Bring On the Storm: How to prepare your trees for freezing weather

Trees: beautiful, picturesque … deadly?

Well, not usually, but trees have been known to drop limbs, crack down the middle, or fall over. This can cause damage to cars and property, and even injure people and animals. If a tree limb hurts someone else or their property on your land, you could even be liable. Not to mention that leaving your tree at the mercy of cold weather could result in damage to it, or even tree death.

That’s why it’s important to make sure you’ve got your botanical beauties well in check. Here are three tips to make sure you do just that this winter.

  1. Look for Disease or Damage

One of the best things you can do to keep your trees healthy and prevent damage to them or property is to remove dead, rotten, or diseased limbs. These are more likely to grow brittle in cold weather or break under the strain of ice or high winds. Removing all unhealthy branches greatly reduces this chance, so use this guide to pruning out dead or diseased wood this winter.

  1. Check Cables or Braces

Many trees rely on some form of support to hold up overlarge branches or limbs to keep them from tipping over, or to support them while they grow. When these anchoring devices become too tight, however, winter can bring danger in the form of brittleness. If trees are too tightly contained or become iced over, they can snap, potentially ricocheting and hurting someone. Similarly, high winds can create too much stress, resulting in the same thing.

  1. Don’t Wait on Storm Cleanup

Storm cleanup is critical after a rainstorm, hailstorm, or other weather event. Leaving trees partially damaged is a bad idea, because unstable limbs can fall off or even split trees down the middle. Avoid this by getting professional cleanup as soon as possible after a storm.

Premier Tree Solutions can help. We specialize in a number of arboreal areas, including tree removal, tree trimming and pruning, storm damage reparation and cleanup, branch clearing and debris removal, stump removal and grinding, Bobcat work and more. If you need tree-related help this winter, either cleaning up after a tree incident or taking preventative measures to ensure cold weather doesn’t affect your yard, give us a shout. Let us know how we can help today at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

What Questions Should You Ask Every Tree Removal Company Before Hiring?

Tree removal can be a dangerous business. Not only can it lead to property damage, improper procedures can even mean the loss of life for workers or others in the area if they aren’t careful. That’s why it’s important to get the right tree team. These three questions will help you select the best team to complete the job.

1. Are You Licensed and Insured?

If tree removal professionals don’t have licenses, this indicates that they are not properly educated and equipped to be removing your trees, so you shouldn’t hire them. Insurance is even more important – if your tree care specialists don’t carry it, you will be liable for any damage that occurs on your property. Unfortunately, if you have not made every effort to ascertain their license and insurance status, it will be very hard for you to make a case disputing this. Always ask for proof of both.

2. Can You Provide a List of References?

Any company worth their salt should be able to provide references for you that will show their credibility. In fact, most will immediately produce a list of three or so people you can call to learn more about their work and their approach to business.

Note that these should be quality references. A company whose only reference is the office manager’s grandmother isn’t doing too well; you should take a pass on them. Opt for companies that can demonstrate experience in the business by providing several references. Even if the company is new, you can trust them as long as they’ve done good work and can prove it.

3. Can You Get a Detailed Proposal?

A good tree care specialist should be able to scope out a job and provide you a professional, detailed written description of your desired scope of work and an associated cost so you know exactly what you would be buying. If the proposal is non-descriptive and you just base your decision on price, then you could be left with an unexpected mess. KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS INCLUDED AND WHAT IS NOT – GET IT IN WRITING.

Premier Tree Solutions is a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in a number of tree-related areas. We provide tree removal and trimming, storm damage and cleanup, branch clearing and debris removal, stump removal and grinding, and Bobcat work. Let us know if we can help you today. Contact Premier Tree Solutions today at 404-252-6448 or online here.

Shop Smart: Check For Insurance When Choosing An Arborist

Trimming, pruning, or even cutting down trees is an important part of yard maintenance, and many of these chores can’t be done on your own. When you need help with those tall oaks and pine trees, your first instinct is likely to head to a professional tree service, which is definitely a smart move.

Want to know an even smarter move? Checking the tree service’s insurance. When it comes to potentially dangerous situations like tree care, you want to make sure you’re going with reputable, qualified, and insured arborists. Here’s how to spot a good company with good insurance.

Prevent Foreseeable Accidents

A lot of accidents can be prevented if you take the time upfront to ensure you’re working with tree specialists who are qualified and are knowledgeable about safety protocols. However, sometimes accidents are unavoidable. When that happens, you want to make sure you haven’t made the even bigger accident of forgetting to check an arborist’s insurance.

Why? Because if accidents or injuries happen on your property and the arborist isn’t insured, you may become liable. If you don’t want to pay for damages or medical expenses, you should check that your tree care specialist has both liability and worker’s compensation insurance, without any exceptions.

Ask for Proof of Insurance

The easiest way to determine whether your tree care specialist is insured is simply to ask. They will be able to tell you what kind of insurance they have and what it covers. Note that if you hire a company from another state, you have to make sure they also cover work in your state.

Know that asking about insurance shouldn’t be awkward, and doesn’t imply that you don’t trust the arborist. In fact, a good tree care company will be glad you asked, because they can demonstrate how they can be trusted. On the other hand, a less-than-splendid company will probably turn sour if you ask for insurance. They might show you false or lapsed proof of insurance, which is another issue to look out for.

Call and Confirm

The only way to make sure your arborist truly is insured is to call their insurance provider. A tree care company can provide you with the number to do so, after which the insurance company will send you the requested proofs of insurance. In some cases, liability and workers compensation insurance are covered by separate companies, so you will need call both to be certain.

Need tree help that is also properly insured? Contact Premier Tree Solutions today at 404-252-6448 or online here.

Be Your Own Tree Hero This Fall! Let Proactive Trimming Save The Day

Most tree owners have heard that pruning is a chore to be done during the spring or summer months. While this is true, fall is a great time to prune as well. Once leaves drop, it’s easier to see where the tree has structural weaknesses. It is also a time to see if the tree needs branches or limbs removed to minimize damage in winter weather. Let’s take a quick look at fall pruning guidelines.

Why Prune Proactively?

The truth is that while bad weather can damage trees no matter what you do to prevent it, proactive pruning can minimize the potential damage. Reducing the number of open wounds in cold weather helps the tree remain strong and healthy until warm weather returns.

Colorado State University advises to always look for limbs that form narrow “V” crotches when you prune. This is where damages is likely to occur. You should also remove any branches that look dead or previously damaged because they are most likely to break during storms. This will preserve your trees against snow, ice, and high winds.

When to Perform Fall Trims

You can prune in fall at any time you need to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches. While this does pose a small chance of weakening the tree, it’s a good to remove limbs before they get ripped off in storms, creating jagged wounds that are much more dangerous for trees.

Annual Pruning Vs. Winter Protection

You should note that pruning in fall does still expose the tree to cold, pests, fungus, and disease at a time when its defenses are low. Confine your pruning efforts to removing limbs or branches that pose a danger to people, property, or the tree itself. Perform your annual pruning for shape at the end of the dormancy period, just before the tree breaks bud in spring.

Call in an Expert

While there are some pruning chores homeowners can do without endangering themselves or the tree, certified arborists are trained and outfitted for the big jobs. If you need help, call Premier Tree Solutions. We’re a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia, and we specialize in pruning, tree removal, storm cleanup, storm damage repair, branch clearing, and stump grinding. Let us know how we can help today at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

A Little Tree TLC: Benefits & Drawbacks of Tree Wrapping

With the winter months fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to think about a little tree TLC. One of the most common ways people protect their tender trees during these cold months is by wrapping the trunks. Given the amount of confusion over this practice, however, we thought we should jump in and offer a little more info regarding the pros and cons of tree wrapping for winter.

Wrapping Benefits

There are a number of benefits offered by wrapping your trees. For one thing, winter reduces food sources for game, such as deer and rabbits, which may turn to bark. Stripping bark in winter can be dangerous or deadly to trees, so wrapping prevents this. Insects may also present a danger, which wrapping similarly defuses.

Sunscald is also an issue in the colder months. Thin-barked species are especially susceptible, and scalds can cause dried, dead bark that harms the tree. Wrapping the tree prevents the temperature fluctuations that cause this.

Lastly, wrapping can help prevent trees from getting splashed with salt from driveways and walkways. De-icing salt can burn foliage, harm bark and lead to tree damage or death. Especially good trees to wrap include crabapple, maple or honey locust trees.

Drawbacks of Wrapping

However, there are several drawbacks to wrapping trees, but most of them occur when you leave the wrappings on too long. For instance, when trees are still growing in fall or start growing again in spring, a tight wrap can inhibit growth and damage bark. Rubbing from wraps in the wind can also damage bark or break off spring buds.

Putting wraps on too early in fall or leaving them on too late in spring can also lead to insect damage because it provides a warm, moist habitat between the wrapping and the bark. This is another argument for waiting until cold months and taking off as soon as the weather breaks in spring.

Call the Experts

Premier Tree Solutions is a growing tree removal business based in Atlanta, Georgia. We would love to help you keep your trees as healthy as possible. We specialize in tree trimming and pruning, tree removal, storm cleanup and damage control, branch clearing and stump grinding, and Bobcat work.

Whatever your tree-related needs, we can help! If you have any questions, give us a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here.

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.