Selecting The Right Tree For You

Spring is nearly upon us and as you begin to get the urge to plant trees, first go through a mental checklist of which trees you want to plant followed by a list of how to pick the healthiest tree at the store.

To begin, when deciding upon which tree to place in your yard, ask yourself a few questions. Is the tree for shade, privacy, to block a view or for its fruit or flowers? Second, find out how much room you have for a tree, some trees grow to large sizes and can quickly skyrocket into unseen power lines or get to close to your house or even your neighbors house.

If you are looking for quick shade, you will want to do your homework in regards to what kinds of trees grow the quickest. Hardwood trees grow slower, but on the upside, they live longer. Fast growing trees often require a lot of water and are often brittle and break easy so make sure you have both the water and the room to plant these types of trees.

Next, determine if the tree you are looking at is a deciduous or evergreen. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall and are bare all winter, which allows sunlight into your home and yard. This can be positive if you live in a cold climate. Evergreens retain their foliage year-around. Examples of evergreens are trees such as pines or magnolias.

Once you have determined where to plant your tree and whether it should be an evergreen or deciduous, next find out if it is suitable for where you live, which is called your 'hardiness-zone'. Most home and garden centers can help you determine what type of zone you live in so that you can decide which trees to plant and when. Some trees are more cold-hardy than others. Also ask about the type of soil that the tree grows best in. Many trees do best in rich, moist, woodsy soil that is on the acid side. Others prefer more alkaline soil that tends to be dry because it's not as rich in moisture-holding organic matter. Some trees, like swamp red maples and bald cypress, can handle even truly wet soil.

Another question to ask is whether trees will have thorns or are weedy and messy. This can be a hassle if you have children or animals that could get into the thorns or drag messy leaves and seeds into the house. For instance, sycamores and relatives of the London plane tree drip fuzzy balls, bark, and twigs all over the place. The spiked balls from sweetgum trees and the runaway roots of willows present challenges as well. However, if you choose the right place for some of these less-desirable varieties, you often can overlook their faults and enjoy their virtues instead.

When picking out the tree of your choice, be sure to choose a reputable nursery or garden center. There are many big box stores who have numerous choices but may not have the trained personnel to help you properly pick your plant. Second, pick a healthy tree that has leaves of normal size, shape and color. The tree should be uniformly shaped and be free of spots or broken limbs. Examine the trunk for cankers and split bark, especially after winter.

Examine the roots of the tree if you can. Are the roots growing out of the drainage holes of the container? Small roots can be cut off, but cutting larger roots in order to remove the tree from the container can hurt the tree. Slide the tree's root ball out of the container to determine if the plant has become pot-bound. The root ball should stay together but be somewhat pliable. If the root ball is very hard or many roots are circling the root ball it would be best to purchase a different plant. A mass of circling roots can act as a physical barrier to root growth into the soil after transplanting. The circled roots can also choke and kill the plant as it grows. Examine the root system for small white roots along the exterior of the root ball. Do not buy plant with black roots. These roots were probably damaged by heat, freezing temperatures, excessive fertilizer, or under or over watering.

Going through this simple process of decision making and will help you grow a healthy tree that will give you the most satisfaction.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Misinformation About Tree Care

When it comes to caring for our trees, many of us rely on information passed down to us from our family or friends. The problem with this is that many times this information can be wrong and many do not find out until it is too late. So what are some common beliefs about trees that aren't true?
COMMON BELIEF #1: Securely stake your new tree when planting it so that it develops stable root system and strong trunk. Staking trees can be necessary at times just to keep them upright and to let them get established when first planted, but professionals have discovered that unstaked trees tend to develop a more extensive root system and better trunk taper than those that are staked. Allowing a small amount of movement can help root and trunk development. Of course, the worst effect of staking is the possibility of trunk damage from the staking wires or ties. Staking materials usually should be removed after one year to avoid "girdling" the tree.
COMMON BELIEF #2: You should wrap your tree trunks to prevent insect entry or sunscald. Generations of people have been wrapping their tree trunks for years, sometimes with kraft paper.  Studies using most common tree wraps have shown that they do not prevent extreme fluctuations in temperature on the bark. In some cases, the temperature extremes are worse. Also, tree wraps have proven quite ineffective in preventing insect entry. In fact, some insects like to burrow under it. If you feel an absolute need to protect your thinbarked trees, such as ash, birch, linden or maple, a loose fitting tree guard in a light-reflective color would be better than a trunk wrap. 
As with tree staking, trunk guards should be inspected periodically to make sure they aren’t restricting the trunk.  Most guards can be removed six to twelve months after the tree is planted.  Always remove wraps that come with a new tree.  It was there to protect the bark during transport.
COMMON BELIEF #3: Pruning trees heavily compensates for the loss of roots. Although pruning the top can reduce the amount of water that evaporates from the leaves, the tree needs a full crown to produce the much-needed food and the plant hormones that induce root growth. The tree will develop a stronger, more extensive root system if it has a fuller crown. Limit pruning at the time of planting to structural training and the removal of damaged branches.
COMMON BELIEF #4: When removing a branch from a tree, the final cut should be flush with the stem to optimize healing. The old practice of pruning tree branches was to cut flush with the tree trunk. When this is done the ability of the tree to stop decay is greatly decreased. Flush-cut pruning cuts into the wood of the trunk cause a wound that can allow decay organisms to infect the main trunk of the tree. The current recommendation is to prune the branch to just outside the collar. Properly pruned branches will have a circular closure around the wound. When the branch is cut too close to the trunk, the closure will be oval or distorted.
COMMON BELIEF #5: After pruning, wounds should be dressed or painted. Research has shown that painting wounds does not prevent wood decay behind the pruning cut and may even increase the amount of wood rot by keeping the environment moist and dark.  It's better to keep the wound open to air and light.  Sometimes pruning paints are applied for cosmetic purposes.  When this is done, they should only be applied in a thin coat.
COMMON BELIEF #6: Certain fast-growing, weak-wooded trees such as silver maple and Siberian elm should be "topped" to make them less hazardous in the landscape. While topping these trees may reduce the potential hazard at first, they will likely be more dangerous in the future. Topping starves a tree by reducing the amount of leaf surface and thereby reducing the tree’s ability to manufacture food for root growth, tree health, and tree vigor. Topping also stimulates growth of twigs below the cuts. Within 2-5 years after topping a tree, it will regain its height but with weaker limbs.
COMMON BELIEF #7: If certain species of trees are pruned early in the spring, they will "bleed," stressing the tree and causing health problems. True, some trees such as maples and birches will "bleed" or lose sap from pruning cuts made early in the spring. This bleeding does not hurt the tree, and the loss of sap is inconsequential. With a few exceptions, most routine pruning can be done anytime of year. The worst time is just as the tree has leafed out in the spring. The best time is when the tree is dormant. To maximize flowering for the following year, prune just after bloom this year.
COMMON BELIEF #8: The root system of a tree is a mirror image of the top. Many people envision a large, branching taproot growing deep into the soil. Actually, taproots are very uncommon in mature trees. If taproots do develop, they usually will be forced into horizontal growth when they encounter hard subsoils beneath the surface. The entire root systems of most trees can be found within three feet of soil. The spread of the root system however, can be very extensive, often extending 2-3 times the spread of the crown.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

The Life Cycle of the Tree

A tree’s life cycle begins with germination. An adult tree will drop a seed to the ground, usually in fall or winter, and the seed will lie dormant until spring. When the conditions are right, the dormant seed will start to receive warmth, water, sunlight and oxygen. This will spark the growth of the baby tree embryo and begin its life cycle.
The baby tree will sprout a root, which will instinctively seek out groundwater. If it finds it, the root will then become submerged in the earth. As it takes root, a stem will sprout up towards the sun, usually carrying the seed casing with it, up into the air. As it straightens up and grows upright, it will drop the protective casing and start its life as a seedling.
Seedlings need extremely favorable conditions to survive to adulthood. Just a few too many days of dry conditions or sunlight can quickly kill a seedling. If you are growing a seedling, you will need to pay attention to the weather. Water your baby tree about every week to ten days. If conditions are dry and hot, you may need to water it twice a week. More is only necessary if you notice wilting leaves, or if a tree starts losing its leaves in the summer.
Water generously, enough to soak down to the bottom of the roots. For baby trees, this may only require a one minute watering from a water hose, but for larger trees, it may be closer to fifteen minutes. Do not water your trees too often. If you are in Texas or other arid hot climate, you may need to water more. Keep up this watering pattern for about the first year.
One watering exception is during the late fall. Trees need to prepare for winter. Watering or fertilizing during this time will keep the tree growing and prevent it from becoming dormant. Let the tree become dormant and drop its leaves. When the weather becomes cold and the tree has no leaves left, then you can assume that it is in a dormant state and continue your watering schedule. Make sure that you insulate the ground around the tree with mulch and snow if possible.
Trees will spout leaves and some will flower in the spring. The flowers will turn to fruit in fruit trees. Other trees may just grow seeds. The seeds will eventually drop and lie dormant through the winter months until spring arrives again. Then, the combination of sunlight, oxygen and water will spark the seed to germinate once again. If conditions are exactly right, then the seed will produce another tree.
This is the life cycle of the tree. It can be helpful to understand what is happening to your tree as you plant and take care of it for the first year. After the first year, you will need to contact an Arborist to find out if your tree is ready for pruning. Pruning at the right age is important to the strength and growth pattern of your tree. If you are in Texas, precise and expert trimming is necessary not to kill trees in the harsh Texas environment. Call an Arborist for tree trimming Austin questions.

Understanding When to Plant Baby Trees

Fall or winter time is a great time to think about planting baby trees. Most trees survive better if they are planted or transplanted while they are dormant. If you have baby trees, they may even look dead during this time. A small scratch on the bark of the tree should epose a green layer, reassuring you that the tree is, in fact, alive, but in a dormant state.
Trees enter a dormant state when the days shorten and sunlight is in short supply. They need to stop growing and producing during the fall in order to store energy and prepare themselves for winter. When you are taking care of your baby tree, keep this in mind. Heavy watering or fertilizing during the fall can force a tree to stay in its flourishing state and it will fail to prepare itself for winter. This can cause the tree to be intolerant of harsh conditions and die.
Once a tree is in its dormant state, it is fine to water it again to help it through the winter months. This is the best time to plant new trees or move existing trees. If you are growing a tree from a seed, then you will not see any growth in the winter. This is because germination only occurs during the sping. That gives the new seedling the best chance to survive the weather.
Seeds can stay dormant for a very long time if the conditions are not right for germination. There are two types of dormancy in seeds; External dormancy and internal dormancy. External refers to the seed coat or outer shell of the seed. This type of dormancy is common in fruit seeds. The hard external shell keeps the embryo inside secluded from oxygen and water. Internal dormancy is also referred to as embryo dormancy. The embryo of the seed will stay dormant until it gets enough water, light, warmth and/or oxygen.
If your baby tree is dormant and you are ready to plant it, follow these simple guidelines to give it the best chance at survival.

1. Dig a hole about twice as big as the tree roots.

2. Stir up the soil around the sides of the hole so that the dirt is not packed tight. This will allow the roots to spread more easily.

3. Gently place the roots in the hole and carefully fill dirt around the delicate roots.

4. Water the first layer of dirt so that it settles securely around the roots.

5. Add another layer of dirt, water to help it settle, then repeat.

6. Keep adding and watering until the dirt level reaches one to two inches above the top root.

7. Form the soil into a well so that water drains toward the tree.

8. Mix mulch in the top layer of soil to help water retention.

9. Top off the area with mulch that expands one to two feet away from the trunk.

10.If snow is available, pack snow on top of the mulch to insulate the tree from the elements.

If you are in a warmer climate, such as Texas, where trees may not be in a dormant state, you may want to contact an Arborist at Austin tree service for information on planting trees in your area.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.