Reminder! Don’t forget to return your annual service proposals before March 31st for a pre-payment discount.

As you are preparing your Denver landscaping for spring, one of the items you should add to your checklist is to apply a pre-emergent to your shrubs, flower beds and lawn. This will help keep the growth of weeds from popping up as we move into warmer months. Learn about what pre-emergent is, why weeds can be detrimental to your landscaping and how you should apply it to your shrubs, flower beds and lawns.

What is Pre-Emergent?

Weeds in a lawn or landscape may seem inevitable. But with some work, you can combat them. One of the ways to accomplish this is with a pre-emergent. A pre-emergent is a type of herbicide that works against the growth of weeds. A pre-emergent works its way into the soil and stops weeds from growing out of the ground in your flower beds and lawns.

How Weeds are Detrimental to Landscaping

For the overall appearance of your lawn, you have dedicated so much time and effort to it. When weeds come into the picture, it can ruin much of the hard work you have done. While some weeds aren’t the best in appearance, others can actually be detrimental to the shrubs and flowers you have planted. There are a variety of reasons weeds can sprout in your landscaping. For many, putting too much fertilizer in a yard can lead to problems, which is why it is important to go by the instructions or use the guidance of an expert. Also, if a lawn does not get enough water it can create an atmosphere that makes it easy for weeds or crabgrass to grow, instead of beautiful, soft grass.

Applying to Shrubs, Flower Beds and Lawns

When preparing your landscaping and lawn for the spring, you will want to look into applying a pre-emergent in this early part of the season. When applying it properly during this time period, you will be able to hit the weeds just in time before they germinate. When working to add pre-emergents for your shrubs and flower beds, you will want to do the process before mulching. It is important to also remove any loose leaves or twigs from the top of the mulch so the solution is the first thing that comes in contact with the soil. This way, when you put the new mulch on, it will help to soak in the solution.  For lawns, using a pre-emergent will help to reduce or eliminate the growth of crabgrass, which is a weed-form of grass that doesn’t have the same shape as normal grass. Not sure what crabgrass looks like? Learn more about what does crabgrass look like. If you have had this in your yard in the past, early spring is a crucial time to add a pre-emergent.

When it comes to combating weeds, American Arbor Care can help. Our tree and shrub health management services will help you keep your landscaping looking wonderful. With spring arriving, be sure to give us a call and we will assist you with all your landscaping needs. Call us at 303-639-8584 to schedule an appointment.

Don’t forget to return your annual service proposals before March 31st for your pre-payment discount!

Shortly before spring and during early spring is an optimal time to prepare a beautiful front and back yard for the rest of the year. A little bit of effort can go a long way to having a flourishing yard as the temperatures warm up. From plant beds and tree trimming in Denver, to other ways to prepare your landscaping, use some of our expert tips to get your yard ready now:

Start Lawn Care Now

We have begun some of our important processes in lawn care – aeration, overseeding, and top-dressing are in full swing with the spring season upon us. Other avenues of lawn care should be started now, including spring pre-emergent and broadlead weed control (step 1). Weed prevention is very important as your new plants begin to emerge to ensure they are able to flourish and receive proper nutrients from the soil and make your yard healthier overall. Get started with pre-emergent treatments in beds or border areas to get a jump on weed control in your landscape. 

Cleaning Plant Beds

When gearing up for spring, you will want to take inventory of the existing items in your plant beds. Any dead items or plants you know you will not want in the summer should be removed. In addition, remove dead leaves or branches that have fallen off and are laying in your plant bed. Next, for any rocks incorporated in your landscaping, you can take some time to clean those off, too. And spend some time refreshing your mulch.   Next, you will want to pull any weeds that are in your plant beds. Learn more about how to design the perfect flower bed.

Tree Trimming

It is important to trim and prune the trees in your yard before spring. To get started, you will need shears and saws that you can find at your local outdoor goods or hardware store. By pruning trees the proper way, you will be encouraging growth. Any buds will blossom for spring and it will continue a track to growth. When pruning, the first thing you will want to do is inspect the tree. You will want to look for areas that look diseased or are dying. Those will be the first branches that you want to cut. When cutting off branches, do not cut close to the trunk of the tree. Cut close to the trunk but leaving a little amount still protruding. Next, if there are any branches that cross, you will want to cut those too. As for the other small branches on the tree, you can make small cuts that are a quarter of an inch near the bud. This will encourage growth.

Preparing your Landscaping

Once you have cleaned your plant beds and trimmed your trees, it is time to prepare your landscaping for spring. If there are any plants you would like to add to your landscaping, this is the time to add them. Next, you will want to mulch. This will also help your plants, shrubs, trees and bushes in your plant beds and yard, grow. It will keep the soil moist. When mulching, you only need a few inches. Adding any more can lead to negative effects. Also, when mulching, be sure to leave some space around the trunk of the plant. For more tips to prepare your outdoors for spring, read 10 Tips to Prepare your Home for Spring Landscaping.

Just like getting help spring cleaning for you home, you may need assistance from the landscaping experts at American Arbor Care. As your certified, professional arborists, we can care for any of your landscaping needs from plants to trees. From lawn care and landscaping to tree and shrub care, we handle it all. Look at the latest American Arbor Care special offers to see how we can help you prepare your yard for spring while saving money.

Spring is coming in a few weeks! It is an exciting time when the flowers begin to bloom, buds on trees grow and our landscaping will blossom. As we move closer to the beginning of spring, now is the time to begin your landscaping projects. From planning what to add to your lawn and tips for revitalizing your current arrangement, to general ways to care for your lawn, try some of these ideas from your local tree service company.

Planning What to Add to Your Landscaping

Whether you are looking to create landscaping for your home, or start new, eliminating what was once there, there are a plethora of options. To get started, it is important to think about what you would like for your landscaping. What types of colors and flowers do you like? Are you looking to tier a landscape or incorporate shrubs and trees? Would you like to decorate walkways with updated landscaping? How much time do you have to put into your landscaping on a regular basis? And last, are you looking to create functional spaces? It is important to research and find ideas so you can move forward with a plan on what to buy and where to plant. For a full list, read Better Homes and Garden’s planning your front-yard landscape.

Tips for Revitalizing Current Landscaping

Curb appeal is important! If you are trying to sell your home, it is crucial you make upgrades to make the front of your home welcoming and at its best. Even if you aren’t looking to sell, having an appealing front of your home will increase its value. This increase will be for both your home and to improve your neighborhood. For some, a little bit of love and elbow grease is all that’s needed. Trees and shrubs can be trimmed and dead pieces and branches can be removed. In addition, it is important to pull weeds as well. For others, you might be looking to add in new plants, trees or shrubs. You can remove old plants you no longer like and replace them with new ones.

Ways to Care for Your Lawn

Winters can be hard on our lawns. As spring arrives, it is important to work to make sure your yard gets the attention it needs. You may notice old, crispy, dead grass around your lawn. This is known as “thatch.” Once winter is over, it is important to remove the thatch layer. After this process, you can also treat your lawn with weed killing solution so they do not grow when the warmer temperatures arrive. You can also fertilize the grass to help it grow. Keep irrigation high on your priority list to ensure it flourishes.

With a few weeks left of winter, be sure you learn the importance of winter pruning from your tree service company. For help with your landscaping, you can contact the experts at American Arbor Care. We have been serving the Denver area since 1995 and can help you with new or existing landscaping. Contact American Arbor Care in Denver, CO today to get started on your lawn care needs.

Have you been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather this year so far? While it feels great to wear a t-shirt in February, it is not optimal for those things which grow in the dirt. Sunny weather definitely takes a toll on you landscape if you are not prepared to jump into action a little early. Very little snowfall also will have an effect on the moisture levels in your plants. When snow falls it insulates the ground beneath, and when it melts, it provides needed water for the plants – without snow and without watering, your plants are at risk of drying out and dying much faster.

Here is what our tree care professionals in Denver recommend for our current weather conditions:

Warm Days Mean Your Plants Need Water

We all tend to keep an eye on the weather and know when we expect cold weather, warm weather, or extra moisture. Keep your plants and landscape in mind when you look at the weather forecast, and plan accordingly. Make sure your plants receive proper hydration when the weather is above freezing, and if we encounter temperatures in the 70s, that is the perfect time for a deep water. This applies to most everything, beds of plants, trees, lawn – all of the above. This can be a lot to manage or keep up with on your own, so if you do not have a dedicated service to manage this, make sure to learn about your options with professional landscaping and tree care services from American Arbor Care.

Don’t Jump Back Into a Schedule Just Yet

If you have an irrigation system, chances are you are used to setting up a watering schedule which runs automatically. While this is an easy way to keep things hydrated, if the weather is not guaranteed to stay above freezing, you are opening yourself up to trouble by turning on your sprinkler system. With unpredictable weather patterns, it is best to keep your irrigation system turned off to avoid the risk of frozen pipes, leading to water leaks and further damage to your home. You do need to make sure you are watering your lawn and plants, but this should be done manually until the risk of snow is fully not a factor.

What Should You Do Now?

Manual watering is necessary to make sure your soil has enough moisture. Feel the soil in throughout your landscape to see how dry it is just beneath the surface. If you don’t feel any moisture a few inches deep, it is time to water your space. Not sure how much water should be applied to your landscape? This is where the team at American Arbor Care can help. Allow us to maintain your landscape for you – we are extremely conscious of current and upcoming weather patterns and will determine the exact timing and amount of water needed to keep your landscape green come springtime’s actual starting point.

Contact us today to learn about how our services can help you! We are Denver’s go-to tree care and landscaping company, serving the Denver community since 1995. Let us get to know your landscape and help it flourish in 2017.

As we move out of the winter months, it is important to care for the fruit and ornamental trees that live on your property. By putting in work now, you will have flourishing trees that will make your lawn one of the best on the street. Learn the importance of pruning your trees, general care tips and reasons to mulch your Denver landscaping.

Importance of Pruning

It is crucial to prune your fruit and ornamental trees. During the pruning process, you will simply trim any dying elements of the tree. For instance, this could include browning leaves or damaged elements of the tree. Next, you will want to trim branches to leave enough room for light to reach all areas of the tree. If certain parts of the tree have several branches growing off a single branch, you will need to remove some of those branches too. Aim to reduce them to just one or two branches. It is also important to trim the ends of the branches as well. This can help improve growth in the future. For a more in-depth look into pruning, read an article by This Old House called, How to Prune a Fruit Tree.

General Care Tips

Using fertilizer is important with fruit and ornamental trees. This will help your trees to grow and cure any imbalance there might be when it comes to the quality of the nutrients the tree is receiving. Next, it is important that these types of trees get the appropriate amount of water. Irrigation systems help manage the amount of water. When watering, avoid putting water directly around the trunk. By watering the tree around the area instead, it will have better access to the roots. When it comes to light, it is important that your trees get enough natural light and shouldn’t have anything directly hindering them from that.

Mulching

Another way to maintain your fruit and ornamental trees it to mulch around them. You will need three or four inches of mulch around the tree. Any more could be detrimental to the overall health of the tree. Similar to watering these trees, avoid putting mulch where it directly is placed around the trunk. One of the best times to mulch a fruit or ornamental tree is towards the end of winter or beginning of spring. Mulch also can contain fertilizer which will help you knock out that need for your trees. Prior to adding the mulch, be sure to take out the weeds and any other debris in the area.

When it comes to all your spring arbor needs, American Arbor Care has you covered. From lawn care and landscaping services, to pruning and tree services, we will ensure all your needs are met. Being a crucial time to prune your fruit and ornamental trees, be sure to learn more about our pruning, tree removal and stump grinding services. We can also help you determine the perfect amount of mulch and/or fertilizer you need to ensure your trees blossom beautifully. Contact American Arbor Care in Denver, CO today to get started on your spring tree, shrub, lawn and landscaping services!