Tag Archives: armonk tree care

Best Trees for Fall Foliage

The best way to personalize your home in Westchester county is by planting a garden, trees and shrubs.  Add a splash of color to your landscape with trees that will produce vivid foliage during fall; here is the first part of our list of the best trees for fall foliage!  Stay tuned for our complete list next week.

The Japanese Maple

japanese-maple-westchester-tree-life

japanese-red-maple-westchester-tree-life

The Japanese Maple is a beautiful tree come autumn, due to the vibrancy of its leaves!  This is a great ornamental tree to add to your pre-existing garden or walkway area.

The Sassafras Tree

sassafras-tree-leaves-westchester-tree-life

sassafras-tree-westchester-tree-life

The Sassafras tree is interesting, if only for its strange leaf shape, which is softly rounded.  A medium-to-fast growing tree, the sassafras can be trained to grow as a single-trunk tree or a dense and bushy thicket.

The Black Tupelo

black-tupelo-westchester-tree-life

tree-care-white-plains-new-york-westchester-tree-life

Scientifically known as the nyssa sylvatica, the black tupelo is a trademark autumn tree for its renowned fall color.  In addition to its beauty, the black tupelo is an important late-spring food source for bees!

Drought Stress and Watering

During a drought, your trees need special attention.  The trees in your yard are probably used to a regular water source.

Tip:  If your trees are looking distressed and unhealthy, call Westchester Tree Life for a personalized Plant Health Care Plan!  

To prevent stress, you’ll need to make sure your trees still receive enough water to stay in good health.  While a healthy tree should be able to survive a drought, the stress from lack of water can lead to secondary problems such as disease and susceptibility to pests.

caring for trees during drought 2If you’re affected by drought, it’s important to monitor the soil in yard for moisture.  Check the soil around your trees regularly; if the soil is dry and crumbly at a depth of 6 to 8 inches, you should water.  Water slowly to give the soil time to absorb the water.  If you are under water use restrictions, try to gradually reduce the water you supply to trees rather than suddenly stopping the water supply.

To water your trees without waste, use a soaker hose.  Place the hose in a spiral pattern around the tree, beginning a few feet from the trunk.  Check the soil often to see when it is saturated at a depth of 6 to 8 inches before turning off the water.  Rather than water trees on a schedule, use the moisture content of the soil as your guide an only water as needed.

soaker hose for treeIf you need to conserve water and can’t water your trees as often during a drought, slowly reduce the watering time over a period of weeks.  This will allow your trees to adjust to less water.  If possible, try to give your trees an inch of water when the surrounding soil becomes dry at that 6 to 8 inch depth.

From spring through fall, trees should be watered three times a month.  You don’t need to water your trees as often as you water your tomatoes!  To further conserve water, consider using wastewater to water your trees.  Cooking water, the water dispensed while you wait for the shower to warm up, water from your rain gutters, and water from the kiddie pool can be used to keep the soil around your trees well hydrated.

Signs of drought stress include wilting, curling, and yellowing of the leaves.  if you are concerned about the health of your trees during a drought or would like specific advice about responding to a drought, give us a call and we’ll be happy to advise you!

caring for trees during drought

 

Why Hire an Arborist?

Why hire an arborist?  Westchester County, New York’s tree care professionals at Westchester Tree Life are professionally trained to properly care for your trees.  Our team of arborists are properly trained to safely remove trees, provide an excellent plant health care plan and more!  Have a question about the safety and care about your trees in Westchester, New York?  Call Westchester Tree Life today:  (914) 238-0069.

Westchester Tree Life

Westchester tree photo submitted by Lauren Brois‎

Many people take the trees on their property for granted.  You may not really think about your trees on a day to day basis, or really pay much attention to them from one season to the next.  While you probably enjoy their shade in the summer or the privacy your evergreens provide, having your trees cared for or inspected by an arborist may not be at the top of your list of priorities.

Like most other aspects of home ownership, trees really benefit from a proactive approach.  Caring for trees properly helps avoid catastrophe down the road.  An arborist can advise you of trees that are in danger from rot, pests, or disease before these problems result in major damage.  That beautiful tree next to the driveway will certainly get your attention if it falls on your car during a storm or drops a large limb across the power lines.  An arborist will assess the health and stability of your trees and provide you with options for keeping your trees in good shape so they are less likely to succumb to violent weather or simply give way under their own weight and the effects of disease or invading insects.

Westchester Tree Life

Westchester tree photo submitted by Justin Cole Frawley‎

In addition to checking the health of your trees, an arborist can safely and expertly prune your trees.  Pruning helps contain the growth of trees, keeping them looking their best while ridding the tree of weak or dead branches.  Large trees can be risky to prune without the proper equipment or experience.  Rather than put yourself and your property at risk by taking on this kind of task yourself, trust the job to a certified, reputable arborist.

An arborist can also be an invaluable asset in planning your landscaping.  For the general homeowner, knowing which species of tree to plant and where to plan them can be a daunting task.  If your goal is to cut your heating or cooling costs, to have flowering trees throughout the season, to maintain privacy, or to enjoy fall colors, an arborist will be able to look at your property and help you choose the best trees to suit your needs.  In addition, an arborist will oversee the correct planting and placement of trees while also instructing you on their care and maintenance.

Westchester Tree Life

Westchester tree photo submitted by Alexander Fink

Sometimes, a tree on your property can interfere with structures or foundations.  This is another reason why an arborist is a good resource for planning what and where to plant.  If you find yourself with a tree whose roots are damaging your driveway or some other such issue, you may need to have the tree removed.  An arborist is ideal to consult for this task!  In addition to removing the tree, an arborist can assist you in choosing a more suitable replacement.

The trees on your property do much more than simply look pretty.  They provide shade and privacy for you and shelter for local wildlife.  Trees increase your property value and make your yard a more welcoming place to spend time.  Protecting and caring for the trees in your yard prevents larger, more expensive problems down the road and helps to maintain the value of your property.

July-Tree-Contest-Westchest

Submit your favorite Westchester tree photo to us here.

 

 

Reclaimed Wood DIY Projects

These reclaimed wood DIY projects are a great way to preserve a tree that meant a lot to you, reduce waste, and re-purpose old wood into a new, useful item!  Westchester Tree Life believes in always making environmentally-conscious decisions, especially when they directly involve wood!  Here are our favorite reclaimed wood diy projects:

Reclaimed Interior Design

1.  DIY Reclaimed Wood Headboard

Repurposed Headboard Westchester Tree Life

We love the idea of assembling pieces of wood into a beautiful new headboard!  This is a great way to give your bedroom an environmentally-friendly makeover without breaking the bank!

2.  New Shelves

Repurposed Closet Shelves Westchester Tree Life

Make your life a little more organized by repurposing that old wood into new shelves!  Not only does this project give your closet a new life, it makes storage simple!

3.  Rustic Kitchen Lighting

Repurposed Kitchen Lighting

Do you have wood from your old home that you want to work into your new interior design?  Recycle your wood into a rustic light fixture ideal for your cozy New England kitchen!

4.  Towel Rack

Repurposed Wood Towel Holder Westchester Tree Life

We love the idea of taking wood from an old palette and reworking it to create a towel rack!  This design is much easier than it looks to create; for a finished look, be sure to stain all of the pieces!

Repurposed Garden & Outdoor Design

1.  Garden Walkway

Repurposed Garden Path Westchester Tree Life

Repurposed wood gives a garden a personal touch.  Whether your wood is recycled from a favorite old tree that you had to have removed, or a wood pallet, this project is easy!

2.  Patio Swing

Repurposed Wood Swing Westchester Tree Life

Give your patio a fun swing crafted from recycled wood!

3.  Firewood Storage

Firewood Storage Westchester Tree Life

Prep your firewood for next winter with a firewood storage container!  This great DIY project will keep all of your firewood stacked and neat.

 

Check out more great DIY projects using reclaimed wood on our Pinterest board here.

What is Dormant Pruning?

Dormant pruning is a great way to maintain healthy, beautiful trees!  What is dormant pruning?  Dormant pruning is the pruning of a tree during the off-season (fall and winter).

Tree-Pruning-Westchester-Tr

The Benefits of Pruning

Pruning your tree ensures that all dangerous limbs are removed, which prevents property damage and personal injury.  Fallen Branch Sign Fallen Tree Branch Westchester Tree Life

Removing unnecessary tree branches also influences and encourages tree growth while allowing your tree to maintain it’s proper weight distribution.

Tree Forms Westchester Tree Life

Which tree shape do you like best?

Are you looking to shape your tree into a certain configuration?  Pruning is the answer!

Why Dormant Pruning is Best

Removing limbs is stressful to the tree.  Pruning your tree during it’s dormant season ensures that less sap is loss, and the tree endures less physical stress.

Dormant Tree Westchester Tree Life

Trees are also less susceptible to damage from insects and disease during the dormant season.

Only a Little Off the Top

When pruning your trees, we recommend that you only remove what is needed.

Chappaqua Tree Care

Westchester Tree Life is happy to assist you in dormant pruning!

We highly recommend that you call a professionally certified arborist to properly prune your tree.