrel-proof bird feeders will also add color and activity to your winter landscape. Placing holiday lights and other winter interest things on your deck and patio can beat the drabness of winter. Select weather-resistant furniture or garden art for your patio. It may have to be a different set from the summer set you just put away. Perhaps an old set that you didn’t get around to throwing away will work.Finally, containerized winter hardy plants may also add color and interest to your landscape. If some are in terra cotta pots, remember that these pots can break in winter, so wrap them in bubble wrap and pack them in mulch. This is one time when a mulch volcano is OK.See, when you shed the defeatist attitude and replace it with a little creative thinking, you can really make your landscape look quite nice for winter. Granted, it may not be the grand summer garden that you’re used to, but it will be far from winter drab.A number of the ideas proposed above can be done now. Those involving plant materials may have to wait for next season. If so, put your ideas in your garden journal now so you can just look them up in spring rather than racking your brain to remember what you were thinking of six months ago.
Research on ways to eradicate the emerald ash borer (EAB) is beginning to yield some interesting results. We already have effective chemical controls, such as the Tree-Age that we inject into trees. This product is most effective when applied as a preventive before a tree is infected. However, it can also be used as an insecticide with satisfactory results after the EAB has attacked a tree.A recent posting on Entomology Today’s website tell of research into why Asian ash trees are able to fend off attacks while North American trees cannot. Researchers found that the Asian species have a set of genes that are not present in the North American species. Scientists at The Ohio State University have launched a crowd funded project to identify the genes that allow Asian ash trees to resist EAB attacks.Meanwhile, researchers are working on ways to cross breed our North American ash trees with the resistant Asian ash trees. This will give the landscape industry ash trees that are resistant to this pest.This cross breeding technique is also being used among elm tree breeders. They are crossing American elm with foreign species that are resistant to Dutch elm disease (DED). The desired result is a tree that has the unique form of an American elm but is resistant to DED. These breeding programs are yielding mixed results.If the ash cross breeding programs yield good results, we will have ash trees that have the stately appearance of a native species but are resistant to this devastating insect.If the specific Asian gene set can be isolated, it is conceivable that cross breeding could then by replaced by introducing the Asian genes into the native species in the laboratory or nursery where trees are propagated.Successful cross breeding is a number of years off. The first cross bred trees have just been planted. So, there will be a lengthy trial process before they can be released to the nursery industry. I believe isolating the gene set and inoculating these genes into seeds or tissue culture in the laboratory is a really long way off.This means that we still need to be vigilant about continuing to treat the ash trees we already to have to minimize the number attacked by the emerald ash borer, and those that succumb to this pest.
If you are one of our Plant Health Care and/or lawn care customers, you probably received a thick envelope full of all sorts of papers recently. This is your 2015 contract renewal packet.Some people have told us that this looks so intimidating that they just set it aside. If this includes you, please accept our apologies, but every paper in the packet is mandated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.We have to provide you with all kinds of technical information on every material we are apt to apply, and we need your signature on the contract that is also in the packet before we can provide any Plant Health Care or lawn care services.The benefits of being on a Plant Health Care and/or lawn care program far outweigh the hassle of having to deal with the renewal packet. First and foremost, we have diagnostic responsibility rather than saddling you with it. Our professionals can diagnose problems when they are in their early stages, so we can often treat with less aggressive materials and methods. Second, our service is automatic. You don’t have to call; we visit at the optimum time to take care of each problem.Don’t be intimidated and leave the health of your valuable trees, shrubs, lawn and other plants to your own untrained eye. Take a few minutes and return your signed contract to be sure you don’t miss any essential treatments.
[caption id="attachment_444" align="alignright" width="180"]
Illustration courtesy of ArborDay.org[/caption]Surely, you've seen a cross cut wood round. Many of you have probably even cut some. However, have you ever dissected a tree to see the various layers? It’s like peeling an onion.The Arbor Day Foundation has created a descriptive illustration showing the relationship in size, as well as structure, of the various layers. The dissection begins at the outside and works its way into the interior.The outer bark is the tree's outermost layer, which helps keep out moisture in the rain and prevents the tree from losing moisture when the air is dry. It also insulates against cold and heat and wards off insects and diseases. Its job is to protect the tree. As we continue our trip through a tree, you’ll see how the bark is constantly renewed from within.The next layer is the inner bark. This layer has tiny tubes in which “phloem” is circulated. Phloem carries the food, manufactured by photosynthesis, throughout the tree. Inner bark lives for only a short time. Then it dies, turns to cork and becomes part of the protective outer bark.The cambium layer is the growing part of the trunk. Each year, it produces new bark and new wood in response to hormones that pass down through the phloem from the leaves and stimulate growth in cells.Sapwood is the trunk’s next layer. It’s new wood, and like the inner layer with its food carrying vascular system, the sapwood has similar tubes, called xylem, through which water and nutrients move from the roots up to the leaves. As newer rings of sapwood are laid down, inner cells lose their vitality and turn to heartwood, creating a new annual ring.Heartwood is the central, supporting pillar of a tree. Although dead, it will not decay or lose strength while the outer layers are intact. It’s comprised of cellulose fibers bound together by a chemical glue called lignin, which makes it stronger than steel. The Arbor Day Foundation says that a cross section of wood 12” long and 1” by 2” set vertically can support a weight of twenty tons!Leaves make food for the tree, and their shape influences their food making ability. For example, the narrow needles of a Douglas fir can expose as much as three acres of chlorophyll surface to the sun.The lobes, leaflets and jagged edges of many broad leaves have their uses, too. They help evaporate the water used in food-building, reduce wind resistance and even provide “drip tips” to shed rain that, left standing, could decay the leaf.So, you can see, trees are very unique and complex organisms, worthy of the care they require to maintain their majestic beauty.
Although we've enjoyed a relatively nice fall after a less than perfect summer, the lower temperatures are a sure indicator that winter is on the way. Some forecasters are predicting a repeat of last winter while others are convinced that this will be a mild El Nino winter. Will your landscape plants be prepared for whatever Mother Nature heaps upon them?Here are five steps for protecting plants from damage and costly repair:
You have a major investment in your landscape. Don’t let the weather wash out or blow that investment away.http://www.birchcrestlandscape.com
If you have a wood burning fireplace or heat with a wood burning stove, how’s your firewood supply? If it’s low and you’re shopping for a firewood supplier, these tips are for you.The first tip is to buy locally. Regular readers know that I firmly believe that buying locally is best, especially for plants. But, when it comes to firewood, I’m even more adamant. And, I’m backed up by the law on this one.In New York State, it’s against the law to transport untreated firewood more than 50 miles from its source or import it into the state. Also, firewood sellers are required to provide you with source documentation for the firewood they sell. This is to minimize the migration of deadly, invasive insects like the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle.Even with the law in place, I’ve seen truck and trailer loads of ash wood going down the street. However, I urge you to obey the law, especially if you have ash trees in your yard.Treated wood is defined as having been heated to 160ºF for 75 minutes. It can then be labeled as "New York Approved Treated Firewood/Pest-Free" by the producer. Even if you cut and transport your own firewood, you cannot legally transport it more than 50 miles or bring it into the state without a “Self Issued Certificate of Origin,” which can be downloaded at http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/selfisscert.pdf.A second tip is to be sure you know how much wood you’re buying. While we usually see ads for face cords, that’s not a legal measure. Your receipt or bill of sale needs to list the fraction of a cord you bought. A cord, which is 8 feet wide by 4 feet high by 4 feet deep, is a legal measure. A face cord that is 12 inches deep is a quarter cord, and that’s the way it needs to be sold.A third tip is to be sure the wood is seasoned and, preferably, hardwood. Green wood doesn’t burn well due to its high water content. Green wood is tan in color, while seasoned wood is more of a gray color. Hard wood is preferred because soft woods have more resins and impurities like creosote that can adhere to your chimney walls and start a fire.That old rule of thumb that says if a deal looks too good to be true it probably is applies to firewood. Unlike many such deals, however, buying undocumented firewood can result in legal problems as well as an insect invasion of your valuable, standing trees.
When you first moved into your home, you planted a tree just inside your property line. So, it’s your tree, right? Maybe. It depends on how much it has grown and whether any of the trunk is now in your neighbor’s yard.In most cases, a tree positioned on a property line is considered common property. As such, it’s owned by both property owners. This usually means that the tree cannot be pruned, destroyed or altered without both owners agreeing to the changes. Sometimes this requires them to have a written agreement on the terms of care for the tree.According to a book, entitled Arboriculture and the Law, published by the International Society of Arboriculture and written by lawyers Victor Merullo and Michael Valentine, the courts apply this joint ownership principal even when a tree begins life on one person’s property and grows on to another. So, if it started out as your tree, you are forced to share the decisions and cost of care with your neighbor. If it started out as your neighbor’s tree, you may be the unwitting co-owner. Of course, you and your neighbor could agree, preferably in writing, that the person who planted the tree will be solely responsible for its care.Even if you are the sole owner and caregiver of a tree, you have certain responsibilities to your neighbor, and your neighbor has certain rights. In the eyes of the law, you’re responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of that tree. For example, you could be found negligent for failure to prune trees that are blocking visibility from streets, driveways and sidewalks. You’re also responsible for tending to any trees that could cause harm to a neighbor’s home or person.If the branches and/or roots of your tree grow into your neighbor’s yard, he has the right to remove those portions of the tree extending on to his property. Such intrusions can cause damage to sidewalks, driveways, garages, rooftops, and sewage and drainage pipes.In Arboriculture and the Law, Merullo and Valentine wrote that courts, in most cases, have decided in favor of a neighbor being able to remove portions of trees that may not be planted on their property but have limbs or roots that reach across property lines. Courts have determined that a landowner owns all the space above and below his property, and if something invades either of those areas, it is his right to remove it. However, he doesn't have the right to do anything to the tree that would weaken or kill it.You can’t simply plead ignorance to the condition of trees on your property to escape liability in the case of tree failure. An act of God occurs as a result of “totally natural causes, which could not be prevented against by the actions of any particular individual.” If you could have prevented the damage through regular checks and maintenance of a tree on your property, it is not an act of God and you could be held liable.One of our 10 Certified Arborists should be your go-to person for tree-related matters. We recommend a hazard assessment to determine if a risk is present. After damage has occurred, our Certified Arborist should be called upon to assess your financial loss, including the cost of removal and repair, for insurance, tax or legal purposes. Our Certified Arborist can also handle repair or replacement.Finally, we recommend that you document your landscaping investment to help establish its worth. Take photos of your trees and plants so you have before and after examples should you need to establish value.
Do you keep a garden or plant diary as I suggested in a previous blog? Do you know which plants in your landscape are too tender to survive the winter?If you’ve been keeping a diary, you probably have a list of plants that need extra protection. If you just started keeping one, this will be your baseline year when you will enter in spring those plants that fared well and those that didn’t fare so well.Different plants have different needs. That’s why you have to track their progress with a diary. Some may appear tender but will survive well under a blanket of snow. However, we may have some very cold weather without a blanket of snow.Many plants can be protected by adding an extra layer of mulch for the winter. You can apply up to four inches, but be prepared to remove one or two inches in the spring.Many tender trees, especially young trees that you just planted this year, may need a burlap coat. Just drive poles into the ground around the perimeter of the tree, wrap with burlap and staple it to the poles. Be sure to keep the top open to moisture and sunlight. Usually, evergreens need wrapping since they continue their life functions in winter, albeit at a slower pace. Wrapping may also be needed for both evergreen and deciduous trees planted close to the road to protect them from road salt spray.Individual or groups of plants can be covered with a breathable, transparent or semi-transparent landscape fabric. The fabric just needs to be held away from the leaves and stems with stakes. You can also buy small hoop houses and garden covers at garden centers and online.Especially sensitive plants should be dug up, replanted in nursery pots and put in a cold frame. Cold frames can be built out of wood and glass, or you can buy them at garden centers or online. Some are rigid and others are more flexible. Mine is like a tent. It’s plastic on a metal frame. There are zippered panels in front and back to let in air and bigger zippered panels for tending to the plants. It folds up for the summer and in winter is just spread into an “A” frame and staked in the ground with tent pegs.If you use either a fabric covering or a cold frame, plan to water the plants whenever the temperature gets above freezing for a few days.Really sensitive plants like succulents should be taken inside for the winter. If you’re shaking your head and wondering where you’ll find the room, you’re not alone. Hardy plants, like yuccas, can be left outside in a sheltered spot, brought indoors or put in a cold frame.If you have tender plants, you won’t have to wonder what to do with your green thumb all winter. You’ll be following the suggestions above and tending to your tender plants. Good luck.
Previous blogs have dealt with the economic benefits of a well landscaped yard, but now the U.S. Forest Service has confirmed the health benefits as well.The Forest Service recently released its first national study on the broad-scale impacts of pollution removal by trees. Researchers found that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms. They value the human health effects of the reduced air pollution at nearly $7 billion every year.While the research centered on trees, all green plants reduce pollution to some extent, especially those with pubescent or fuzzy leaves. Trees just take on a greater percentage of the burden due to their size and the fact that woody stems sequester more carbon than smaller herbaceous plant stems. When designing a landscape, however, it’s important to balance aesthetics with health benefits and all other considerations. Plant aesthetics are what give us the enjoyment and serenity from our gardens. This requires a balance of woody and herbaceous plants. Otherwise, you would have a forest instead of a landscape.Speaking of forests, it seems reasonable that pollution removal would be higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The researchers agreed with this point, but noted that the effects on human health are substantially greater in urban areas than in rural areas. They also noted that pollution removal equates to an average air quality improvement of less than 1 percent, yet the impacts of that improvement are substantial.Health effects related to air pollution include impacts on pulmonary, cardiac, vascular and neurological systems. In the United States, approximately 130,000 particulate-related deaths and 4,700 ozone-related deaths in 2005 were attributed to air pollution.Study researcher David Nowak concluded, “In terms of impacts on human health, trees in urban areas are substantially more important than rural trees due to their proximity to people. We found that, in general, the greater the tree cover, the greater the pollution removal, and the greater the removal and population density, the greater the value of human health benefits.”Applying these statistics to our own properties, surrounding ourselves with plants can reduce the pollution within our personal environments substantially. As you rake leaves and prepare your landscape for winter, survey your plant material from tree canopy all the way down to the ground cover to determine if it’s doing the job for you and your family. If it isn't, use the winter wisely to meet with one of our designers to see what can be done to put your landscape to work removing pollutants and creating a healthy landscape for you.
We all know that leaf raking is an annual fall ritual. Some might consider leaf raking all that’s necessary to prepare trees for winter. That’s probably not the case, however.When was the last time your trees had a hazard inspection? If it’s been a few years, this might be the year to have it done. Call to schedule an inspection before winter snow flies, ice forms and heavy rains pelt your trees.Autumn is the best time to have this service done. Trees bare their bones, so our arborists can see their skeletal structure. This helps them identify weak, dead, dying, touching or scraping limbs, and remove them before a storm breaks them and causes additional damage. Branches hanging over roofs or power lines should also be removed.During an inspection, our Certified Arborist will check the forks, or crotches, between limbs and branches. If they are “U” shaped, they should be strong enough to withstand anything Mother Nature can throw at them. If they are “V” shaped, they may be weak because the two branches are vying for the same space. As they grow, this space race gets more intense. The stronger limb is going to win and the weaker will break sooner or later, unless cables and braces are installed to take some of the weight off the weaker of these “co-dominant stems.”We will check the trunk for cracks and rot, with special emphasis on the base and root area. We’ll also check for girdling root and other root problems. A girdling root, also called crossing or choking root by some arborists, occurs when a root grows side ways rather than downward. As it grows, it crosses other roots and, as they try to occupy the same space, the girdling root chokes off the absorption and transportation functions of the roots it crosses. If left unchecked, the tree will decline and, eventually, die. Removal of a girdling root is a simple surgical procedure. A leaning tree can also be a symptom of root problems.A complete tree inspection before winter will give you the peace of mind that you have done everything possible to prevent personal injury or property damage during any wind or ice storm this winter.While most of this blog describes what a Certified Arborist will do when conducting a hazard tree inspection, there’s one thing you can do. Take photos of all your trees and other landscape plants. A nice landscape can add up to 20 percent to the value of your home. If you suffer the loss of one or more trees, you may be able to claim a casualty loss on your income taxes.
[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="300"]
photo credit: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org[/caption]Grubs have plagued area lawns since long before I entered the tree and landscape business. However, they are now better controlled thanks to more people taking a keen interest in their lawns.Like most bugs, grubs are adventitious creatures. They go for the easiest meal, and that’s usually the weakest lawns. Good, thick, healthy turfgrass is more than a single crop of grubs can devour. That being said, it’s still imperative that everyone check their lawns for grub larvae, beginning in late August. If one property owner in a neighborhood is lax, control for the whole neighborhood is compromised.What are grubs? Remember those big, brown, beetle-like insects that were flying around in June and early July, hitting windows and screens? Those were adult European chafer and Japanese beetles. Grubs are the immature stage of those two pests.After mating, the chafer or beetle lays its eggs in sod. When the grubs hatch, they start migrating down into the soil while feasting on tender turfgrass roots. Needless to say, this kills the turfgrass plants and they turn brown. This is the best time to control grubs. They are still small, living and feeding near the surface, and are more susceptible to control material.To determine if you have grubs, and how many, cut several one square foot pieces of green sod and roll it back. Count the number of grubs. If there are six or fewer, they are not present in sufficient concentrations to really harm your lawn. If there are seven or more, you should either spread grub killer on the lawn or call us to do it.As the temperatures fall, the white, crescent-shaped grubs burrow deeper into the soil until spring. When they return to just below the surface in spring, they’re about double the size and ready for one last feast before pupating and morphing into adults. We don’t recommend treating in spring, unless your yard is overrun by grubs.If you have brown grass that doesn't re-green after grub treatment, rake out the dead grass. If the area is small, the healthy grass will fill in the open space over time. If it’s larger, you’ll have to re-seed. Be judicious with fertilization, provide sufficient water and mow high.It may not be possible to eradicate grubs, but you can win the battle in your own yard. If you have healthy turfgrass, you can keep them under control by following the steps presented above. Next season, you may want to consider a Birchcrest lawncare program and leave the diagnosis and treatment up to our professionals.
Here it is well into July and we’re still dealing with winter dieback. This year, it has been the worst I've ever seen. Usually, we get calls for small evergreens that weren't protected with an anti-desiccant and have some brown needles. This year, we’re seeing whole trees and shrubs that turned brown.Taxus (yews) are usually indestructible, yet, we've received several calls from customers who have lost mature Taxus to winter dieback. One customer has a row of junipers about midway up the hill in back of the house. They've been growing fine for 12 years, but this spring, he noticed dieback, mostly from the bottom. There were also a few top branches that died. One branch began turning brown in May.At a social event, I was asked why a large blue spruce was losing its blue color on the bottom branches while the upper branches were just fine. Checking the tree when leaving the event, I noticed that these branches had not just lost their blue color, they were turning brown.Many hydrangeas leafed out beautifully at the bottom, but the tops were dead. The dead tissue began right about at the snow line. That’s because the bottom branches were protected while the branches that protruded above the snow weren't protected. so they were unable to survive the bitter cold.Pruning out the dead wood is the only remedy. If you prune shrubs yourself, remember to not leave stubs. Prune branches all the way back to a junction with live wood. Don’t be afraid to prune out extra wood if it will help the shrub to look more natural. This can be dirty, scratchy, unpleasant work, so you can call us to do it for you.If you have trees that are winter burned, don’t even think about pruning them yourself. It’s too dangerous. Call our trained, insured, equipped arborists to do the job professionally and safely.As for lawn damage, we haven’t seen as much fungal disease as we do in most spring seasons. I think that’s because we had below freezing temperatures and snow cover most of the winter, and this protected the turfgrass.
Everything I’ve read or heard indicates that we’ll have a mild winter, thanks to El Nino. My humble prediction is that we won’t experience as much dieback as we did last winter. If we have a lot of freeze and thaw cycles, however, we may see more fungal lawn diseases.What should you do to prepare your landscape plants? Take maximum precautions and you should be pleased in spring. If it is a difficult winter, you’ll be satisfied that you did all you could to protect your plants. If it’s a mild winter, you’ll be pleased that your valuable plants fared well.Problems could arise, even if the winter is mild. If we have an extended warm spell, like we had several years ago, leaf or flower buds could break prematurely. While this isn’t dangerous, the plants will have wasted valuable, stored food to push a flush of leaves or flowers that won’t last. If we have frequent freezing and thawing, thin bark trees could suffer frost cracks. Most of these, also, do not present a health risk for the tree. In time, they’ll callus over.Constantly wet grass is a good breeding ground for fungal diseases that attack turfgrass in winter. Winter lawn diseases include dollar spot, brown patch, gray snow mold and fairy rings. Besides the extreme temperatures, an extended warm spell followed by a cold snap with rain, snow or ice, can also promote diseases. Like trees and shrubs that break buds during a long warm spell, turfgrass could break dormancy, chlorophyll could return and photosynthesis begin for that short time. That would be like a four star restaurant for those little fungi.There is nothing you can do to prevent the problems listed above. However, each is quite minor as landscape problems go. More important than fretting the small stuff is to be sure you’ve protected your trees from wind, ice and snow with a tree hazard inspection by a Certified Arborist. I covered this in another blog. If you’ve done everything you can, just enjoy the (hopefully) mild winter, unless you’re a winter sports enthusiast.
Weeds have always been the gardener’s nemesis. But, what is a weed? The most common definition is that a weed is a plant growing where you don’t want it. The late J. C. Raulston, for whom the arboretum at North Carolina State University is named, defined weeds as any plant having to deal with unhappy humans.The bottom line is that we all dislike weeds, but how far will you go to make your yard weed-free? Chemical methods work best on weeds in your lawn. This is because there are herbicides that will kill broadleaf weeds without affecting the grass. Most herbicides for use against weeds in planting beds are “nonselective,” which means that they kill everything green, even your prized plants. Pulling weeds is still your most effective control.One of our customers bought a sign while on vacation that has a prominent place in his garden. It reads, “Experimental dandelion farm. Don’t disturb the weeds.” Although he is very conscientious about keeping weeds out of the garden, the sign makes him feel better when the weeds get ahead of his weeding effort.I knew Felder Rushing would have some words of wisdom in his Slow Gardening book, so I went to the section on weeds and, sure enough, he quoted his mother. She shares a philosophy on weeds with her horticulturist grandmother who found, in Rushing’s words, the best philosophy of all. That is, “Whenever I find a weed I simply cannot get rid of, I just plant something taller or weedier than it, and let ‘em fight it out on their own.”The bottom line is that your garden, or yard, is a reflection of you. So, the task of deciding how aggressively to wage your war on weeds is up to you. My only advice is:
Although this winter is predicted to be milder than last year, I’ll still enjoy seeing the little crocus flowers poking their heads up through the snow, grass or wherever this spring. This is the signal that spring is on the way. These flowers are probably more reliable than groundhogs, too.
Following crocus’ debut, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths emerge to display their festive fare right on cue. That is, if you planted the bulbs from which these flowers now grow, the previous fall.
In the late summer, garden centers set up elaborate bulb displays. These are colorfully illustrated so you know what you are buying, including the height and the color of the flowers. Some come in packages containing a variety of bloom colors. They also sell individual bulbs so you can make your own color choices. Some people like a rainbow effect while others like a single color. You can definitely have it your way!
Planting bulbs is easy. All you really need is a trowel, although garden stores also have fancy bulb planting tools. Just thrust your trowel into the ground and pull it back toward you until you have a hole about the diameter of the bulb and twice as deep as the length of the bulb. If the bulb is three inches long, the hole should be six inches deep. Just drop the bulb into the hole and backfill.
Be sure to plant the bulb right side up. The root side (flat with small hair roots) goes in the bottom of the hole. After backfilling, tamp the area lightly to eliminate air pockets and then give the newly planted bulbs a nice drink of water.
Don’t put any fertilizer in the planting hole. The bulb itself is made up almost entirely of starch, enough to provide the new plant with sufficient food until it leafs out and begins photosynthesizing – making its own food.
I recommend buying your bulbs as soon as garden stores start advertising them. You can keep them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant. Bulbs can be planted right up until the ground freezes, so you can wait for a nice, fall day to plant them. Then you can enjoy the winter, confident that these harbingers of spring will delight you with beauty and color as winter begins to break its hold on us.
This is my annual reminder that fall is the best time for planting many varieties of trees and shrubs. I said “many” because evergreens are best planted in spring.Trees and shrubs like fall’s warm days and cooler nights. Also, we get more moisture in the fall, although water hasn’t been a problem this summer. All of these factors combine to help your new plants adapt to their new environment.By the time they defoliate and go dormant for winter, they’ll be nicely established and have a head start over trees and shrubs planted next spring.The “right plant, right place” mantra applies in the fall as well as spring. Before going to the garden center, check on whether your planting site is in sun or shade and how much moisture and wind the site receives. Read the nursery tag on the plant and/or consult with a horticulturist at your garden store to be sure you’re buying a plant that will thrive with minimal maintenance. Also, be sure the plant will grow in our hardiness zone, which is zone 5 or 6, depending on where you live.Finally, be sure the tree looks good. Before you go to the garden store, check the Internet for photos of the tree or shrub you want to buy. You may even want to print out a photo and take it with you. At the nursery, examine a number of trees or shrubs of that variety. Select the one that best resembles the photo. The branches should have good structure, not crossing or interfering with each other. They also should be attached to the trunk at an angle, not straight out. Those growing straight out are weakly attached water sprouts – not good. Check the roots, especially where the trunk begins to flare out to form the roots. This should be visible, not covered with soil. If you aren’t happy with any of the plants you see, go to another store. One personal rule that I have is to buy plants only from local garden centers, not big box stores.Some garden centers may have sales to get rid of spring plants that have been in the nursery all season. Others may have ordered new stock for the fall planting season. Whether to save money or buy new is your choice.The planting technique doesn’t change in fall. Dig the planting hole two to three times wider than the rootball, but only as deep. If potted, remove the plant from its pot. If balled and burlapped, remove the wire basket or rope but leave the burlap around the ball.Set the plant in the hole and backfill, stopping occasionally to press the backfill to fill in any air pockets. Do not pile soil up against the trunk. Finally, water well and mulch. Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch, but do not pile it up against the trunk in a mulch volcano. Before winter, add another inch of mulch, but be prepared to remove that extra inch in spring.If your tree is a tender variety or you planted it in the direct path of the prevailing wind, you may have to build a wood or burlap shelter around it to protect it against winter winds. Stake it only if necessary, and be sure you don’t use wire or anything that will “bite” into the bark.
Due to its late start, summer seems to be speeding by at breakneck speed. If the season is passing faster than you can get your summer projects done, fear not, there is still plenty of time. Just choose your projects carefully.Select projects that won’t be affected by the forthcoming winter. Plant only late season annuals like chrysanthemums. Don’t plant tender plants that need the whole growing season to acclimate or you’ll have more work protecting them from the cold and wind.Some of the projects that you can still get done this season include planting trees and shrubs, planting bulbs, renovating the lawn, dividing perennials, and building or installing hardscapes. This is plenty for most homeowners.This summer season has actually been quite pleasant for working outdoors. The heat hasn’t been oppressive and the rain hasn’t been excessive. If procrastination is the reason for not getting your projects done, may I suggest help from our tree, lawn and landscape professionals?Whatever the scope of your project from planting a perennial to designing and installing a whole new landscape, we can do it for you. Designing and installing a whole new landscape may seem like an insurmountable job for an individual, but for a crew that does this type of work day in and day out, it’s a slam dunk.So don’t fret the thought of having to wait until next summer for that new or renovated landscape. Just give us a call.
Container gardening is all the rage now. They’re featured in many gardening magazines, blogs and gardening television programs. There are several reasons for this big interest in container gardening. Nationally, there is a migration back to city living. This means smaller yards and, for some, no yard at all. Those who live in apartments or condos may have nothing more than a balcony on which to garden. These factors limit one’s options and containers fill the bill rather well.What about here in the suburbs? Does container gardening have a place? The answer is yes. We often design containers into customer landscapes. Containers supplement in-ground beds and provide added color to patios and decks. The photo shows nationally recognized nurseryman Tony Avent’s patio at his home in North Carolina. Tony’s in-ground landscape is large, extensive and diversified. However, his patio garden has a southwest theme and, even though he is in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, some desert plants are just too tender to overwinter in the ground. Potted plants can be taken indoors or into a greenhouse.Decorative containers can add even more color to your landscape than the plants do. Garden centers have a wide variety of containers in every shape, size, material and decorative theme imaginable. You can go eclectic or you can follow a theme as Tony Avent did in the photo.Another very real consideration when discussing the container craze is the graying of America. Locally, we are following the national trend and, as gardeners age, they may hire a landscape company to tend their in-ground planting. However, they still want to garden and turn to container gardening. The result is often a spectacular landscape of meticulous, professionally-maintained lawn, trees and planting beds punctuated by beautiful, colorful containers. This also applies to others who don’t have time to maintain their properties but still want to garden.With the increased interest in container gardening, we are also experiencing a renewed interest in food and food preparation, Many foodies who also enjoy gardening are planting herbs in containers and either raising them on a kitchen window sill or in containers just outside the kitchen, placing herbs close at hand.If the reason for the container craze could be summed up in a few words, they would be versatile, transportable, colorful, as well as easy and fun to work with.
