Category Archives: Tree Service

Tree Trimming in Phoenix Part 1

Part one of a series on tree trimming in Phoenix explores some basics of tree care.

How Often Should I Trim my Trees?

Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167
Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167

First off, if you’re just removing dead branches or leaves, you can do this pretty much any time. As to how often you should trim your trees depends on whether it is winter or summer, as this article excerpt from the Arbor Day Foundation web page shows:

“Winter Pruning-Pruning during dormancy is the most common practice. It results in a vigorous burst of new growth in the spring and should be used if that is the desired effect. It is usually best to wait until the coldest part of winter has passed. Some species, such as maple, walnuts and birches, may “bleed”—when the sap begins to flow. This is not harmful and will cease when the tree leafs out.

Summer Pruning-To direct the growth by slowing the branches you don’t want; or to slow “dwarf” the development of a tree or branch, pruning should be done soon after seasonal growth is complete. The reason for the slowing effect is that you reduce the total leaf surface, thereby reducing the amount of food manufactured and sent to the roots. Another reason to prune in the summer is for corrective purposes. Defective limbs can be seen more easily, or limbs that hang down too far under the weight of the leaves.”

Source Article 

Tree Trimming in Phoenix: General Tips

Tree trimming in Phoenix involves a bit of care.  You never want to cut more than 25% of a tree’s growth because it can potentially kill the tree.

When you are trimming the trees, be careful of cutting the bark.  If you cut the bark in a complete circle around the trunk, it will cause the tree to die as well.  That’s why if you aren’t sure what you’re doing, you may want to call a tree care service to help you.

This concludes part one of our series on tree care.  Be sure to read part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC

600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Tree Trimming Part 2: Summer and Winter Pruning

Part two of a two part series on tree trimming explores what time of year you  should trim trees.

What Time of Year Should You Trim Trees?

Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167
Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167

What time of year should you trim trees?  The answer to this question depends on the reason that you’re trimming your trees.  You can remove dead or diseased wood at any time, and you can do light tree pruning as well.

Another thing to realize is that some species of trees need more tree care than others.  There are some species of trees that have very high growth rates.  As such, you’re obviously going to need to trim these more than twice a year.  Otherwise, the best two times of year to prune trees are winter and summer.

Why Should I Prune My Tree in Winter or Summer?

When trees go dormant in the winter, unless of course they’re an evergreen, it is easier to trim them with little to no risk to the tree.  Pruning during the winter causes your  tree to experience a lot of new growth come springtime.  If you’re pruning in the winter, it’s best to wait until the coldest part of winter is over. Usually Arizona is coldest from mid December until early January, unless you’re living at higher elevations. As for tree pruning in the summer, it serves a much different purpose.

Summer pruning helps you to control and direct the way you want the tree to grow.  You usually want to prune right after spring, or right after summer. As we covered in our last article, when you do tree pruning, make sure that you cut at an angle, particularly upward pointing branches, as this will allow water to flow down the tree better.

When you’re in doubt about , you’re better off actually calling in a tree care service to help you.  Tree services are professionals where tree care is concerned.  And if you get a tree service with an arborist on board, you’ll be very safe indeed.

This concludes part two of our series.  For more information on tree care, be sure to read part one as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167

http://www.greenservpro.com

Tree Trimming Part 1: How Much Should You Trim?

Part one of a two part series on tree trimming explores the frequency of trimming your trees.

How Much Should I Trim Off My Tree?

Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167
Call a Certified Arborist | (928) 356-8167

As a tree service, we’re often asked by customers “how much should I trim off my tree?”  How much you should trim off your tree is only part of the problem.  You also want to make sure you’re trimming the right material off your tree.What is the right material?  Well, for one thing, if you have dead or dying branches on your tree, you should get them off as soon as possible, unless you are exceeding a certain amount of pruning.  For example, a good figure is 25% maximum of the tree’s total foliage in order to keep the tree healthy. This figure also includes the dead branches as well.

Why Can’t I Trim More Than 25% of My Tree?

Well, just as continuous bark is necessary for your tree’s circulation, you want to make sure that your tree’s branches aren’t trimmed too far back.  Particularly in Arizona, the more branches you have, the more water it will catch during a rainstorm, and the more water the root system will receive.  If you trim too many branches off, your tree will not get enough water unless you go to a higher level of watering.  Also, the nutrient level will drop.

When you do tree pruning, make sure that you cut at an angle, particularly upward pointing branches, as this will allow water to flow down the tree better.

When you’re in doubt, you’re better off actually calling in a tree care service to help you.  Tree services are professionals where tree care is concerned.  And if you get a tree service with an arborist on board, you’ll be very safe indeed.

This concludes part one of our series.  For more information on tree care, be sure to read part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167

http://www.greenservpro.com

Fertilizing Plants in Arizona

In Arizona, fertilizing your plants can mean the difference between a lush green landscape and a bland collection of half-dead trees and shrubs.  But don’t just grab the first bag of fertilizer you find at the home improvement store; understanding what fertilizers are is just as important and fertilizing.

What are fertilizers?

Fertilizers are any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of the plant.

Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions;

Only three other macronutrients are needed by all plants: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These nutrients are supplied by water and carbon dioxide.

Forms of Fertilizers

Fertilizers come in various forms, divided into organic or inorganic. Plants can only absorb their required nutrients if they are present in easily dissolved chemical compounds. Both organic and inorganic fertilizers provide the same needed chemical compounds. Organic fertilizers provided other macro and micro plant nutrients and are released as the organic matter decays.

The most common solid fertilizer is a granulated or powdered form. The second most common form is liquid fertilizer; some advantages of liquid fertilizer are its immediate effect and wide coverage.

Slow Release forms

Slow-release fertilizers reduce the problem of “burning” the plants due to excess nitrogen. Polymer coating of fertilizer ingredients gives tablets and spikes a ‘true time-release’ or ‘staged nutrient release’ (SNR) of fertilizer nutrients.

Can you over-fertilize your plants in Arizona?

Yes! You can over use plant fertilizer. Over-fertilization of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as not fertilizing at all. Over-fertilizing or “Fertilizer burn” can dry out of the leaves and damage or even kill the plant. So if you are going to fertilize make sure you read all the directions before starting the process.

Organic fertilizers and their benefits

Organic fertilizers include naturally occurring organic materials, (e.g. chicken litter, manure, worm castings, compost, seaweed, guano) or naturally occurring mineral deposits. Poultry litter and cattle manure often create environmental and disposal problems, making their use as fertilizers very beneficial. Organic fertilizers have been known to help soil life and long-term productivity of soil.

Comparison with inorganic fertilizer

Organic fertilizer nutrient content, solubility, and nutrient release rates are typically all lower than inorganic fertilizers. In general, the nutrients in organic fertilizer are both more dilute and also much less readily available to plants. Nevertheless they are at least as effective as inorganic (chemical) fertilizers over longer periods of use.

More recently, organic fertilizers are on the rise as people are trying to use environmental friendly products. Although organic fertilizers usually contain a lower concentration of nutrients, this lower concentration avoids complication of nitrogen burn harming the plants. In addition, organic fertilizers such as compost and worm castings break down slowly into complex organic structures which build the soil’s structure and moisture- and nutrient-retaining capabilities.

Inorganic fertilizers almost always readily dissolve and unless added have few other macro and micro plant nutrients. You see results faster when the inorganic fertilizers are used.  

When it comes to fertilizing plants in Arizona,

How to get your Landscape ready for monsoon season.

Monsoon season is upon us! Get your Landscape ready.

Below is a list of things you can do to help prepare your landscape for the season.

Timming of Trees

  •  Many people love large shade trees in their yard escpecially in this Arizona heat. What people do not realize is that all trees need to be maintained. By maintained I mean trimmed and thinned out at least two times a year to keep them full yet weather resistant. If you let your tree grow large and become un-kept it can fall over or have limbs break during storms. Not only does this cause damage to the tree but to your home and property as well,  not to mention the dent it can put in your wallet. Remember it is much easier to prevent the problem then trying to clean it up later – more cost effective too.

 Tree staking

  • Stake your smaller trees! You want to do this to prevent them from falling over in the storms. Smaller trees will fall over more quickly because they do not have a good root base yet.  When the tree does fall it can brake limbs and damage the roots and you may lose the tree.

 

Clean-up your Landscape

  • Be sure to clean-up your landscape of all debris and leaves. The debris could get swept up by the winds and cause more damage in the yard.

 Pre-Emergent

  • Pre-emergent is important to put down before a large storm rolls in. All the rain fall will cause weeds to grow in your landscape. Applying pre-emergent to your landscape will treat the ground and prevent weeds from sprouting.

 

 Drainage

  • Landscape grading is a very important part to any landscape. Surface water comes down directly from the rain. If not graded properly you will have pools of water in your yard. The pools might stay long enough to attract insects such as mosquitoes that can carry deceases.

 

 

Don’t forget to Call Green ServPro for all your needs! Landscape clean-ups, tree service, lighting repairs, irrigation repairs and much much more. 480-420-0902  *Free estimates*

Landscape Maintenance in Prescott

Your Choice For Expert Prescott Landscape Maintenance & Lawn Care

Green ServPro will treat your Prescott landscape maintenance as if it one of our own homes. We understand that every customer may have different tastes and preferences from the way we trim the shrubs to what type and color of flowers you like. Right from the start our goal is to structure a lawn care and landscape maintenance plan to enhance or return your lawn and landscape to a healthy, green and clean appearance.

Customer Service & Communication

We provide the highest level of communication with our customers. We maintain open lines of communication, maintaining on time schedules and keeping you informed about problem areas and required sprinkler and irrigation repairs.  We also provide you with timely notices like frost warnings and service date updates along with a newsletter to keep you up to date with seasonal changes that pertain to the Prescott landscape services at your home.

Regular Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly or Seasonal Landscape Maintenance Services

Our regular landscape maintenance services are provided weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and quarterly. Seasonal services are provided as well such as Winter rye grass overseeding or spring or fall time trimming and cleanups.

Regular landscape maintenance services include regular shrub and tree trimming up to an 8 ft. height, lawn care including regular fertilization and weed control, landscape weed removal and spraying, blowing out of the yard including patios, driveway and walkways. Hauling and disposal is also included.

Please Call Green Service Pro today to at 480-420-0902

Monsoons: What will they do to your Landscape?

Monsoon Season is coming so what does that mean for my Landscape?

Monsoon Season has an average start date of the first week in July and usually ends in mid September. During the monsoon season Arizona experiences more severe weather then most states. Monsoons have dust, high winds, and heavy desert rain usually resulting in flash floods. Arizona typically gets about 2-1/2 inches of rain during monsoon season, that is about 1/3 of the yearly rainfall Arizona gets.

 

 

How monsoon season can affect your Landscape.

Monsoons can cause limbs or entire trees to fall, often landing on homes, cars, or other trees. Even an old tree with strong roots can be damaged in a monsoon with the 40mph – 60mph winds. Top heavy trees need to be thinned out to allow wind to move through the tree and help prevent storm damages from occurring. This also promotes a more upright growth and allows the sun to penetrate the interior of the tree to aid the trees health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How much could this monsoon season cost you?

Please give an expert a call today! We will come out and give you a free estimate for a tree service. Remember it is more cost effective to have your tree serviced before the damage occurs. We would rather save your tree from falling or being damaged then having to remove it.

 

Call Green ServPro at 480-420-0902 or email Danielle at Danielle@greenservpro.com.