Tree Service Tips

When a tree falls in the forest, it may not make a sound. But it will make an impact when it falls near you.

Falling trees kill more than 200 Americans every year. Scientists have found nearly 100,000 dead yet standing trees in the eastern United States alone. Any one of these trees can fall over at any moment. 

What should be your first response to a fallen tree? Who can you call for help, even when you are in the middle of the storm? How can you prevent another fallen tree from happening? 

Answer these questions and you can keep your home from significant storm damage. Here are five things you should do after a tree falls in your yard.  

1. Assess the Fallen Tree Damage From a Distance 

As soon as a tree falls down, you should assess the situation. Start with the room you are in. If the power went out or if the room shook, you should assume the tree hit a power line at a minimum. 

Try to get to a window and look out to see what is happening. Even if you can’t see the tree, you can see where you can go if you need to evacuate. 

If there is no apparent damage to your home, you can go to a location where you can see the fallen tree. Do not go outside or get any closer than you need to. Pull out your phone and take photographs of the damage. 

If a tree fell on your house, you should evacuate. It does not matter if there is no immediate damage. Rainwater and wind can push on the tree and puncture a hole in your ceiling. 

Try to find an area where you can place a phone call. This may involve going to a store or an area near a radio tower. 

Call 911 if anyone has been injured. Keep in mind that a branch may have fallen onto your neighbor’s property or into the road. Try to see if everyone around you is okay. 

2. Call a Professional Tree Removal Service 

You can call a company as soon as your tree falls. You should keep in mind that they may not respond to you right away. A major storm will cause other trees to fall over and block roadways.

But placing a call will expedite the removal process. Tell them what storm damage from trees you have. Tell them where and how big the tree is. 

Try to assess their experience and skills. Ask them about how to remove a fallen tree. If they are not clear in the details, talk to a different company. 

You can ask about prices, but keep the focus of your call on the immediate situation. Tree removal is more important than saving money. 

3. Call Your Insurance Company

Once your call with the tree removal company is over, you should call your insurance company. Tell them what happened, what has been damaged, and where you are. 

Be as detailed with your descriptions as possible. Try to itemize your damaged belongings, including your fence and car. 

As with a professional removal company, you should not expect immediate treatment. Many people may be calling your insurer. You may be put on hold or connected to a representative you do not know. 

They may ask you to send photographs of the damage. Do so as soon as possible. You may need to move to an area where you have Wi-Fi access. 

4. Secure Your Home

After you are done with your insurance company, focus on your safety. Wait for the inclement weather to pass before you go outside. You can wait in a neighbor’s house or your car if you feel unsafe inside your home. 

Lock your doors and windows before leaving. Remove your valuables and secure them in drawers away from sight. 

Place boards or solid objects over any holes in your wall or broken windows. This will prevent animals and floodwater from entering your house. 

Do not try to remove the tree itself. It may have damaged the integrity of your home or knocked down a power line. Do not go near a downed power line, even if you are wearing protective equipment. 

Ask a home inspector to come into your house and inspect the foundation. A tree that fell in your hard may have damaged it, even if it missed your house entirely. 

Do not stay in a house with a damaged foundation or destroyed walls. Allow someone to make repairs, but stay at someone else’s place until your home is whole again. 

5. Get Your Tree Removed

Let the professionals take care of the tree for you. You can supervise their work, but let them do their jobs. 

After the tree has been removed, think of some steps you can take so damage does not happen again. You may want to remove dead or decaying trees from your property. You can also hire a tree trimming service that will remove extended branches. 

Reinforce your walls and roofing for added security. You can install stones, plywood boards, and metal grids to increase your home’s strength. Try to remove fragile objects from your walls so a tree in your backyard will not rattle them. 

Prepare an evacuation plan in the event that your home gets damaged again. Figure out where you will go if you need to leave and decide what you need to take. If you are in an area that has a lot of storms, you can prepare a go-bag with medication and important documents. 

Get Your Fallen Tree Out of the Way

A fallen tree requires immediate intervention. Assess the damage near you and outside. If you are at risk, get out of your house. 

Call a tree removal company so they can respond to you right away. Then talk to your insurance company about the potential damage. 

Board up any damaged areas and do not go near your tree. Let the removal company come and do that work for you. Take steps to improve the integrity of the house and your personal safety. 

Don’t hesitate to get tree removal help. Arbor-Tech Tree Service serves the Southlake area. Contact us today. 

You can go about pruning a tree for various reasons, resulting in a better-looking and functioning tree.

Although trees develop to their full capacity and live a long life without being pruned, this regular landscaping maintenance allows your trees to reach their maximum potential and live a long life. But before you can learn how to trim a tree correctly, you must first understand why you should do so.

So let’s delve into how to prune your trees correctly at home and why. We’ll run through all the skills needed, as well as the time and effort it takes.

Why Homeowners Should Prune Their Trees 

Pruning results in eliminating dead, dying, and diseased branches, as well as branches that rub together and any branch stubs, to ensure good tree health.

Increased foliage while reducing you getting an infected tree. It can be achieved by opening up the canopy to allow light and air to filter throughout the entire tree.

Water sprouts and suckers can weaken the wood and take nutrients from the main tree at ground level. You can build a sturdy tree that can resist winter storms and severe winds by assisting a tree in establishing one main tree and a dominant leader.

Landscape care and appearance pruning work together to create the perfect tree. You can encourage fruiting and flowering, shape trees into specific forms, and manage tree sizes by pruning and trimming them in precise ways.

Safety Hazard Concerns

Although safety considerations are rarely considered, they are a compelling incentive to cut your trees. Trimming the trees in your yard ensures that your family and friends are secure. Trees that have been trimmed well are more robust and healthier.

Property and people can become at risk from dead branches, unhealthy trees, and weak limbs. You should think about whether tree branches are getting too near safety lights, electricity lines, or obscuring road views while cutting trees.

Pruning Small Tree Limbs

Think carefully about where you want to cut your smaller limbs as it will encourage new growth.

Then you should try thinning, shrinking, and shaping limbs small enough to cut with simple hand tools. Don’t waste your efforts on larger branches with these sorts of tools. You might end up hurting yourself worse, or damaging the tree.

Cut the small branches one-quarter inches above any buds on the tree’s exterior. The fresh growth will be in this direction. To prevent water damage and disease, try to keep your cuts at right angles.

Pruning Thicker Tree Branches

Calluses form where a tree branch has been properly trimmed, and the tree’s health is dependent on this callus.

To avoid causing harm to the bark, you must cut back most tree branches to the trunk or the primary branch three times. The first two cuts eliminate the tree branch’s weight, while the final cut promotes callus growth.

Tree Pruning Methods

You can improve a tree’s health and shape in a variety of ways. As well, we should all aim to grow a tree that has good light and air circulation, as well as appealing attributes and strength.

The four most common tree trimming procedures for general pruning are:

• Crown cleaning
• Crown reduction
• Crown elevating
• Crown thinning

You’ll notice that each type of trimming involves the tree’s crown. This is because the tree’s crown is required for the production of photosynthetic leaves. The rest of the tree will deteriorate over time if the crown is not sturdy and healthy.

Crown Cleaning

When trimming a tree, crown cleaning refers to removing dead, diseased, and broken branches. It can be done at any moment and should be part of crown thinning, elevating, and reduction procedures.

Crown cleaning reinforces the entire tree, minimizes potential harm to the tree and surrounding property, and improves the overall security of your landscaping.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction is a technique for trimming trees that are older and more mature. It can aid in the strengthening of the tree and the promotion of new growth.

Crown reduction is when you remove a tree branch and replace it with a growing lateral limb nearby. The lateral limb will form part of the newly formed tree crown when the growing season begins in the spring. This procedure is a kinder alternative to tree topping, in my opinion.

More minor cuts are used, and less crown is taken, leaving enough of the previous growth for structure. You use crown thinning to diminish branches and foliage, while you carry out a crown reduction to remove old growth and promote new growth.

Crown Raising

Crown raising is the process of lifting the bottom edge of tree limbs to make room for traffic, buildings, or a view. You should do this method of tree pruning over a long period.

If you remove too many lower branches at once, you can make your tree weak. Yearly, you should prune only some of the branches with a diameter of less than around four to five inches.

Crown Thinning

Trimming a tree’s crown to remove specific live branches to lessen the tree’s overall density is known as thinning the crown. On mature trees, thinning is the most prevalent way to prune. It improves sunshine penetration and air circulation. Gravity, wind, ice, and snow can all cause stress on certain limbs.

The goal here isn’t to modify the tree’s size or shape. So thinning should be uniform across the board. You should prune trees for crown thinning so that they appear fully unpruned.

Pruning a Tree the Right Way

As soon as they plant a tree, a forward-thinking homeowner starts pruning it. Branches that are diseased, dead, or damaged should be removed as quickly as possible.

Yet, pruning a tree can appear to be a daunting task. Choosing professional arborists might be the best solution for your needs.

At Arbor-Tech Tree Service, we have the tools and training necessary to remove tree branches of all sizes securely. Why not get a quote today and find out how we can help develop your trees the right way?

Having trees in your yard is beneficial for a few reasons. They provide shade for your home or business, they provide oxygen, they offer habitats for wildlife, and much more. With so many wonderful benefits of trees in the yard, it’s essential you do what you can to keep your tree healthy at all times.

Unfortunately, there are some factors that can cause a tree to die. Whether it’s a disease, infestation, or improper care, you’ll want to know the signs of a dying tree and how to save a dying tree. When you know what signs to look for and how to prevent a tree from dying, you can save your tree before it’s too late.

For all the best advice on how to save a trick tree continue reading below!

Know the Early Signs

Do you know how to tell the difference between a dying tree and a dead tree? A dying tree isn’t the same thing as a tree that’s already dead. If the tree is in the process of dying, then it may be able to be saved. 

What’s most important is detecting the early signs of a dying tree so you can provide proper tree care to bring it back to life. Do keep in mind, a dying tree will appear lifeless, have little to no green leaves, and seem dry, but that doesn’t mean it’s already dead.

A dying tree might also have a bent trunk due to it losing its strength. You might notice cracks on the surface of the tree trunk as well. The best thing to do is to contact a local arborist to determine if the tree is still alive. 

Determine the Cause

Once you notice a tree’s dying, you’ll want to determine the cause of the problem. There are several reasons why a tree might be dying. For example, the condition of the environment might have an effect on how well the tree does there. 

If you know the type of tree, then do some research on the type of environment it thrives well in. Is there something in its current environment that could be causing it to die? Another thing to consider is a disease and insect infestations. 

If a tree falls ill from a disease, then insects could see it as an opportunity to invade. Of course, not all insects infest trees and your tree will most definitely have an insect or two on it. What you need to look out for are harmful insects such as pine beetles, emerald ash borers, and gypsy moths. 

Old age and catastrophic events could also cause a tree to die. Once you know the cause, you can then prepare to correct the problem.

Ensure Proper Nourishment

Do you know how much water your tree needs to survive? Be sure to do some research on the specific type of tree. How often does it need water and how much? 

Too much or too little water could have a negative effect on the tree. Be sure to water the tree for around two minutes. When doing so, adjust the hose nozzle to prevent soaking the soil with too much water.

The area surrounding the tree should also have a proper drainage system. If you’re not at home or your place of business enough to water your tree as it needs, then you should set your sprinkler system on a timer to do it for you. 

Use the Right Mulching Technique

Mulching can help protect your tree but only when done correctly. It’ll help nourish the soil and create a drainage system. You don’t want to lay too much mulch down, though.

You still want the tree roots to breathe. Dig about five inches deep into the soil. Lay about 1 and a half inches of mulch down. 

Then, use a rake to spread it. 

Prune Using the Correct Method

Pruning is also a method of saving a dying tree and keeping a healthy one healthy. However, you must ensure you’re using the right pruning method. Incorrect pruning can cause damage to the tree. 

Different trees and different types of diseases will require a specific pruning method. This is why it’s also more beneficial to have a professional prune and trim the tree for you.

Test and Fertilize the Soil

Testing the soil can give you a good indication of what’s missing from the tree’s health. If a certain nutrient isn’t showing up in the soil test, then you know you’ll need to add it. Fertilizing the yard may be good for the lawn, but be sure to keep a distance from the tree when doing so. 

Natural fertilizer is ideal as is the right amount since you don’t want to over-fertilize the area.

Contact Your Local Arbor Tech 

When in doubt, never hesitate to contact your local arbor tech. A professional arborist will be able t detect a dying tree from a dead one. They can also remove a dead tree or help you save a dying one and bring it back to life. 

Because caring for trees can be such a detailed and specific process, it’s a good idea to have the professionals do the hard work for you.

Know How to Save a Dying Tree Before It’s Too Late

When you follow the advice listed above, you might be able to save a dying tree before it’s too late. Learning how to save a dying tree might take some time, but we want to help. At Arbor-Tech Tree Service, we offer tree trimming, stump grinding, tree removal, tree planting, and plant health. 

Contact us today to see how we can help you save your tree!

Trees do much more than just sitting pretty on our lawns. They also provide shade, cut energy costs, and reduce air pollution. The current global forest cover stands at 31%, which translates to about 4.06 billion hectares. 

That sounds impressive, but it’s not enough to avert an impending climate disaster. That means we’ll have to plant even more trees to save our planet.

While most folks have no problem with planting trees, not many are great at taking care of them. Tree maintenance is just as important as planting trees because that’s the only way they can thrive and look their best. If you want your lawn to be the envy of your neighbors, then you need to have tree maintenance down pat.

Taking care of a tree isn’t as simple as watering or trimming them every once and then. Although doing so helps, there’s much more you can do to get the best from your trees. 

In today’s post, we’ll look at some tips on taking care of a tree for healthy and thriving trees.

1. Tree Trimming

You can think of tree trimming as giving your tree a haircut. Consistent tree trimming ensures your trees look lovely and healthy.

Trimming helps remove dead branches and leaves so that new ones can grow. Your trees can grow out of control, and you need to trim them to stop them from coming too close to your house. If you can’t trim them yourselves, you can always hire a gardener or a professional landscaper to do it for you.

It’s worth noting that tree branches pose a serious threat to your house during severe weather. Loose branches may break and crash into your windows or roof. Sometimes, the branches may sway from strong winds and break your windows.

2. Water Them

It’s imperative that you water your plants regularly, especially if they’re new. Water helps carry important nutrients to all parts of the tree, and It also helps young trees stand up straight. As a rule of thumb, aim for about 10 gallons of water for every inch of the trunk’s diameter.

Older trees need less water because they have expansive root systems that can draw water from beneath the ground. You can’t say the same about young trees, and you need to water them regularly to help them grow roots, so they’ll need less water.

3. Keep an Eye Out for Pests and Diseases

Pests and diseases are detrimental to your trees’ health, regardless of how well you take care of them. They could reverse all the hard work you did to keep your trees in their best shape. As such, you need to always watch for pests and diseases.

Monitor your trees for any unusual changes like spots on the leaves or fungi on their barks. If you see abnormal structural changes, there’s definitely something wrong with the plant. All these are indicators that pests or diseases might be infesting your trees.

If that’s the case, you need to seek professional plant healthcare services to identify the problem and figure out a solution. Alternatively, you can purchase an insect control formula and spray them on your trees to get rid of pests. 

However, remember to follow the instructions on the label to the letter to avoid harming your trees. Although buying pesticides is a good solution, calling in the pros is the best way to keep pests and diseases at bay.

4. Mulch

Contrary to popular thought, mulch isn’t just a decorative element for your yard. Mulch also helps trees to retain water, especially in dry regions. It also helps protect the trees from drastic temperature changes and is very beneficial for newly planted trees.

The mulch amount you’ll need for your trees depends on their size. You’ll need around three to ten feet of mulch around the tree for the best results. You’ll have to pay between $200 to $2000 for the mulch, depending on how many trees you’re mulching.

5. Soil Testing

If your trees don’t look their best despite your best efforts, it could be something with the soil. Maybe the soil lacks the optimum PH level and minerals for proper growth. Soil testing helps determines the PH level and minerals in the soil so you can take the necessary steps.

You can purchase a DIY soil-testing kit, but it may not give the most accurate results. Instead, consider hiring a professional to conduct comprehensive soil testing. You’ll have to pay slightly over a thousand dollars for professional soil testing.

6. Fertilize if Necessary

You have to fertilize your plants consistently if you want them to grow to their full potential. For young trees, you’ll have to fertilize them until you notice considerable growth. You don’t have to fertilize mature trees, but there’s no harm in doing so.

A soil test confirms what nutrients the soil lacks so you can get the right fertilizer. Fertilize plants that exhibit yellow foliage or stunted growth as soon as you can. Only use the recommended amount of fertilizer to avoid damaging the plants.

7. Keep Tree Roots Safe

Avoid driving any cars or heavy equipment over your tree’s roots. Doing so compacts the soil above the roots, which reduces available oxygen. Lack of enough oxygen may make the roots die off and kill the entire tree.

Also, avoid adding and removing soil under the tree canopies. If you want to do so, contact a licensed arborist to do it for you. That way, you can add or remove the soil without damaging the roots.

Be careful when changing soil grade, so you don’t damage the roots. Contact a reputable landscaping professional before any landscaping.

Proper Tree Maintenance Needs Commitment

Now that you know how to take care of a tree with the above tree maintenance tips, make sure you put them to practice. Remember, your trees aren’t only a decorative element; they’re also crucial for saving the earth. Take care of your trees not only for your yard’s aesthetics but for the planet’s future.

A touch of professional tree maintenance never hurts anyone. Contact us today for professional arborist services, including tree maintenance.

Have you ever wondered how old a tree was? The United States is the home of the oldest tree in the world. The long-lived Great Bristlecone Pine in the White Mountains of California is 5,000 years old.

Of course, you want to look after the trees on your property but how do you know how they’re doing? What are the signs of a healthy tree? Read on to learn how to properly measure tree health.

Strong Leader

Inspect the structure of your tree. Most healthy trees will have one lead branch at the top of the trunk. This provides stability to the tree.

If the tree looks lopsided or isn’t straight because there are multiple leaders, it may be unstable. These competing leaders may need to be removed. Removing these branches should be done with care and it may be necessary to do it over several years.

Multiple leaders can result in splits in the tree. I split in the tree can provide harmful insects or diseases with a route to enter the tree and cause harm. These infections may need to be treated.

There are some trees for whom a strong single trunk is not the norm. These trees are perfectly healthy with several leads and indeed require them. Many fruit trees have several trunks but each should have a single lead.

Healthy Growth

A healthy tree will show healthy growth. This growth occurs in both the trunk and branches. The gap between last year’s buds and this year’s buds will give an indication of the rate of growth.

What’s a healthy growth rate? This varies from species to species so you’ll have to look up the expectations for your tree variety. The growth of the trunk can be measured by measuring the girth of the tree at the same point each year.

A tree that is not growing may be having problems. It’s very likely that the tree is struggling to get nutrition from the soil it is growing in. The tree maintenance for a tree that is not growing can include rehabilitating the roots and providing the tree with some new soil.

Branch Health

Healthy branches are a sign of a healthy tree. Check the branches for any dead wood. A dead branch will not have green under the bark if you scrape it. A dead branch will be less flexible when bent and is likely to break.

If there are any dead branches prune them back to living wood. Failing to remove deadwood as part of tree care can result in diseases infecting the living tree.

Healthy Bark

The bark surrounding the trunk and branches of your trees is a good indication of your tree’s health. It should be free from damage. Any damage will be a route into the tree for insects or diseases.

It’s wise to protect trees from any infection by covering any cracks or wounds.

Most trees will retain the bark and if any bark is coming off the tree this indicates a health problem. There are a few trees where peeling bark is a feature of the tree and is completely natural. Some maple trees, birches, and eucalyptus shed their bark and this is fine.

If fungi or moss is growing on the bark of your trees this is a sign of potential weakness. The tree may need strengthening by rehabilitating the roots.

Bare Branches

A deciduous tree is one that loses its leaves during the winter and regrows them again in the spring. It’s normal for the branches of deciduous trees to have bare branches during the winter. It’s not normal for a deciduous tree to have bare branches during the summer months so investigate any bare branches in case the branch has died.

Evergreen trees do not lose their leaves seasonally. The branches should hold leaves all year round. Sometimes, there will be bare branches where the branches have become bare.

These trees are ones that have needles rather than conventional broad leaves. Pine trees and spruces are examples of this type of tree. If the tree is short of water or nutrients it will protect itself by reducing the work it has to do to maintain itself and it does this by shedding needles.

A bare branch may be the result of pests eating the leaves. Diseases of various types can also strip leaves from the branches. Insect infestations can have the same effect.

Human impact on your trees can also result in loss of leaves. Poor pruning technique, improper use of pesticides, and careless use of weedkillers could all be possible causes.

Leaf Color

The color of leaves can be an indicator of a health problem with your trees. Normal leaf color suggests the tree is healthy.

Deciduous trees most often have the following leaf color. This is likely to be green leaves in spring and throughout the summer. In the fall, leaves turn yellow, orange, or even red.

Evergreen trees are, as the name suggests, green throughout the year.

Some trees have natural healthy variations from the standard pattern. They may have patterns or variations in color on their leaves.

If leaves turn a different color from the standard color for the season there may be a problem. This is likely to be because the tree is not getting enough water or that it’s not getting the right nutrients.

The solution is to help the roots be more effective at providing both these essentials. Improving the soil and rehabilitating the roots will help.

Stress and Disease

If a tree is not producing fruit or flowers as it should or leaves are distorted the tree may be suffering from a disease. Any irregularity such as strange growth patterns, wounds in the tree, or loss of sap could indicate disease.

Signs or wilting also indicate that the tree is suffering some stress such as under or oversupply of water. 

Tree Health Check

Check your trees for these signs of tree health. Apply the remedies or seek professional help. That way you will help your trees have a long and healthy life.

Make contact to discuss your tree’s health right now.