TREE & LAWN CARE BLOG
How To Care For A Crepe Myrtle Tree
Crepe myrtle trees are one of the top favorite trees to plant in the southeast region. There are a wide range of hybrids that all present different colors, hardiness and bark. They are a deciduous tree and will provide showy flowers in summer time and a bright fall color shortly before they return to a dormant state.
How do I care for my crepe myrtle tree?
Proper planting
First and foremost, ensuring soil pH is slightly acidic and well draining will give you the best results. Not sure what type of soil you have? Local certified arborists can take a soil sample from the area you would like to plant to give you an inside look on what you may need to supplement with. Plant your crepe myrtle in full sun (6 hours or more per day) to get the best blooms!
Fertilization
We recommend having a tree care specialist apply a fertilizer to your soil to keep your crepe myrtle healthy and thriving.
Watch out for fungus and pests
Crepe myrtle trees are susceptible to a number of fungus and pests including:
Aphids
Spider mites
Scale
Japanese beetle
Powdery mildew
Cercospora leaf spot
Having routine tree health exams by a local certified arborist provides early intervention of any and all pests and diseases to stop them before or when they start.
Regular pruning
The basic maintenance of a crepe myrtle tree is regular tree trimming. While you should remove all dead branches throughout the year, extensive crepe myrtle trimming should only be performed in the dormant season by a reputable tree service company.
If you are interested in crepe myrtle care or have additional questions, click the link below to be connected with a local arborist today!
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Are Lace Bugs Damaging My Azaleas?
Azalea bushes are a very popular specimen for a number of reasons such as their wide variety of colors, low maintenance nature and vibrant seasonal blooms. However, they are very susceptible to a few different pests and diseases; one being the azalea lace bug.
What is the azalea lace bug?
The azalea lace bug is one of the most commonly reported landscape pests. They are named after the lace appearance on their wings. They tend to live and feed on the chlorophyll on the underside of leaves, though they are very hard to see, measuring at only 1/8 inch long.
What are the signs of the lace bug?
Since the azalea lace bug is so small, it is usually identified by the damage left behind. The most common symptoms of lace bug damage on azaleas are:
Sticky, black or rust colored substance on leaves
Bleached out or silvery looking leaves
How do I treat it?
As always, the best treatment is first prevention. Proper planting is especially important for azaleas as one getting too much sun or drought can naturally attract the lace bugs. A routine pruning maintenance and fertilization plant, customized by a lawn care specialist is recommended.
Once an azalea lace bug infestation is identified by a lawn care specialist, an insecticide will be applied. The technician will either apply the insecticide directly into the soil, spray the plant above ground, or both. The area of application will depend greatly on the severity of the infestation and the technicians recommendation. If you have lace bugs damaging your azalea bushes, click the link below to be connected with one of our plant health care specialists now!
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Is This Warm Winter Bad For My Trees?
We have all been soaking up the 62 degree sunshine in Georgia the past few days. But it makes you wonder if this prolonged warm period affects your trees and plants. The drastic high to low shifts in temperature can bring about a big problem for your trees.
How does a warm winter affect my trees?
Our trees have yearly cycles, going dormant in the fall/winter time and awaiting the warmer weather to start budding out and blooming for spring. So if the weather is consistently warm for a period of time in winter, it will prompt your trees to start blooming. When the weather then shifts back to a cooler temperature, the buds on your trees can die off.
In addition to bud die off, there is a higher risk for injury to your trees in the changing weather. Your trees naturally will expand and contract as they freeze and thaw in winter. When this becomes and every other week occurrence of thawing and freezing, it can result in vertical cracking of the bark opening your trees up to decay, pests or fungus to enter.
What can I do?
Mulching the base of your trees provides a sort of barrier for the roots to keep them insulated and somewhat protected from the harsh conditions.
A healthy watering schedule can also help to reduce the risk of decline in your trees in winter.
For more tips or information on protecting your trees in winter time, click the link below to be connected with one of our ISA certified arborists now!
Call an arborist
Weed Prevention Tips for Spring
There’s nothing like a lawn with no trace of weeds in sight. For most, weed prevention can be a daunting task but with the right information and products, you can easily achieve all of your lawn care goals.
The key to having a yard full of lush, weed free, green grass is to start with a pre-emergent.
What is a pre-emergent?
Pre-emergent is a herbicide that when applied correctly and at the right time can prevent *most* weeds from emerging in the spring and summer months. Pre-emergent spray starts with the root of the problem, the actual seed of the weeds BEFORE they form. However, they don’t kill the weed seeds, instead, they completely stop the growth process from happening all-together and before they are even germinated.
When should I spray pre-emergent in Georgia?
For this process to be effective, the herbicide must be applied to the soil at the right time and temperature, which is between 50-55 degrees. In Georgia this date ranges from beginning of January to March 20th. Information regarding the temperature of your soil can be found online from numerous resources.
Will pre-emergent herbicides damage my grass?
If you have just recently installed a new pallet of sod, its best to wait until this grass has a chance to settle in before tackling the weed problems that might arise. It is important to know which pre-emergent reacts with the specific type of grass you have in order to avoid any mishaps. For example, methylated seed oil should never be used on Bermuda grass. Be sure to consult with your local lawn care technician in regards to which pre-emergent is most highly recommended for your grass and soil type.
Should I use spray or granulated pre-emergent?
This question solely relies on preference. Either or will do the job as long as they are mixed and applied evenly and thoroughly to the grass. Pre-emergents are essentially strong barriers to prevent weeds from popping through. This is why it is important to make sure your application is very evenly distributed.
Still have questions? Contact us today for help with your lawn care problems using the link below!
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Inorganic Vs. Organic Mulching Materials
Mulching or landscape offers a number of benefits especially when using LifeMulch premium organic wood chips. Mulching your garden beds and trees prevents weeds, controls soil erosion, cuts back on the watering schedule, and provides a large amount of nutrition for your soil.
A very common question we tend to get is what is the difference between organic and in organic mulching materials? And do they provide the same amount of benefits?
What are some examples of organic versus in organic mulching materials?
-Organic mulching materials include wood chips, straw leaves, compost, sawdust, grass clippings, and grape Pomace.
-Inorganic mulching materials include plastic sheeting, rubber chips, rocks and geotextiles.
Inorganic Benefits
Inorganic mulching materials such Can be very pleasing to the eye aesthetically and are a little more low maintenance however, they are solely used to generate barriers to prevent weeds from growing. In organic mulching materials do not decompose as organic does, so they will not provide your gardens or your trees with any extra soil quality or nutrition. If you were looking for a low maintenance mulch material that will prevent weeds in your garden beds and around your trees, inorganic mulch is for you!
Organic Benefits
The benefits of organic mulching materials definitely outweigh in organic materials in Athens by far. organic mulching materials conserve soil moisture which cuts back on your watering schedule and time spent in the garden in Athens. Organic mulch is also encourages the growth of soil micro organisms and reduces the spread of pathogens created in the soil from the splashing that is created during rain storms and watering. as organic mulch decomposes over time, your gardens and trees will be filled with extra nutrition throughout that will greatly benefit the trees and plants surrounding it.
If you’re looking for organic mulch delivery in Athens, LifeMulch is the way to go! We have a wide selection of premium colored organic mulch is available for delivery or pick up at an extremely low cost. Skip the line and save money by purchasing wholesale organic mulch for delivery in Athens today! if you have questions or concerns regarding what type of mulch would be best suited for your home please feel free to contact us using the link below!