Pleased to Meet Yew: Five Winter Trees We Love

The White Christmas has passed (whether or not it was white), but that doesn’t mean all light and beauty is gone from the world. When you plant the right trees, you’ll enjoy color and life even in the depths of winter. Here are five of our favorite choices.

  1. Yew

Of course, we would be amiss if we didn’t first introduce you to our pun-tastic friend, the yew. This conifer is a bright green all winter long, giving your bare yard some winter cheer. Plus, it will sprout anew even when cut back to bare wood, which most evergreens will not. Just make sure you keep livestock away from it, as browsing could kill them – and warn children against eating the toxic seeds.

  1. Camellias

Famous for blooming sporadically between fall and spring, and often re-blooming all winter long, camellias are one of the most beautiful cold-season options. With more than 200 species and around 3,000 hybrids, you have no lack of color options: pink, white, red, purple, salmon, variegated, and more.

  1. Japanese Flowering Apricot

In the same family as cherries and apples, the winter-flowering apricot is a lovely sight to behold against a drab seasonal background. With delicate blossoms of pink, white or rose, this tree will draw you to the window again and again.

  1. Holly

Especially beloved at the holidays, Holly is a lovely plant all through the cold season. Its berries may be red or white, and its sharp and waxy leaves shine a deep green. If you prefer the dappled effect, opt for the Variegated English Holly, with white-edged leaves.

  1. Dogwoods

Famed for their bright red and yellow stems, dogwoods are often at their best when bare. Their spring flowers are also showy, but nothing beats a warm and glowing hue when the winter wind is nipping at your cheeks.

Those aren’t your only options, of course, so for more ideas on winter trees and shrubs, see the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s many lovely suggestions.

Want to learn more about the best trees for your yard, and get help planting some eye-catching new statements for the year to come? Get in touch with Premier Tree Solutions, your Atlanta experts on all things arboreal. In addition to planting, we’d love to help you with trimming, thinning, cleanup and removal, a one-stop-shop for a beautiful yard. All you have to do is give a shout at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Ciao, Christmas: Now What Should You Do with that Tree?

It’s that time of year again.

The lights come down. The clove-studded oranges have to go (although if you made clove-studded oranges, you deserve to take a picture and frame it). The Christmas tree is on its last legs, and goodbye is imminent.

But you want to do the goodbye right, disposing of your tree in the smart, environmentally friendly way. Here are a few of the best options.

  1. Recycle Curbside

If you live in a neighborhood or suburb that picks up trees for yard debris, go ahead and throw it out on the curb. However, beware that if you only have garbage pickup, the tree will head to landfill, where it will rot instead of decomposing, not helping the environment.

  1. Put It in a Wood Chipper

Trees make great mulch, which protects your plants, shrubs, and other trees all through winter. If you have a wood chipper, cut the tree up and pass it through. You can also do garlands and wreaths.

If you don’t have a chipper, just saw the trees individual branches off and lay them on the ground to protect the roots of other plants. You can then chop the tree up for firewood (though beware, most sappy trees will snap and pop, so use a fireplace screen).

  1. Make a Winter Bird Shelter

You know who doesn’t mind a dead evergreen tree? Birds who are busy preparing nests for springtime and babies. Put your tree outside, upright, and wait for feathery cuties to move on in.

Want to take the cuteness to the next level? Rodale recommends you hang ornaments made of suet and seed from its branches.

  1. Hand It Off to a Yard Debris Cleanup Crew

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is just set the tree in an out-of-the-way location and wait for someone else to deal with it – preferably your trusty maintenance crew.

And hey, while you’re at it, why not clean up the yard a bit? Premier Tree Solutions is the friendly, local business to call. We serve the Atlanta area with a huge number of tree- and yard-related services, including tree and stump removal, branch trimming, storm (and Christmas tree) cleanup and more. All you have to do is give a shout at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

‘Tis the Season to Keep Your Christmas Tree Green and Gorgeous

The halls are decked, the presents are being wrapped, the turkey has been ordered. Everything feels merry and bright … except that your tree is dying, and it’s only mid-December. Uh oh.

Okay, don’t worry. That’s just a hypothetical situation. So far, anyway. If you want to prevent needles dropping off and O Tannenbaum going brown before you even open your presents, here’s your quick guide.

Cut Off the Bottom Before Putting Up Your Tree

Trees aren’t kept in water when they’re in tree lots, but like any other plant, they need water to stay green and beautiful. Trouble is, they can’t absorb it well with a crusted-over bottom, so you need to cut it off. Usually, some evening out is required anyway, so use a regular saw to remove the bottom inch or so before you bring your tree inside.

Don’t Keep It Near Heat Sources

Sure, nothing looks quainter than a tree by a roaring hearth, but there’s no faster way to dry it out than with constant heat. Put it in a corner by itself, away from heating vents, radiators, and gas or wood fireplaces.

Keep the Water Level High

At all times, the water level should be above the base of the trunk. In other words, the bottom of the trunk, where you made the cut, should always be immersed. The best way to do this is to familiarize yourself with how deep your finger should go into the water, then refill with a watering can when it’s not deep enough.

Dispose the Right Way

When you’re done with your tree, you can dispose of it by placing it curbside and waiting for your garbage service to pick it up. Of course, disposing of your Christmas tree becomes even easier if you already have a brush pile that needs taking care of. In that case, just toss ye olde Xmas tree on top and call in the brush clearing pros: Premier Tree Solutions.

We’re a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta and we’d love to help you shape up your yard for the new year. In addition to brush clearing, we also offer tree trimming and pruning, storm cleanup and first aid for trees damaged by weather, debris removal, stump grinding, and more. So enjoy the holiday season now, and get ready for an awesome year ahead by calling us soon! Give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Jack Frost starting to bite? Here’s How to Keep Trees Safe from Cold

Even in traditionally warm parts of the country, the winter can bring some pretty dang severe weather. If you’re worried about your trees when Jack Frost starts to bite, here are several steps to take to ensure they stay safe over the long haul. So put on those earmuffs and go make sure your woody winners are safe!

1. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

Mulch performs a huge variety of tree-related services. It keeps water in, prevents weeds from growing and competing for resources (or looking unsightly), and protects delicate roots near the surface from animals. However, one of its most important tasks is to keep soil warm. This makes it much less likely that roots will die off, which in turn ensures the tree’s ability to get enough water.

2. Water Before a Cold Front Hits

Did you know trees are almost as susceptible to drying out in winter as in summer? Even though the sun’s heat doesn’t beat down this time of year, the air is often very dry. Without the protective humidity, trees give up tons of water through their leaves, which can then dry out and curl up, damaging or even killing trees … especially if they’re young.

Watering before a cold spell can help a lot. Not only does this ensure your tree is hydrated, it protects roots, since moist soil retains and radiates heat much more effectively than dry dirt. Get a soil probe and use this guide to ensure you water to the proper depth.

3. Wrap Trunks

Trees suffer damage when temperatures alternate between warmth and cold. The former makes them expand, while the latter shrinks them, resulting in cracking.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the best ways to protect trees is to wrap their trunks. This is especially important with young trees or those that have very thin bark (think birches, for example). You can get wraps at a garden supply store or order them online. Be sure to wrap trunks before the cold rolls in, and leave them on throughout the winter.

Want help protecting your treasured trees? Call in the experts here at Premier Tree Solutions in Atlanta. We help maintain trees in a variety of ways, including trimming and pruning, storm clean up and first aid, branch clearing, and more. Get in touch with us today! Give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: EVERGREEN 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. For December, we are showcasing the Evergreen Tree. Learn all about Evergreens below!

Premier Tree

How “Mulch” Does Mulch Help?

Sure, you’ve heard about mulch. It’s … stuff … that you put on the ground, right? And it helps plants, you’re sure about that one. But how? What is it? And do you really need it? Today, we’re going to answer all your questions and more. Settle in; let’s talk Mulch 101.

What Exactly Is Mulch?

Part of the reason for the confusion surrounding mulch is that it can mean many things. The word mulch simply refers to a layer of material that is applied to the top of the soil as a protective layer. It can be leaf litter, bark chips, shredded bark, compost, or other products that insulate and hold in moisture. The difference is that, unlike a soil amendment that you work into the dirt, mulch remains on top.

Why Mulch?

Well, we gave it away in that last sentence: Mulch is all about keeping heat and water in. When applied, mulch makes it easier for trees and shrubs to stay hydrated, because it’s less likely the water will evaporate from the soil.

Plus, the natural decomposition of organic material gives off heat, which keeps the ground warm. In addition to preventing the heat loss that would otherwise occur with uncovered soil, this keeps delicate surface roots extra warm during cold months. That’s why mulch is so commonly laid down in the fall.

It also smothers weeds, prevents compaction of the soil, and protects tender roots from hostile attacks by nature and overzealous lawn mowers.

How Much Mulch Are We Talkin’?

So how much? Arbor Day recommends clearing the grass from around the base of your tree in a 3- to 10-foot area, then applying mulch in a 2- to 4-inch-deep layer. After application, be sure to learn proper watering practices, Arbor Day advises, because otherwise, mulch will just help you drown your tree. No Bueno.

Call in the Mulch Magnates

Not sure you have what it takes to become the mulch maven your trees need? That’s cool. Give us a call here at Premier Tree Solutions, a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia. We specialize in all your tree-related services, including trimming and pruning, storm cleanup, stump grinding, branch clearing, debris removal, and great news, WE CAN DELIVER FREE MULCH!

Give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here and find out more about how “mulch” we can help you!

Trees: An Oxygen Tank for Mother Earth

Breathing: kind of important, right? Unfortunately, with myriad sources continually releasing chemicals and poisons into the air, not to mention the increasing rate of deforestation, the simple act of breathing is becoming more and more difficult.  

Trees can help us there, counteracting ground pollution and an increasingly damaged atmosphere. Think of them as an oxygen tank or a rescue inhaler for the Earth, helping to deal with the increasing levels of “asthma” that affect our world.

How Do Trees Improve the Environment?

Most people know that trees produce oxygen, injecting this life-giving gas into the atmosphere with every exhale (yes, trees exhale!). In fact, according to North Carolina State University, a large tree can produce enough oxygen every day for four people to breathe.

Trees provide another important service as well, and that’s managing carbon dioxide. All plants breathe in carbon dioxide, and trees are no exception. Even more importantly, they then store it in the ground, a process known as carbon sequestration. This takes carbon out of the air, helping reduce the greenhouse effect and global warming as a whole.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Habitat (or Your Favorite Squirrel’s)

Moreover, trees provide habitat for animals of all shapes and sizes. They even provide many other plants a place to call home, as ferns, mosses, and seedlings grow on their branches or in the little pockets formed by branching limbs. Each tree added to the biome helps to make up for those that are being removed at a rapid rate to make room for housing, pasture, and other human pursuits.

In other words, trees work endlessly to improve their surrounding environment and increase the quality of life for all of us who live here on this Third Rock from the Sun.

Want to Do Your Part? Plant Trees

If you care about helping the Earth, your family, and yourself, there’s one simple thing you can do: plant trees. Of course, it’s easier said than done to properly plant then nurture and care for a tree, which is where Premier Tree Solutions comes in.

We’re a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia, and we specialize in all things arboreal. We not only help with removal, but our services also include pruning and trimming, handling emergency storm damage, clean up, and assisting with branch clearing, stump grinding, and debris removal. No matter what you need to beautify your landscape, we can help – so get in touch today. Give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: Black Cherry

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. We are showcasing the Black Cherry. Learn all about the Black Cherry tree below!

Characteristics

The Black Cherry tree produces little yellow-white cylindrical pendulums in May and dark purple to blackberries in August. Also known as the Prunus serotina, the Black Cherry tree grows to 70-80 feet and has a mature spread of 30 feet wide when in open, sunny and moist soil locations.

Landscape Uses

The tree is not recommended for planting in lawns because the berries tend to be messy. In addition, while the mature wood is very hard (often used in furniture-making), the new wood at the highest branches is soft and susceptible to storm damage.

Black Cherry Care

It’s best to prune the Black Cherry tree after the berries have fallen. Because the seeds germinate so easily, this tree can quickly invade lawns, borders, forests and even bushes. That’s right: It can grow from a seedling even in the underbrush! It prefers deep, moist, rich soil of varying pH levels but will tolerate poorer soils and drought once established.

Signs of Distress

Common Black Cherry tree characteristics include rot, spot and knot diseases. Trees can also get blight, canker and powdery mildew.

For pruning and trimming service — for your Black Cherry or any other tree — reach out to us online or give us a call at 404.252.6448.

Autumn Arboreal Awards: The Best-Dressed Trees in Fall

It’s that time of year again: the air is getting cooler, kids are picking out their Halloween costumes, and pumpkin spice has taken over from here to Seattle to Savannah. Just around the corner is the year’s best fireworks show: the changing of the leaves.

In response to cooler nights and crisper days, fall leaves begin to lose their chlorophyll – the compound that makes them green – leaving them bright, beautiful shades of orange and yellow. In some cases, red anthocyanin pigments also form.

The takeaway is that nature’s chemistry gives our eyes a treat. Now the question becomes: which trees are the best, and which should you consider for your own yard? Here are five of the top choices for fall color.

  1. Black Tupelo

The black tupelo is the answer to your desire to see all of the fall colors on one tree. Its leaves turn stunning variegated shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and scarlet, all on one branch – and sometimes in one leaf!

  1. Sugar Maple

Not only does this blessed tree give us the world’s best pancake topping, it’s also a show-stopping autumn beauty. In the earliest days of fall, it fades from green to yellow, then to orange, and then to fiery red before dropping its leaves altogether.

  1. Aspen

If you love yellow, aspen is here for you. Unlike some other trees, which display mottled leaves of various shades, the aspen is devoted to one color: yellow, yellow, and more yellow. Group these trees together for an extra-special color statement.

  1. Baldcypress

Typically, you don’t think of conifers as having fall color, because they’re not deciduous. The bald cypress, though, is an exception, losing its needles every fall in a brilliant orange show.

  1. Sweetgum

The sweetgum is notable not only for its lovely combination of yellow, red and purple leaves but for the fact that those leaves hang on for quite a while after other species go dormant.

Call Premier Tree Solutions if you’re ready to get a little of that fall color into your life and need help with cleaning up your property for fall. We are a tree care and removal business, based in Atlanta, and provide a variety of services, from trimming and pruning to storm cleanup, branch clearing, and stump removal. Keep your landscape and your trees healthy and happy by calling Premier Tree Solutions today!

What is that Smell? Meet the Callery Pear Tree

Dear Callery Pear Tree: What’s Your Deal?

The Callery pear, or Pyrus calleryana, is native to the Far East. It has a lovely shape and is a visually interesting plant year round. In fall, it turns gorgeous shades of fiery orange, red, and purple. In summer, it is covered in lacy green leaves, and in winter its bare branches outline a nice, round, even crown. In spring, white blossoms cover it from head to toe.

Only problem? El Stencho.

The scent of the Callery pear has been compared to chlorine, locker rooms, bleach water, and worse. It wouldn’t be gentlemanly for us to discuss some of the other comparisons but trust us: it’s bad. Of course, if you have a Callery pear in your yard, you don’t need anyone to tell you that: you’ve already experienced it in spring.

The Limb-Dropping Leviathan

Another downside of the Callery pear is how quickly it grows. This is one of the main reasons it is often used as a landscape tree because it fills in quickly, but it creates dangers as well. Plants that grow quickly don’t have time to develop strong crotches, and tend to drop limbs due to wind, snow, and ice. They’re also fairly invasive and compete with native trees up and down the east coast.

Good Riddance to Putrid Plants

Ready to get rid of that Callery pear for good? We can help. Premier Tree Solutions is a growing tree removal business in Atlanta. In addition to storm cleanup, branch clearing, trimming and pruning, we can also get that pesky tree out of your yard once and for all. If you’re tired of the stench of old bleachers and pool water, give us a call and we’ll take care of it.

If you don’t mind putting up with the smell and other downsides in exchange for what is definitely a beautiful tree, that’s just fine. Give us a call for trimming and pruning instead. That way, you can keep the plant in check before its insane growth rate can endanger your property or family. Either way, we can help!