Landscaping With Trees

Trees and Their Landscaping

Often a tree can make or break your home or office’s landscape. Trees can provide unique opportunities to highlight an area. One benefit of strategically placed trees is the shade from those trees can protect you and your family on hot summer days. On the other hand, the amount of shade can make utilizing the space with other plants and landscaping ideas difficult. We’ll go over some options you have in order to make the most out of your yard.

A Dirt Landscape

Shade from larger and denser canopies can oftentimes lead to a grassless area underneath your tree. This is common when heavy branches block light from reaching the ground. This area will be dirt, with layers of fallen foliage, or other plant parts that have accumulated over time. Plants fight heavily for resources in nature, and this is true for most home yards as well.  Adding mulch below your tree can be a way to spruce up an area that won’t grow grass or other plants without intensive maintenance and care. Mulch is also a cheap and effective way to make your yard look well maintained and comes in many colors for design options. Make sure to cover the area with a few inches of mulch and not pile the mulch up onto the trunk of a tree.

Shade Tolerant Planting

While plants often compete for resources, shade tolerant plants can thrive underneath trees in shaded areas. Make sure you research or use trusted and experienced professionals when planning for a shaded area. Plants are living things and are very sensitive to the amount of light needed to survive and thrive. Often using a professional can be the most cost-effective option when compared to buying new plants over and over while trying to figure out what grasses, flowers, and shrubs will survive in a shaded area.

Pollinators around your Trees

Many people want to add color under and around their trees to make the space stick out. There is a large list of colorful flowers that you can plant under or near a tree that can not only survive but thrive in shade or partial light environments. This is also a great way to sustain pollinators, like bees and butterflies, so that they thrive in your area.

When To Call A Landscaping Professional

If you’ve tried to fix that dirt patch under your trees before. If you have struggled with plants dying in areas with too much shade. If you want more color, and extra flowers or greenery in shade or shade adjacent areas. If you want to boost your landscaping, and curb appeal with light you might want to call a professional like Friendly Tree

While many landscaping projects can be accomplished by DIY’ers over a few weekends. Areas with significant shade or constant problem areas are great reasons to bring in professional landscapers.

Not only do we have the team and the tools, but Friendly Tree also has years of expertise. Call us today for the perfect solution and design for your landscaping needs.

5 Signs Your Tree Needs Pruning

While some signs may seem obvious, there is a right time, place, and action for every pruning opportunity. Making sure to prune at the right time can save you a lot of hassle down the line.

Unhealthy Or Dead Limbs

Dead limbs are the perfect breeding ground for insects and varmints to wiggle their way in. Often time this is a clear indication that you already have an issue, usually located on the inside through different insects. Diseased limbs should be removed to save the rest of the tree. Trees are just like humans, waiting to see if it gets better is often the wrong idea. Especially when you can see an infection setting in.

Trees And Electricity

They don’t mix. Trees can grow into weird places, sometimes into corners of homes, through homes, inside of homes even. Other times it’s not so conspicuous. A tree that grows near a powerline may escape your notice as it continues to grow.

Tree branches that are under, near, or especially above powerlines or electricity, in general, can become a hazard quickly. Every year thousands of people are left powerless when tree branches are broken by snow, ice, and wind onto powerlines. Not only can this cause you and your neighborhood to lose power. It can also be extremely dangerous with a live powerline down.

Make sure to do your best and hire a professional like Friendly Tree to take care of dangerous branch and tree removal when it comes to live powerlines.

Broken Branches

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but broken branches, especially in old-growth trees can cause serious damage to you, a loved one, and your property. Any damaged branches should be flat-out removed.

If there is an opportunity to remove limbs from a branch that has too much weight this may be a solution but if the branch is broken its best to remove it altogether

A Fast Growing Tree

A healthy tree is a tree that grows quickly and looks amazing in your front yard. A fast-growing tree can cause limbs and branches to become weak as nutrients are being spread too thin. Pruning back a fast-growing tree can make it healthier, in the long run, maintain its shape, and reduce the level of property damage in the future.

It’s also a lot easier to prune and shape a tree when it’s younger than as it grows older and requires you to be 30 feet in the air.

Thin, Feeble Branches

We’ve already touched on this a few times above, but a thin branch won’t hold up very well in strong weather. If you see an area of a tree underperforming, it may be best to reduce and remove the weaker parts of a strong and healthy tree.

If you are not sure if a branch or part of a tree should be removed give us at Friendly Tree a call for an expert onsite opinion.

How To Remove A Tree Stump From Your Yard

There are three main ways of removing a tree stump from your property. The first is to hire a professional tree service company like Friendly Tree, the second is to grind the stump down, and the last is to remove the entire remaining part of the tree in its entirety. We’ll go over the three in detail to help you make the right decision.

Hiring A Professional For Tree Stump Removal

The benefits of hiring professionals are clear and obvious. A professional has removed thousands of tree stumps. They know exactly how to remove a tree stump and the proper way to remove said stump based on its location, age, and growth pattern on your property all while being thoughtful about what you may want to do with the space post removal.

Some of the benefits are:

1. No time requirement
   • Hiring a professional allows you to continue with your daily life. Whether that’s a busy and hectic family schedule or just more time to relax we’ve got you covered. Many do-it-yourself stump removers find a “quick” removal ends up taking an entire weekend or two.
2. Done the right way
   • Your first time clearing a stump from your property can cause more of a headache than it’s worth. Leaving you with a half-ground stump, broken tools, and time wasted.
3. It’s ultimately safer
   • Removing a stump can require tools and actions that can cause the space to be unsafe for novices or those unfamiliar with working with potentially heavy machinery. Not to mention many thrown out backs have happened during the stump removal process.
4. Get the outcome you want
   • A professional also allows you to get the exact outcome you are looking for. Whether that’s a perfectly ground stump or the removal and backfill of the area the stump once held to make sure it looks like that tree was never there.

The Stump Grind Removal Process

With stump grinding a large tool is brought in and turns the stump into wood chips. The machine is worked slowly back and forth to break apart the stump.

The tree roots with grinding are not removed, while they do break down this can take time and ultimately end up with pockets underground that have nothing in them as time passes by. This can cause your yard to be uneven with time, or worst case leads to an injury such as a twisted ankle.

The Entire Tree Stump Is Removed

This requires digging up the entire tree stump. This is more labor-intensive than the grinding method. After the stump is removed the roots are often removed as well. While more effort is spent vs grinding you are left with a new canvas on your property to turn into what you will. No evidence that a tree was there will remain. Simply backfilling with dirt and planting down new grass seeds or rolling out new grass to match your yard can work. You can also simply backfill with dirt and over time the grass will spread to the new soil.

The options leave you with different outcomes and all can be performed as a DIY. The knowledge and skill gap associated with a novice performing a tree stump removal or grinding due to the heavy machinery makes us recommend hiring a professional. If you are in need of a stump being entirely removed or ground down give Friendly Tree a call.

Where You Place Your Tree Matters: Landscape The Right Way

When first starting a landscaping project many people start low and work high. Flowers, bushes, vines, and finally trees. This works well if you are starting a small project. However, this is like redecorating by starting with your accent pillows in your living room and working up to the larger pieces. While doable, you may have difficult decisions towards the end of your project.

There are a few major questions to ask yourself when picking out the location, and type, of your trees.

What Weather Does Your House Receive?

Hot and sunny? You may want a shade tree to picnic under with your family or to cool off underneath. There is an added benefit when your tree matures, if placed correctly, can lower your cooling bill in those hot summer months! Make sure when planting a tree that has roots that like to spread that you plant then ideally at least 20 feet away from your foundation. While not all tree roots go out, it’s better to be safe than sorry, or double-check to make sure your tree’s mature root footprint is minimal. Keep an eye out for balconies, electric wires, and rooflines that a growing tree might mature into and stay clear.

Let’s Talk About Privacy Trees

While it may not be your main goal in landscaping and placing new shrubs and trees, privacy can come into play. Italian Cypress staggered can create a beautiful, and stunning, way of creating a privacy screen from the street as well as in your backyard. Evergreens are often used as they stay full year-round. Privacy trees and shrubs also do a great job of being a wind block if you live in an area that often gets wni.

Show Stopper Trees

Maybe you want to create a beautiful statement in your backyard you can look forward to every spring or fall. Trees that change dramatically with the seasons are always a hit if you don’t mind raking up the leaves! If you are looking for something that lets you know when spring has arrived look no further than the iconic cherry blossom tree. Coming in a wide range of colors including purple, pink, and white. This will guarantee to brighten up your front or backyard.

No matter what you are looking for Friendly Tree recommends bringing in an expert that can help you make the right decision for your property. We specialize in trees and are happy to help remove, plant, and even help you place the tree in the perfect spot. Make your home not only more comfortable, but potentially cost-efficient, and stand out the way you want it to! Call us today to see how we can help make your landscaping dreams come true.

Best Fruit Trees For Your Backyard

While fruit trees can’t grow everywhere they are one of the more rewarding plants to grow. They not only provide shade, protection, and help the ecosystem, but provide a delicious treat in fresh, organic fruit right off the branch. Today we’ll talk about how to choose the best fruit tree for you and some of the options available.

Pick The Right Fruit Tree For You

Picking your favorite fruit vs fruit tree may lead to a very hard tree to grow that produces very little fruit. Make sure to pick a fruit tree that grows in your area. If you aren’t sure what fruit trees thrive in your area a Friendly Tree expert can help. This will not only help the tree be as healthy as it can be, but will make sure it is appropriate for your local area.

Make sure you only need one tree instead of two. Just like most species on earth, it often takes two trees to produce fruit. Some trees require cross-pollination and others don’t. Make sure that the fruit tree you pick doesn’t require a partner, and if it does, that they are close enough to pollinate. Our experts are available and can share the right distance, maturity, and pairing.

The size of the tree is also incredibly important. If you have a large space you can grow different fruit trees producing fruit almost year-round with a variety of fruit. If you are short on space, which most of us are these days, you may need to choose a smaller fruit tree. While it may produce less fruit from a quantity perspective, it will have a much smaller footprint. An example of this would be cherry, plum, or even apple trees.

Through years of adjustments and cross grafting, we’ve also been able to make many varieties of fruit trees available in smaller versions. So if your heart is set on a tree that is large and needs lots of space make sure to check to see if a smaller version exists.

Apple Tree

Apple trees produce amazing fruit that is enjoyed by all. They are also one of the easier and longer-lasting fruit trees that can produce for decades. They grow in zones from 3-9, so from south Texas to Canada you’ll be safe planting the right apple tree in your garden.

Note that there are two different types of apples one for eating right off the branch and others that are often used for cooking only. There are a few in between apples but make sure to pick one that you’ll use the most. If you’re a Julia Child type, in the kitchen cooking, apples may be the best bet. If you are wanting something to sell at your local farmers market or share with neighbors an apple ready to eat off the tree is what you should pick.

Make sure to check if the tree needs a cross-pollinator, plant, and in 2-4 years you’ll have a tree producing all the apples your family and friends can eat!

Lemon Tree

The beauty of the lemon tree is that it can be grown anywhere. The reason for that is because it is quite small and can be grown in a pot if needed! Often they are grown indoors in pots, to help fill a space as well as create the most delicious lemons you’ve ever tasted.

The lemon tree is more maintenance than the apple as this requires more than yearly pruning. Lemon trees will produce fruit, but with careful and strategic pruning you can have the tree produce multiples of what an untended tree can. Something Friendly Tree experts can assist with if you don’t feel like going it alone.

Lemon trees often require a lot of nutrients as they can produce fruit year-round. Making sure the nutrients are stable allows for a healthier tree and higher quality and consistent fruit overall.

Peach Tree

Finally, there is the peach tree. They are very low maintenance, produce one of the best-tasting fruits in the world.

Peach trees require less fertilizing than a lemon tree and only require a spot that’s sunny every day and enough water to make sure they don’t go dry.

Once planted they grow quite quickly to maturity and can produce fruit as fast as the following year. If you are looking for a reason to get into making jams, jelly, and canning, the peach tree will give you plenty of fruit every year to test out new recipes from cobblers to pies to candied fruit. Peach trees grow in zones 4-9.

While fruit tree often requires extra maintenance to a regular tree you might put in your backyard or even home, the rewards are double as you get something that can make it to your dinner table or be shared as a holiday gift with friends and family.

Reach out to Friendly Tree today if you are looking to plant a fruit or other tree this spring or summer!

Spring Cleaning Your Yard

With winter here and spring on its way, it’s time to start planning for everyone’s favorite season, and one of the most dreaded days of the year: Spring Cleaning! Spring cleaning is the preparation for better weather ahead and the removal of yesteryear. Take a look at some of the steps you may have missed last year that will leave you with the perfect yard this summer.

Work Your Way In

If you have a larger yard often the biggest items on your to-do list are on the edge of your property. Start with making sure that dead or dying branches, twigs, or leaves have been removed. While winter is here you may start to notice what parts of your trees are doing well and which parts are not. It’s always best to remove areas of a tree that could harm the rest of the tree or are potentially dangerous to people around it. Large branches or entire trees might need the services of a professional to be safely removed.

You also may take this chance to prune and manage your trees and shrubs when looking for unhealthy parts. Often when we all get busy with the holidays and back to school our yard maintenance gets put at the bottom of the list. This causes extra growth to go unmanaged. Make sure to trim back where you can to keep everything tidy.

Retaining walls are also especially important to check on. Catching issues early can save you thousands in repair costs later in the year.

Plan Your Garden

Whether you had a garden last year and for the last 20 years or you are looking to plant your first garden it’s always best to plan AHEAD OF TIME. Gardens can be relatively maintenance-free and produce delicious food for you and your family if managed correctly.

• Start your seeds soon! Seeds are a cheap and effective way to start a great garden. Starting them ahead of time allows your plants to be ready to plant and maximize the growing year.
• Make sure your soil is healthy, if not completely remove or mix in new nutrient-rich soil to give your garden the best shot possible.
• Dig up any left behind plants that need to be replaced that won’t grow back this year.
• Fix up the planter boxes, no matter how you plant a garden you will always have some sort of border, whether a box, a raised bed, or pots. Make sure they are in good working condition and patch up the ones that can be.

Fertilizer and Pest Control

Fertilizing your yard, trees, and plants is critical to making sure your yard and trees stay healthy. Before you do this though you’ll need to remove any debris, dead grass, foliage, and general items that were left from last year. It’s always important to compost as much as you can as this can be used to fertilize naturally and help keep your soil in tip-top shape. If you do decide to use man-made fertilizer read the instructions on timing and quantity as fertilizers can vary, or call a professional for their advice or fertilizer services. Many have liquid fertilizers and can be sprayed in less than an afternoon. Leaving you free to focus on other areas of your yard!

Clearing A Path Top to Bottom

Start up top and make sure to clean out those rain gutters as soon as you get a nice day. Foliage falls all fall and into the winter causing a buildup in your gutters which can not only hamper the flow of water but can expedite leaking water into your home at the extreme. Make sure your gutters are clear and the path of flowing water at the exit is clear and doesn’t flow back towards the house.

Next, begin cleaning up elevated surfaces like the furniture on your patio or the furniture first if you don’t have a patio. While snow and rain feel like they clean a surface it can cause surface buildup and grim on your once pretty patio furniture. Often enough new furniture isn’t warranted, and you’ll have your furniture for years to come with proper care before and after winter.

Power washing your deck and resealing when needed is the difference between having the perfect deck that is frequently used and a deck that causes splinters and is only used on the Fourth of July. Clear debris from the deck, check for and make any minor repairs that are needed, and then power wash.

Lastly, give your pathways a hard edge, while grass tends to grow slower in the colder seasons it can still grow and when neglected due to the elements, start to creep onto your pathways. Setting a hard edge and pushing back nature keeps a lawn looking crisp and clean, as well as prevents people from tripping over overgrowth.

From tree health to pathways to gutters making sure your spring cleaning involves the outside of your home is just as important as making sure the inside is in tip-top shape! Contact Friendly Tree today for all your outside landscaping spring cleaning needs.