Tag Archives: tree care westchester county

Westchester Garden Guide

What plants, trees and shrubs are you planting this season? Consider adding some of these plants, trees and shrubs from our Westchester Garden Guide.

Sweet Woodruff, (Galium odoratum)

Sweet woodruff is an excellent groundcover; via Pinterest

This fragrant spring woodlander forms a beautiful green carpet. Sweet Woodruff is a lovely groundcover, ideal for ground beneath trees. Planting sweet woodruff will give your Westchester garden a finished look.

Jack Frost, (Brunnera macropylla)

Jack Frost via Wikimedia Commons

Don’t let deer ruin your beautifully cultivated Westchester garden! Jack Frost is a deer resistant groundcover that adds a lovely touch to your property. Silver veined leaves are topped with blue blossoms, reminiscent of forget-me-nots. Plant this groundcover in a shady area that needs a pop of color!

Lilac, (Syringa ‘Palibin’)

Syringa ‘Palibin’ via Pinterest

The sweet fragrance of a lilac is a staple of spring gardening. Try planting the Syringa ‘Palibin’, which is more resistant to mildew than other types of lilac. They have a tendency to have a longer blooming period than large lilacs.

Mount Airy, (Fothergilla)

Mount Airy via Wikimedia Commons

The Mount Airy is the perfect shrub to plant in a compact garden. Yielding brush-like flowers during spring and gorgeous foliage during fall, Mount Airy brings year-round beauty.

Winter Storm Prep

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Are you prepared for winter to hit Westchester county? Stress less this winter with our winter storm prep tips. To prepare for winter weather before any storm hits, request a consultation from Westchester county arborists, Westchester Tree Life online here.

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Schedule Your Consultation

Westchester Tree Life are also proud members of the International Society of Arboriculture!

Prevent winter storm damage with an assessment from a professional arborist! Our team is ISA-certified and knows what to look for to ensure your trees are healthy and secure for the upcoming season. If you are unsure whether your trees can withstand this winter, call Westchester Tree Life today at (914) 238-0069.

Fallen Tree Branches

Storm damage via CBS Sacramento

Heavy snow can stress weak tree branches to the point of snapping and falling on powerlines, a car, house or garage. Damage from a fallen tree branch can be lethal; keep your Westchester residence safe and secure by checking before the winter weather hits. Make sure your weak tree branches are properly cared for with help from Westchester Tree Life!

Power Line Safety

Jay Ericson clears snow of branches weighing down on power lines at his home
via Daily Mail

Strong winds, heavy snow and other harsh winter storm conditions can leave your powerlines susceptible to tree damage. Removing leaning trees and brittle branches close to powerlines is a responsible way to make sure your Westchester home is safe for winter 2016.

Emergency Tree Care in Westchester County

High winds, heavy snow or ice, and lightning can cause serious damage to your property. When Mother Nature leaves her mark in the way of fallen branches, downed trees, or any hazardous limbs hanging precariously over walkways, cars or your home, call Westchester Tree Life for prompt service. We also have emergency 24 hour service available.

Tree Cable Inspection

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Have you had tree cabling installed? It might be time to call Westchester county’s leading tree care experts, Westchester Tree Life for a an inspection of cables in trees that were previously installed to make sure they are still in good working order.

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About Tree Cabling

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Cabling involves installing steel cables between major limbs, or leaders, to help support the tree and to reduce strain. Cabling also lessens stress damage that can come from high winds, ice or snow weight.

Preventing Storm Damage

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Prepare for winter storms with help from Westchester Tree Life! Asking a professional arborist to visit your property and inspect your trees to ensure they are healthy enough to withstand a storm can save a lot of stress.

Westchester Tree Life: Tree Cabling Inspection

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A great way to prevent storm damage is with tree cabling. Installing cabling can help reduce stress during strong winds and heavy snow; strengthening weak branches helps to ensure your tree’s longevity. Made of extra high-strength steel, tree cables assist in limiting the movement of the tree’s supported branches, making them less likely to break and cause damage.

Stay safe and stress-free this upcoming season with assistance from Westchester Tree Life! Call us today at (914) 238-0069 or request a consultation online here.

View all of Westchester Tree Life’s services here.

Effects of Drought on Trees

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Westchester county has now had two dry summers in a row, resulting in a lot of stress in our urban forest. What are the effects of drought on trees? How can you help? Westchester county’s tree care experts, Westchester Tree Life are here to answer your questions!

tree care westchester

The Impact of Drought

Like most life forms, plants are reliant on water. Water instigates the chemical reactions inside a plant cell, urging growth and health. The impact of drought is the slowing of the metabolic processes which keep the plant healthy, including the vital process of photosynthesis.

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When there is a drought, water in the soil shrinks away. As the plant continues to lose water through the process of transpiration, the integrity of the plant’s cell membrane may be destroyed.

Symptoms of Drought

A California forest’s visible drought damage

The effects of drought on trees varies case to case. Factors including the zone the tree is rooted in, as well as other environmental issues play a major part in the resilience of the tree’s health. Immediate symptoms of drought include wilting, scorch, and defoliation due to a loss of turgor in plant cells as well as the irreversible shrinking of cell membranes.

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Long term symptoms of drought include a dieback of tree branches as well as death, as the plant’s capacity to absorb water is permanently damaged.

Westchester Tree Life

If you are unsure whether your plants, trees and shrubs are healthy, call Westchester Tree Life to assess your trees at (914) 238-0069 or e-mail us directly for a consultation here.

View all of our services here.

Sudden Oak Death

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If you have beautiful oak trees on your property, maintaining their health also means checking for signs of Sudden Oak Death, also known as Phytophthora ramorum. Though this is not an endemic to the Northeast, trees can be made susceptible even if a single oak tree from a nursery is integrated into your landscape. Much of the tree loss attributed to Sudden Oak Death has effected California.

A hillside in Big Sur, California, devastated by sudden oak death
via wikipedia

What are the symptoms of Sudden Oak Death, and how can you check your oak tree properly? Symptoms of Sudden Oak Death include bleeding cankers on the tree’s trunk as well as a dieback of the tree’s foliage; this eventually results in the death of your tree.

Sudden Oak Death Westchester Tree Life

If you were to take a slice from the trunk of an infected oak tree, you would see the following:

via reddit

Sudden Oak Death Life Cycle Westchester Tree Life

If you suspect that your tree is suffering from Sudden Oak Death, contact our team of ISA-certified, professional arborists at Westchester Tree Life today: (914) 238-0069

Cicadas Arrive in Westchester County

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The sound of summer is coming back! Summer 2016 is going to be the first time in 17 years that cicadas arrive in Westchester County, New York and the rest of the Northeast. Though these creepy crawlers are alarming-looking up close, they pose no direct threat to humans. Here are some fun facts about cicadas.

via themarysue.com

Cicadas: FAQ

A cicada’s mating call can be alarming, especially when amplified from a large quantity. The cicadas which will emerge this summer are of the genus Magicicada; these bugs are limited to North America’s eastern region, and have many mysteries surrounding their life cycle.

Cicadas Summer 2016 Westchester Tree Life

via dailymail.co.uk

Due to their similar appearance and overwhelming quantities, cicadas are often mistaken for locusts, which they are not related to. You can differentiate between the two by taking a glance at the insect’s legs! This graphic from Buzzle shows that while cicadas have short legs and long wings, locusts have short wings but distinctly long legs, which are built for jumping!

via buzzle.com

Despite their alien-like appearance, cicadas are not harmful to humans, and do not bite or sting, and don’t carry diseases. Cicadas are herbivores whose main goal is to mate and lay eggs!

A female cicada lays eggs.

The only threat cicadas pose is to trees. After the mating ritual is complete, female cicadas excavate a series of Y-shaped “eggnests” in living twigs before laying up to twenty eggs in each nest. One female cicada can lay as many as 600 eggs!

Mating Rituals

Cicada Westchester Tree Life Tree Care New York

Taken in May of 2004, in Severn, Maryland

When deciphering a female cicada from a male cicada, be sure to look at the size. Male cicadas are larger, and if you were to view the underbelly of a male and female cicada side by side, you would see this:

Female Cicadas Male Cicadas Westchester Tree Life

Cicadas emerge from the ground during their final molt. During this time they amass in large groups to sing their mating song, which can be compared to a buzzing or whirring noise. These loud mating calls, or aggregations can reach up to 100 decibels.

Two cicadas mating after a mating call proves successful.

Interested in more about the Magicicada? Click here!

5 Beautiful Trees to Plant This Spring

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Spring 2016 may come to Westchester County early this year! Have you started to think about which trees you would like to plant? Check out these 5 beautiful trees to plant this spring:

Dogwood Trees

Four seasons series of dogwood tree

Add year-round beauty to your Westchester home with dogwood trees! These understory trees produce red, pink and white blossoms, offer bold red and purple foliage during fall time and grow red berries during the winter.

Norway Spruce

Norway Spruce Tree Care Westchester County

Full and green all year round, the Norway Spruce is a beautiful addition to your Westchester home! You may recognize the Norway Spruce as being your Christmas tree! The Norway Spruce’s dense branching pattern and tolerance of soil variations make it a popular choice.

Blue Spruce Westchester Tree Life

The Blue Spruce is also a beautiful alternative to the Norway Spruce!

English Walnut Tree

English Walnut Tree Westchester Tree Life

Have you considered adding a nut tree to your Westchester property? The English Walnut Tree is a classic selection which, once fully grown, will offer shade and (hopefully) delicious walnuts!

Crabapple Trees

Crabapple Westchester Tree Life

Add a pop of color to your yard with a Crabapple tree (or two, or three)! These trees yield beautiful blossoms come springtime and crabapples during fall and winter. Bright and beautiful, your tree’s crabapples will provide much appreciated sustenance for passing and hungry birds!

Black Locust Trees

Black Locust Westchester Tree Life

Both statuesque and whimsical, Black Locust trees are beautiful and offer golden leaves come fall time! The beautiful compound leaves of a Black Locust tree will be interesting for you and your loved ones to admire.

What kind of trees are you considering planting this year? Let Westchester Tree Life’s plant health care professionals assist you with planting your new tree. We can assist in choosing the best place for you to plant your tree, assist you in testing the soil and more!

To contact Westchester Tree Life, fill out our FREE online consultation form.

Do You Have a Dangerous Tree?

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Identifying dangerous trees before winter snowstorms become the norm is a good idea if you want to maintain a safe yard and environment. To prevent a potentially dangerous situation, checking your trees for signs of weakness is a great way to prepare for the upcoming winter months. For a thorough tree assessment from a tree care professional, call Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069!

Dangerous Tree Risks

Before review the signs of a dangerous tree, let’s review the risks. A falling tree can seriously injure one or multiple people, cause extensive property damage and in worst case scenarios, result in death. To completely safeguard against dangerous tree risks, we highly recommend reaching out to Westchester Tree Life for help from a professional arborist in Westchester County. Our certified professionals are properly trained in assessing tree health and potentially dangerous tree situations.

Ground Inspection

Begin your inspection at the base of your tree’s trunk. Pull aside any moss or foliage which may be covering the base of your tree, as you will want a clear view of the soil surrounding the tree. A tree’s soil features tell-tale signs of a tree’s health; for example, cracked or raised soil which is opposite to your tree’s lean may indicate root disturbances hinting that the tree is in the process of uprooting.

Branch Inspection

Weak branches tend to give when under the weight of heavy snow. To eliminate a disastrous situation, we encourage conducting a branch inspection. We encourage our customers to conduct tree care inspections with each changing season; this helps to maintain a well-pruned tree. If your tree is in need of dead or weak branch removal, let us take care of it! Fill out our online consultation form here.

Other Danger Signs to Look For

Keep an eye out for tree trunks with holes or cracks in them as well as missing bark. Tree which have tight branch growth also indicate that it may need a plant health care program.

For a thorough inspection of the trees on your property, we highly encourage you to have a professional arborist inspect the area. Our professionally trained tree care specialists are able to identify any dangerous trees and offer solutions! To receive a consultation, fill out our online form here.

All About Conifers

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Conifers are a common plant which can be found across the globe. Characterized by their unusual needle-like “leaves” and cones, conifers are easy to identify. If you were to take a quick glance into a wooded area, you would most likely see various conifers, which have also survived the Jurassic period.

Leaf Structure

Conifer Leaf Shapes Westchester Tree Life

via ext.colostate.edu

Conifers can be identified by one of their three different leaf structures. The Pinaceae family which includes pine, spruce and fir trees grow needle-like leaves, while conifers of the Cupressaceae family (such as junipers and arborvitaes) grow scale-like leaves. Lastly the Taxaceae family has a flat, feather-like leaf structure.

via slideshare.net

A Conifer’s Cones

via stillblog.net

The word “conifer” means cone bearing. Within a conifer’s cones lies the secret for conifer reproduction.

Conifer Life Cycle Westchester Tree Life

via boundless.com

While other plants produce flowers, conifers produce cones. A single conifer produces both the male and female cones necessary for reproduction. Male cones produce pollen while female cones contain seeds necessary for reproduction hidden between the female cone’s scales.

A row of young conifers stand in front of a more mature conifer forest; via edbookphoto.photoshelter.com

The 5 Layers of a Tree Trunk

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Understanding how to properly care for the trees on your property begins with knowing about the anatomy of a tree. We’re going to walk you through the 5 layers of a tree trunk!

The Outer Bark

The outermost later of a tree trunk is the outer bark. This insulating layer protects the tree’s innermost layers from cold while defending against insects. A tree’s bark also maintains the tree’s moisture balance; it does this by keeping out unneeded moisture during rainstorms while holding onto moisture during drier seasons.

Inner Bark (Phloem)

The second later after the outer bark is the inner bark also known as the Phloem. This layer serves as the pipeline through which food is passed. The tree’s Phloem lives for a short period of time before it dies and turns into cork, becoming another layer to protect the tree.

The Cambium Cell Layer

The green part of this tree’s branch is the Cambium layer.

The growing part of a tree trunk is the Cambium Cell Layer, which new bark and new wood annually in response to the tree’s hormones. These hormones, also known as Auxins” stimulate growth in the tree’s cells, and are produced by the leaf buds at the ends of the branches during the spring.

Sapwood

Sapwood acts as the tree’s pipeline for moving water up to the leaves. A tree’s sapwood is new wood; as new layers of sapwood are produced, the inner cells lose their vitality and become heartwood.

Heartwood

Heartwood lies at the center of the tree; it is the central pillar supporting the tree. Heartwood is a composite of hollow, needle-like fibers bound by the tree’s natural chemical glue, lignin. Although heartwood is as strong as steel, it is in fact dead.

Is your tree in need of professional inspection or care? Call Westchester, New York’s best tree care professionals, Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069 or visit us online at westchestertreelife.com!