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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.

Bermudagrass

Arizona Landscaping; What You Should Know About Transitioning Winter Rye to Bermudagrass

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Now that temperatures have consistently been above 65 degrees in the evenings, it is time to start phasing out the Winter Ryegrass in your community- making way for the revitalization of Summer Bermudagrass. Here in the Arizona desert, our climate calls for two different grass species; Bermudagrass in the Summer and Ryegrass in the Winter (should you choose to overseed). This time of year the Ryegrass starts to wilt and turn brown as it dies off for the Summer and the Bermudagrass begins to sprout. There are lots of landscaping tips and tricks that YOU can do to help this transition go smoothly!

Scalping Winter Rye

It is a good practice to scalp Winter Ryegrass to about 1/2 of its typical length. This allows the heat from the sun to get through to the soil and stress the Winter grass into submission- enabling the Bermudagrass to become dominant and begin to grow.

Decreasing Water Usage

Temporarily decreasing water usage to the Ryegrass will allow it to die off. Bermudagrass thrives with less water and warmer temperatures while the Rye does not, therefore decreasing competition between the two.

Fertilization

Fertilizing turf using a high ammonium sulfate fertilizer weakens the Ryegrass while strengthening up and coming Bermuda. Using the right fertilization practices will not only decrease competition between the grass types but will later provide a healthy and lush Summer lawn.

Lawn Aeration

While many people shy away from lawn aeration due to the unsightly holes that result, this practice is one of the best things that can be done for a transitioning lawn! Aeration allows water, oxygen, and the fertilizer to better reach the roots of the grass and will help that Bermudagrass grow in strong, healthy, and beautiful!

It is important to remember that the grass will typically appear brown/yellow and sparse during this transition time. This is perfectly normal and means that the process is underway! Being patient and allowing the grass time to go through this process will lead to amazing results and a beautiful Summer lawn!

Scalping
Turf Aeration
Bermudagrass Final Result
Arizona Landscaping

Preparing Your Arizona Landscape for Spring

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It is almost time for Spring here in the Arizona valley as temperatures begin to rise and the frost of Winter begins to melt away. While there is much to look forward to in the coming months, this is a very busy time for landscapes as they undergo change and transition for the warm climate to come. Participating in the right preparation for Spring ensures that your landscape looks its best following this transition.

Spring preparation includes many moving parts, especially when it comes to ensuring that each aspect of the landscape gets what it needs to transition. Our team here at ELS has shared some information on what they do with the landscapes of master-planned communities we work for to prepare for season change. These are great tips to incorporate into your residential landscape or to simply be in the know when it comes to best landscaping practices here in the desert southwest!

Spring Plant Cutbacks

Late Winter/early Spring is a great time to begin pruning plants to prepare for the growing season. Cutbacks allow for the removal of lasting frost effects such as dead/dying plant material as well as work to open the plant up so that it can receive more sun and nutrients at its core- promoting bloom as the temperatures warm.

Due to each plant species having its own blooming cycle and characteristics, some of this pruning may happen at different times throughout the Winter and Spring months. This is why it is recommended to follow a rejuvenation pruning calendar. This calendar breaks pruning schedules down by plant species. Following along with the calendar and ensuring that plants are pruned prior to the main growing season of Spring will ensure that you see beautiful bloom in your Arizona landscape as March turns into April.

Weed Control

Weeds tend to thrive in the heat and in an Arizona landscape where warm temperatures begin in February that means that we can expect increasing amounts of weeds coming through in the beginning of Spring onward. In order to prepare for this, it is important to apply pre-emergent herbicide where possible. This herbicide controls germinating weed seed, preventing some of the uptake of that seed and stunting weeds that do, unavoidably, find a way to sprout up into your landscape.

When it comes to weeds, it is important to take the proper precautions by applying the pre-emergent but equally as important to stay on top of later emerging weeds that will slip through the cracks and inevitably appear.

Preparing for Bermuda

Here in the Arizona desert, our climate calls for two different grass species: Rye Grass in the Winter (should you choose to overseed) and Bermudagrass in the Summer. Spring is the perfect time to begin revitalizing your dormant Bermudagrass so that it can grow into a lush Summer turf.

One of the best ways to revitalize your lawn is to apply soil amendments such as a soil conditioner (gypsum or sulfur are good examples). These conditioners increase water holding capacity, nutrients, and aeration to the soil to improve its overall structure. They also work to loosen compacted soils that may be locking up important nutrients and restricting water to plants.

Switching to Summer Annuals

As Spring transpires, it is a good idea to begin preparing your flower beds for Summer annuals. Summer annuals are warm temperature flowers that include a variety of species. A good way to start is to begin to pull out your Winter flowers as temperatures warm up and consider plant replacements where needed. When doing this, it is important to remember to add new soil and a balanced fertilizer. This keeps your landscape fresh and beautiful for the warm Spring and Summer seasons.

ELS Maintenance prides itself on caring for the landscape of our master planned communities and commercial properties. If you are interested in an estimate for work for one of your properties please reach out today!

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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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