Tag Archives: tree care westchester

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.

Anatomy of a Tree

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How knowledgeable are you when it comes to the anatomy of a tree? Being able to identify parts of a tree is helpful in identifying tree illnesses and safety hazards. Tweet your tree anatomy questions at us: “@westchestertree”.

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Starting from the Bottom: The Root System

A healthy root system makes for a healthy tree! The purpose of the tree’s root system is to anchor the tree, as well as absorb water and minerals from the soil. There are two kinds of roots, large perennial roots and small, short-lived “feeder” roots.

Did You Know: Tree roots are typically found in the top three feet of soil.

The Five Parts of a Tree Trunk

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Did you know a tree trunk has five parts? A tree trunk is comprised of the outer bark, the inner bark, the cambium cell layer, sapwood and heartwood!

The heartwood is the innermost layer of the tree trunk, and acts as the supporting pillar of the tree. Though the heartwood is technically dead, it does not decay or lose strength while the outer layers of the tree are intact. Heartwood is a composite of hollow, needlelike cellulose fibers which are bound together by a chemical-like glue, lignin, making it almost as strong as steel.

The layer which covers the heartwood is the sapwood, which later hardens and turns into heartwood. Sapwood acts as the trees pipeline for water, helping it move up to the tree’s leaves.

After the sapwood is the cambium cell layer. The cambium cell layer annually produces new barn and wood in response to auxins, the hormones which are passed down through the tree. Auxins stimulate growth in cells and are produced by leaf buds at the ends of a tree’s branches.

Next is the Phloem, or the inner bark, which acts as the pipeline for food. The Phloem only lives for a short time before turning to cork; this cork is part of the tree’s protective outer bark.

Lastly is the outer bark, which protects the tree from the outside world. This outermost later helps keep out moisture and prevents the tree from losing moisture; the outer bark also insulates against extreme temperatures.

Branches, Twigs and Leaves

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A tree’s branches and twigs spring out of the trunk and are the supportive structure for leaves, flowers and fruit. Through the process of photosynthesis, leaves make food for the tree and release oxygen into the air.

3 Signs a Tree Is Dying

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Knowing how to properly care for the trees on your property is key when maintaining a safe environment. A dying tree is a danger to the surrounding buildings, power lines, pedestrians and more; knowing how to spot a dying tree easily can save you from damages. Here are 3 signs a tree is dying.

Trunk Damage

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When assessing the health of your tree, start at the trunk! If the damage to a tree’s trunk is sufficient enough, it compromises the future of the tree. Look for any cracks in the trunk and check the bark; a lack of bark may be a tell-tale sign that your tree is not so healthy. Though it is normal for a tree’s bark to fall off as it ages, it’s not a good sign if the bark won’t grow back.

Damaged Roots

Tree roots can cause thousands of dollars in damage to sewer lines. Prevent plumbing problems by following these tree-planting tips.
via Popular Mechanics

A healthy root system is essential for tree healthy. The roots are where water and nutrients are absorbed and distributed throughout the tree. If your tree’s roots aren’t visible, call Westchester Tree Life to assist in your tree care evaluation; we can help spot damage properly.

A leaning tree; via CBS New York

Is your tree leaning? A noticeable lean can be a sign of serious root damage. Leaning trees are a damage to their surroundings, especially during the stress of winter storms. As ice bears down and wind pushes, the tree can give way and land on a nearby home, business, car or person.

Bare Branches

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If you are concerned a tree on your property is dying, check it’s branches come springtime. A tree which is not producing leaves is a warning sign. If you notice that only one side of your tree has dead or dying branches, you may want to have a professional arborist come to check for serious trunk and root damage.

If you are concerned a tree on your property is dead or dying, call a professional arborist from Westchester Tree Life today at (914) 238-0069. You can also request a consultation using our online form here.

Branch Breakage

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Start the new year on a safe note! Winter weather is here and that means it’s the season for branch breakage. Branch breakage happens during winter storms and can cause potential property damage. Stay safe with Westchester Tree Life!

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Branch Breakage: Understanding the Problem

Westchester’s winter storms can be abrasive. Minimize property damage and ensure your property is safe by taking the time to check your tree branches on a clear day. If you need help identifying branches which are susceptible to breaking, our professional arborists are more than happy to help.

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If you have deciduous trees planted on your property, take note that their wood hardens during the winter, making branches more apt to snap. Once ice and snow accumulate, the branches are further weighed down, causing potential branch breakage risks. Evergreen trees are also prone to branch breakage due to snow and ice accumulation.

Minimizing Branch Breakage

Routine tree maintenance is the best way to minimize tree branch breakage. Our tree care professionals offer concise plant health care plans tailored to the specific needs of your trees, plants and shrubs. Year-round tree maintenance is essential in protecting and preserving your trees, plants and shrubs.

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Prepare for next year by scheduling your tree maintenance, especially for fall 2017. Good fall tree maintenance is key; this is when we prune weak and vulnerable branches. Do you have a question or concern? Request a consultation with one of Westchester Tree Life’s arborists with our easy-to-use online form here.

Anti-Desiccant Spray

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Westchester county arborists Westchester Tree Life want to ensure your trees are healthy throughout the upcoming winter. Protect your broadleaf evergreens from winter desiccation with anti-desiccant spray!

About Desiccation or Winter Burn

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Winter desiccation, also known as “winter burn” is a common plant injury which occurs once the amount of water lost by the foliage has exceeded the amount absorbed by the roots.

Symptoms of Winter Desiccation

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Symptoms of winter desiccation include the browning and discoloration of leaves, as well as leaf spots. These visible signs of damage are linked directly to harsh environmental conditions. If the damage from winter desiccation is extensive, the tree or shrub’s leaves will drop.

Protect Your Broadleaf Evergreens with Anti-Desiccant Spray

via gardensolutions.com

The solution to ensuring the health of your beautiful broadleaf evergreens is anti-desiccant spray! Westchester Tree Life’s professionally trained arborists can apply anti-desiccant spray to your broadleaf evergreens, trees and shrubs before the cold weather strikes. Anti-desiccant spray is the perfect way to maintain the moisture-level of your broadleaf evergreens throughout dry, brisk weather.

anti desiccant spray westchester

Contact Westchester Tree Life today to schedule your anti-desiccant spraying! Ask about our plant health care program and how it can help you. Request a consultation online here or call Westchester county’s leading arborists, Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069.

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!

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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.

August is Tree Check Month

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Did you know August is Tree Check Month? August is the peak time of year for the Asian longhorned beetle (also known as the ALB) to be found in your trees! The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking for your help to find and eliminate the ALB, which is a harmful and invasive pest.

Heavily ALB Infested Maple Tree in Massachusetts

ALB Infestation

About the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Long Horned Beetle Westchseter Tree Life

The Asian longhorned beetle is easily identifiable; they have long black and white antennae, six (possibly) light blue legs and a body which is black with white spots and an inch and a half long. Once you identify your first ALB, you might notice that they also can be found in your pool filters, on walls, outdoor furniture, cars and sidewalks. Westchester Tree Life

While these beetles are slow to spreading on their own during the early stages of an infestation, containing the infestation is critical. The most common way to spread an ALB infestation is through moving fireword (which we urge the Westchester community not to do).

Reporting the Asian Longhorned Beetle

What to do if you see signs of the ALB (via USDA):

Make note of what you found, where you saw it and take a photo, if possible.
Try to place the beetle in a container and freeze it for easy identification by the USDA.
Report findings by calling 1-866-702-9938

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

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.