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Tree Suckers

Professional Landscaping; Let’s Talk Tree Suckers

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Trees are your community’s largest asset and as such require consistent maintenance and upkeep by a professional landscaping company to ensure they remain an asset rather than becoming a liability! With that being said, a major part of that upkeep is the prevention and/or removal of tree suckers- a common ailment to trees that if left unaddressed can lead to tree death.

Tree suckers are small sprouts that a tree produces as a result to a variety of causes such as injury, pest infestation, drought, open wounds, and more! Trees produce these suckers as a way to continue their own lineage in the case that the main tree dies from one or many of these causes and as a way of multiplying the chance of sprout survival.

So what is the issue with allowing tree suckers? The issue with tree suckers is that these sprouts often take nutrients and water from the main tree and the older branches. Tree suckers are extremely fast growing and therefore sap away the energy of the tree and absorb a lot of the needed nutrients. If suckers are left to grow, the can become even more established and give the tree an overgrown and messy look that is more difficult to address.

The best way to address tree suckers is to prevent them. Prevention includes:

  • Keeping your trees in good health with regular maintenance and regular pruning as needed
  • Ensuring your trees are getting enough water to their root systems, increasing water in the warmer months
  • Avoiding over pruning so as not to cause injury to the tree

If you can not prevent tree suckers, removal of them is advised right away! Using a professional landscaping company, such as ELS Maintenance, for this removal is a great idea to ensure that they are removed correctly without causing more injury or stress to the tree.

CitrusTree

Arizona Landscaping; It’s Time to Fertilize Citrus Trees

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Temperatures are finally warming up and Spring is right around the corner! With this change in seasons comes changes in the landscape of your HOA community or commercial property and it is important to properly prepare the plant and tree materials for the upcoming warmer weather.

January/February marks the kickoff to Spring here in Arizona and is the perfect time to begin fertilizing Citrus Trees in your landscape. Citrus Trees, like many fruit bearing tree species, are heavy feeders so it is important to their health and fruit bloom that they receive the proper fertilization and water prior to their full bloom. Amount of fertilizer recommended to use varies depending on size and age of the tree. When buying your fertilzier it is a good idea to refer to the back of the package to find proper amounts to use for your tree. We have also included a chart that details recommended amount by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension which you can access here.

Download Citrus Fertilization Chart

When it comes to applying the fertilizer to Citrus Trees, you can do it one of two ways. One way to go about this process is to purchase a spray fertilizer which you would spray directly on the leaves of the tree. The other option is to spread fertilizer on the ground near the tree. When applying fertilizer via the ground it is important to spread the fertilzier from the tree to the length of the canopy, avoiding placing fertilizer directly on or near the trunk of the tree.

Finally, due to the dry climate that we have here in the desert southwest it is crucial to the health of the trees to water them thoroughly following the application of fertilizer. This ensures that they get the water they need to utilize the fertilizer in a way that will promote bloom and growth.

ELS has an entire division dedicated to Arbor Care, complete with SLM certified arbor professionals. Request a bid for your next arbor project!

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Uplighting.tree

Arbor Care: Tree Lighting

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With the holiday season just around the corner and guests beginning to visit your home and community, we understand the importance of making sure the landscape of the community is looking its best! One of the largest and most important assets of a community’s landscape is its trees. Here at ELS Maintenance we have an entire division of our company dedicated to Arbor Care and this team has shared some great tips when it comes to the choice between up-lighting or down-lighting your trees this holiday season!

Up-Lighting

Up-lighting a landscape is a common practice where landscape lights are mounted at ground level, shining the light upwards. This is great for tall structures or elements such as large trees as it shows off the bark, branch structure, and leaves while illuminating the entire tree or element. Up-Lighting creates depth of flat surfaces in a landscape and provides safety and security by brightly illuminating tall structures. It is also great to use when attempting to add contrast to a landscape and/or show off a specific element, such as a large tree.

Down-Lighting

Down-Lighting involves placement of a light fixture in an elevated spot, such as high up in an existing tree or beneath the eave of a home. This is often a really great choice if the end goal is to provide soft, subtle light to a landscape or if there are shorter trees or plants that would be good to illuminate. Down-lighting adds a layer of depth to the exterior of a landscape and provides a warm light that is welcoming and subtle. This type of lighting works best when used to light up shorter/smaller trees and elements or for safety measures to light up a walkway or seating area. It is important to keep in mind that when it comes to trees, down-lighting may not always be the best option as wires are often placed in branches-causing later issues with trimming and potential electrical hazards.

While both up-lighting and down-lighting practices have their own benefits, we recommend using a combination of the two to perfectly highlight a beautiful landscape of various plants and trees. This, if done correctly, will add a wide variety of angles of light as well as increase property value and improve safety.

For all of your landscape lighting questions or for more information about what ELS Arbor Division can do for your HOA community or commercial property visit us at https://elslandscapeaz.com/arbor-care/ or send us an email for more information to scottc@evergreenaz.com.

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602.243.1006 | www.elslandscapeaz.com | 3329 E. Southern Ave., Phoenix

ArborBlog.October

Winter Pruning; Deciduous Trees

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We are fast approaching the beginning of fall where the leaves on our deciduous trees begin to change color and drop off as winter arrives. This presents the perfect opportunity for necessary pruning of the trees as they slide into dormancy during the winter months.

Deciduous trees such as Ash, Mulberry, and Elm (among others) are known for their ability to shed their leaves in the fall, providing beautiful multi colored leaves beforehand. The purpose of this is to help the tree survive through the winter months as the tree goes into dormancy. Once the tree has lost all of its leaves, this signals that it is the appropriate time to perform any necessary pruning as without the leaves on deciduous trees, it is much easier to see the branch structure and make informed cuts. Winter is a low stress time for these trees as they are known for being heat sensitive, giving another great reason for a winter pruning schedule.

It is important to get in and prune Deciduous trees during the cooler months as the branch patterns are more visible and the trees themselves develop healthier growth in the Spring when they put on new leaves. While it is recommended to prune any tree that seems to need it, it is important to be careful in your pruning choices and keep in mind that there are only a few valid reasons to prune; to prevent hazards, promote health of the tree, and increase or decrease the amount of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Pruning should be done prior to the buds showing evidence of any swelling and should never exceed more than 25-30% of the canopy of the tree in any given year. When pruning, it is important to stay outside of the branch collar which will ensure that the wound from the cut heals naturally and correctly.

Finally, it is important to realize that pruning always results in wounds to the tree that can cause various responses such as increase in sprouting and susceptibility to disease and insect problems, so it is of the utmost importance that pruning is done professionally and appropriately.

ELS Maintenance has an entire division dedicated to Arbor care that specializes in keeping trees such as Deciduous trees maintained and healthy. Learn more about our Arbor Division and what they can do for your HOA community or commercial property here.

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