Bad Pruning: What not to do!

Bad Pruning: What not to do!

Use an Expert Tree Service to Maintain Healthy Trees

Driving around Vancouver, and Clark and Cowlitz counties, we see some bad pruning. It makes us sad for the trees and homeowners, as we know that bad pruning can shorten the life of once beautiful trees, removing the many benefits that trees can bring to a property. More than that, once gracefully, branching trees are reduced to ugly stumps, and it can take a long time, and an expert tree service to rehabilitate bad pruning.

 

Bad tree pruning techniques to avoid:

  1. “Topping” You may have heard tree topping discussed, but it’s not a real pruning technique, used by tree professionals. A guideline for good pruning, used by expert tree services, is to maintain the natural growth habit of the tree. The natural flow of tree growth is from the trunk (coarse growth) to branches, ending in twigs (fine growth). It’s important not to cut off branches in the middle, topping the tree, and cutting off its ability to manufacture food for itself, by taking off most of the green leaves. The stubs left are susceptible to decay, and insect invasion. Branches that sprout from the stumps have a weak branch attachment, and are at risk for future failure. It’s very hard to bring a tree back from topping, requiring years of corrective pruning.
  2. “Lionstailing” is an over-thinning of the interior of the tree, resulting in what looks like a ‘Lionstail’ on the end of every major branch. This leads to an uneven distribution of leaves and weight at the end of branches, and long-term can lead to branches breaking, as the wind catches them. These trees are good candidates for severe storm damage. It is very important to retain the ‘inner green’ of trees, as they help to feed the tree. Ideally thinning cuts should be made throughout the tree, not just in the center, and weight should be taken off the ends of branches, if needed. It is recommended that not more than 15-20% of the tree canopy is removed at one time.
  1. “Pollarding” – The technique of pollarding originated in Europe, dating back to ancient Rome, as a way of producing firewood from living trees. It’s also a way of keeping a tree small enough to fit the space it’s planted in. It’s essentially a form of topping, and is still used in some formal gardens and along city streets. The upper branches of a tree (usually a Plane tree – Platanus species) are removed, leaving big, knotted stumps. These increase in size as the tree is pruned back annually. A multitude of thin, whip like branches grow back on these knots in the Spring. These trees are not particularly healthy, since the stumps can encourage weak growth and decay, and the trees are essentially stunted by severely cutting them back. This technique, if used at all, should only be used on younger trees. Pollarding could kill an older tree.
Preventing Poor Tree Care

Preventing Poor Tree Care

Getting your trees off to the right start 

Summer is a great time to take a look at your trees. It makes it easy to spot dead wood and begin the process of training young trees to develop a healthy and attractive canopy as they grow. Summer pruning should be light and selective. Young trees may benefit from early training to avoid future issues. Summer is NOT the time to aggressively prune your trees. Frontier Tree Care can save you the risk of having your trees damaged or poorly pruned, which can have lasting effects on your home and can lead to ongoing issues. The wrong style or methods of pruning make it challenging, if not impossible, for trees to recover from. We will get it right the first time! Contact us today!

Treating Pest/Disease Issues 

We are committed to maintaining high quality environmental standards that minimize the use of harsh chemicals for pest issues. Your landscape adds value to your home and your plant and tree health is a huge component of a beautiful outdoor space. We are in business to help you find the right solution to promote health, growth, and performance of your trees and landscape plants for years to come. We will work with you to develop a plan to prevent disease and pest issues and provide proper treatment for unavoidable circumstances. 

Fertilizing 

The optimal time to fertilize trees in the Spring when they break dormancy or in late Fall prior to dormancy. It’s easy to confuse things in the summer if you are actively fertilizing your shrubs, annuals and perennials. Another common garden mistake is trees inadvertently absorbing fertilizer that is meant for lawns that contain herbicides. This can damage them, especially young trees. 

June Landscaping and Pruning

June Tree Landscaping and Pruning

Summer is nearly here and everything is lush and green! It’s the right time to just enjoy the garden, while keeping up on landscaping and pruning maintenance. We have a few tips for you, this June, to keep your landscape healthy and gorgeous.

Pruning: 

tree pruningWhile pruning is the most common tree maintenance project, we don’t recommend doing any heavy pruning in summer, as any high temperatures can damage freshly pruned trees & plants. We always want to keep the nature of the tree in mind – incorrect pruning can permanently damage or kill the tree’s life.

However, the start of summer is a good time to do minor pruning of flush growth, to help trees & plants keep their shape during this time of increased growth. This is especially applicable to evergreen conifers, whether they are trees or shrubs. This minor pruning helps maintain overall health, without harming the core of the plant. Our maintenance team can come out to help you with this type of pruning and to spruce up your yard while they’re at it. 

Routine, proper pruning to remove dead, diseased or weak limbs can happen any time of the year without harming the tree. It is necessary for safety, clearance and overall landscape planning.  Get an estimate by clicking here.

Irrigation: 

As the warm weather starts, now is the perfect time to get your system started on for the year. residential irrigation Vancouver WAAs summer goes on, trees depend on homeowners more and more for water. It’s important to take care of your trees and shrubs with proper watering. 

The amount of water a tree needs depends on a variety of factors – age, species, time of year, weather and soil type. New trees need more watering than older ones, but as it gets warmer, all trees will need extra watering. You’ll need to find the balance between enough water to keep younger trees growing, and older trees healthy. You don’t want your trees & shrubs to be dependent on irrigation – they need to be able to survive on what mother nature provides. 

A good irrigation system can be adjusted, based on rainfall, so you can tailor it to the weather. Start now to get on a regular schedule by the end of June. July, August, and September are generally very dry months. Hopefully, by now you have had your backflow testing and any repairs done – if not contact us soon to get prompt service.

Weeding: 

weedingGetting rid of weeds is always at the top of everyone’s spring/summer garden care priorities. If you don’t start removing weeds now, you’ll spend all summer trying to get rid of them. Everything is having a growth spurt right now, including the weeds. They can be left over ones from last year, or new ones that sprouted in cool weather. Either way – get rid of them now.  It seems like every few hours, some new ones are popping up. Try to dig out the entire plant, including the roots, and pull them up BEFORE they make seeds. They’ll be easier to remove before the ground gets harder when the weather gets drier. If it gets out of control, or you just need a little professional help, our maintenance team is on the job!

What other garden tasks are on your list for this June? Do you have any concerns or questions about your landscape? Reach out to us and ask!

 

Healthy and Well-Maintained Trees – Tree Removal

Fall tree care in Vancouver WAHealthy and well-maintained trees provide beauty and add value to your property, but sometimes it is necessary to remove a tree due to disease or other factors. Some trees must be removed simply because they are at the end of their lives. Regular tree care and regular maintenance can also improve and prolong tree health.  A tree’s life span can vary greatly, depending on the variety of tree. If you need expert tree removal services, you can count on Frontier Tree Service.

 

 

Reasons for Tree Removal can include:

  • A tree is dead or dying
  • Root and crown rot or other types of disease
  • A tree has grown too large for the space it occupies and threatens life or property
  • Aggressive root systems that undermine pools, retaining walls and foundations
  • New construction in the area
  • Winter Weather Damage

At Frontier Tree Service, our primary goal is to save the tree if possible. But, if you need to have a tree removed from your property, you’ll want an expert. Often, trees that need to be removed have grown in confined spaces near houses, utility lines and other sensitive areas. This can happen with urban trees. Tree removal requires considerable expertise.

You can count on us to leave your property completely free of debris, once our work is finished. As the property owner or a property manager, care and maintenance of trees can reduce the need for removal in the long term, keep healthy trees and reduce the need for removal.

Contact Us today to discuss your tree service needs.

After the Storm…

After the Storm…

After a storm, hasty decisions about damaged trees can result in unnecessary removals or drastic pruning decisions. Proper and professional pruning practices can help a tree recover from the storm damage. How long that takes can depend on the amount and extent of damage, and the tree species, initial health and age. Frontier Tree Service’s Highly skilled team can help advise on management, pruning and removal decisions based on your situation. Prompt and well thought out action will get trees on the road to recovery.

Trees provide many benefits such as shade, privacy, beauty and even improved water and air quality. To provide those benefits safely and for the long term, trees require proper maintenance and good care. A healthy, well-maintained tree is better able to withstand weather events like snow, wind, excessive rain and wind storms that can cause some tree parts, or entire trees, to fail. After a storm, some homeowners are reluctant to replace downed trees, while others choose to remove trees regardless of how well the tree survived the storm. Tree damage and tree failures can cause property damage, but the possibilities can be managed through proper maintenance. Prepare your trees to withstand these events, to help to preserve the benefits you enjoy from having trees around your home. Ask your frontier Professionals for advice and action on how to manage storm damaged trees, to help retain or even regain those many benefits we all enjoy.

Stump Grinding and Removal

Stump Grinding and Removal

Do you have an unsightly stump on your property? Aesthetically, a tree stump can ruin the look of your property and detract from your home’s beauty and curb appeal. Frontier Tree Service has the experience and stump grinding equipment to remove your tree stump efficiently. We will completely grind your stump, which will create mulch, rich in nutrients. You can then spread the mulch over your property to enrich your other trees & plants. With the proper soil amendment, you can even plant a new tree in the same location.

 

Tree Stump Grinding and Removal – The Reasons…

 

  • The stump (s) are not usually aesthetically pleasing.
  • The stump may be a safety hazard.
  • Removing the stump eliminates the possibility of attracting highly destructive pests that can affect the rest of your trees and landscape.

 

Stump removal and grinding can be a challenging process and special machinery is required. Stump grinding by a professional is the easiest and safest way to handle this work. Frontier Tree Service provides tree stump removal and stump grinding services to satisfied customers throughout Portland, Vancouver and surrounding areas.

Contact US

We look forward to hearing from you!