It’s All In The Timing! Best Practices For Planting New Trees

Trees can be expensive, both at the time of purchase and in terms of the water and care they require while getting established. Therefore it’s smart to give them the best chance at life by planting at the right time and giving them the proper care while they settle into their new environment.

Plant in Spring … Or Fall

While early spring is the best time to plant trees, fall also works quite well, too. Since trees are just beginning to go dormant in fall, it can be an even better time to plant than later spring, because trees will go into shock if planted after they begin to bud or leaf out. If you’re going to plant in fall, don’t do it after mid-October, at which time it will get too cold for trees to safely adapt.

Summer Works OK

Technically, you can plant trees in summer, which gives them plenty of time to get established before the colder months arrive. However, if you plant in summer, you have to be aware of the opposite problem: heat. This can make it difficult to ensure plants get enough water to grow new roots and create a strong system before the colder (and often drier) winter months arrive.

Benefits of Fall Planting

While spring may be ideal for some species, fall is actually great for many trees as well. This time of year is cooler, and is very conducive to plants generating new roots, which is critical to them surviving the fragile post-transplantation period. This is especially beneficial because it encourages root growth without encouraging the generation of leaves and shoots. The latter outcome can sometimes make a tree vulnerable to disease, so it’s best if that’s avoided.

Conifer Versus Deciduous

You should plant conifers earlier in the fall season, as they need longer to establish before cold weather hits. Deciduous trees may be planted up to the mid-October deadline, but you should give some deciduous trees – gingko, hemlock, sweetgum and willow, for instance – longer than others.

If you’re looking for professional tree advise in the Atlanta area, call Premier Tree Solutions. We’re a growing tree removal business offering a wide range of services, specializing in tree trimming and pruning, tree removal, storm cleanup and damage control, branch clearing and stump grinding, and Bobcat work. If you have any questions, give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Defend Trees In Dire Drought

The lack of water across the United States has gardeners everywhere worried about their landscape plants and trees. You don’t want to throw your life savings down the hose, but at the same time, you don’t want your beloved trees to die for lack of water. What’s a tree caretaker to do? Here are a few tips that will help.

1. Recognize the Signs of Drought

Most trees that are adapted to living in your climate will not need extra water in the summer once established. However, in cases of extreme drought, even well established trees need extra moisture. Because older trees typically don’t need a regular watering schedule, it’s important to understand the signs of water stress.

These include dull or wilted leaves, slower than usual growth of younger trees, discolored buds and blooms, or yellowing and dropping of leaves out of season, says Missouri Botanical Garden. Plants that aren’t getting enough water are also more susceptible to pests and diseases, so take care of them right away.

2. Water Frequently

Large, well-established trees need to be watered every 2-3 weeks in extreme drought, while younger trees that are less settled may need watering every week. Trees like a thorough watering, so apply about an inch of water at a time (you can set up a bucket to collect water if you need a metric for the first few watering sessions).

If you would prefer not to mess with the 1-inch rule, you can instead measure how much water your tree gets by testing soil moisture. At each watering, soil should be wet down to 6-8 inches, suggests the Morton Arboretum, otherwise you haven’t given the tree enough water to protect it from the heat and drought.

3. Water Different Areas of the Root System

A tree’s root system roughly mirrors the crown, so its main roots will extend along the ground to where the branches end overhead. Rather than watering just at the base of the trunk, try to switch up your watering so you’re hitting many different areas along the root zone. This is healthier for trees and will keep them happier during extremely hot weather.

Not sure how to care for your trees yourself, but don’t want them to succumb to summer heat? No problem. Simply get in touch with us here at Premier Tree Solutions, and we’ll make sure your arboreal companions survive the summer just fine. We specialize in tree removal, trimming, pruning, and more! If you have any questions about watering or tree care, give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Common Trees In Georgia and How to Spot Them

To the untrained eye, many trees look the same. They’re tall and leafy, aren’t they? Must be a tree. But to the more discerning eye, understanding the variations between common Georgia trees is not only a satisfying skill to have, but it can also help you make better decisions in your own garden. With this in mind we’ve outlined some of the most common Georgia trees and how to spot their distinguishing characteristics using your plain old peepers!

A Sugar Maple Tree Farm forest in autumn with brilliant yellow leaves in Oregon, USA

Maple

A wide variety of maples grows in Georgia, the most prominent being red maple and sugar maple. It’s easy to spot these trees due to their large leaves, which are palmate (leaf lobes spreading from the stem) and typically display bright autumn colors. Sugar maple is orange to red in autumn, while red maple is yellow to red in autumn and a deeper but rustier red the rest of the year.

Shagbark Hickory with its fall colors reaching for the sky

Shagbark Hickory with its fall colors reaching for the sky

Hickory

Hickories tend to be quite large – usually taller than 60 feet – with pinnate leaves (veins in neat rows spreading from the long center vein of the leaf) that grow in compound sets. They are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in fall and grow new ones in spring. Trunks are gray to brown, grow coarser with age and often display a diamond pattern once mature.

Oak. Tall oak tree with green leaves with blue sky background. View from down. Summer background. Green environment concept.

Oak

Oaks have lobed, waxy leaves and large, spreading crowns that may be globular or semi-circular in nature. Their branches typically start low to the ground, giving them short trunks and making them excellent shade trees for properties and parks. Common species include white oak, scarlet oak, and water oak, though there are many more.

Healthy green trees in a forest of old spruce, fir and pine trees in wilderness of a national park. Sustainable industry, ecosystem and healthy environment concepts and background.

Pine

Pine trees are another common Georgia tree with a huge variety of species. They are evergreen and grow quickly relative to other trees, their needles growing in bunches along the branches. Young pines typically have a more slender form and often round as they age. Species include white pine, Virginia pine and longleaf pine, among others.

Of course, there are many other trees in Georgia, including ash, gum, chestnut, and buckeye. American beech, Sugarberry, American Yellowwood, holly, Eastern Red Cedar and others all abound as well!

If you need further help with trees in your yard, please feel free to give Premier Tree Solutions a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here! We’re a growing tree removal business in Atlanta and can help you with all your tree-related needs. We also assist with storm cleanup, stump removal and grinding, tree trimming and branch removal and more.

Five Tree Planting Myths You Shouldn’t Believe

Think planting a tree is easy? It may not be quite the breeze you think it is. These five myths are, sadly, extremely common and kill many young trees each year. Avoid arboreal annihilation by figuring out the truth behind these myths.

1. Anyone Can Plant a Tree Correctly

False. In fact, many people just assume they can throw their new tree in a hole and call it a day. This tree planting mistake just means you will have to buy more trees the following year. So instead of asking, “How hard can it be?” and just going at it, take the time to learn the right techniques below.

2. Plant Deep, and Roots Will Grow Deeper

Planting deeper is not the answer. In fact, doing so can actually kill the tree because you bury part of its trunk, which is not meant to go underground. Roots will grow as deep as they need to for the tree to be healthy, presuming you’ve planted your tree in a well-drained area where soil reaches down several feet. The Arbor Day website has a great diagram of how deep containerized trees should be planted; check it out!

3. Before Planting, Prune Living Branches to Balance Crown with Roots

No. Don’t. Please stop. Balancing your tree’s crown is a great thing to do once your tree is established, but you don’t need to do it while planting. It can actually hurt the tree at this stage. Roots are pruned pretty severely to get trees into containers, and matching the crown only makes it harder for the tree to produce the energy it needs (through its leaves) to adjust to its new environment.

4. After Planting, Brace Tree Tightly

If needed, brace loosely and remove as soon as the tree is established. Tight bracing can cause suffocation, girdling, or the tree growing over the brace. Ouch!

5. More Mulch Is Better

More mulch is not better and can even be deadly to the tree, especially when you create “mulch volcanoes,” which encourage rot and insect predation. Instead of piling bark chips or mulch in a hill around the base of the trunk, spread it evenly over a wide area. Here’s a great, quick tutorial if you’re wondering what a good mulch job looks like.

Think you might need some tree help? Get in touch with Premier Tree Solutions — proudly serving the Atlanta area with your tree needs. We specialize in tree removal, trimming, pruning, and more! If you have any questions about pruning or other tree-related questions, give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

No Thanks to Aggressors: Show Tree Roots Who’s Boss

If you’ve been wondering what to do about aggressive tree roots in your yard, it’s time to make a change. While it’s important not to just start hacking at roots willy-nilly – as this can introduce infection and make saving the tree less likely – there are ways to take care of those pesky roots that are buckling your sidewalk or threatening your foundation. Try the following tips!

1. Avoid Cutting Roots Great Than Two Inches in Diameter

Unfortunately, large roots pose a greater problem than smaller ones, because the tree relies on them so much. When roots are greater than two inches in diameter, it’s important to call in an expert to deal with them for you. If they’re smaller than that, however, feel free to take care of it yourself.

2. Cut As Far from the Trunk as Possible

When you do cut tree roots, try to cut as far from the trunk as you can. This makes it more likely the tree will heal cleanly and go on to live a healthy life. Once again, if you find it necessary to cut close to the trunk, you should call in expert tree caretakers to do the job as cleanly as possible.

3. Cut Roots Cleanly

Never use a saw or dull shears to cut tree roots. Rough cuts encourage infection, which can kill the tree. Instead, expose the root all the way, and then lop through it cleanly with a pair of loppers.

4. Treat Your Tree with Love Afterward

Tree root pruning is traumatic to trees, no matter how good a job you do. After the trim, be sure to water and mulch your tree, so it can get back to good health as soon as possible. Then watch for signs of infection.

In the end, though, you may find that you need a professional to help with your tree root problem without killing the tree. Premier Tree Solutions is a successful tree removal business in Atlanta, Georgia. We specialize in a number of tree and shrub care areas, including tree and shrub removal, trimming and pruning, storm cleanup, branch clearing and debris removal, Bobcat work and stump grinding.

For your root-related problems, give us a call and we’ll take care of it for you. Don’t let aggressive tree roots be the boss of you any longer! Call us at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

Low Balled? Low Quality: 4 Reasons the Lowest Estimate Might Not Be the Best Deal

Ever heard the phrase “More money, more problems”? Yeah, we thought so. But how about “Less money, more problems”? Hmm … not as common. Yet just as true, especially when it comes to bids for tree care on your residential or commercial property.

Quite frankly, when you get a bid that seems too good to be true, it almost always is. There are several reasons a tree removal company may low-ball you, but take our word for it: None of them are good. Here are four of the most common.

1. The Company Is Just Starting

Many companies just starting out figure they’ll have an easier time picking up work if they charge less. And maybe they will, but do you really want a newbie removing the limb that hangs over your living room? Probably not.

2. They Won’t Back Their Work

When a company bids low, it usually means they plan to make up for it in volume. Unfortunately, that kind of ethic often means they don’t have time to come back to your home and fix any problems or care for trees that need help after the job they did. You’ll find you have a very hard time getting a company like this to clean up their mess … which, let’s face it, is really your mess.

3. They Don’t Have Insurance

Some companies don’t do the right thing. Hiring a company without insurance might be cheaper … until a tree branch falls on your shed. Don’t let that happen to you.

4. They’re Just a Pine in the Rear

Here at Premier Tree, we like to say we take care of the pine in your rear. Sadly, though, some companies just are a pine in the rear. You can feel pretty safe in assuming that any company with a low bid falls into this category. Honest, effective, efficient companies charge what they’re worth, so look for a middle-of-the-road bid that you can afford, but that doesn’t signal more problems in future.

The Premier Tree Promise

Premier Tree Solutions is a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia. We specialize in tree removal, trimming, pruning, cleanup, stump grinding, debris removal, storm cleanup and Bobcat work. Call us at 404-252-6448 for all your tree-related needs, and you’ll discover the Premier Tree difference. We guarantee it.

Rain Power! Harnessing Storm water for Your Garden and Trees

These days, “green” is all the rage. Being eco-friendly is more than a movement now; in many places (we’re looking at you, California and the Southwest), proper water management is a total necessity. That said, learning to be water-wise isn’t always intuitive. One of the best things you can do is to learn to use storm water for your garden and trees.

Enter the Rain Barrel

Storm water is an excess of water that runs across the surface of streets, gardens and grass because there is an abundance of it and not enough places for it to go. All this “free” water not only reduces your utility bill; it’s great for the environment if you can put it to good use.

That’s where rain barrels come in. Sticking these under your downspouts can help you collect dozens of gallons of water in a single storm, which you can then use to water your trees and garden. If you only have a bit to do, use a watering can. If you’ve got a lot more than that, get a siphon going using a hose. You can also use a large metal tub to collect water.

Mulch to the Rescue

In some cases, such as when you live in areas with heavy rainfall (think the Pacific Northwest and the South during spring and fall), you can collect water pretty easily simply by mulching your trees. Storm water will soak into the ground much more easily if you spread leaf litter or bark chips around the base of your trees and shrubs. Just be sure to keep the mulch 6 inches away from the base, or you could increase the likelihood of damage and disease.

When mulch seems dry, dip into your rain barrel for an extra dose of moisture and apply.

Premier Tree Solutions Can Help

While we don’t provide rain barrels, we can help you get your landscape shipshape to give your trees the best chance of remaining healthy. Healthy trees, fortunately, aerate the soil and give water somewhere to go, so they are also excellent at retaining storm water and reducing runoff.

Here at Premier Tree Solutions in Atlanta, we offer a range of services, including tree removal, tree trimming and pruning, bobcat work, storm cleanup and damage control, stump grinding, branch removal and clearing, debris removal, and other tree- or shrub-related care. Let us help you make your yard healthier today. Call us at 404-252-6448 for all your tree-related needs, and you’ll discover the Premier Tree difference. We guarantee it.

Gettin’ Deep: Proper Root Fertilization for Trees and Shrubs

Some dissension exists in the arborist community as to whether trees need fertilization deeper than the surface of the soil. While it’s true that you may not need to go that deep in your fertilization to help trees live the fullest and healthiest possible life, a smart approach does help. Let’s talk about root structure, fertilization practice and how best to get your trees the nutrition they need.

Root Architecture

A tree’s roots, while we never see them, are fairly impressive. Think of the canopy of the tree, reflected downward into the soil. Most trees, believe it or not, really do have a root system as big as their canopies, leading most people to believe that to have a healthy tree, they must fertilize this entire system… Hence the question of deep root fertilization.

How Low Should You Go?

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, however, you don’t need to get all the way down there to the bottom-most roots of the tree. In actuality, you only need to dig about 1 to 1.5 feet using a soil auger. That’s because most of the tree’s absorbent roots, where it takes in water and nutrients, are located in the top 8–12 inches of soil, so you don’t need to worry about what’s down lower. The roots that dig really deep are already tapping into water and nutrients located underground, and they don’t need your help.

Plus, it’s always important to be environmentally responsible. Putting fertilizer much deeper than 1.5 feet or so makes it more likely the fertilizer will get into the groundwater, which is bad for fish and wildlife. Potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous, while good for trees, can wreak all sorts of environmental havoc, so stick to the top layers of soil during your fertilizer application to keep your yard and the world happy.

Call  Premier Tree Solutions, a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia. We specialize in a number of areas, including trimming and pruning, tree removal, storm damage control, and cleanup. We’re always here to help.

If you’d like help caring for your property, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 404-252-6448.

Avoid Myrtle Murder: Learn to Properly Prune Your Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtle – also spelled crepe myrtle – is a flowering shrub that livens up any yard. It loves warm, sunny locations and brings a variety of color to your garden. Never heard of it?

My Name Is Crape Myrtle

If you haven’t yet met the gorgeous crape myrtle, you should consider putting this beautiful deciduous shrub into your yard. Its bright flowers range from white to red to brightest purple, and, depending on the species, it can grow anywhere from 2 to 30 feet. They love warmish, moist environments such as you find in the South, and they thrive in areas where summers are hot and winters are mild.

Chances are, though, if you’re wondering about how to prune it, you already have a crape myrtle with which you’re familiar, and are just wondering how best to prune it so it stays healthy and flowers beautifully year after year. Let’s take a look at some detailed pruning steps.

Timing Your Trim

The biggest concern when pruning crape myrtle is timing. Because the crape myrtle’s beautiful flowers appear on new growth, if you wait until after spring growth occurs to prune, you won’t get any flowers that year. Bummer, right? Instead, here’s what to do, according to Southern Living:

  1. Wait until late winter, when the crape myrtle is no longer susceptible to damage from cold snaps and infection, but before it begins to leaf out again.
  2. Use a pair of large lopping shears and a small pair of hand shears, as well as a ladder and pole pruners if needed.
  3. Remove all suckers coming up from the base of the shrub and side branches growing out of the tree’s natural formation.
  4. Also remove all branches that are crossing one another or rubbing, which can open a wound and cause infection.
  5. Adjust the prune job to match the tree’s natural form, using the hand shears to remove smaller branches.

Voila! You have just pruned without murdering Myrtle. Congratulations.

Premier Pruning: Help From the Pros

Not quite sure you’re up to the task of pruning on your own? Call  Premier Tree Solutions, a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia. We specialize in a number of areas, including trimming and pruning, tree removal, storm damage control, and cleanup. If you want to prune your crape myrtle the right way, give us a call. We’re always here to help.

If you’d like help caring for your property, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 404-252-6448.

Go, Bug, Go: How to Apply Dormant Oils to Protect Trees From Parasitic Insects

Would you like beautiful trees all year round? Do you want to get rid of mites, scales and other insect pests? You can tell bugs to take a hike by using dormant oils, and protect those trees you love so dearly.

What Is Dormant Oil?

Dormant oil is usually fabricated from petroleum products although according to the University of Illinois Extension cottonseed oil is also sometimes used. The name comes from the fact that you are supposed to apply it while trees are dormant, though you should not confuse this with applying it in the depths of a cold snap as you must have temperatures above freezing for at least 24 hours to apply it. Otherwise, the oil can damage tree bark. Dormant oil is especially effective in orchards.

How Does It Control Insects?

Dormant oils typically kill pests by using oil to block the apertures through which they breathe, or by disrupting their metabolisms. It is especially effective during times when trees are dormant because insects are in egg or larval form and are particularly susceptible, though it is also effective against adult insects. Best of all, it doesn’t kill beneficial insects or harm birds, both of which can help contribute to natural pest control on your trees. Plus, the insect pests you’re targeting won’t build up a chemical resistance to these oils, so they’re considered very safe for continued use.

How Do You Apply It?

Typically, you apply dormant oil in the winter months (though you can use it at diluted rates in summer as well) from November through March. Use it after leaves have fallen and before trees leaf out again. Spray evenly on tree surfaces, ideally on a sunny, windless day when temperatures are expected to rise as the day goes on.

Need a little help? Premier Tree Solutions specializes in tree care in Atlanta, Georgia, and in the removal of dead, dying or infested tree limbs and specimens. We specialize in helping homeowners keep their trees and shrubs as healthy as they can possibly be. We also help with regular trimming and pruning, branch removal, storm cleanup, Bobcat work, stump grinding and debris removal. If you’d like help caring for your property, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 404-252-6448.