Taking a Closer Look at Stump Removal Products

Stumps create an unsightly obstacle in your yard, but stump removal can be an intimidating process. Many homeowners assume that stump grinding services are expensive, and turn instead to stump removal products. But how do these products work? And are they worth the investment?

The Basics of Common Stump Removal Products

Most stump removal products contain potassium nitrate, a substance used in the creation of gunpowder and also called saltpeter.

Instructions direct you to drill numerous holes into the tops and sides of aged stumps and fill those holes with the product. After a certain period of time—between two and six weeks, depending on the brand—the stump will decompose into the ground.

Sounds good, right? These products offer a natural, pain-free and inexpensive way to remove stumps. But consider the process and you will realize a few difficulties, including:

• Stump removal products tend to be most effective on old, aged stumps. They have little to no effect on newly cut trees and hardwood stumps.

• This process takes an extended period of time. If you’re working on a landscape plan or installing new backyard features, a delay of this length will waste time and money.

• The stump area is unsightly and potentially dangerous during the process. Some recommend drenching the stump in kerosene before igniting it and leaving the stump to smolder. This presents a serious hazard on any property.

Alternative to Stump Removal Products

Stump grinding services offer good value, removing stumps of any size quickly and completely. Contractors use a heavy-duty grinder to reduce the stump to mulch, which can then be used in your garden.

Portable grinders offer the best solution. This equipment easily fits through a standard sized gate and will not damage your grass or surrounding gardens.

When you want to get rid of an unsightly stump, consider stump grinding services. Relatively affordable considering the speed and efficiency of the removal, this process works better than any stump removal products on the market today.

Top Five Reasons for Timely Tree Removal

Homeowners and property managers choose timely tree removal for various reasons. Depending on the type of tree and conditions in the surrounding landscape, this task may require immediate attention or may be planned well in advance. Five common reasons to call a tree specialist include:

1) Storm Damage

High winds, heavy snow and strong storms can result in downed trees or leave existing trees with serious damage. It is often unsafe and unwise to avoid removing a broken tree, which can quickly deteriorate and cause greater damage.

2) Invasive Trees

Non-native trees may present a problem in your landscape, overshadowing preferred varieties and using valuable nutrients while starving out the balance of your vegetation. Tree removal may be your only option, since cutting down an invasive tree will not eliminate the problem.

3) Pest-Ridden Trees

Stubborn pests can virtually take over a tree, leaving you little choice in the matter. When you cannot contain, eliminate or destroy the pests, removing the infested tree offers protection from damage. Your neighbors will appreciate the effort.

4) To Make Room

Embarking on a major landscaping project, such as a swimming pool, patio or retaining wall, may require tree removal. If the tree can be relocated to another area of the yard, considertransplanting. Otherwise think of the advantages your new landscape design will offer and call for tree removal.

5) To Protect Your Home

Some trees grow too close to the house, threatening to obstruct gutters, block windows and weaken the foundation. If established tree roots or large tree branches begin to aggravate vital systems of your home, tree removal becomes necessary.

Call your tree specialist for timely tree removal when any of the above conditions exist, or if you feel tree removal would improve property value and enhance your outdoor living space.

Three Benefits of Crane Removal When Taking Out Trees

Tree removal helps you to maintain a safe, healthy landscape or tidy up after a storm. Although it may cost more, many trees can be removed with greater success by using a crane. Crane removal provides several benefits to homeowners and isoften worth the extra investment.

Benefit # 1 – Crane Removal Preserves the Surrounding Landscape

Traditional tree removal tends to disturb the landscape immediately around the tree. Equipment is kept off the property with crane removal, and the crane often rests on the road.

If you have extensive gardens within your yard, including sensitive plants or other trees nearby, crane removal may be a better option. It could actually allow you to save money by eliminating the need for landscape repairs.

Benefit # 2 –Crane Removal is Efficient

Standard tree removal requires many hands, as well as hours of strategic cutting and branch removal. With crane removal, you can expect to have even large trees removed quickly and efficiently.

This service may cost more, but your landscape will be cleaned up in short order, providing you with more time to enjoy the outdoors just beyond your patio door.

Benefit # 3 – Crane Removal Minimizes Waste

Your old tree can be quickly mulched or chipped with the help of a crane. Lifting the tree pieces from your yard and depositing them directly at a nearby wood chipper allows for less waste and better wood recycling.

Ask about using that mulch on your own property, if you have an application in mind. Otherwise you can rest assured knowing that recycled wood chips have many uses on both residential and commercial properties.

Avoid wasting time and potentially wasting money by opting for crane removal to clear up your yard. Downed trees and those still growing can be handled equally well with a skilled crane operator and tree specialist, providing you with all three of these benefits of crane removal.

The Best Tree Debate Pits Deciduous Vs Coniferous

You will face certain decisions when planting a new tree. The deciduous vs coniferous debate is one of the first debates to come up, and homeowners should carefully consider what type of tree is best for their property.

What’s the Difference Between Coniferous and Deciduous?

Coniferous trees maintain their foliage throughout the seasons, as opposed to loosing their leaves in the autumn, as deciduous trees do. Most coniferous have needles, unlike the flat leaves found on common deciduous trees like maples or oaks. These needles will drop over time, but the cycle is extended when compared to the leaf cycle of a deciduous tree.

These trees also tend to grow in distinct shapes. A deciduous carries branches and leaves near the crown. A coniferous presents a different shape, with longer branches at the base and a peaked shape at the crown. This makes a difference aesthetically, but also affects function.

What Do You Want From Your Tree?

It’s important to consider the intended purpose of your new tree. If you’re looking to add shade to your yard while providing space underneath for seating or gardens, a deciduous tree is your best option. Most evergreens cannot accommodate patio furniture or perennials underneath.

Trees provide many other benefits, depending on the type. Coniferous trees with dense foliage provide an excellent windbreak, and can increase privacy in your yard.

Deciduous trees break up the sun’s rays during the summer, decreasing your cooling costs. After the leaves drop in the fall, this type of tree allows the sun to heat your home naturally. Deciduous trees increase energy efficiency.

If your property has the space, plant both deciduous and coniferous trees. That combination provides you with maximum benefit. When space is at a premium, think about your intentions and plant the tree that best suits your needs.

Transplanting Trees vs Tree Removal

Trees outgrow their original location and landscapes change. A home addition or backyard makeover may cause you to consider moving trees, and the question of taking trees down often comes up. Your decision affects budget, timing and landscape, making the argument of transplanting trees vs tree removal vital to the process. Which option is best for your property, and why?

• When Transplanting Works

It makes sense to transplant when optimum conditions exist. This process can be successful when done in the cool, moist conditions of late winter, early spring and late fall, with the proper equipment and a new location set to receive the tree. You’ll save a tree, continue to enjoy healthy growth and avoid the need to start over with a younger tree.

The age of your tree also matters. Young trees have a reasonably sized root ball, making transplanting manageable. Older, mature trees are established, with roots spreading beyond that reasonable size. Taller trees may also be difficult to move, unless you have access to the necessary equipment – such as a tree spade, crane, tractors and flat beds.

• When Tree Removal is Best

If your trees are no longer thriving due to poor health, or the species and age make handling inefficient, tree removal may be a better option. Removing an old, sick tree and planting a new tree in another area of your home provides many benefits.

Labor charges are often less, especially if the existing tree stands in rocky soil. This helps to offset the cost of a new tree. Professional tree removal companies offer mulching services as well, an environmentally friendly removal process that helps to recycle wood waste.

Transplanting a few selected trees from a grove or small forest can be a difficult option. Tree removal tends to be much cheaper and faster, protecting the bulk of the other trees from damage and helping you to control your landscape.

Consider your particular landscape and circumstances when debating transplanting trees vs tree removal. Call a professional for advice and get your property back into shape this season.

How Pruning and Tree Trimming Reduce Storm Damage

Have you looked at your trees lately, assessing the risk of storm damage and decay? A quick inspection of the trees on your property will likely reveal the need to call an arborist or tree trimming service, professionals that have the skills and tools to protect your home from storm damage.

How does pruning help to reduce the risk of storm damage? Properly pruned trees present several conditions that increase airflow and reduce pressure, resulting in a greater ability to stand tall in severe wind, rain and stormy weather.

Dealing with Crown

The crown of a tree resists wind, creating drag at the pressure center. Trimming at the crown reduces drag and allows your tree to withstand higher wind speeds without bending or breaking.

There are three ways to deal with a tree’s crown:

•        Raise it.

•     Reduce it.

•        Thin it.

Crown raising involves trimming the lowest branches down to the trunk, effectively raising the crown and allowing more wind to pass through freely. It can be a risky method, and removing branches from this section can significantly reduce the development of the trunk.

Crown reduction involves pruning the tips of branches to create a denser crown. Most experts agree that crown reduction is the best way to prevent bending, since it sets the pressure center lower to the ground. Be wise - incorrectly handled trimming to reduce the crown could result in trunk and branch decay.

Crown thinning involves pruning selective branches within the crown to reduce drag. This method is similar to crown reduction, but a portion of the canopy must be removed to effectively thin the crown. Beware of excessive thinning, as this can affect photosynthesis and cause stress for your tree.

When planning to reduce the risk of storm damage, focus on avoiding any bending movement. Consider the age and species of your tree, as well as the location. Talk to a tree trimming specialist about the ideal method of attack to reduce drag and avoid bending. Well-planned pruning and trimming will help your trees to stand strong and tall throughout any storm.

How Smart Controllers Help Homeowners Maintain Healthy Trees

It’s essential to water your trees on a regular basis, but manual sprinklers and some automatic irrigation systems waste water. Homeowners can use smart controllers to effectively and efficiently water trees of any age, maintaining a healthy, attractive landscape all year round.

Basics of Smart Controller Operation

Smart controllers collect data and use that information to operate sprinkler heads at peak efficiency. An adequate amount of water is distributed at the optimum times when smart controllers are included in your tree irrigation system.

The data required for programming can be drawn from various sources, including regional historical data (often derived from an on-device archive and retrieved via zip code), current weather patterns and forecasts and existing moisture levels.

Smart controllers must be provided with static information during the installation phase. This includes data about the type of soil, type of tree and lighting conditions, as well as any existing slope or grade in the surrounding landscape. All of this information is combined with the specific data mentioned above to create a customized irrigation program.

You need to calibrate your smart controllers on a regular basis, often seasonally, to ensure efficiency. But these products help to ensure your trees are watered well when needed.

Where to Install Smart Controllers

You’ll want to place your smart controllers around the tree canopy, where rainfall naturally directs water. This location provides accurate moisture data and ensures that your tree receives the optimum amount of water.

This location may need to be adjusted as your tree matures. Think about the future and place controllers around the projected canopy, while manually applying water closer to small trees as they grow.

Smart controllers allow your trees to thrive with less maintenance and worry. Using accurate data to program a customized watering schedule, these irrigation devices reduce wasted water and help your trees to grow healthy and strong.