It’s finally springtime in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While we may get a few more snow squalls, at Urban Tree & Landscape, our fingers are crossed that the frigid days are behind us. Maple trees are starting to produce sap for maple sugaring, and it’s possible to see the start of buds on the neighborhood trees.
With greener days ahead of us, it’s time to start thinking about your urban forest. Have the trees on your property survived the winter? Bitter cold, ice storms, and very dry air can all wreak havoc on your trees. From cracking branches and trunks to winterburn from dry air, your urban forest may need a little help this spring.
A maintenance and care plan for the trees on your property can help them recover from the winter and encourage healthy growth through the warmer months. Here are the four elements of a tree maintenance plan with Urban Tree & Landscape.
Full Evaluation of Your Trees
Any maintenance and care plan starts with a full evaluation of every tree on your property. We look for diseased and weak branches, unstable growth patterns, and whether the trees allow clearance for walkways, driveways, power lines, and your home’s roof. We’ll also note the various species and estimated ages of your trees to ensure each specimen has the opportunity to grow to its full potential.
Once we’ve completed our full evaluation, we’ll work with you to take care of any urgent pruning or tree removal needs. Then, we’ll put together a maintenance plan that will include pruning, disease control, and fertilization.
Tree Pruning for Urban and Suburban Trees
Most tree maintenance plans include annual or seasonal tree pruning, depending on the species of the trees in your urban forest. Urban Tree & Landscape may also recommend more frequent pruning to correct an unstable growth pattern or overgrown tree canopy, especially for young trees.
Pruning keeps your trees healthy as they grow. Pruning and trimming also helps keep your property safely free of broken branches and other hazards.
Tree Disease and Pest Control
Trees are living organisms that can become diseased or infested with pests. Both can threaten the life of an otherwise healthy tree. Many tree diseases are fungal or bacterial. Insects such as Emerald Ash Borer can also cause severe damage to ash trees.
We often uncover disease and pests during our full evaluations. Our maintenance plan for your urban forest will include steps to remedy any present disease or pests or preventative measures to make sure they don’t show up in the future.
Tree Fertilization
Trees in a natural forest setting thrive on the rich, organic soil their environment provides. Fallen leaves and downed trees are left to break down and enrich the soil. But urban and suburban trees compete for nutrients with lawns and gardens. Most homeowners are unwilling to leave leaves and other decaying plant matter to collect under the trees in their yards.
This is why our maintenance plans include periodic tree fertilization. Adding nutrients back into the soil under your tree will help it stay healthy for years to come.
Ready for spring? Urban Tree & Landscape is, too! Give us a call today to schedule your tree evaluation and get started on your tree maintenance plan.
Ice dams are a common occurrence in Minnesota. They form most frequently when we have frequent, heavy snow falls combined with temperature swings between 0 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice dams can form very quickly. One or two days of the right conditions is enough time for an ice damn to form, and water to start leaking into the house. Ice dams can be avoided by clearing the snow from the edge of the roof with a snow rake. There are also electronic heaters that can be installed to melt ice dams before they grow and become a problem. Most homes are not equipped with the heaters, and many people do not know about the potential dangers ice dams pose until they have water coming into their house as a result of one.
If you’ve ever had a tree removed in Golden Valley, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park or any other part of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, you are well aware that despite the tree being gone, the stump is still there.
We usually talk about – and experience – snowstorms as opposed to ice storms in these parts, but that’s not to say we haven’t seen our fair share of ice storms in St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Eagan and the like. And as beautiful as an ice storm might look from the comfort of your home, the ice not only wreaks havoc on the roads, but potentially, also, on your trees.
You knew it would happen. Summer turned to autumn, and soon autumn will turn to winter. With the impending cold season on the horizon, you probably have a list of chores to do around the house.
