Tree pruning guides: Do you want to keep your trees safe? First we will write some tips on tree care and after that we will introduce Tree Artisans, a tree services company in Colorado Springs. If your area constantly deals with drought you will want to consider trees listed as drought-tolerant. Some drought-tolerant species include Arizona Cypress, Japanese Zelkova, White Fir, and Kentucky Coffeetree. On the opposite side of the spectrum if your area deals with a large amount of moisture or wet conditions, here are a few trees that will do better in wet conditions: Baldcypress, Shellbark Hickory, Red Maple, Silver Maple, Paper Birch, River Birch, and Weeping Willow.

Not enough water is harmful for the tree, but too much water is bad as well. Over-watering is a common tree care mistake. Please note that moist is different than soggy, and you can judge this by feel. A damp soil that dries for a short period will allow adequate oxygen to permeate the soil. You can check soil moisture by using a garden trowel and inserting it into the ground to a depth of 2″, and then move the blade of the trowel back and forth to create a small narrow trench. Then use your finger to touch the soil. If it is moist to the touch, then they do not need water.

Compacted soil: When you plant a tree in your backyard, the roots need room to spread out. This can be difficult when planting in compacted soil and heavy clay. Poor quality, compacted soil is an especially common problem if your home has been recently built, as many contractors use construction fill – soil scraped from other sites which may include debris – to shape the landscape. If the tree’s roots have no room to grow and face constant soil pressure, the result may be crushed roots, poor water and nutrient uptake, and stunted growth. You can counter this threat by using best practice planting methods along with vertical mulching or mixing in organic matter into the compacted soil. The Morton Arboretum has an excellent video primer on planting trees.

Tree owners often need to move or transplant trees from a nursery or within the yard. Yard trees may have been planted too thickly or threaten to outgrow available space. Size is a critical factor in transplanting. The larger a tree, the more difficult it is to transplant. Before starting a mulching project, become familiar the critical root zone (CRZ) or tree protection zone. This zone is generally defined as the area under a tree and out to its dripline. Improving conditions in this protection zone will also result in major health benefits to a tree. On the other hand, there are also a few species that are not recommended to be planted in Colorado, for various reasons: their susceptibility to diseases, their tendency to spread and out-compete native species etc. We are talking about Silver maple, Russian-olive or White-Barked Birches, among others. Before planting any trees in your yard, call professional Colorado utility locate technicians to ensure buried cables are undisturbed and functional throughout your landscaping project. Discover extra details at https://treeartisans.com/.

Some common tree pests found in late spring and summer include borers, mites, scales, and beetles. They can cause wilting, canopy thinning, premature leaf drop, and branch dieback. Many of these insects feed on various types of deciduous and evergreen species. Treatments – including the release of beneficial insects – can suppress the impact of damaging pests. Examples of natural predators to these pests include lady beetles, green lacewings, trichogramma wasps, and predaceous mites.

Looking for the best choices if you want to cut down the tree maintenance costs? Start with picking the right trees for Colorado! Russian Hawthorns are one of the most drought-tolerant trees on our list. Again, establishing these trees with two seasons of normal watering will get their root systems healthy and strong enough to withstand dry conditions. Susan highly recommends Russian Hawthorn. It was the first tree she nominated for our list! Russian Hawthorns mature at 15 to 20 feet tall and wide with an upright oval form and slightly spreading lower branches. These hawthorns have beautiful, finely-cut, dark green leaves, turning yellow in the fall. The white flowers emerge in clusters in late spring. They mature into richly-colored dark red berries late in the season.