March 31 unofficially benchmarks the end of winter and the start of spring, regardless of the spring equinox and what Mother Nature might have to say. That’s when we focus determinedly on spring and summer and put away our winter gear. That’s when a Denver homeowner’s focus turns to landscaping. And more importantly – that’s also when American Arbor Care’s discounts on winter pruning and pre-paid annual lawn and tree service expire.

Pruning vs. Topping

Pruning removes specific branches or stems to benefit the entire tree. How a tree is pruned greatly affects its growth, form, vigor, and stability. Selective cutting (pruning) involves complete removal of a branch to the main stem or another lateral branch and maintains the tree’s general shape. It is performed with an eye toward maintaining the tree’s structural integrity and an aim to direct more light inside the crown. Because the cuts are made closer to the stem, they heal more rapidly. Pruning also stimulates growth over many growing points.

Topping consists of cutting off the top of a tree regardless of branch placement. It results in myriad new shoots that produce fast-growing sprouts. The new shoots look thick and bushy, but they’re structurally weak. Topping vastly reduces the tree’s crown, limiting its capacity for photosynthesis. Finally, the large wounds inflicted by topping may not heal before the wood begins to decay.

American Arbor Care’s certified arborists evaluate each tree before determining the need and extent of pruning. Your Denver tree service will provide an estimate for pruning service according to the needs of the tree, the property, and the client, and then perform that work in accordance with ANSI300 pruning standards.

The 10 percent discount on winter pruning service offered by American Arbor Care ends on March 31. If you have multiple tree and shrubs on your property that need to be pruned, that 10 percent discount can add up to a hefty chunk of change which you can earmark for other purposes.

Preventative Spraying

We have three types of spraying to prevent damage from a number of culprits – whether it is warding off insects or preventing weed growth, take advantage of these treatments:

1. IPS engraver beetle spray for spruce or pine trees: Think of this as insurance for your tree’s health. Taking the step to spray your pine or spruce tree can ensure infestation does not occur even when the insects make an attempt. As an affordable treatment, this is an appropriate measure to take – some infestations can last for a long time, years even, creating major damage to your beautiful tree
2. Pre-emergent fertilization and broadleaf weed control: March is the perfect time for pre-emergent weed control and fertilization, before the plants begin to germinate. If you are able to catch the weed growth prior to them producing seeds, it can control future growth and reproduction
3. Pre-emergent treatments in mulched and rock bed areas: By applying pre-emergent treatments in mulch or rock beds, you can create a barrier for the prevention of future weed growth, and disallow the weeds from germinating and multiplying throughout the spring.

Year-Round Lawn Care

Taking advantage of the professional yard service provided by American Arbor Care enables homeowners to spend time enjoying their yards rather than working in their yards. You can engage American Arbor Care to provide a year of lawn care service that will make your yard the envy of the neighborhood and a place you want to spend your leisure time.
A year’s worth of service includes expert care for lawn to keep it in good health and looking its best, whatever the seasons bring us. If you have already signed up for pre-paid spray and lawn care services, your payment is due by March 31.
Not including golf courses, Americans spend an estimated $6.4 billion annually on lawn care. Five percent of that is $320 million. What’s your share of the savings and how will you spend it?

Take Advantage of Discounts While You Can

Save time, energy, and money by calling American Arbor Care at (303) 639-8584 to schedule a consultation and sign up for service before March 31.

To ensure your shrubs are looking their best and produce full and plentiful flowers, it’s important to prune them at the right time of the season. Here are some guidelines for the best times to prune your shrubs.
 
Early Summer
Evergreen shrubs, such as yews, juniper, and boxwood should be trimmed in the early summer.  Flowering shrubs, such as forsythias and lilacs should be pruned for shaping or size control after flowering in the summer. Shrubs form buds for the next year’s flowers during the summer so it’s important that you don’t prune them after mid-summer.
 
Winter or Early Spring
Summer flowering perennials such as butterfly bush, snow hydrangea, and oleander are best pruned in the winter or early spring. However, if a limb is damaged from frost, make sure to cut them off your shrub as soon as possible.
 
Fall
Flowing annuals are best pruned in the fall because removing dead flowers as they start to wilt extends the flowering or can promote a second round of blossoms.
 
Pruning at different times in the year triggers different responses from a shrub. Before bud break, which is in late winter or early spring, is generally the best time to prune many species – it allows for the tissue to grow more rapidly. For spring blooming shrubs, however, pruning should be delayed until immediately after flowering so it doesn’t lack a floral display. More questions about when your shrub should be pruned? Call American Arbor Care, your Denver tree care experts.  

While it may seem like a simple, straightforward task to plant a tree, there are actually a few things to remember that can help promote better tree health and vitality. Here are the three most important things to remember when planting trees in Denver:

1. Mind the depth you plant: Some types of soil will alter the depth in which you need to plant the tree’s root ball. If the soil is dense, thick, and clay-like, the root should be planted higher to the surface and even slightly above the ground level. Dryer sand-like soil can allow for a little deeper plant, about to the ground level. 
2. Remove all extra materials: If the root ball has been wrapped, that material needs to be removed before planting. The tree roots will largely spread to the sides, so keep that in mind when choosing a planter or pot if you are planning on planting in an above-ground container. 
3. Don’t overwater at the start: If can be easy to try to take extra care and make sure the tree has plenty of water, but overwatering will suffocate the air in the soil that the tree needs. Instead, check the perimeter of the soil of the plant hole and dig down a few inches. If the soil near the bottom has plenty of moisture, the tree does not require any more water. 

Check with your Denver tree care experts if you have questions about planting trees this spring.

Affecting things much differently than freeze damage in the fall, the recent snow has caused major damage. While flowers and plants have felt the icy effects of the snow, shrubs and trees have experienced some damage as well. The snow and freeze breaks branches and limbs from trees, particularly affecting ash trees and trumpet vine. 

Affecting New Growth

As the trees have produced new baby leaves during the start of the warm weather, the freeze hurts them in a major way. Baby leaves are still very tender, and not hardy enough to handle the sting of the cold, causing them to wilt and blacken.

Proper Pruning

The measures taken last fall during the freeze are much different to those taken now. Talk to your Denver tree care specialists to learn more about how you can bring your trees and shrubs back to good health after the freeze. They can show you or perform the correct ways to prune or cut your trees and shrubs.

Something to remember: the experts suggest having your trees evaluated every 3-5 years to ensure proper maintenance and health.

Call American Arbor Care today to schedule an overdue evaluation and prolong the life within your trees.

There are a variety of factors that influence whether your plants can survive a freeze- the particular weather conditions of the freeze, the type of plant, how much of the plant was afflicted, the age of the plant, etc. Luckily, you can usually save your plants before they are killed by the frost. When a tree freezes, tissues are frozen and become dehydrated. When the sun comes up, the tree may defrost too quickly and the living parts may not be prepared for the moisture after the integrity has been damaged.

Frost damage can be removed by cutting any bark that is torn. If the sun has yet to come out, you can lightly spray leaves and stems to condition them for the moisture exposure. If the season has another expected freeze, you can leave the damaged stems and leaves in place to provide protection. It is best in this case to move the plants inside if at all possible, of course with trees this may prove to be an impossible task. You can prune dead leaves and stems once the cold has dissipated. If another freeze is expected, it’s always best to cover your plants with some type of material like a cloth sheet.

Colorado’s weather can oscillate drastically, and it can be difficult to know when and what to do to care for your wide variety of plants and trees. Contact your Denver tree services company today to get information on preventing and preparing your landscape for the new season to emerge. 

When your lawn appears as it has begun to turn to straw, all signs point to ascochyta. The most common cause of ascochyta leaf blight in grass, is mismanagement or not fully understanding the proper ways to manage turf. While it can be difficult to manage, it is important to understand when and why it happens. 

When Does Ascochyta Occur?

Ascochyta typically is most prevalent in the spring. As the warmer months begin the set in, it is important to take extra care when tending to your lawn. This spring, keep a close eye on any formations of yellow patches throughout the grass – it can happen very quickly and sometimes possibly even overnight.

Why Does Ascochyta Occur?

The reason this disease might occur, is usually due to the rapid changes in the climate and moisture in the air and soil. As the weather gets warmer, the changes can be drastic and fluctuating so much, it can shock plants and grass. 

To manage potential outbreaks of ascochyta leaf blight, allow your Denver tree care specialists guide your lawn through the seasons to good health. Maintaining proper soil moisture, and consistent balance of moisture is key to maintaining the health of your grass.

The end of the growing season for trees in our climate typically comes at the end of June; however, it is somewhat dependent upon a variety of factors such as bud dormancy break, soil temperatures, day and night length, and precipitation.  Once the season of growth is completed, trees will set buds for the following season of growth, while continuing to manufacture carbohydrates before they require a period of sleep.

As we move into fall with our cooler daytime and nighttime temperatures, in combination with our shorter days and longer nights, trees are beginning their dormancy period.  Trees and shrubs will begin to move the energy currently stored in their leaves into the twigs, stems, branches, and trunks where it will be stored for next year, resulting in millions of falling leaves. 
 
Three pigments are left after the green pigment leaves the leaf and are responsible for the beautiful display we enjoy in the fall.  While research has solved part of the mystery surrounding the color changes we see and enjoy, it has not been able to determine the exact reason why certain plants display the colors they do.  We enjoy the most vibrant displays of color in years where we receive consistent and generous amounts of moisture, in combination with warm days and cool nights.  This may explain why some of the Maples and Oaks displayed more red colors at their branch tips during this growing season, as we had a moist and cool summer.
 
While the above ground portion of the tree is beginning its winter sleep, the roots below ground will continue to switch between growth and resting phases.  With this alternating activity there are some important protective measures you can take to prepare your deciduous and evergreen trees for this critical time:

1. Wrap the trunks of young trees (those that still have smooth bark).
2. Provide a 2″layer of organic mulch material to insulate the roots and preserve moisture.
3. Deep root fertilize in the fall. If you are interested in scheduling a fall, fertilization please contact our office.
4. Periodic watering to protect roots from drying out.
5. Winter pruning (dead, dying, and diseased branches as well as long and heavy branches that could collect snow).
6. If you have problems with rabbits, it may be helpful to install a fence made of hardware cloth around the base of the tree.
7. The best approach to preventing leaf blight issues next season is sanitation. Raking up as many leaves as possible and disposing of them properly will aid in the reduction of leaf diseases.

We still have a few days left of summer, so before the winter preparations on your landscape begin in October, sit back and enjoy the magnificent display of colors in your trees and shrubs!  With the moisture and cool weather we have had this summer, we are predicting a glorious display by Mother Nature. 
If you have any questions or concerns please contact our office.