Red Cedar Tree & Shrub Care Experts
Local Tree Care – No Job Is Too Big Or Too Small
What we know in 27 years serving the Hudson Valley is that people always wait to until their trees are in poor health, infested by a pest or are too big to call. The secret to great plants is the same as humans; proactive care is better than reactive, or prevention trumps disease treatment.
Trees grow great in a natural environment. In the forest, trees are usually healthy enough to fight off common disease and insect problems. Taking a tree from its natural state and placing it in an suburban setting causes stress. Compaction of clay soil from foot traffic, competition with the grass for soil nutrients and water, and the construction or existence of curbs, walks, drives, buildings in the root zone are detrimental to the overall vigor of the tree.
Basic Tree Health
Over half the problems with trees start below the ground, but most are not noticed until a secondary pest causes damage in the trunk or canopy. For instance; wood borers like the bronze birch borer and the elm bark beetle don’t attack healthy trees. Thirsty, nutrient deficient trees succumb to damaging pests.
Where do we start then? We start by making sure the tree is receiving the nutrients needed doing a simple soil test. This information provides information about pH and deficiencies that will effect the health of the tree. Second; amending the soil with fertilizer or adjusting the pH with lime or sulfur will add vigor of the tree. At the same time we monitor and control pests that rise above acceptable thresholds. Fertilizing Hemlocks that have infestations of mites will only add to the problem. In this case, the mites must be controlled first.
Proper Tree Pruning
Proper pruning is a function that should be performed with a specific purpose: to remove dead/diseased branches, thin the canopy, lightly reduce the the longest branches back to a lateral branch, or elevate – removing the lower branches to allow sunlight underneath or create headroom.
Many times, we have clients call to have their trees reduced. Simply cutting back or topping results in near death or the tree can sprout back bigger and bushier depending on the species. No more than 20% of the branches and leaf volume should be removed in a single season. Topping to stubs is never appropriate.
Free On-site Consultation
Whatever the case, it always best to have one of our 5 Certified Arborist provide a free on site consultation to discuss your tree issues. We also provide solutions for ticks and deer.