Are you looking to ensure your landscape is healthy? Here are five things to know about plant and tree care to help keep your landscape in good shape!
1. Tree Pruning
Tree pruning is the process of removing dead, diseased, and loose branches from trees. It is done for the health of the tree, but it also helps to make the landscape more aesthetically pleasing. This process is best done in the winter months, so make sure to stay on top of it!
2. Tree Removal and Stump Grinding
There are two processes for taking out a tree from a property: tree removal and stump grinding.
Tree removal is when the tree and the roots are fully taken out of the ground. If the roots are spread throughout the landscape, this can mean a lot more work and a less natural look after the job is done.
Stump grinding, however, avoids these issues by destroying the stump and leaving the roots. Once the tree is cut down, the stump is grinded to be level with the ground. This leaves the landscape looking more natural and causes less damage to the property.
3. Fertilization
Fertilization is often misunderstood as being food for plants and trees. The reality is that their food comes entirely from photosynthesis. However, fertilization helps provide the soil with the minerals needed to allow them to photosynthesize.
In order to find out if you need fertilizer for your plants, an acidity test for your soil is available. Depending on the results, this will tell you if fertilization will be necessary.
Most uses of fertilization come from full fertilizers in order to provide all of the minerals needed for your landscape. Within this category, there are two fertilizers to choose from: fast-release and slow-release. The choice of which to use depends on the characteristics of your soil, so it’s best to consult with someone before making a purchase.
4. Air Spade
Sometimes the surrounding soil of your landscape can be damaging to your trees. One solution is to use an air spade to help remove it. Doing this can move the soil which allows for the roots of the tree to be worked on without damaging them. With this accessibility to the soil, many different opportunities are made available when working on your landscape.
5. Soil and Trunk Injections / Pest Control
Pests such as the Elm Leaf Beetle can cause issues for the lifetime of the property if they are not correctly dealt with. However, there are treatments that exist to stop the development of further generations.
Soil and trunk injections are both viable ways for maintaining control of pests. Instead of the risk that sprays can cause by possibly getting on unintended areas, injections are sent directly to their destination. Since they are not accessible after injection, this also eliminates the need to avoid the area afterwards.
These can also be used to deliver nutrients directly into the tree. In Colorado, alkaline soils can often leave the tree lacking in the micronutrients needed to make chlorophyll. With this method of tree care, those micronutrients can be injected directly into the tree to ensure they remain healthy!
To learn more about our commercial landscaping services, contact DCPS today!
