Tree-T Yourself: How to Take Care of Your Yard This Spring

Spring is in the air down in Georgia! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining when the rain isn’t pouring, and everywhere you look green is sprouting up. It’s the absolute perfect time to get outside and take care of your yard and all its plants’ inhabitants.

Not sure where to start? We’re covering how to take care of your yard this spring and how Premier Tree Solutions can help.

How to Get Your Yard Ready for Spring

Know you need to do some sprucing of your yard this spring season? Here are the steps you should take.

Just as a reminder, if you are overwhelmed with any steps of this process, know that Premier Tree Solutions is here to help. Whether you need assistance with picking the right plants for your property or help removing dead trees from your yard, the metro-Atlanta experts in yard care will be there for you every step of the spring journey.

It’s the Perfect Time to Spruce Up Your Yard

Getting ready to put your house on the market? Or feeling inspired and want to do a total overhaul of the yard you have right now? The spring season is the perfect time to do it! Not only is this the time of year when plants, grass, and trees grow the fastest, it’s also the time when all of these things are on sale in your local stores.

Plant New Vegetation

That’s why spring is the absolute perfect time to get new plants. Not only will you have a ton of variety to pick from in your local store, but they will be healthier, happier, and ready to grow and flourish where you plan to put them.

Get Ready for Lots of Growth

As we mentioned above, spring is the time for new growth. But especially after winter storms, snow and pouring rain from the change in weather, your plants and trees will be exploding come warmer temperatures. It will look gorgeous, but it will also probably mean you need to be prepared for pruning and trimming more than usual.

Take Away What Was Lost During Winter

Did some trees or plants not make it during the cold season? Then it’s time to take care of those. Whether you need to pull out weeds, unroot rotting plants, or throw away potted flowers, don’t hesitate. Letting dead things sit on your property invites bacteria and pests in.

Give Some Extra Love to What Survived During Winter

In the same vein of thought, don’t forget to help boost what managed to survive over the winter. That means:

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your spring tree services needs, including pruning or removal of trees, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

Stop Tree-son on Your Yard: Why Your Vegetation Needs to Be Cleared

If you look aside your window and see that your land has been over green with green as far as the eye can see, you might be thinking about signing yourself up for some land clearing soon. Whether it’s ivy, overgrown shrubs, or just Mother Nature taking back over the land, sometimes you need a helping hand to clear out that vegetation.

That’s where Premier Tree steps in! Aside from just appearance’s sake, there are several beneficial reasons you need to get to shaping and cutting. We’re discussing reasons why your vegetation needs to be cleared and how Premier Tree Solutions can help below!

Time to Do Some Land Clearing? Why Your Vegetation Needs to be Cleared

  • Improves your land’s appearance. Of course, one of the biggest benefits of land clearing is making your property look nicer. This is especially true if you are hoping to sell your house anytime soon. Not many people like the look of overgrown plants, trash, and dying vegetation.
  • Stops the spread of disease. If you have land covered in overgrown vegetation, then you also have disease and vermin running wild. If you think about all the cover and nutrients that wild plant life offers for things like rats, mice, or other pests, then it makes sense that they would thrive on your property. However, rotting trees and vegetation is where bacteria and disease grow fast. If you have plenty of those on your land, then you’re inviting others, or yourself, to get sick.
  • Makes your home safer. Imagine trying to walk through a yard that is overgrown. There are all kinds of tripping hazards, like roots poking out of the ground or rotting tree stumps waiting for you to step on them and twist your ankle. Having that much-overgrown vegetation also increases your risk of fire. Though you can control how often you walk through it, you can’t control curious individuals who might wander their way onto your land and hurt themselves. Keep yourself and others safe.
  • Gives you land that is usable. Want to grow some gorgeous flowers? What about some trees that can help make you some profit? You can’t do that if your land is overgrown with vegetation that will rob much-needed water, sunlight, and soil nutrients from your plants.
  • Promotes healthier soil. Having large amounts of vegetation on your property you can’t control lessens the health of your soil. Clearing anything you don’t want prevents your soil from eroding and also keeps it healthy and jam-packed with nutrients for your wanted plants.

It might be overwhelming to look at your overgrown land and know that you need to start clearing it. That’s where the experts at Premier Tree Solutions can step in.

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your tree services needs, including removing overgrown vegetation from your property, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: SASSAFRAS TREE

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. This month, we are showcasing the Sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum). Learn all about the Sassafras below!

Sassafras Tree of the Month infographic.

Sources:

https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=917

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_saal5.pdf

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=saal5

Premier Tree is your local source for professional tree services in the metro Atlanta area. We provide tree removal, trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and more. Check out all of the services we offer, and contact us today for a free consultation!

What’s the Deal with the Driftwood on Georgia Beaches? Learn Their Story

When thinking of Georgia’s Jekyll Island, you may picture the famous large pieces of driftwood that often wash up on those shores. These massive pieces of nature and art not only have a story, but they also have a purpose.

If you’ve ever been curious about what driftwood is, keep reading below.

What is Driftwood?

As you might have been able to guess, driftwood is pieces of trees or even whole trees that end up in a body of water, such as a river or an ocean. But how could it possibly get there in the first place?

Where Does it  Come From?

Think about all of the islands that are out in the ocean decorated with trees, or all of the rivers shaded by green canopies. All driftwood takes is one branch, or sometimes a whole tree, to collapse into the waiting water.

Just like there are many types of trees, there’s also different kinds of driftwood. Most commonly, you’ll only see small parts, like a branch or a part of a root. But, sometimes, a whole tree stays intact while it travels through the ocean, creating those famous pieces of driftwood that wash up on Jekyll Island’s shores.

Why Does it Look Like That?

If you travel slowly through a body of water, you might also look like a piece of driftwood. That’s because the current, water type, and other inhabitants create the gray and corroded famous appearance of driftwood. Fast-moving water can strip the tree of its bark, salt can wash away the color, and smaller animals or insects can drill small or gaping holes into the tree to make their home.

Each piece of driftwood tells a story about its journey, which you can often see hints of if you look close enough.

How Does Driftwood Help the Environment?

Pieces of driftwood can often be used for many different purposes. Whether it be for building boats, crafts, decorating houses, forming habitats for other animals, regulating water flow, or providing a home for plants to flourish, this seemingly insignificant piece of wood does so much for our environment.

So, next time you visit Jekyll island or come across a tree making its way down a river, take a closer look to see just how much it’s benefiting the area.

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your tree services needs, including questions about certain types of trees, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

Wanting to Earn Some Extra Income? Top Profitable Trees to Grow on Your Property

You don’t have to be a full-scale farmer to be able to make a profit from plants. In fact, lots of people all across America have started to plant gardens filled with herbs or bushes that will produce plentiful fruits and veggies. But what about trees? Though these gardening counterparts might be bigger than others you can add to your property, that means double the produce and more profit.

Don’t be discouraged by their size and maintenance, here are some of the top profitable trees to grow on your property, whether you want to sell the trees themselves or sell their produce.

Top Profitable Trees to Grow on Your Property

  1. Dogwood: Not only is this flowering tree beautiful, but they are easy to grow. You could either sell these trees as babies in pots or wait until they are full-grown to sell the flowers.
  2. Willow: If you’re hoping to sell a multi-use tree, consider the Willow. Not only could you sell them as trees for someone to put on their property, but you can also sell their flexible bark for crafting.
  3. Elm: Though these trees can grow to be huge, many people love them for their looks and the shade they provide. Consider growing these trees in pots as juvenile trees to those who plan to add some to their property.
  4. Japanese Maple: Have less room on your property to use for tree growing? Consider the Japanese Maple. They take up significantly less room than an Elm or Willow would.  Many people love their blooms and their look.
  5. Bonsai: These trending plants are all the rage for hobbyists gardeners and plant fans everywhere. Plus, they’re smaller which means more room to grow.
  6. Almond: If you have the room to grow many trees and keep them on your property, consider the almond tree. They are beautiful, create very popular produce, and can really bring in that extra money for you.
  7. Avocado: We all know how much avocados are the rage right now. Growing a produce tree that gives you an expensive product that everyone loves is a smart business decision.
  8. Flowering Cherry: Another great produce tree is the flowering cherry. Whether you want to sell them as babies or whether you want to grow them to their full potential to sell the cherries, these trees are fantastic, and stunning, options to consider.
  9. Christmas Trees: If you have the room to plant many trees, consider setting up a Christmas tree farm! Everyone loves a good Christmas tree, and you will really rack in extra money right when you need it the most: the holidays.

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your tree services needs, including help choosing from the top profitable trees to grow on your property, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: YELLOW-POPLAR TREE

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. This month, we are showcasing the Yellow-Poplar tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Learn all about the Yellow-Poplar below!

Yellow Poplar Infographic.

Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/identifying-the-yellow-poplar-tree-1343175

https://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/poplar.htm

http://identifythatplant.com/yellow-poplar-liriodendron-tulipifera/

https://www.uky.edu/hort/Tulip-Poplar

Premier Tree is your local source for professional tree services in the metro Atlanta area. We provide tree removal, trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and more. Check out all of the services we offer, and contact us today for a free consultation!

They Speak For the Trees: Awesome Nonprofits Working to Save Trees

There are lots of outside elements affecting our trees. Increased forest fires, continuing human population growth, the spread of new diseases, and other environmental disasters are all negatively impacting our forest numbers and tree health. But, the good news is that there are numerous fantastic nonprofits created to help continue our forests and keep trees around for a long time.

In order to spread hope and awareness on tree education, we’re going over some of our favorite nonprofits working to save trees. To start off, we’ll discuss some locally based ones that are dedicated to conserving and educating others about the trees in the Georgia area. The last few will be much larger nonprofits that work beyond our state and across the world.

To learn more about nonprofits working to save trees, keep reading below.

Trees Atlanta

“Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta works tirelessly to address Atlanta’s tree loss, protect its forests, and create new green space. Empowered by its wonderful community of volunteers, Trees Atlanta serves the metro Atlanta area, and has grown to become one of Atlanta’s most widely known and supported non-profit organizations. Our mission statement: Trees Atlanta is a nationally recognized non-profit citizens’ group that protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating.”

Georgia Tree Council

“The Georgia Tree Council was established in 1988 as the Georgia Urban Forest Council by a group of visionary citizens who saw the need to address urban forestry issues in the state of Georgia.  We partner with the Georgia Forestry Commission on many educational programs, as well as Five Year Plans for Georgia’s Urban Forestry Community. Georgia Tree Council gives members and supporters opportunities for networking in their fields and for gaining leadership skills in addressing the challenges in their own urban forests. All of Georgia Tree Council’s educational programs offer continuing education units and opportunities for professional development. We also strive to help other nonprofits and volunteer tree boards in their efforts to improve their community forests.”

Savannah Tree

“The Savannah Tree Foundation is a 34-year-old not-for-profit urban and community forestry organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and planting canopy trees in Savannah and Chatham County, Georgia.”

Tree People

“TreePeople is an environmental nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the urban environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable and to share our process as a model for the world.”

Arbor Day Foundation

“We inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. This is the mission statement of the Arbor Day Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation and education organization.

Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, the Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with over one million members, supporters, and valued partners.”

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your tree services needs, including pruning or removal, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

 

Why Pruning Is Needed for Trees

Trees are absolutely necessary for our happiness and our health. They provide us with much-needed shade, look gorgeous standing tall and strong, and keep our environment livable. But, when we grow trees in our own backyard and they’re left to their own devices, sometimes they can end up growing in a way that is dangerous or unsavory.

That’s why pruning is an essential step for owning and growing trees. If you’re wondering why pruning is needed for trees, keep reading below to learn from the experts at Premier Tree Solutions.

The Benefits of Tree Pruning

Here is a list of some of the benefits of pruning trees:

  • Improves the health of the tree
  • Removes parts of the tree that could be dangerous to you or others
  • Stops the spread of disease
  • Brings out the best features of your trees
  • Builds a great structural foundation for your tree to build grow strong
  • Controls new growth and influences the way the tree grows
  • Improves the aesthetics of the tree, such as how much sunlight comes through the leaves

How to Prune Your Trees Properly

The biggest tip for pruning your tree is to make sure that you don’t trim too much. If you do so, you run the risk of accidentally killing your tree by stripping away too much of what makes it happy and healthy (aka the leaves).

However, there are a few key ways you can trim a tree:

  • Cleaning: This involves trimming away branches that look like they are about to fall off. Simple cuts like this make the tree look tidier.
  • Thinning: Trimming like this means cutting branches all the way back to the trunk, thus thinning the overall look of the tree.
  • Reduction: Want to cut back a tree’s height or weight? This is the method you’ll use.
  • Structural: A combination of multiple types of pruning above.

Overall, the best way to prune your trees is to get professionals to help. At Premier Tree Solutions, we provide expert pruning by our trained crew members, practice spike-less pruning, and conform to ANSI 300 Standards.

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you need any help with any of your tree services needs, including pruning or removal, click here to contact us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: SPRUCE PINE

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. This month, we are showcasing the spruce pine (Pinus glabra Walt.). Learn all about the spruce pine below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/pine/planting-cedar-pine-hedges.htm

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_kossuth001.pdf

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/pinus-glabra/

http://www.gatrees.org/resources/education/native-trees/NativeTreesGeorgia.pdf

Premier Tree is your local source for professional tree services in the metro Atlanta area. We provide tree removal, trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and more. Check out all of the services we offer, and contact us today for a free consultation!

Tips for Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree

Since the holiday season is here, we’ve got some fun tree-related facts for you. Did you know that there are about 25-30 million Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year? In fact, there are close to 350 million trees currently growing on farms in the U.S. alone. It’s no wonder that Christmas trees are one of the most beloved traditions of the holiday season.

Nowadays, there are multiple ways that you can include one of those gorgeous pines in your home. If you’ve opted to skip out on a fake tree year and don’t think that picking up a precut tree is the option for you, keep reading below for tips on cutting your own Christmas tree.

How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

There are two options for cutting your own Christmas tree. The first is going to a Christmas Tree Farm that allows you to do the cutting yourself. Instead of having trees tied up or already in stands, these trees are still rooted to the ground where they grew. Doing some quick research for farms in your area will yield many results.

There is also the option to do it as the Griswalds do in Christmas Vacation. Get to hiking and find the perfect tree out in the wilderness.

Whatever place you choose, there are multiple things you should keep in mind when cutting your own Christmas tree.

  • Study the information for the farm. How do other people rate their experience there? Do they have other fun activities, like a visit from Santa Claus or hot food? Find a place that will be perfect for the whole family and where everyone will have a blast.
  • Dress properly. You’ll want to wear layers so that you’re covered when you’re cold but also gives you the option to take extra clothing off during the cutting and carrying of the tree if you get warm. Make sure to include gloves in your outfit choice to protect your hands.
  • Need help figuring out how to pick the perfect tree? Read this blog as a guide.
  • Most farms will assist you in the process of cutting the tree. But if you’re planning on doing it yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind:
    • Use a lightweight saw to cut a live tree.
    • Cut low to the ground to allow the tree to more easily resprout for next year.
    • Cut quickly.
    • Don’t let the tree fall over during the process, as this will damage the tree, the bark, and could harm someone.
  • Once you have the perfect tree picked out and cut off, give it a good shake. The tree has been outside for some time, and it is sure to have critters living in it. If you can spot them yourself, see if you are able to manually move them so you don’t harm them. If not, a few shakes should do it. In fact, many farms will have a mechanical shaker that gets this job done.
  • If you’re not going to a farm and plan to go exploring in the wilderness to find your tree, there are a few things you need to remember.
    • First of all, many states and cities require that you have a permit before you cut down any trees.
    • Second of all, make sure you watch where you’re walking. If you accidentally wander into private property and take someone’s tree, you could get in trouble.

Premier Tree Solutions has been providing quality, professional tree services to the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas for more than ten years. If you would like our help with any of our services, including tree removal or stump grinding, click here to schedule an appointment with us or give us a call at 404-252-6448.