Summer Tree Pruning Chicago

July 1, 2018 by Joseph Skibbie

Decrease Summer Watering Stress with Tree Pruning

Summer is a wonderful season, especially here in Chicago. It’s our reward after months and months of winter. But the heat of high summer can be extreme. As temps soar, you can head for the air-conditioned house—but your trees can’t. They have to endure what Mother Nature has in store for them. As a homeowner, though, you can offset some of summer’s stress on your trees with pruning and maintenance.

Summer Watering Stressors

When temperatures rise—and they often top 90 in July and August—shade, ornamental, and fruit trees all suffer. The increase in heat prompts the plant to divert resources to its leaves. Why? You can slather on the sunscreen, but a tree can’t. Moving resources to its leaves is one way to reduce or prevent scorching.

Trees are also particularly sensitive to the water table in the ground. If we go through a period with little or no rain, the water table changes. As a result, soil moisture decreases. Put simply, your trees are thirsty, and there is less water for them to access to drink.

In addition, other plants around your trees are competing for resources in the summer. Spring and summer are intense periods of growth and reproduction for plants. All that flowering and fruit-bearing and growing puts a lot of demand on plants’ resources. The grass, shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses, berry bushes, and vegetables in a yard are all competing for water. If water becomes scarce, trees—as well as other plants—will be stressed.

Finally, summer—as you know well—is construction season in our area. If you’re undertaking a home improvement project on your property, you could be introducing stress to your trees’ root systems. Damage to the extensive root systems from digging and construction could compromise your trees’ ability to reach essential moisture.

Summer Pruning and Care to Reduce Stress

arborist_tree_pruning — The summer can be very harsh on your trees, but with a professional pruning and maintenance, you can keep them healthy all year round.

So what can you do to offset these stressors? First—and most importantly—you should hire a professional tree service led by a certified arborist, such as Advanced Tree Care. Summer is not a normal season for tree pruning, so it’s important that you entrust this work to an expert.

Summer pruning can help protect your trees from stress by ensuring that all of the tree’s resources go into healthy, undamaged limbs. An experienced tree service will be able to ensure your trees are properly cared for all year long. When you hire Advanced Tree Care, our staff will:

Examine your trees for signs of stress as well as broken, dead, or otherwise damaged limbs
Carefully prune any trees requiring it during the summer season, giving them what they need to thrive as well as potentially protecting them from storm damage
Prune or shape trees that may be encroaching upon each other’s space
Recommend an optimal watering schedule to keep your trees healthy
Recommend further maintenance or treatment for pests to promote health

Advanced Tree Care combines top-notch equipment, cutting-edge technology, and well-trained staff to provide emergency tree removal and tree maintenance services. With a presence in nine counties and two states, we work daily to provide unparalleled customer service, safety, and efficiency—as well as the expertise to beautify your landscaping and community. Advanced Tree Care isn’t just our name—it’s also our purpose!

Avoiding Tree-mergencies

June 15, 2018 by Joseph Skibbie

Five Times Tree Trimming Will Avoid a Tree Emergency

As homeowners, we become attached to our trees. They beautify our yards, add shade, and provide homes for birds and other wildlife. For all these reasons, it is important to invest in preventive maintenance to keep your trees healthy—and for avoiding tree-mergencies.

Waiting too long to schedule tree trimming and other preventive care for your trees can cost you the tree. It can also prove costly to your property—and dangerous for your family as well as passersby if large limbs or the whole tree come down.

What are some common scenarios where regular tree trimming can help head off a more serious problem?

#1: Weak limbs

avoiding tree-mergencies — There are many reasons why proper and timely tree trimming can protect your trees and your property.

As trees mature and grow, their branches sometimes form narrow, v-shaped crotches that can be structurally insecure. These are the places most likely to sustain damage in high winds or storms, summer or winter. Regular tree trimming will help identify and address these areas.

#2: Overgrowth or overcrowding

Like humans, trees need space to thrive. Sometimes trees begin to encroach on other trees space as they grow. When this happens, tree trimming to shape the trees and prune particular branches can help control growth. In other scenarios, one or more trees may need to be removed for the greater good.

#3: Disease

Trees are susceptible to illness, just like people. Sometimes a particular disease is confined to a particular area on a tree, and tree trimming can remove the damaged portion while ultimately saving the tree. Only a certified arborist will be able to tell you definitively what is affecting your tree and how the situation should be addressed.

#4: Falling branches threatening property

Tree limbs can damage your home, car, garage, patio, and other parts of your property. Regular tree trimming, though, gives us a chance to inspect branches for weakness.

#5: Danger to your family

We can’t control the weather, which can be severe any time of year—and can damage trees. High winds, summer storms, and winter snows regularly bring down branches or entire trees. Regular tree trimming, however, can identify potential weak branches before the next storm, reducing the risk of a tree being downed and injuring you, a family member, or pet. Occasionally we’ll even recommend cabling or bracing branches that overhang sidewalks, driveways, walkways, or other areas where people and pets regularly walk.

Once you’re ready to hire a service for regular tree trimming, what should you look for in a company? We like to keep things simple for you with a brief but important checklist. You’ll want to hire a service:

With a certified arborist and a professional staff
That is licensed, bonded, and insured to perform the work safely
That serves your area
With a quick response time
That has earned positive reviews
That demonstrates excellent customer service and responsiveness

Storm Season Tree Trimming Tips

June 7, 2018 by Joseph Skibbie

Seasonal Tree Trimming Tips for Storm Season

With the beginning of summer in Chicago comes thunderstorm season. Rising temperatures and humidity spawn powerful storms that can sweep into our area—sometimes suddenly—and cause damage to your trees. As the season gets underway, follow our storm season tree trimming tips to protect your trees, as well as yourself and your home.

Prune tree limbs

storm season tree trimming tips — Being prepared for storm season will keep your trees, you and your home safe, as well as save you a lot of time and hassle later on.

Overgrown or weak limbs are the most susceptible to summer storm damage. They’re also the greatest risk to your property—your home, car, or patio, for instance—as well as passersby. You should locate and remove weak-jointed branches to protect your tree, your property, and your family.

While winter is the ideal time to prune trees, it’s not the only time pruning can be done. Engage a professional tree care service, like Advanced Tree Care, to inspect and prune the trees on your property. We’ll examine each of them for weak, narrow-angled, v-shaped branch crotches, as these are most prone to breakage during a summer storm. We can also cable or brace branches that overhang your house, sidewalk, or driveway to offer added protection.

Mulch regularly

Proper mulching helps your trees retain moisture during the warm summer months, which can help keep them healthy and thriving. Optimal moisture can prevent trees from having to divert too many resources to their leaves, which can put limbs at risk.

Inspect for damage

After summer storms roll through, be vigilant about inspecting your trees for damage. If you notice broken or damaged limbs, call your tree service right away. Broken limbs disrupt a tree’s critical circulatory function. Prompt attention by professionals can prevent further damage to your tree.

Call a professional

If a tree or tree limb is downed by a storm, don’t be a hero. Limbs and fallen trees pose serious hazards to you and your property. They could be concealing a downed live electrical wire, or they could be unsteady—or even both. Resist the temptation to perform DIY heroics and instead call in a professional tree service with 24/7 emergency service. Because tree work can be complex, mistakes can be costly—so be sure you’ve entrusted the work to a service led by a certified arborist.

While you’re waiting for the professionals to arrive onsite, keep children and pets away from the downed limbs or damaged tree.

Lawn Care Schedule

May 15, 2018 by Joseph Skibbie

Spring Lawn Care Schedule

This spring there are a few key things you should do to care for your lawn so that it thrives throughout the growing season. Now, even though we specialize in caring for trees, we know that trees are only one part of your yard’s flora. Lawn care benefits everything growing in your patch of green: shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and trees. By keeping to a spring lawn care schedule, you’ll be promoting healthy growth for everything on your property. You’ll see your efforts rewarded in lush grass as well as thriving plants.

Early Spring Lawn Care Schedule: apply weed control and organic matter

lawn-care-schedule-fighting-weeds-early-spring — Because weeds compete for resources, it’s important to take precautions early in the Spring season before they get a chance to thrive in your healthy lawn.

Early spring can still be wet and cold, but beneath the driving rains and remnants of snow, your lawn is already gearing up for the warm months ahead. After the snows melt, you can ramp up your lawn care schedule.

Now is the time to apply weed control products. Weeds, including crabgrass, will start growing aggressively at the same time as your lawn. Every plant is competing for resources in the early growing season, so applying a weed prevention product is a key part of early spring lawn care.

Instead of fertilizing, apply organic nitrogen or another organic matter product that will nourish your grass during rapid growth in early spring.

Lawns should be seeded in the fall, but if your lawn needs some seeding now, you should considering doing this in the early spring to give your new grass a long growing season.

Mid-Spring *Lawn Care Schedule: keep growth in check***

As the days grow longer and warmer, your grass draws its energy from the sun and water. Avoid applying traditional fertilizers at this point in the spring. You run the risk of supercharging your lawn—the fertilizer will accelerate growth of lush grass, which can be more susceptible to disease. Consider another application of organic nitrogen or other organic, compost-based fertilizers.

Aeration should be undertaken in mid-spring. In lawn aeration, coring tools punch through the grass to remove plugs of soil and root matter. The plugs are left on the lawn to decompose. This process offers two benefits. First, it opens up the soil to allow it to receive organic matter as nourishment more easily. Second, aeration reduces some of the thatch’s thickness, letting the remaining roots feed more easily.

We caution against overwatering in spring or at any point in the growing season. Overwatering can reduce your growing lawn’s root penetration. Later in the summer, your grass needs to depend on a deep root system to sustain it between rains or watering sessions. Overwatering can contribute to dependence.

Late Spring *Lawn Care Schedule: mow and water deeply***

Most homeowners have begun a regular mowing schedule by mid- to late spring. Keep mower blades sharp for a clean cut, and avoid cutting grass too short. Aim to keep the mower blade at about 2 ½ inches above the roots, and cut only 1/3 of the grass stem as you mow. Also consider leaving grass clippings—at least some of them—on the lawn. They’re free fertilizer to help your lawn thrive.

Trees do their best in a healthy ecosystem. As a homeowner, you’ll help all your plants look their best and take full advantage of the growing season when you care for your lawn. You’ll also make sure your lawn is the best looking one on the block.

Lawn Care Mistakes

May 1, 2018 by Joseph Skibbie

Five Simple Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid

It’s true that we’re a company that specializes in tree care. But trees are only one part of your yard’s ecosystem. While they make up about 15% of your landscaping, on average, they thrive best when all flora are cared for properly. That means your shrubs, flowers and especially your lawn. To keep your trees as healthy as possible, we’re happy to share advice on some simple lawn care mistakes you can avoid making this season.

In addition to keeping your lawn and trees healthy, these tips will help you boost your property’s curb appeal. That’s an important part of being a homeowner, whether you’re considering selling, undertaking a home renovation, or simply want to present an attractive look for friends, visitors, and passersby.

Tip #1: Mow, but don’t cut grass too short

Lawn Care Mistakes — Healthy trees are dependent on a healthy yard. Make sure you avoid these simple lawn care mistakes.

A healthy, thick lawn is a thriving lawn. It’s also a lawn that leaves no rooms for weeds to encroach. To grow so lush, the grass needs to grow so it can absorb

sunshine, and so its blades can provide shade for the plant’s roots. That’s why you shouldn’t cut your grass too short. If you do, your grass can go into shock. Opportunistic weeds rapidly take over. Aim to keep your mower blade 2 ½ inches from the roots, and never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade.

Tip #2: Water, but don’t overwater your lawn

Plants flourish with optimal water and sun—those two factors drive their growth cycle. When watered too frequently, grass doesn’t develop the deep root system it needs to be healthy. Its roots stay shallow and become overly dependent on frequent watering. Instead, watering grass less often but more deeply encourages deep root growth—which, in turn, helps the grass fare better when water is more scarce and the days grow hot and long.

Tip #3: Keep mower blades sharp

A sharp mower blade cuts grass cleanly rather than nicking or tearing blades. You can easily spot a nicked or torn blade, as these whiten at the tips. These white tips then prompt homeowners to water more frequently, creating the cycle we referenced above. A clean cut also protects blades better from insect infestation and disease.

Tip #4: Apply fertilizer properly

Mistakes in fertilizer application are common, and making them can compromise the health and look of your lawn. Choose a slow-release fertilizer and apply it when your lawn is growing rapidly in the spring and early summer.

Tip #5: Leave some of the clippings on your lawn

While it may be tempting to bag up all the clippings after you’ve mown, the clean look can actually harm your lawn. Leave some of the clippings on your lawn—they’re free fertilizer. They’ll help your grass retain more moisture, and they’ll nourish it as it grows.

A healthy, disease-free lawn is a lawn where trees can thrive. And a lawn not overly dependent on watering can help ensure moisture levels in the soil that also benefit your trees. As spring shifts into summer, consider these tips as you care for your landscaping and yard.