TREE & LAWN CARE BLOG
5 Unique Ways to Dispose of your Christmas Tree
Christmas is right around the corner and as much as we all hate it, the Christmas decor has to go. Now if your anything like us and prefer your Christmas trees real, you never know what to do with your tree after Christmas! We have come up with a couple of very useful Ideas to help.
Cut the trunk into coasters - Safety is always first in our book so if you haven’t ever operated a chainsaw, please don’t hesitation to come by our office and we can cut it for you. We are located at 2601 Ivory Road Loganville, Ga 30052. On the other hand, if you or someone you know is familiar with how to work a chainsaw, start by taking all the branches off. Make sure you cut them as close to the trunk as possible, as you don’t want big stubs hanging off the sides of your coasters. Finally, just slice the trunk in very small, thin coasters, spray with a polyurethane to finish and let dry. Walla!
2. Use the pine needles as mulch - Mulch is the #1 way to keep your garden plants & soil happy year round. You can simply peel the needles directly off the branches of you Christmas tree and apply them straight on top of the soil to provide an Eco-friendly upgrade to your garden beds!
3. Use the twigs as stakes - Who has the time or the money to afford stakes for your veggie garden year after year? We have all been guilty of using common household items to hold up things such as beans or tomatoes. This is no different! Simply peel the needles off of the branches and use them as stakes for any of your plants that need it! Simple, yet effective!
4. Have a bonfire - What better way to have an after Christmas get together than a bonfire? Everyone can bring their tree, throw it in the pit to toast to a new year! Just be sure this is only kept outdoor, as the branches of a Christmas tree are a little too flame frisky to have in an indoor fireplace.
5. DIY wreath - Finally, you can take the cuttings off of the tree and use them to wrap around a wreath or as home decor around small items on shelves. If you buy the wreath base and just get some wire at the hobby shop, you can take the cuttings and simply attach them to the wreath. Add a couple of bows or other trimmings and there is a cheap alternative to buying those 30$ wreaths!
Or, you could bring it to our office December 26th - 29th and we will recycle it for you for FREE!
We are located at 2601 Ivory Road Loganville, Ga 30052
Come by anytime 7am - 3pm!
(770) 554-9406
Top 5 Trees to Plant for Curb Appeal
One of the most difficult things about landscaping is figuring out what your going to plant and where. The best advice ever told is “don’t plant trouble”. That means, no trees too close to the house that will eventually have to be removed by a qualified tree expert. Also, checking the type of tree and what it needs is a must. Otherwise, you might plant a bristlecone pine in the middle of Ga. and call us wondering why it hasn’t grown an inch and looks dead. We are in hardy zone 8 which means we have very high heat and high humidity as well. A soil test is a good idea before planting anything, just to make sure it will thrive in that specific soil. But, if thats too much of a hassle, we have listed out five of the best trees to grow in Ga. for curb appeal, no soil test necessary.
Japanese Maple - These beautiful trees are often found as the focal point in landscapes. Though they are a bit slow growing, only 1 to 2 feet per year, it will be worth the wait. They have many different cultivars so it is important to do your research on which kind you like. They also have dwarf varieties that are a little more like a shrub, and are great bonsai specimen.
2. Crepe Myrtle - Another beautiful species offering showy flowers in summer along with a great fall color. They are truly a great year round tree. These look great placed closer to the house but always 10 feet distance, along with some yearly pruning.
3. Red Maple - Another member of the maple family, they are one of the most beautiful trees that have a display of red through all the seasons. Though they are very common, they are known for their buds in winter, flowers in spring, leafstalks in summer, and bright, beautiful foliage in autumn.
4. Magnolia - Often used as a privacy tree, as they grow up to 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide, these trendy trees are a great addition, when properly planted and spaced away from the house. There is something to love about these trees in every season. Even in winter, they hold their dark, shiny green leaves until late spring, when the beautiful fragrant white flowers emerge.
5. Weeping Cherry - Something about weeping trees is just so calming for the landscape. Weeping willows prefer lots of water, so we chose the weeping cherry instead. They grow about 20-30 feet and bloom bright pink or white blossoms during spring. After the blossoms fall, the dark green leaves shower the tree until late summer.
These are just a few of our favorite trees to plant for curb appeal in Ga. If you have any questions on maintenance, fertilization or tree care in general, please feel free to call our office at (770)-554-9406 and we will be happy to connect you to one of our Arborists! Also, if you have any comments, suggestions or questions, there is a comment box at the bottom of this blog, please feel free to use this feature! We are always looking for new ways to improve at our business :)
Call us now! (770) 554-9406
Identifying Common Diseases
Common Tree/ Shrub Diseases and Fungus
Whether they are indoor/ outdoor plants or trees, they are all very susecptible to all different kinds of diseases. The good news is that if you can identify the issue as it is just beginning, we can most likely get one of our arborist’s to come out and fix the problem. There are quite a few of the more commonly seen diseases, listed below.
Oak Wilt - Also known as Bretziella fagacearum or Ceratocystis fagacearum. This problem can spread very easily between healthy trees. It is most commoly seen in red and white oak trees. There are many symptoms, though the easiest way to tell is the shedding of all leaves. The leaves on live oaks will have yellow veins that eventually turn brown. appearances An important thing to remember when trying to avoid oak wilt is to avoid pruning these trees between April 15 - July 15, this will greatly reduce the chance of your tree contracting this disease. If you have any questions about the health of your trees or notice leaves dropping out of its regular dormant period, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Sooty Mold - This usually affects the ornamental plants such as your azaeleas, crepe myrtles and laurels. Black spots will cover the leaves and trunks of the trees it has infected. However, even though it looks like something terrible, it usually does no harm to the plant its feeding off of. Usually just a cosmetic issue, but sometimes it can cause the trees leaves to yellow up or block the sunlight from getting to the tree.
Powdery Mildew - A powdery, white coating on the leaves of its host, this fungus loves high humidity and lots of shade. Unfortunately the only way to prevent it is to choose resistant varieties. Eventually the leaves will be distorted, turn yellow or red and drop.
These are just a few of the diseases that can affect your trees and shrubs. There are many, many more that can have much worse symptoms, so if you notice anything funky going on with your trees, be sure to give us a call for a free estimate by one of our certified arborists!
Call now! (770) 554-9406
Increase your property value with these helpful tree care tips!
Increasing your property value can be done in a number of ways. Marble countertops, renovating bathrooms and adding hardwood floors are all great things to add to a home, but what about the landscape? A beautiful landscape can increase the value of your home 6-15%. That means REMOVING all the dead trees and taking care of the healthy ones. No one wants to buy a house with a huge liability in the front yard when that tree decides to fall over.
Here’s a few things you should look out for when determining whether your property is sell ready.
Are there any dead tree’s in the yard? First, and foremost, let’s remove the biggest liabilities and then worry about the smaller stuff. Dead trees are like ticking time bombs, you never know when they are going to go off! Tree removal is a must for any dead trees.
Are there signs of disease/decay in my trees? Diseases can sometimes be treated if found early and depending on what type. However, decay, is tricky. Decay lies on the insides of the tree trunks and sometimes won’t show any signs or symptoms until its too late! Mushrooms around the base of a tree is NEVER good and always an indicator that there is some form of root rot/decay that needs to be addressed. Diseases come in all different forms including cankers, slime, fungus, etc. In a nutshell, if it looks funky, it most likely IS FUNKY.
Is my tree too close to my house? Improper planting is becoming a very common thing these days. Before deciding to purchase a tree to plant, always look up the ID card online to make sure your not putting an 80’ mature tree right next to your front porch, as you’ll likely need tree removal later on down the road. If you don’t have access to the information on the tree or simply cannot identify it, a general rule of thumb is nothing within 20’ of the house. Even trees with a narrow form can still have HUGE roots protruding out 20-30 feet from the base. This can mess with water/gas lines or anything underground.
Are my trees leaning towards a target? If a tree is leaning in a huge field with open grass, fine. If a tree is leaning towards the beautiful house of your dreams you just purchased, run. This is a huge liability as storm damage usually is alot more expensive than taking the preventative measures on your trees to begin with. Please give us a call if you notice any of these symptoms and think you may be in need of tree pruning.
Do you notice any dead limbs or leaves? Dead limbs aren’t always a good indicator of the health of a tree. Some usually just need a good prune. However, it’s best to have tree pruning performed as soon as you see them as the health of the tree is under stress trying to repair the dead/broken limb. The more routine pruning on your tree is performed, the better.
Call us today for a completely FREE inspection by a certified Arborist!
(770) 554-9406
Welcome to our blog!
Thanks for stopping by! We will be updating our blog with very helpful tips and tricks on various tree health and landscaping information. Please stay tuned for some great how-to’s that will be posted over the next week! Thanks!
Amanda Watson