TREE & SHRUB SERVICES

PRUNING YOUR TREES & SHRUBS - NOW IS THE TIME!

Here's why:

- DORMANCY - In the winter most woody plants are dormant along with the diseases and insects that can invade a pruning cut.

- VISIBILITY - It's easy to identify form and structural issues in the plant when it's not covered in foliage.

- ENERGY - Pruning in the winter leaves the plant with extra root and energy reserves.  

- PREPARATION - The plant is better prepared for a Dormant Oil Application to kill off overwintering insects such as scale and mites, that will otherwise compromise it in the spring when the insects become active.

PREPARE YOUR TREES & SHRUBS FOR WINTER

Fall is the time to prepare your trees and shrubs for winter so they stay alive through the harsh winter. Make sure you address the following before winter.

Lack of Nutrients – You need a program that addresses nutrient replacement and that starts with a Fall Deep Root Fertilization.

Dead Wood –  Prune dead & diseased sections out so the tree or shrub can put its energy into strong living branches.

Dehydration – Even in the winter trees and shrubs need water to survive.  Freezing Temperatures and Wind suck the moisture from the plants in the winter. Deep water the plants before winter time with a hose.

THE PROPER TIMING OF DORMANT OIL

Timing is everything to maximize the effectiveness of a dormant oil application.  

Dormant oil needs applied when trees are completely dormant and before the trees and shrubs produce new growth. Applications done in late winter or early spring are ideal, when temperatures are above 35 degrees. if applied too early, it can cause winter injury to the tree and if applied too late it can damage new growth.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS INSECT?

 This is Cottony Maple Scale.  It is characterized by the puffs of cotton like material of their egg sac.  Once the eggs hatch, the babies crawl to the nearest leaf and begin to suck all the nutrients out of it. It is typically at this time that you start to see the leaves turn shiny and a sticky residue appears on anything under the plant. This feeding damages the tree and causes a mess of whatever is underneath.

If you have a Cottony Maple Scale issue, and for more information about a treatment plan, contact us today, as we have 7 Certified Arborists on staff.