This is the season when your yard is at its greenest and most flourishing. Taking careful steps now for the treatment and protection against weeds and pests for your landscaping in Denver will ensure that your lawn looks lush throughout the rest of summer. The scorching heat of July makes some treatments, such as fertilization, unavailable, so it’s best to act in the next two or three weeks.

Broadleaf Control

Different in appearance and biology than normal turf grasses, broadleaf weeds are easy to identify and control without causing damage to surrounding vegetation. After your spring pre-emergent application of broadleaf weed control, to prevent seed germination, it’s time for the first of three rounds of balanced fertilization applications. Also, post-emergent spot spray treatment of lawn weeds that had already sprouted will continue.

Japanese Beetles

Keep an eye out for grub activity in your lawn at this time of year, particularly Japanese beetles. They are an invasive species with no effective natural enemies and voracious appetites for hundreds of different plant species. Metallic green with copper-colored wings, these insects emerge from the ground and begin feeding on surrounding plant life in late June or early July. Before that time, females will burrow several inches into the ground after mating to lay their eggs. They are attracted to damp, grassy areas with loose soil, so irrigated turf lawns are in danger of infestation. The grubs spend ten months developing and feed on the roots of turf grass, which causes the grass to lose its ability to absorb water. The result in the summer months is unsightly dead patches of lawn. These beetles can be controlled by properly-timed soil applications by lawncare professionals during the grub stage; the earlier any damage is noticed, the faster their destruction can be prevented.

Ascochyta Leaf Blight

Another potential lawn problem during this season is a plant disease called ascochyta leaf blight. It causes large swaths of turf to brown and die, and may appear as drought-stricken conditions at first. Ascochyta infests lawns quickly, however, and causes damage faster than drought. Grass that has been wet and then subjected to extreme heat is most at risk of infection, especially after a yard mowing. There are no necessary disease treatments for ascochyta; the best course of action is to over-fertilize the lawn, encouraging the turf to outgrow the blight, and to avoid mowing during wet weather to prevent its spread. Your expert local landscapers can help you select and apportion the correct type and amount of fertilizer for your turfgrass.

Necrotic Ring Spot

A fungal disease that targets the roots of turf grass, necrotic ring spot thrives all across the country and is easily confused with other patch diseases. Circular areas of dead grass can begin to appear two to three years after a lawn is put in, though the symptoms intensify in the hottest months of the year, July and August. NRS can be eradicated with professional fungicide application and by taking good care of your turf by using properly prepared soil, overseeding infected patches, and not over watering.

American Arbor Care is your total Denver lawn care and fertilization specialists, offering all the services you need to protect and maintain the health and beauty of your landscape. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about your lawn! Please call us at 303-639-8584.

Now that spring is in full swing, caring for your landscaping is a top priority. With the warmer weather and nicer days (minus the exception of those last few snow storms trying to hang on from the winter), it is a great time to work on making sure your plants, shrubs and more are at their best. May is the ideal time to start treating your landscaping with aphid and mite treatments. In addition, it is also the time to use elm leaf beetle, elm leaf weevil and elm leaf minor treatments as well. Learn more about aphid and mite damage and treatments and other landscaping tips to prepare you this spring.

Aphid/Mite Damage and Treatments

Aphids and mites are common pests that can create wilting plants in your yard. While they are very host specific, there are over 200 species in Colorado alone. In some cases, it can make it hard for newer plants to grow. They typically will suck out all of the nutrients by feeding on the leaves and sucking the sap out for themselves. They are small, shaped like a pair and are typically yellow, green, black, white or orange. While aphids can be seen, mites are much harder to see because of their small size. They typically feed on plants and in some cases, animals and people. The best way to keep aphids from destroying your plants is to take on preventative measures. You can spray treatments on your lawn and landscaping this spring to avoid an infestation. Be cautious to look out for the warning signs to make sure your plants are not damaged by aphids. Learn more about how to identify and get rid of aphids.

Elm Leaf Beetle, Weevil and Leaf Treatments

Elm leaf beetles are long in shape, have wings and are yellow in color. When elm trees have leaves that turn brown, or are losing leaves before the normal season, it is a sign that there is potentially an elm leaf beetle problem. Often times, elm insects and their feeding are the culprit of premature leaf drop. Elm leaf weevils are different than beetles. Smaller in size, these pests typically eat holes in leaves right around spring. In addition they lay eggs that hatch in the fall, leading to further damage. By spraying and treating your plants now, you can prevent damage.

Other Landscaping Tips

As spring has arrived, make sure you take time to care for your landscaping. Remove old mulch and re-mulch one to three inches around your plants. Make sure you leave space around the base of the plant so mulch is not right up against it or packed down tightly. Make sure you work with a local landscaping company and arborist on pre-treating your lawn and plant beds to avoid insects like aphids, mites and elm leaf pests.

For help caring for your plants, landscaping and trees, American Arbor Care has you covered. As you plan to enhance your landscaping, read more about spring tree fertilizations and insect treatments via soil injection for your Denver landscaping. Now is the best time to treat your plants, shrubs and trees to keep them in the best condition for spring. To see how we can help you, contact American Arbor Care in Denver, CO today.

Homeowners around the Colorado area may see their trees (particularly those with needles or evergreen trees) begin to brown, become partially brown and partially green, or become completely browned. While it is completely normal for these types of trees to lose needles regularly, when it happens to large portions of the tree, it is a sign of something more serious – winter desiccation damage. 

What is Winter Desiccation Damage?

Essentially, this type of damage is a burning or scorching of the leaves due to climate conditions. The most prevalent time for this to happen is when the winter days give us warm sunshine, but are extremely dry with very little to no humidity in the air as well. Because the temperatures fall in the lower degrees, watering has halted, and many trees can be affected negatively. Generally this happens more with trees which were recently planted or are fairly young, as their root systems have not fully grown into the ground deep enough not to be affected. It can, however, happen with all trees, so it is important to know the warning signs. The dryness of the soil is the main culprit here – with little to no moisture available at the roots, the leaves or needles will begin to show the damage with discoloration. 

How Can You Prevent Desiccation Damage?

One way to take your trees from the temperate fall months into winter is by watering well during the fall months and into early winter. This year, we experienced an unseasonably warm start to the winter, so watering should have continued for a prolonged period of time. Because we have not had much moisture, it is smart to continue watering your trees in the morning or the late afternoon to allow for absorption at the roots. Although it is important to ensure your trees and shrubs receive proper hydration, be careful of overwatering in cold weather, as ice can be treacherous in walkways and paths. 

How Does One Combat Desiccation Damage?

A method of managing desiccation damage comes in the form of a spray. Anti-transpirant sprays on your plants will prevent the moisture from being expelled from the plant’s leaves in the transpiration process. This process occurs when the weather warms and water cools the plant by expelling and evaporating on the leaves. Another factor in this process is the depletion of water from the plant and root system – and it would need to be replenished. Anti-transpirant sprays, however, eliminate this function of the plant and prevent moisture from leaving. It acts as a coating over the leaves – and should only be applied when temperatures during the day are above freezing, which is luckily quite often in our Colorado climate. Not sure how to solve your tree or shrub problem? Make sure to contact the team at American Arbor Care – serving the Denver Metro Area for over 25 years. If you suspect your trees or shrubs are in the midst of withstanding desiccation damage, let us assist you in nursing them back to full health. Allow us to give you an estimate for your services, and also recommendations for future treatment to ensure your landscape is lush and healthy come spring.

The diverse plant supply you’ve enjoyed with consistent availability of varieties and sizes may be in short supply this year, and in the coming years. You may not have been aware, but this has been happening for the last 10 years. Five nursery pros from the front range share their stories about the struggles with plant supply and keeping up with demand in this article.

While the leaves may have fallen off the other trees in your yard, your evergreens will be flourishing. Such a wintertime staple, the evergreen is the perfect tree for the season. They can last all year long, especially during droughts and harsh conditions. By properly caring for them during the winter, your evergreens will keep up their beauty and luster. Now that we’re entering into the winter months, make sure you care for your evergreens and other landscaping in Denver. It’s also important to know when to call in experts too that can help your lawn stay beautiful.

Evergreen Maintenance

During the winter, evergreens can be susceptible to winter burn. This is when the tips of their needles turn red or brown, or just fall off altogether. It occurs for a variety of reasons—one due to the large temperature dips in the evening, leaving the tips to freeze. Another reason is because of photosynthesis. Evergreens will gather energy then release water. If unable to replace that water due to the ground freezing, winter burn can occur. To help avoid this, you can water your evergreens in the winter. It also helps to wrap them. By reviewing the guide “Winter Tree Care in Denver: Trunk Wrapping,” you can learn why this method will help all of your trees and shrubs. It also helps to keep your evergreen trees in areas of the yard with a full range of sunlight.

As the winter months roll by, monitor the health of your evergreen trees. If evergreens are negatively impacted by the drop-in temperatures, you may notice cracks in the bark and other areas of the tree. This is an issue wrapping the tree can fix (if the evergreens are small).  You can discuss with your neighborhood arborist to see if you need to take any additional precautions. Also, while dehydration is not as likely in evergreens during the winter, it can happen. Over the winter, watch the color of the trees. If you have used a synthetic mulch, it can be the root of the problem because it prevents water from penetrating the mulch and into the soil. Make sure to use an organic mulch in the future. Last, you may also notice damage due to critters in your yard. If you find there is damage, invest in repellents to prevent further damage.

Additional Winter Maintenance

Denver is home to cool season grass, which is a type that can handle freezing temperatures, as well as warm ones. To aid in their vitality, you must fertilize your soil before the first freeze of the season. To also help your lawn, keep debris such as leaves or twigs, lawn tools, or other items from sitting atop the grass for too long. This includes parking vehicles in the lawn that can damage the grass. If you have plants outdoors, potted plants should be in larger containers. You also need to continue to give them water. For these and other planted shrubs, bushes, and more, make sure to wrap them just like you have for your evergreen trees. This will serve as an insulator to help retain heat and protect them from the elements. Watering of your lawns on warm days will also reduce the amount of spider mite activity in full-sun, sloped areas. (Don’t forget to water your trees/shrubs/perennials too!)

For your evergreens and other trees in your lawn, consider adding an anti-desiccant to them. This is a spray for their leaves that will help them retain water as the temperatures drop.

It is also important to monitor your lawn in the late winter to early spring for snow mold. As the snow melts, this problem can occur, causing you to see a grey or pink mold in your grass. Each are different and have negative effects on your lawn. If you find this in your yard, be sure to work with your local landscaping company to restore it back to life.

Spring Preparation

Throughout the winter months, make sure you have your checklist ready for spring to keep your evergreen trees healthy. In March and early April, examine your trees to see if any of their needles are browning, or if the tree looks distressed in any way. To help bring them back to life, they must receive fertilizer. While organic fertilizers are best for evergreen trees, you can work with your local arborist to find the perfect fertilizer. You can add fertilizer anytime through the summer, but ideally, the sooner the better. Aim to have your evergreens fertilized by the beginning of April. Ask your local arborist if a deep root fertilization is best for your trees. This type of fertilization places the fertilizer deep within the ground, ensuring it gets to the roots of the tree. Trunk injections can also be applied to help with nutrition, as well as combat disease and insects.

You will also need to add pruning to your spring checklist. When you inspect your tree after the winter  look for any dying or diseased areas. Damaged branches will need to be pruned. Prune using a thinning method to remove the dead or injured areas. Make sure you do not prune all the way to the center of the branch as it can hinder future growth. A guide to successful pruning, pruning evergreen trees will help you learn the best technique to encourage growth.

Calling in the Experts

If you are experiencing your first winter in a new house with evergreens, or are looking for ways to ensure your plants make it through the winter, calling on an expert will help. An arborist will look at your current situation and tell you of any warning signs or areas to improve upon. From there, they will provide you with the tasks that need to be done, as well as areas they can work through to keep your trees and plants healthy. This is a great asset for the overall value of your home.

For an expert you can trust to make sure your evergreens and plants survive this winter, contact American Arbor Care. We have been a trusted source for tree care in Denver for over 20 years. From lawn care and landscaping, to trees and shrub pruning, we have you covered. Call us today at 303-639-8584 or email us at lita@americanarborcare.com to see how we can help.

Seeding your lawn is something to do to your lawn and landscaping each spring and fall. Fall is typically the time you will add in new seed to your lawn and spring is the time to over-seed. Why? It is crucial to help your grass grow and become healthy after the harsh winter months. Learn how to tackle damage from larva activity and turf diseases as well as reasons to use a pre-emergent for weed protection.

Lawns damaged by larva activity

One of the dangers to be aware of in your yard and landscaping are larva or lawn grubs. After a few years once these insects are fully grown, they turn into the many forms of scarab beetles. In the larva state, these are small insects eat the roots of grass to survive. Even though you can’t easily see them, these insects can do some extensive damage to your lawn as they eat the roots of your grass and plants. They do a lot of their damage in the winter as they dig deeper within the soil—but can damage your yard at any time. Keep an eye out for patches of brown, dead grass. In other areas, the ground may have a squishy feel as you walk across it. You may also notice outside animals damaging your lawn, which is a red flag that they may be in search of larva in the soil. To combat this issue, you can invest in chemicals that won’t hurt your lawn, but will eliminate the problem. Learn more in Better Homes and Gardens Stop Grubs in your Lawn.

Turf diseases

Just as people get sick, so can our turf lawns. Those who do not tend to their lawns and give them proper care are more likely to have their turf fall victim to disease. When this occurs, a variety of issues will become noticeable in your lawn. One of the most common types of turf diseases is necrotic ring spots. It is a fungus that kills grass in ring-like patterns that can make its way through a yard. Snow mold is another disease that can affect lawns, especially post-winter. Grass blades can become damaged if snow falls onto it but the weather is not cold enough where the grass freezes. Therefore, it can develop mold that kills the grass. Learn more about this disease in How to Manage Snow Mold in Denver Lawns. Last, leaf spots, also known as melting-out disease, are another issue to turf. This happens when a fungus sets in and produces brown spots along the grass blades. You can work with your local tree service to find solutions to help bring your diseased turf back to life!

Using a pre-emergent for weed prevention

Spring is also the time to make sure your lawn is protected from weeds. To accomplish this, you will utilize pre-emergents. Pre-emergents are herbicides that help to stop the growth of weeds. By using one of these early, you can get ahead of a problem so weeds never sprout out of the surface.

For all your lawn care needs, American Arbor Care is here to help. From helping your trees bloom this spring to having perfectly green grass, we can give you the assistance needed as we transition into spring. Give us a call at 303-639-8584 today to get started.

’Tis the season for specialty borer applications to rid your trees and shrubs of honey locust borers, black locust borers, and viburnum borers. Like all borer species, these pests lay their eggs in the bark and the larvae which hatch then burrow beneath the bark to feed. Heavy infestations will kill a tree. Unfortunately, infestations are all too often detected too late to save the tree. When it comes to borers–not bores, that’s entirely different–Denver tree service companies advocate prevention over treatment.

The Morton Arboretum and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service describe honey locust and black locust borers, which are similar.

Honey locust borers attack small and medium sized honey locust trees and branches, preferring diameters exceeding two inches thick. They prefer stressed trees to healthy plants. Adult honey locust borers emerge in June and feed on the foliage. Females lay eggs covered with a frothy substance that hardens. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow beneath the bark to feed. Honey locust borer infestation causes gradual decline of the tree and dieback of twigs and branches in the crown.

Black locust borers don’t eat honey locust trees, just black locusts and its cultivars. The larvae tunnel into the wood and weaken the tree’s structure, making it susceptible to breakage in strong winds. Adult black locust borers are easy to spot: about three-quarters of an inch long with reddish legs, black antennae, and bright yellow bands circling a black body. Adults often feed on goldenrod in the fall. Egg laying occurs in late summer through mid-autumn. Larvae emerge in spring and early summer. This native insect has a range that spans the Allegheny Mountains to Georgia to the Ozark Mountains.

Viburnum borersfeed on the lower parts of viburnum trunks, branches, and roots. Adults are day-flying moths that look like wasps with one-half inch long, bluish-black bodies with yellow markings and clear wings. Larvae are pinkish white caterpillars with reddish brown heads. Like most borer species, these prefer already stressed plants and aren’t fussy about which variety of viburnum they eat. Only arrow-wood viburnum is reported to be resistant.

Treatment is applied either as a spray or soil drench. Spray insecticides should contain permethrin or carbaryl to be effective and should be applied directly to the bark of the plant from the soil line upward. Preventive sprays should be timed just prior to egg laying for best results. Because timing spray applications is important, pheromone traps can be used to capture adult males to confirm insect activity.

As with all chemical applications, check to see whether certification or licensing is required before heading out to the local garden center to purchase a gallon or six. Because timing of the application is just as crucial as coverage, application of preventive sprays is best left to the experts to tree service company experts.

Should you discover too late that trees on your property have succumbed to borer infestations, the trees will have to be removed. Especially with locust trees and their long, sharp thorns, it’s best to hire a professional tree removal service to safely cut down the tree and remove the infested wood. Infested wood should not be composted.

American Arbor Care specializes in tree and shrub health. Trust your Denver tree service professionals to accurately determine the pest infestation and to know how and when to control it. Also experts in tree removal, our team can cut down infested and diseased trees safely and dispose of the damaged wood. Call them at (303) 639-8584 to schedule a consultation to protect your valuable trees.

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.