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Commercial Landscape Management

Arizona Arbor

Arizona Arbor Care; Spring Bloom of Purple Leaf Plum Trees

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Spring is right around the corner and with that comes the beautiful bloom of some of our favorite plants and trees here in the Valley. One noteworthy item that is expected to bloom quite early this season is the Purple Leaf Plum tree. This tree is known for its fragrant pink/purple flowers and its shrub-like shape that it takes on during bloom. It is also known as being one of the first trees to start blooming in the early Spring, with an estimated start date around the end of January for Arizona communities.

Tree Maintenance

The Purple Leaf Plum tree is a great option for communities not only because of its ornamental nature and the beauty it supplies but also because it is relatively low maintenance and heat tolerant. This tree can withstand both heat and drought, common here in the Arizona desert, and thrives when there is ample sunlight. In fact, large amounts of sunlight are what makes this tree produce the beautiful pink, purple, and white flowers that it is known for.

Maintenance that can be expected for this tree species involves pruning on an annual basis and additional pruning when necessary, water and feeding practices as needed, and cleanup of fruit and leaf drop. Though this tree is beautiful with the leaves on it, this species is notorious for having quite a bit of leaf drop and should not be planted near busy walkways or sites where there is heavy foot traffic.

Pruning

The Purple Leaf Plum tree is a small to mid-size tree that has a rounded growth pattern, similar to that of a shrub. Typically, its blossoms produce leaves that are 1-3 inches long and it can yield round fruit that ripens in late Summer. These trees do not always bear fruit and are typically chosen for their ornamental flowers rather than for their fruit, as fruit can attract unwanted mites and flies. These trees will need annual pruning to control flowering/fruit growth and achieve desired shape.

Keep an eye out for the bloom of the Purple Leaf Plum trees as they are sure to be the start to other bloom happening in plant species throughout your landscape!

Interested in Arbor Care for your HOA community or commercial property? Request an Arbor Bid or submit a general inquiry here.

Palm Tree

HOA Arbor; Planting and Maintenance of Palms

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Palm trees are notorious for their height, beauty, and position as focal points in a community. While they are not native to Arizona, they fit in perfectly with the Southwest desert climate and landscape- making them a popular choice in homeowners associations and commercial properties.

Palm trees are low maintenance and represent higher monetary value. They are an investment that is well worth what you put in as they add value to a community and serve as an accent planting in the landscape design. When maintaining this investment, it is important that your landscape management company properly cares for these trees to avoid costly replacements.

Our Arbor team has established some tips to follow when maintaining Palms:

Pruning:

  • Only remove fronds that are deceased
  • Refrain from using spikes/nails to climb the trunk of the tree for pruning. Instead use a hydraulic lift so as not to cause damage to the trunk of the tree
  • Do not remove over a quarter of the foilage at any given time
  • When removing fronds, keep removal minimal and to a 180 degree angle

Irrigation

  • Palm trees are not drought tolerant, this is a common misconception
  • Administer slow irrigation drop every couple of weeks to a depth of about 2 feet.
  • In Winter, keep irrigation administration to every 4-6 weeks

If your community or commercial property needs arbor care services to ensure that your trees are being maintained correctly, reach out to our arbor division here at ELS Maintenance.

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What Your Commercial Landscape Management Company Should be Doing When it Comes to Rejuvenation Pruning

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Are you a decision maker when it comes to the landscape management of your HOA community or commercial property? If so, you may be asking yourself what you should expect out of your landscape contactor this season.

While we have many different posts on what to expect when it comes to communication and performance, we wanted to be sure to focus on something happening this season; Rejuvenation Pruning.

Rejuvenation pruning, aka Renovation Pruning, is a sustainable landscape practice where plants and shrubs are pruned seasonally rather that monthly or bi-monthly. This practice is done to ensure that plants and shrubs are not over pruned-leaving them in a constant state of stress and leading to plant failure.

When your commercial landscape management company is working on rejuvenation pruning, they should be following specific guidelines and schedule to promote plant health and ensure proper bloom. This is dependent on type of plant, plant characteristics, bloom time, and time of year.

Renovation Pruning Practices Your Commercial Landscape Management Company Should be Doing

To start with, your landscape contractor should be aware of the pruning schedules for the variety of plants and shrubs specific to your community. The schedules for a majority of plants and shrubs we find here in Arizona landscapes are outlined in resources such as those provided by ALCA and UofA Cooperative Extension.

Pruning plants at the right time and according to proper schedule will ensure that the plants bloom in the right season, aid in plant waste and water consumption being reduced over time, and ensure that the landscape does not become barren from over pruning.

A common misconception is that this type of pruning should be done to make the plants look aesthetically pleasing in the season of rejuvenation pruning. However, this is not the case. Your landscape contractor will ultimately be performing renovation pruning not for it to look good in the Winter months but instead to promote photosynthesis, enable light to reach the interior of the plant, and ensure healthy growth and bloom.

Interested in finding a knowledgeable and informative landscape management company for your HOA community or Commercial Property? Reach out to ELS for information on the services we provide and how we can benefit you.

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