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Moss on Trees: Is It a Problem?

Moss on Trees

You might expect standard tree services to include moss removal, so why is it so difficult to find an arborist to tackle this problem? Likely because moss isn’t really a problem.

Everyone has a different opinion about the look of moss, but increasingly it’s being seen for the natural beauty it is. Unlike vines, moss does absolutely no harm to trees. A lot of people consider it a beautiful accessory, making trees look like they’ve come straight out of a fairy tale, especially in cooler months when the branches would otherwise be bare.

However, you can remove this spongy green plant if you’d like.

Moss removal services aren’t often listed as a tree service, but you can get it done if you ask about it. You also can remove it yourself using a simple steel wool pad. It comes off easily, but know that it likely will come back. If you have moss on your trees, you live in a region that has at least some wet weather, and you can’t change the natural growth of this plant.

Types of Moss

If you’re surprised to hear that moss is actually a flowering plant, you’re not alone! It comes in all types, and one of the most common, Spanish moss, is actually a lovely blossoming plant in its own right.

Moss spores are everywhere in Utah, and they travel easily by wind. You might be fighting a losing battle if you aim to get rid of moss permanently.

For those who don’t like the look of it, here’s some good news: Some people will pay for your moss! It’s used for a variety of projects from moss graffiti to benefiting gardens.

Contrary to myth, moss is not a parasite and it won’t worsen seasonal allergies. Instead, it helps a garden retain moisture, kind of like mulch, but even better because you don’t need to replace it yearly and it’s a favorite home for good bugs.

What if I Still Want Tree Services to Remove It?

For best results, have any dead or damaged branches pruned first. This should be done on a regular basis regardless of your stance on moss.

You can remove the moss from slimmer branches by hand, but use a power washer for the trunk and thicker branches. Next, kill what’s left with a copper hydroxide fungicide, preferably right before rainfall so the copper can best access any remaining moss. This product is not harmful to the tree.

You’ll probably be left with some lingering pieces. After a few months, it should dry up and fall off, but if not you’ll need to repeat the process. It’s an endless cycle, which is why learning to love moss is a much easier alternative.

You’ll probably find that it’s well worth the effort to hire a tree service for this rather than take on this task yourself!

For more tips on tree services, like pruning and maintenance, contact Reliable Tree Care today.

Caring for the Quaking Aspen Tree

Quaking Aspen Tree Care

Your quaking aspen needs unique tree services, and not just because it’s the official tree of Utah! These trees can grow to massive heights, and in central Utah you’ll find one that’s estimated to be 80,000 years old, so you know it’s a hardy tree that can seemingly live forever with the right care. Durability and magnificence are part of what made Utah change our official tree from the Colorado blue spruce to the quaking aspen in 2014.

Lake many aspens, the quaking is a deciduous tree that prefers regions that are a little bit cooler. However, sometimes they can be a challenging tree to care for.

Just four decades ago, aspens were rarely planted in residential areas, but thanks to their fast growth and ability to give a landscape a finished look quickly, they’ve become a new favorite. Some aspens are smaller, so they don’t overpower a neighborhood, but they have beautiful bark and gorgeous fall colors.

Aspen Tree Services: Top Needs

Insects love aspens just as much as you do! Aspens can be prone to insect infestations and diseases, and some are sensitive to urban development.

The majority of calls to the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Plant Diagnostic Clinic have to do with aspen concerns. One variety of urban-planted aspens has been showing signs of short life spans — sometimes fewer than 20 years. Perhaps more calls are coming in around the country because aspen has been used as a succession tree, fast to fill in where a fire, logging or disease outbreak decimated vegetation.

Aspen reproduces quickly, too, because it spreads by both seeds and root sprouts. Sprouting can be annoying to some urban landscapers, since it can pop up unexpectedly in gardens or otherwise flawless lawns.

Help Your Aspen Flourish

Every tree variety has its pros and cons, so don’t let aspens’ sensitivity scare you off. Having a quaking in your yard is a fantastic way to show your Utah pride, and since it’s one of the sturdier varieties, it has a great fighting chance.

Keep in mind that aspens prefer living at a higher elevations and like moist, well-drained soil that’s acidic. When possible, plant them on east or north slopes/sides of the home with soil that has been mulched and given additional organic matter.

Your aspen also will need regular pruning and trimming, and perhaps fertilization, to give it the best foundation for a long and healthy life. Since it is prone to insects and disease, ask your arborists to check on it annually for any signs of distress (not all infestations and diseases are obvious to the naked eye).

Aspens can be a challenge, but the results are well worth it. Call Reliable Tree Care to schedule a check-up or tree services appointment for your quaking aspen.

Fruit Tree Care: Where Are the Fruits?

Tree Not Producing Fruit

When fruit tree care involves figuring out why you’re not getting any fruit, it can be frustrating.

Maybe part of the reason you fell in love with your home was because of those promising fruit trees out back, and you’ve had visions of yard-to-table apple and peach pies. Or perhaps you spent a pretty penny buying mature fruit trees and caring for them, only to be rewarded with nothing edible.

Fruit trees stop bearing fruit for many reasons, and it’s time to get to the root of the problem.

Fruit trees are programmed to bear fruit; it’s their sole purpose. First they make leaves, then flowers, then fruits, and they repeat this cycle indefinitely. Usually absence of fruit is environmental, and sometimes the sheer age of the tree can cause problems.

Fruit trees need between two and five years before they can bloom well enough to produce, so if your tree is newer and hasn’t borne fruit yet, patience is key. The condition of the soil is also paramount, and insects or diseases can stop production as well.

Happy Trees Make Fruit

Test your soil to ensure you’re not missing any vital nutrients. This is common and can be fixed easily with fertilizer and care.

Insects and diseases aren’t always obvious to the naked eye, so having an arborist examine the tree can reveal a hidden problem. However, remember that trees are far from powerless. A healthy tree is capable of fighting off many diseases and insects all while bearing fruit.

Knowing what kind of soil you have is key to understanding your tree’s needs. Sometimes an overzealous homeowner will try to adjust the soil when it’s perfectly healthy for tree growth. Having good soil is common in Utah, and simply backfilling it with more good soil that’s dark brown and loose enough to promote growth is a basic and effective approach to fixing the problem.

Soiling Your Plans

Some soil does need to be amended, including any that is full of gravel or sand. But even with little topsoil, sometimes native plants can grow in these environments. You may or may not need peat moss, fertilizer or compost.

Backfill holes with some rotted manure/compost if you want to give your new fruit trees a little kick. This certainly won’t do any harm. Giving your fruit trees their best chances from the start, which includes understanding your soil and only amending it when necessary, is ideal but not always feasible.

For homeowners with fruit trees that seem to be slowing down production or stopping altogether, this problem is likely fixable. Just don’t do more harm than good trying to figure out what your tree needs! Contact Reliable Tree Care and have an expert take a look at your fruit tree care strategies, and we can come up with a solution together.

Tree Services: The Root of the Problem

Tree Root Services

When you think of tree services like trimming and pruning, you probably imagine an arborist snipping wayward, dead or dangerous branches. However, the real root of the problem might be right under your nose.

Tree roots can cause major issues and even damage, and can often require trimming, too. Root cutting services should be handled only by a professional and only when absolutely necessary, because it’s possible to permanently damage the tree in the process.

Root problems can happen for a number of reasons, such as if a tree was planted in an area that’s too small for it, if a home was built too close to a tree or if the roots naturally sprung up but you’ve found that it’s become impossible for the kids to play safely around them or for you to mow your lawn. Cutting the roots can improve the aesthetics of your yard, the safety of your home and prevent home, foundation and sidewalk damage.

How the Pros Approach Tree Services

Before making any cuts, the roots will be examined closely and traced back to the trunk. Cutting large roots is most likely to damage the tree, so it’s safer if smaller roots are the troublemakers. Of course you can’t control which roots are more burdensome, but it does give you an idea of the risk of root cutting.

Finding the best place to make the cut is step two, and it’s never a random process.

Many arborists will measure the diameter of the trunk, multiply it by eight, and that figure tells them the closest they can cut the root in comparison to where the tree is. The closer you cut to the tree, the higher the odds of causing permanent damage.

Roots are a tree’s life source, and just like if one of your major arteries was cut, it can be difficult to heal!

Easy Does It

A reputable arborist will mark the best place to cut and never makes guesses. Spray paint or colored chalk is often used, and then the surrounding soil is dug out from the marked spot.
If digging out soil below the root is feasible, it’s for the best. The ultimate goal is to easily pull the root from the ground after it’s been cut. A special root saw is used for larger roots, or pruning shears can be used for smaller ones. Once it’s cut, the root is pulled up and away from the tree until it comes free.

You’ll be left with a trench where the root was, but that can be covered easily with soil or sod, and you can even add grass seed to encourage green coverage.

After a tree’s roots are cut, watch it closely for the next few weeks. Dead branches are a sure sign that the tree has sustained damage, and if it begins to lean, quick action is required to cut it down before it hurts someone or damages property.

Contact Reliable Tree Care for more information on root trimming.

Tree and Shrub Fertilization with Pine Needles

Pine Needle Fertilization

If you’re looking for a cheap, fantastic tree and shrub fertilization option and you have pine trees in your yard, it’s literally right under your nose! Pine needles are nature’s ready-made mulch, providing the exact nutrients your soil needs.

Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners are initially put off by all those needles because they have a knack for getting everywhere. Some even try to battle them, but that’s a fight you’re sure to lose. Instead of worrying over the blanket of pine needles, embrace it!

Pine needles are acidic, which is why weeds (or any other greenery!) rarely grow near pine trees. Instead of giving in to temptation and adding rocks or bark chips to try and tame the needle spread, consider welcoming this more organic, natural landscaping and let the needles fall as they may.

Live in Harmony with Your Pine Trees

Pine trees also offer up pine cones, sometimes en masse, and that’s a good thing! Pine cones are like pine needles on steroids, providing a gorgeous and highly effective blanket of nutrients to your garden. They slowly disintegrate over time, getting absorbed back into the soil to help continue the tree’s life cycle.

While you may want to sweep these cones off of patios and walkways, it’s a good idea to let them be. After all, pine trees in the wilderness aren’t in need of constant tidying.

Pine cones also come with the added benefit of being popular homes for spiders. Arachnophobes should appreciate this, because it means spiders are less likely to call their windows and awnings home.

If you can’t handle the excess pine cones, or want even more assurance against spiders, use fallen pine cones near your home around other trees and bushes like you would mulch. Not only are they free, natural and beautiful, but they also help keep helpful bugs a little farther away from your front door!

Landscaping with Pine Trees

Landscaping and lawn care is a must for ensuring a safe, lovely, healthy yard, but it’s possible to take it to the extreme. Acknowledging the beauty of more organic landscaping won’t just mean less work for you (or lower out-of-pocket expenses earmarked for your landscaper), but it also helps you enjoy the gorgeousness of your yard in an au naturel state.

A reputable landscaper appreciates this approach and can help you care for your pine trees accordingly.

Still, sometimes pine trees need a little extra trimming and pruning, especially when they are used as part of a holiday lights display. When that’s the case, make sure only the most qualified tree services professionals are on hand. Call Reliable Tree Care today and get your plants in great shape with tree and shrub fertilization.

Oh, Deer! Tree Services for Bigger Pests

Deer Tree Service

You prioritize tree services like pruning, trimming and fertilizing, but what happens when you’re not the only one admiring your landscape?

Deer are a real problem for many homeowners, especially those who have yards with flowering shrubs or immature trees that look too tasty for deer to resist. These big pests might look beautiful, but they can easily destroy a yard or garden if they get a taste for your plants.

Fortunately, there are many safe and humane ways for keeping deer out of your garden.

The most obvious solution is to avoid stocking your yard like it’s a deer buffet. Unless you’re truly going to indulge in a fruit or veggie feast, that might not be the best use of your landscape. Deer have palates similar to human vegetarians, so if you can’t resist the call of a strawberry patch or peach tree, then it’s likely that deer can’t either.

Deer-Free Yards

If you do adore certain flowers or trees that deer also love, keep them as close to the house as possible. Allow for root spread, of course, but deer are shy and have to really want that plant to risk getting that close to humans.

Perennials with a strong aroma are a natural deer deterrent, and you can use them as a protectant around your trees, shrubs and property line. Lavender, mint, garlic and cloves are all too strong for these animals.

Just like burglars, deer aren’t going to risk going through thorny barriers just to steal some goodies. Barberries and lamb’s ear shrubs are good choices, but steer clear of roses. They might be famous for their thorns, but the flowers taste so good that it can be a fair tradeoff for a few scratches.

Another substitution you can make includes planting tulips instead of daffodils, which offer similar flowering and color schemes but aren’t as delectable.

Dining Options Deer Detest

Border your garden or yard with anti-deer shrubbery such as short needle spruces. If these evergreen options have a strong smell, that’s even better.

Deer are more likely to move onto greener, tastier pastures if you make it difficult for them to nosh on your garden. Keeping your grass neatly trimmed is also a good way to make these creatures move elsewhere, because tall grass is natural bedding for deer.

Also make sure to pick fruits, berries and even flowers before they get too ripe and tempting (produce and flowers can always finish blossoming or ripening in your home).

Deer are horrible climbers, so raised garden boxes and stacked terraces or sunken beds can be impossible for them to maneuver. As an added bonus, they offer fantastic contrast in your landscape. Deer are especially afraid of pallets, which are cheap and lovely options for gardening. Contact Reliable Tree Care, the pest experts (for big or small annoyances), for help tackling your deer dilemma or with any type of tree service.

Tree Services: To Top or Not?

Tree Topping

When thinking about tree services, a task a lot of homeowners feel confident with is tree topping.

As long as a tree or shrub isn’t massively tall, this task seems pretty easy. You just snip off the top so it’s the desired height and you’re good to go, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy, and even if it were, a lot of arborists warn against the dangers of tree topping because it does more harm than good.

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) defines topping as “the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role.” You also might know topping as hat-racking, heading or tipping. In many cases, topping flies in the face of national standards for good pruning and can cause severe injuries (to the tree, not the pruner).

Hunger Pangs

Topping can starve your tree. Proper pruning removes less than 33 percent of the crown in order to allow the tree to keep making food. However, topping takes away so much that it disrupts a mature tree’s root-to-crown ratio, stopping food-making processes immediately. It shocks the tree — understandably so — and keeps it from producing new shoots.

Topping also leads to poor new growth because new sprouting branches aren’t as strongly attached compared to a naturally developing branch.

Too much of a good thing is definitely possible with trees, and this is true with fast new growth. Most homeowners top trees to manage height and spread, but often the opposite happens.

Trees try desperately to re-sprout after a topping, causing too many new sprouts too quickly. These sprouts are elongated because the tree is doing whatever it can to regain its original height as quickly as possible.

Topping Alternatives

Big wounds, such as those that occur with topping, are difficult for trees to seal, and leaves them vulnerable to disease and insects. Contrary to popular belief, topping doesn’t make trees safer, it prevents them from making food, it’s costly and ultimately makes them look unattractive. Unfortunately, topping remains popular because it seems easy and safe.

Instead of planning to top any trees you plant, choose good locations for them, and pick native species when you can. Prune instead of topping to get rid of extra growth. For better views, you can “window” or “crown raise,” but never remove more than 25 percent of a canopy at once. Always get rid of diseased, crowded, weak, dead or dying branches with crown cleaning.

Reputable arborists are always educating and informing landowners about the dangers of topping, but a lot of misinformation is still floating around. Care for your trees right and prioritize pruning over more drastic measures. Depend on pros like Reliable Tree Care for top quality pruning and tree services.

Tree Services: Easiest Ornamental Trees

Easy Ornamental Trees

When it comes to tree services, there’s no reason beauty has to equal hard work. Ornamental trees can be easy to care for, especially when you have an arborist on your side to help you with planting, pruning and maintenance.

The easiest trees to care for are always the ones that grow naturally in your region. The Arbor Day Foundation reports that landscaping with ornamental trees can increase a home’s value by up to 20 percent, so ornamental trees give you a great ROI as well as beautify your yard.

Look for trees that require little additional watering and minimal pruning. They should naturally repel pests and diseases (some trees are more susceptible than others), and there should be minimal litter via fruits or leaves. Evergreens fit this description and are very popular, but they do shed needles that can be messy if they’re too close to your home.

Sun Lovers

How much sun your land gets also will dictate which ornamental trees are best to plant. For example, the California juniper loves a lot of sun and comes in a range of styles. You can get tall, skinny junipers or short, fat ones, and they come in all colors. They’re hearty, work well in many soil types and don’t need much irrigation.

Other options for sunny sites include the peppermint tree, which doesn’t just look lovely but smells beautiful too. The climate in Utah can vary drastically by region, so always ask your arborist which trees are both easy to care for and will work well in your yard. The type of soil you have — moist, alkaline or dry — can play a big role in the health of your tree and how easy it is to keep in good shape.

Made in the Shade

Many Utah yards are shady and prone to fog, and these kinds of conditions require a different type of ornamental tree. A trident maple is an excellent choice for shady, moist areas, and it brightens up the yard with vibrant yellows and reds come fall. It’s ornamental, but grows up to 25 feet tall and almost never needs pruning.

There’s also the evergreen Chinese plum yew, which does well in the shade and makes a statement with its bright red bark.

Complement your ornamental trees with shorter shrubs and flowers, which can help camouflage any dropped leaves or fruits. For Utahns who adore fruit trees but just don’t have the time to constantly whip up jams or pies, invite your neighbors to take fruit for themselves. Many people will love the fruits of your labor, even if the so-called labor of having fruit trees is minimal on your end.

Having ornamental trees can be a great investment, especially for people who need to increase their property value. For customized advice on the best, easiest ornamental trees for you, and for complete tree services, call Reliable Tree Care today.

Tree Services: Fast-Growing Trees

Fast Growing Trees

Part of being able to provide quality tree services includes knowing which trees grow fastest.

You can always choose to plant a mature tree that’s already large, or you can take a more cost-effective route and choose local, native trees that are known to grow quickly. Your arborist can help you narrow down the best species for your location and soil.

The empress tree is a popular pick that explodes with light-pink blossoms in the spring and can grow up to 50 feet in just three years.

The willow hybrid is the quickest-growing willow. It’s good to plant along long drives because it grows tall, uniformly, and makes for great privacy. It can grow up to 40 feet in the first three years, and can reach 75 feet at its mature height. You’ll notice the willow hybrid along luxury estate driveways, but it’s a surprisingly affordable tree to plant.

Bigger Is Better

Many homeowners want fast-growing trees to double as privacy fences or to break up otherwise flat landscapes. The Lombardy poplar is a great choice, and also is planted in rows like the willow hybrid, but has a fatter and more uniquely shaped body. It can grow up to 40 feet in three years and reach up to 60 feet when fully mature.

The Arapaho crepe myrtle is a gorgeous tree that bursts into bright red blooms for half of the year. It has an expansive canopy and grows 3 to 5 feet in three years. It’s rare for a crepe to be red, and this one can reach 25 feet at maturity. These trees are popular partly for the privacy they can provide, partly for their beauty, but also because of how quickly they grow.

The Need for Speed

You might enjoy the dawn redwood, which often is planted on golf courses. It’s luscious and green, but requires a lot of water, which makes it ideal for wetter regions. It grows up to 20 feet in three years and can reach 50 feet fully grown. It also complements other trees, shrubs and flowers beautifully, making it a foundational tree for larger lots.

With the autumn purple ash, you get a lovely round shape and a smorgasbord of colors come fall. Each autumn, purple ash might have slightly different hues, but many are warm and pastel. Expect 20 feet of growth in three years and up to 70 feet of height when this tree is fully grown.

Another fantastic option is the autumn blaze maple, aptly named for its leaves that turn fire red in the fall. It also grows 20 feet in three years and reaches a maximum height of 50 feet.

Other options include the gingko tree, which achieves 70 feet at mature height; the Italian cypress, which grows to 40 feet; and the river birch, which can reach 50 feet. Always choose a tree that’s native to your area that will do well in your soil.

Contact Reliable Tree Care today for expert tips, planting help and tree services of all kinds.

Tree Services: Cleaning Up Pine Needles

Cleaning Up Pine Needles

If your tree services include pine needle cleanup, you already know that so-called evergreens actually shed almost as much as their leaf-bearing kin.

Pine trees look great year-round, and are especially beloved around Christmas, but they can be a nightmare for property owners. Needles truly needle into just about everything from your gutters to the seams in your sidewalk. Cleaning them up can be a maddening effort.

If the needles are far enough from the home to not cause damage, it’s a good idea to just let them be.

Dropped pine needles are acidic and naturally kill any grass, flowers or other living plants they land on. Trying to prevent this will drive you batty, but the good news is a blanket of needles is a natural and beautiful landscape on its own. Plus, you don’t have to worry about weeds sprouting up.

But what if you want or need to clean up the needles?

A Messy Job

All pine trees will shed, but a dehydrated tree will shed more. You can’t stop needles from dropping, but you can minimize this phenomenon by keeping your tree well watered.

Have an arborist regularly prune the tree, especially the lower branches, to minimize needle drop while ensuring your trees look beautiful. Some Utahns can even achieve grass growth below pine trees if the limbs are trimmed to give 15-plus feet of clearance.

Some homeowners are diligent about needle cleanup, and the best way to tackle it is with old-fashioned raking. A leaf blower might let you move around some of the needles, but you’ll still need to pick them up.

However, keep in mind that committing yourself to constantly raking up needles can be more of a pain than it’s worth. It’s highly unlikely that your pine tree will ever need human help. Think of the pine trees in the forest: They manage very well without regular raking or leaf blowers (although they wouldn’t say no to some routine pruning if they could!).

Indoor Care

If you track pine needles indoors, it can feel like Christmas year-round, but not in a good way.

Pine needles can cause damage to some wooden floors, including light surface scratches. Vacuum or sweep them up, or use an oversized lint roller if the needles make their way to carpet and furniture. Cleaning your floors with an oil-rich product can help minimize pine needle damage.

Sap from the needles also can lead to a sticky situation, but it’s nothing a little rubbing alcohol can’t take care of. When pine trees are especially close to the home, they might need a little more pruning than normal.

Talk with your arborist to come up with a plan of action to minimize needle droppings or needles getting dragged indoors. Give Reliable Tree Care a call today to schedule tree services, including an inspection and complimentary bid on pine tree care.