Reduce Those Winter Heating Bills

Written by Admin and published on https://treecaretips.org/.

Everyone knows that summer temperatures are cooler in the shade, but trees can help cut winter energy costs, too. The most common approach is to plant evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and northwest sides of your property.

Planting to Reduce Those Winter Heating Bills

Everyone knows that summer temperatures are cooler in the shade. But in winter, it is easy to forget that trees can help cut winter energy costs, too. With some forethought, you can save money by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and northwest sides of your property.

“Planting evergreen trees and shrubs in certain areas around your house can create an effective windbreak,” says Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). “Generally, most cold winds come from the north or west. An option for those sides of the building is to plant a dense row of evergreens. This will provide additional insulation for your building. Be sure to plant them far enough from the foundation to allow for growth.”

Creating a windbreak

The ultimate goal of planting a windbreak – or living snow fence – is temperature control. A planting design that takes into account wind speed and direction can offer homeowners benefits ranging from reduced energy costs to more efficient landscape water management.

“Wind barriers can channel winds away from your house and cut down on cold drafts getting in,” Andersen advises. “In addition, shrubs, bushes and vines planted near a house can help keep the house cool in summer.”

How far away should you plant?

Allow enough space in the tree’s root zone for roots to grow. A qualified tree care provider can assist you with tree selection if you aren’t familiar with how much room a mature tree’s roots will need. Install physical root barriers if concerns about the foundation arise.

How dense should the windbreak be?

Whether your goal is to reduce the chilling effects of winter winds or control the accumulation of snow, the density of the plantings is key. A rough estimate of density can be determined by estimating the ratio of the “solid” area (branches, trunks, leaves, etc.) to the total area of the barrier.

For example, a row of deciduous trees might offer a density of roughly 30 percent. This means that the row consists of 30 percent trees and 70 percent open space in winter. By comparison, a row of conifers might have a density of 50 percent or 60 percent in winter.

Higher-density windbreaks are better at slowing wind speed enough to cause snow to drop to the ground. Therefore, snow will accumulate both on the windward and leeward side of the row (or rows). These types of living snow fences are extremely useful for keeping roads, driveways and other high-use areas clear of drifts. This means less plowing, less shoveling and less aggravation.

Every location is different, and there is no perfect design that will be effective in all situations. A professional arborist can evaluate your planting sites and help plan an effective windbreak that will offer homeowners a variety of benefits for years to come.

What can you do?

A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best trees and shrubs to plant and to care for in your existing landscape. Search for a qualified tree care professional in your area.

Original post here https://ift.tt/3dSGEIH.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/35fzF8Q
via IFTTT

Older Trees Grow Faster

Written by Admin and published on https://youngzine.org/.

It turns out that as a slew of tree species age, they grow faster and gobble up more carbon dioxide than when they were younger, according to a study published last week (January 15) in Nature. The findings, which involved decades of data taken from 673,046 trees in more than 400 tropical and temperate tree species around the globe, contradict a long-standing assumption that tree growth slows as the plants age. “The trees that are adding the most mass are the biggest ones, and that holds pretty much everywhere on Earth that we looked,” Nathan Stephenson, a US Geological Survey ecologist and first author of the study, told Nature. “Trees have the equivalent of an adolescent growth spurt.

Older Trees Grow Faster!

Imagine living indefinitely! And not just that, but the older you get, you grow faster. It seems the absolute reverse of anything you might have heard till now about any living being, doesn’t it?

A group of scientists from around the world studied 80 years of data on about 700,000 trees across tropical and temperate regions. They found that over 90% of those trees increasingly got thicker and packed on more and more bulk with time.

This means at a leaf-level growth, old trees beat younger ones hands-down, or rather, leaves-down!

Senescence – The Science of Aging

Nature normally puts a cap on the growth of animals. The phenomenon called senescence causes cells to change and break down over a lifetime, eventually causing death. Foresters had observed that after a certain height, many trees stopped getting taller. A natural conclusion drawn from that was trees stopped growing too.

But some scientists were not convinced. They noticed that trees shed and grew new limbs and leaves even as they aged. They believed that trees did not stop growing; only they were slower. Enlisting the help of scientists around the world, USGS ecologists noticed that trees are an exception to this general rule of senescence. They have almost unlimited growth potential. In fact their thesis of slower growth did not hold good.

Trees actually grow faster as they age! They simply keep on getting thicker and larger, unless prohibited in some way such as disease, drought or deforestation (logging). They noticed that a large tree could put on weight equal to a small tree in just one year – sort of like active healthy bodybuilders. In human terms, this would mean we would grow so much, that we’d weigh half a ton by middle age, and well over a ton by retirement!

What Are The Implications?

Well, we know that plants are the largest ‘eaters’ of carbon dioxide today. Many ecologists believe that young forests with more trees per area can capture more carbon and should be given importance. However, these findings imply that older giants are way more effective than younger ones at absorbing carbon.

One of the next steps in this research is to determine if faster growth in aging trees correlates to more carbon storage. If proven, this can have a positive impact. Carbon dioxide, as you know, is a greenhouse gas blamed for rising temperatures. Finding ways to absorb this excess gas – known as CO2 sequestration, can slow down global warming, and will make a case for preserving old-growth forests. 

Original post here https://ift.tt/3m2C4dI.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/3dMuuB3
via IFTTT

How to Improve the Quality of Your Trees

Written by NEA Member Benefits and published on https://arbormagic.com.

The trees on your property offer a wide array of benefits. An individual tree can add up to 10 percent on your property’s value, and when you landscape using trees, it can increase your home’s value by as much as 20 percent. In addition to helping to add value to the outside of your home, trees planted on the west side can actually lower your power bills by as much as three percent.

Services to Improve the Quality of Your Trees

Since the life has discovered on Earth, trees have furnished us with two of life’s essentials, oxygen, and food. They also provide other necessities such as medicine, shelter, and tools. Today, their value continue to increase.

Summer, spring, winter or fall! Every season brings a change to your yard and with each season the trees and shrubs change their growth and shape.

Tree trimming and pruning encourages air circulation that reduces disease extent and the possibility of damage from high winds. Tree trimming also removes an unhealthy or dangerous branch that can easily fail in severe weather and allows more sunlight to reach your brake plants. Whether you need tree pruning, tree trimming, or tree removal, you must hire an experienced professional to help you deal with the trees, stumps and shrubs in and around your yard.

Every tree needs proper care. A real professional can only tell about each part of the tree. So it is necessary to ask for guidance about various tree services.

• SHEAR OF TREES

There is various method to shear the trees, which include:

CLASS 1 SHEAR

It is the highest quality of work. The health of the tree is most important. Removal of dead branches from1/2 inch is being removed in Class 1 shearing.

HAZARD SHEAR

Hazard shear is the removal of large dead and decayed weak branches. This type of pruning is used to lessen hazards in high impact areas.

• STUMP GRINDING

After the eradication of the tree, the stump can be grounded below the surface using a grinding machine. It is beneficial to grind the stumps 6-12 inch below grade. The stump grinder should be light enough for lawns and narrow enough to fit the most gates.

• FERTILIZATION:

Trees require nutrients to live and flourish. If any nutrients lack in the soil, the tree will not reach its full landscape potential, it will be more exposed to infection and insect problems, and will have a shorter life than a similar, well-fertilized tree.

A fertilization program is used to keep trees and shrubs in a healthy condition and to increase their immunity against any injury from diseases and insects. However, the addition of any soil nutrient is recommended only if soil or greenness plant tests show a deficiency. According to experts, the two most common elements of nutrient problems are high pH (alkaline) soils, which can lead to chronic insufficient nutrients in some tree species, such as red maple and pin oak, and nitrogen-deficient soils. Potassium (K), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are essential plant nutrients and these are most commonly applied.

• CABLING & BRACING OF TREE LIMBS

Cabling and bracing helps the weak corner to minimize storm damage that can cause damage to property. Cabling & Bracing helps support structurally weak corner to minimize storm damage that can cause injury and property damage. Cabling is an important measure to preserve the overall structural health of a tree.

• TREE REMOVAL

Both small and large trees and shrubs are removed by the experts in safe and organized manner. Trees left to rot and died off can become exposed to falling over at any time creating a hazard for all the surrounding trees.

A trained Arborist can work with you to safely and conveniently remove your tree. Many tree removals are complicated and mistakes are costly. Make sure the Arborist you choose is qualified.

Original post here https://ift.tt/2HlWxvc.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/31uf4fO
via IFTTT

Mulch Matters – So Do it Right!

Written by NEA Member Benefits and published on http://cvhomemag.com/

Mulch can be frustrating. As a tool for nourishing your trees, or dressing up your landscape, you can’t beat it. But, as Charleston tree expert Rawson Services often sees, too much is too much. If you mulch your trees improperly, it ultimately can do more harm than good. Mulch giveth, mulch taketh away. First, look up. Your tree may be starting to resemble a Witches’ Broom. That’s a fairly strong and normal-looking base and trunk that lead up to a dead or dying canopy. Remember, trees often die from the top down. Right away, you know you have a tree problem…but what’s the cause?

Mulch Matters | Protect and Prepare for the Next Growing Season

This is the time of year when I’m grateful to have a fresh layer of mulch in my garden beds. Not only will it help keep my plants protected during the winter, it offers a tidy, finished feeling once the showier features of the garden have faded. With little in the way of vibrant blooms and foliage, a thick layer of mulch is like tucking in a blanket against the cold.

In addition to protecting plants during winter months and deterring next season’s weeds, mulch retains moisture in the soil and enriches it as it breaks down. There are several different ways to go when adding mulch to your garden. You can buy either natural or artificial mulch, or use materials that are already available in your yard.

Free mulch
If your property has mature trees, there’s little point in mulching before the leaves have fallen. Any mulch you buy will be covered up, and besides, with all of the organic material raining down it’s both practical and environmentally sound to use what you have. Don’t bag it and your landfill will thank you; don’t burn it and your neighbors will thank you. Leaves are a natural mulch that can both protect your plants and amend your soil—they are full of nutrients such as potassium, carbon, and phosphorous—and if you have heavy clay soil, they will help to lighten it over time.

As we all know, leaves will blow around in dry blustery weather, while in wet weather whole leaves can compact into a mat and prevent rain from penetrating, so it’s important to shred them before adding to your garden. One of the easiest ways to do this while also cleaning up your yard is to mow the fallen leaves. This works best with a limited amount of material, as heavy leaf fall will overwhelm most mowers. For bigger jobs, a leaf vacuum is invaluable. It looks like a push mower, but the blades shred the leaves into a large capacity bag. There are also vacuum attachments for ride-on mowers.

It’s perfectly fine to include grass clippings with shredded leaves, as they will break down quickly and add further nutrients. Just be sure not to use too much, since a thick layer of grass can get wet and moldy. One further warning: Grass that has weed killers or pesticides could carry that into your garden and potentially cause damage.

Pine needles can also be used as mulch, though again they can blow around if used on their own. They are somewhat acidic but become more neutral as they break down, so unless you’re working them directly into your soil, your plants probably won’t be affected.

And of course, if you have a compost pile, compost makes an excellent mulch. Whichever mulch you use, remove any dead branches on shrubs and any faded seasonal stuff before spreading it. This will ensure your garden beds look neat and are prepared for the next growing season.

Natural mulch
If you don’t have your own raw material available, or you prefer to purchase landscaping mulch, there are various options. Shredded hardwood bark is often a byproduct of lumber and paper industries, ergo part of the recycling process. Wood chips, or bark nuggets, are another alternative. They are slow to break down and so will last longer than shredded bark, but they do float and can wash away in heavy rain. Both bark and chips are available in multiple colors, including shades of red, brown, and black. If you have pets, be aware that dark mulch might stain their paws and potentially track into the house.

Straw is mostly used for vegetable gardens and does a good job of controlling mud. Just be sure there are no seeds in it, or come spring they’ll turn into weeds.

Mulch alternatives
For homeowners wanting a long-lasting mulch, rubber mulch—made from recycled tires—has been suggested.

While it won’t host termites or nuisance pests, it also won’t host beneficial bugs. Nor does it improve your soil; in fact, it’s more likely to leach chemicals into your garden. Add to that the fact that it is flammable, and rubber is generally not recommended by landscapers as a mulch material.

Pea gravel, however, makes a fine alternative to organic mulch. Not to be confused with regular gravel, pea gravel has a smooth, round shape and comes in various earthy tones. Its attractive appearance makes it a great choice for both garden beds and paths. While it won’t decompose, it will get hotter than organic mulch, so be careful with delicate plants. It also does best with some sort of edging to prevent it from escaping its borders over time.

How much mulch?
If you’re mulching more than a small area, it’s best to skip lugging home bags of mulch from the garden center and order a delivery. Local nurseries and landscape businesses often sell mulch by the pallet or scoop. One cubic yard of mulch will cover a 10 x 10 area with about three inches of material. A scoop of mulch is generally about 1.25 cubic yards, giving you about 120 square feet of coverage.

No matter which kind you choose, a blanket of mulch will enhance your winter curb appeal and make for happy plants now and into the next growing season. Whether you use what you have from your garden, or buy an attractive finishing touch from your local landscape business, now is a smart time to tackle this important garden project.  ✦

Original post here https://ift.tt/37s0Cc1.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/3m9ceoC
via IFTTT

Is Your Backyard Safe for Your Family?

Written by Admin and published on https://arbormagic.com/.

Your backyard is a wonderful place to be. Ideally, it should be an extension of your indoor living area, giving your children and pets (or just the child inside you) a place to romp and expend energy.

If you’re not careful, however, your backyard can also, unfortunately, be a dangerous place. While most lawns and gardens aren’t lying in wait to harm you, unintentional neglect can create the potential for injuries, accidents, and other mishaps. You can reduce the incidence of ER visits, hospitalizations and even death by taking just a few precautions to upgrade the safety of your outdoor space.

Is Your Backyard Safe?

As the weather gets warm, people begin to spend more time in the backyard. It’s wonderful! Summer is the perfect time to celebrate, to enjoy leisure time with family and friends under the green shades of the trees. But, what if someone gets hurt? What if the victim in a kid?

Well, it’s your responsibility to provide a safer environment in your garden to all. You cannot neglect a single sign of danger when it comes to the safety of your beloved ones.

To keep your garden safe, you can go for several practices like growing harmless plants, keeping the snakes and other such creatures away from your garden, cutting out the sick trees, building conventional boundaries, etc.  Among all these, the simplest yet effective method is Tree pruning.

Pruning is the most traditional method of tree maintenance. It is not just a great way to ensure your safety, but this practice is beneficial for the trees as well.

Here are various reasons to go for this practice:

• This practice reduces the risk of tree fall. Thus, provides a peace of mind to you!
• As it controls the size and height of the tree, it gives a structural look to the tree. Just remove the old and dense branches, and see how amazing your tree looks!
• It removes the dead and decay parts. Thus, serve the trees with a golden chance to grow healthy.
• This method also helps in improving the quality of flowers and fruits one gets from the trees. Go for this practice and enjoy the tastiest fruits!
• Pruning supports the branches in raising high and providing better-shaded area.
• Tree pruning in the summer prevents the spread of disease. Thus, it not just enhances the health of a tree, but also increases its lifespan.
• Pruning is also necessary to increase the air and light penetration inside the crown of the tree.

How to check if your tree needs to be pruned?

• Hanging branches: The branches hanging over your house, power lines, or nearby the street road can be dangerous. Such branches need just a stroke of wind to fall, or might not that also. If you find any branch hanging, get it pruned.
• Oozing Sap: It is commonly seen that the trees bleed in summer. It is not dangerous but is uncomforting as it is sticky and dirty. Make your backyard lovely and comfortable by removing such trees.
• Tangled Branches: If you find the branches rubbing each other or making criss-cross pattern, the tree requires to be pruned. This is so because the rubbing branches can damage itself and make the tree weak. As this reduces the contact with air and light, it makes the tree more vulnerable to diseases. Make the tree healthier by eliminating such branches. This is also useful for giving a magnificent look to your backyard.
• Dead and Decayed part: A diseased, dead part can be harmful to the proper growth of a tree. It prevents the supply of proper nourishment to the whole tree and weakens it from inside day by day. You cannot wait for the day when the tree becomes too weak to fall. Get it pruned.

As now you are aware of what Tree pruning is and why it is necessary, go for it. So, that if someone asks you, “Is your backyard safe?”, you won’t hesitate to reply with a “Yes.”

Even though it is always good to ask an arborist to do the tree pruning, you can also do it on your own if you have the precise knowledge and required types of equipment. It’s true that a landscaped yard gives a million buck look to your home, but a secure and fascinating backyard can make it appear incredible!

Original post here https://ift.tt/34HziDC.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/3mbEC9I
via IFTTT

What Kills Trees Quickly

Written by Ticara Gailliard and published on https://www.hunker.com/.

Trees are typically prized within landscapes for their attractive appearance and sometimes for the shade or fruit they provide. When a tree is diseased, unattractive, invasive, has outgrown the site or is simply no longer desired in a certain position, however, a homeowner may opt to remove or kill the tree. Herbicide use can generally expedite the tree killing process, though it is not necessary.

Quick Ways to Kill Plants & Trees

Manicured gardens are a thing of pride and beauty, but sometimes invasive or unwanted plants and trees crop up where they shouldn’t. When this happens, choose one of several methods for killing plants and trees, either naturally or chemically. When deciding on which method to use, be sure to keep in mind that you could accidentally kill wanted plants.

Over- or Underwatering

Excessive watering of many plants is a surefire way to kill them. Unless a plant is aquatic or very tolerant of wet soil, too much water will cause the plant to die off. Novice gardeners often overwater for fear that they aren’t watering their plants enough. On a similar note, neglecting to water plants, especially indoor plants that don’t benefit from natural precipitation, will also lead to their demise. Few plants can survive very long without water, and denying a plant necessary water causes it to dry up and die.

Girdling and Paving

A method of killing trees specifically, girdling involves stripping the bark from around the circumference of the tree. When the bark is removed, the tree cannot disperse the food created in its leaves down to its roots. This method of killing a tree takes a few weeks to work. Similarly, paving over a tree cuts off access to the roots as well, which will eventually kill the tree completely.

Salt and Vinegar

Both salt and vinegar effectively kill off plants. Salt dehydrates plants when water is added, causing them to die. Vinegar, when mixed with water, can be sprayed onto plants and around the soil to soak into the roots. However, with both substances, care must be taken. Salt can damage the ground and make it hard for anything else to grow there for a long time. Vinegar may not corrupt the soil, but it may kill plants that you want to keep. To avoid this, surround the unwanted plants with some kind of barrier, such as a cut two-liter soda bottle, and spray directly within the area.

Chemicals

Getting rid of unwanted plants and trees can be as simple as digging into your household cleaners. Borax, WD-40 and bleach all prevent plants from growing and will kill them. Once the chemicals have killed the unwanted plants, dig them up and dispose of them to prevent them from rooting again. As with salt and vinegar, care should be taken to ensure that wanted plants aren’t affected.

Original post here https://ift.tt/3nu3yuc.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/30JqJHo
via IFTTT

Do Trees Grow Back From Stumps?

Written by Brian Barth and published on https://homeguides.sfgate.com/.

Your faithful old tree has finally fallen. Maybe it got too sick or it was struck by lightning. In any case, most dead trees are reduced down to stumps. After that happens, you might have an odd question: can a tree grow back from a tree stump?

Can Stumps Grow Back?

Gardeners often fret over plants that are hard to grow, but plants that are hard to kill pose another challenge. The stumps of most woody species regrow after they are cut, and some tenacious trees and shrubs sprout again and again, even if they are repeatedly cut to the ground. Almost all deciduous species possess this trait to some degree, though it is not as common among evergreen coniferous shrubs and trees.

Stump Sprouting

Stump sprouting is a natural mechanism for plant regeneration. It allows a forest to return after a fire and prevents the death of saplings after they have been browsed by deer. A root system stores some of the energy produced in photosynthesis and directs it into new growth from the stump. Stump sprouting can be managed intentionally to create shrubby forms of large trees and to stimulate the growth of long, straight sprouts to harvest as fence posts, garden stakes and decorative materials.

Inherent Problems

A tree that has a single trunk makes numerous sprouts after it has been cut so only a stump remains. If the sprouts are allowed to grow, a multitrunked tree develops over time, with the long limbs growing at an angle to the stump. Those new trunks are prone to storm damage, often cracking at their connection to the stump. Repeated cutting worsens the problem. All new foliage generates energy that is stored in the roots, which is why some stumps seem to sprout indefinitely. The root crown gets bigger every year in a tree or shrub managed this way, making digging out the stump more difficult that it would be otherwise.

Mechanical Control

If all new growth is removed as soon as it emerges from a stump, the energy reserves in the root system become exhausted and the plant dies. Mowing the sprouts of a stump in a lawn achieves the goal, though the stump must be cut flush to the ground for the mower to pass over it. Remove the stump of a small tree or shrub with a shovel and pick ax. Using a backhoe or stump-grinder is the only option for removing a large tree stump. When using tools or equipment that causes wood chips to fly into the air, be sure to wear protective eyewear.

Chemical Control

A broad-spectrum herbicide, such as glyphosate, offers a less laborious solution for killing a stubborn stump. Do not dilute the glyphosate and use it in the concentrated form. Paint the herbicide on the all surfaces of the stump late in the growing season for the best results. Injuring the stump, or trunk, by drilling holes or hacking into it with a hatchet allows better penetration of the herbicide chemical to the actively growing plant cells. Once the chemical enters the plant’s “blood stream,” it is distributed quickly throughout living tissues, and the plant is unlikely to live another season.

Original post here https://ift.tt/34wSILv.

from AAA Tree Lopping Ipswich https://ift.tt/3iI36VE
via IFTTT