Tree Service, Uncategorized

Tree Trimming in Phoenix Part 1

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Larry

09
May

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

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

Desert Landscape, Design, Home and Garden, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Uncategorized

Landscape Design Part 3: Rock Gardens

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Larry

In Part 3 of our series, we will explore another type of landscape design: a rock garden. Rock gardens come in many forms. One of the most popular is a classic Japanese rock garden. According to this Wikipedia article:

The Rock Garden and Landscape Design

The Japanese rock garden (枯山水 karesansui?) or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water.[1] A zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the hojo, the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto, Japan during the Muromachi Period. They were intended to imitate the intimate essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve an aid to meditation about the true meaning of life.[2]

Ancient Landscape Designs

Rock gardens existed in Japan at least since the Heian Period (784-1185). These early gardens were described in the first manual of Japanese gardens, Sakuteiki, or Records of Garden Keeping, written at the end of the 11th century by Tachibana no Toshitsuna (1028–1094). They were largely copied from the Chinese gardens of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), where groups of rocks symbolized Mount Penglai, the legendary mountain-island home of the Eight Immortals in Chinese mythology, known in Japanese as Horai.

To read more of this article, click here.

Rock gardens are only one method of landscape design. Part 1 of our series explored desert landscaping and Part 2 explored tropical plants.

Whether you want to go for the desert, or turn your home into a paradise, the right landscape design company can help you.

Green ServPro is a landscape design company based in Prescott, AZ.

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

Read:

Landscape Design Part 1: Desert Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 2: Tropical and Sub-Tropical Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 3: Rock Gardens

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance, Uncategorized

Lawn Maintenance Tips Part 2

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Larry

Fertilizing your lawn is the next stage of lawn maintenance. In part two of our series, we’ll cover fertilization of your lawn. Fertilizer fits into two categories: organic and chemical fertilizer. First off, what is fertilizer? According to this Wikipedia excerpt: Fertilizer (or fertiliser) is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions: Six macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S);
eight micronutrients: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) (1987).

The macronutrients are consumed in larger quantities and are present in plant tissue in quantities from 0.15% to 6.0% on a dry matter (0% moisture) basis (DM). Micronutrients are consumed in smaller quantities and are present in plant tissue on the order of parts per million (ppm), ranging from 0.15 to 400 ppm DM, or less than 0.04% DM.[5][6] Only three other macronutrients are required by all plants: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These nutrients are supplied by water and carbon dioxide. To read more of this Wikipedia, please visit the source material here. Fertilizer, as a part of a lawn maintenance schedule, doesn’t just help your lawn to grow, it also helps it to thrive as well. But which should you choose and why?

Organic fertilizer is usually a combination of animal or plant material that is rendered for the nutrients. It is slightly better for the environment than chemical fertilizer, Chemical fertilizer is usually nitrogen based, and while it can help plants to grow, it can also cause problems such as algal blooms in the ocean which can be lethal to various forms of life. Living in Arizona, runoff from fertilizer isn’t as much of a problem as it is in coastal areas, or river mouths, however it is a good idea to consider what type of fertilizer to apply when you are doing your lawn maintenance. You also want to make sure to apply the fertilizer at the proper times each year.

You want to fertilize pretty much every season except winter, though in Arizona, winters are notoriously mild. You pretty much want to fertilize your lawn in varying degrees from spring until fall. When in doubt, make sure you do a bit of additional research or call in a company that specializes in lawn maintenance.

Read Part 1 of this series
Read Part 2 of this series
Read Part 3 of this series

Green ServPro is a lawn maintenance company based in Prescott, Arizona.

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

Desert Landscape, Design, Home and Garden, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Uncategorized

Landscape Design Part 1: Desert Landscaping

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Larry

Landscape design is something that can be tailored to particular areas and climates, like the desert Southwest. This article from About.COM lists some plants that do very well in Arizona.

Desert Plants and Landscape Design

These desert plants are great choices for people who don’t want to spend lots of time working in the yard, but want a nice, colorful look in their desert garden.Keep in mind that all of these plants will thrive in the Phoenix area, but not in other parts of Arizona, where we have everything from low desert to high desert and even sub-alpine conditions.

Bougainvillea (at left)
Oleander
Texas Sage / Purple Sage
Lantana
Pampas Grass
Fairy Duster

To read more about using desert plants in your landscape design, please visit http://phoenix.about.com/od/desertplantsandflowers/a/desertplants.htm

Landscape Design in Arizona

Arizona is a diverse environment for landscape design. The plants that grow here reflect this bio-diversity. A bougainvillea would do well down here, but not as well in the White Mountains or the northern end of the state. Another thing to consider is placement with a bougainvillea. They do well where they can get a lot of sunshine. They are also very drought tolerant, but will grow quickly when watered. While there are several varieties of bougainvillea , the variety with the magenta colored leaves does the best as it is incredibly hardy. In addition to their hardiness, they are also surprisingly versatile. You can let them grow into a bush, let them be vines, or even be ground cover to keep weeds out. Be warned however, that if you let them grow wild, you will need to trim them.

Principles of Landscape Design

Landscaping design operates under various principles, and one of them is how adaptable a plant is to a desert environment. A professional company would be capable of guiding you on plant selection, placement and many other tips to improve your home’s yard.

Green ServPro is a landscape design company based in Arizona.

Landscape Design Part 1: Desert Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 2: Tropical and Sub-Tropical Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 3: Rock Gardens

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

Uncategorized

Sprinkler Repair and The Dreaded Yard Fountain

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Larry

Sprinkler repair is a good strategy to follow from winter to spring. During winter your plants need less water, and go dormant. You can check out your sprinklers to see if there is any damage to the heads or pipes simply by turning them on.

Look for the Yard Fountain: A Sign that you Need Sprinkler Repair

Sprinklers that need sprinkler repair are fairly obvious. You either have a pool of water that starts to well up at the surface when you turn on the sprinkler, or even worse, the dreaded lawn fountain. When we refer to a lawn fountain, we’re not referring to something made of terra cotta, or resin. We’re talking about a gusher of water that springs up, usually someplace that you do not want water to be as a rule.

What Causes Sprinklers to Need Sprinkler Repair

Any sprinkler system uses some form of pressurized water to spray from retractable nozzles. When they work right, these nozzles deliver a fine spray of water that nourishes both the roots and the leaf structures above ground. An irrigation system in need of sprinkler repair, however, either dribbles, or fountains up, completely out of control. Sometimes it can even flood into the street, and if you live anywhere with a homeowner’s association, then you end up on their bad side too. Sprinkler systems are usually a combination of metal and plastic pipes and nozzles. Like any link in a chained system, when one thing goes, it can impact the entire system.

Sprinklers are not too complex as a rule. Even ones set on a timer or that are fairly high-tech operate under the same principles as the simplest ones. However, whether they are complicated or simple, a sprinkler like all devices will sooner need sprinkler repair.
-Christy
Christy Snyder is an expert on sprinklers and is the owner and operator of Green ServPro, a chandler-based landscape service company.

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

Home and Garden, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Uncategorized

Landscape Design on a Professional Level

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Larry

Landscape design mixes several elements. One of the most admired forms of landscape design is the classic Japanese garden.

Types of Landscape Design

This article excerpt from the Balboa Park Japanese Friendship Garden shows the many elements of sound landscape design:

The Japanese Friendship Garden is designed to present an atmosphere of elegant simplicity (shibui) and quiet beauty. Representing a new concept in the development of a Japanese garden outside of Japan, the design is guided by the original principles of the Japanese garden while incorporating elements of the regional landscape and climate. A garden is always in a state of change but the basic elements of trees, shrubs, rocks and water designed in natural balance create a peaceful, harmonious, and transcendental environment conducive to contemplation and meditation.

These are some of its elements

Entrance Plaza:

The Plaza welcomes visitors with its inviting space. It is open to the westerly winds and, symbolically, to Yokohama, San Diego’s sister city.

The Entrance Stone:

To the right of the Entry Gate, the Entrance Stone is inscribed with the kanji symbols of the Garden’s name, San-Kei-En. The Stone was a gift to the Garden from the San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society.

To read more about the landscape design elements used in the Japanese Friendship Garden, and to see images of the garden, visit their site.

Landscape Design Services Create Your Perfect Garden

Some elements of landscape design are timeless and appropriate for a lot of environments. The simplicity of a Zen garden can work in the serene beauty of Kyoto and the sere desert of Arizona. Some elements however, won’t work in Arizona, particularly plants that require a more temperate or colder climate. When in doubt, contact a professional landscape design company.

Green ServPro is a Prescott, Arizona based landscape design company that has been in business since 2010

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

Design, Home and Garden, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Uncategorized

Who Hires a Landscape Designer

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Larry

Hire a Landscape Designer | (928) 356-8167

A landscape designer is a specialist in curb appeal, or the appearance of your home. Beautiful landscaping in any area serves as a reminder of nature, even in the middle of a bustling city, as this article about the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park shows.

The Japanese Friendship Garden, also known as San Kei En　is a Japanese Garden within Balboa Park, San Diego. It is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city Yokohama that binds the two cultures to create a unique experience for visitors from all over the world. Representing a new concept in the development of a Japanese garden outside of Japan, the Japanese Friendship Garden is designed to present an atmosphere of elegant simplicity (shibui) and quiet beauty. The design is guided by the original principles of the Japanese garden while incorporating elements of the regional landscape and climate.

A garden is always in a state of change but the basic elements of trees, shrubs, rocks and water designed in natural balance create a peaceful, harmonious, and transcendental environment conducive to contemplation and meditation.

To read more about the Japanese Friendship garden and the elements of landscape design it uses, please click here.

An underlying theme like a Zen garden, or a tropical oasis is a good thing in landscape design, and is fairly customizable. Some themes can even be mixed and matched. Be warned however, that you want to make sure that you aren’t mixing things that will overpower each other.

As to who would would hire a landscape design professional, there are some clear demographics. Women are more likely to than men, upper middle class families and small businesses are more likely to hire than lower income families and corporations.

A beautiful landscape helps us to reset from the stress of life. And one of the best first steps to take is to hire a professional with landscape design

Green Servpro is a landscape design company based in Prescott, AZ, and serving the entire Greater Phoenix area.

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

Uncategorized

Aphids: Do They Destroy Landscaping?

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Larry

Aphids also known as plant lice are small sap sucking insects. When aphids feed on the sap they often transmit plant viruses, these viruses can sometimes kill the plant. Aphids are among the most destructive insects to plants. They vary in size ranging from 1 to 10 millimeters.
In infestation situations there are chemical sprays you can use to get rid of them. It is not uncommon to have to repeat the process so make sure that you check your plants on a regular basis to insure all the aphids are gone.

Are Aphids Poisonous To Oleanders

es kill the plant. Aphids are among the most destructive insects to plants. They vary in size ranging from 1 to 10 millimeters.
In infestation situations there are chemical sprays you can use to get rid of them. It is not uncommon to have to repeat the process so make sure that you check your plants on a regular basis to insure all the aphids are gone.