Total Tree Care - Tips of the Month

Tips of the Month
March 2009

Greetings!

Total Tree Care arborists are delighted to have this opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with you every month. We hope you enjoy a wonderful spring.

The Importance of Diagnostic Tree Care

Geoff Harris Tip of the Month

I am amazed at how much useful information we obtain by performing soil test samples as part of our Diagnostic Tree Care Program. I find it very interesting when a tree positively responds to our corrective action based on the soil test results from the lab. Applying scientific methods in harmony with nature to help sick or damaged trees recover is an extremely rewarding experience.

Diagnostic analysis complements visual inspection for revealing the cause of a problem especially when identifying fungi, monitoring insect stage and population, excavation to gather root samples, and climbing to gather bark or foliage samples from the canopy.

Total Tree Care collaborates with diagnostic labs for sample testing and with other landscape service providers to ensure that coordinated treatments will benefit all plants and trees on a property.

Please click here to learn about our Diagnostic Tree Care Program.

Have a wonderful spring.

Get your Trees and Shrubs off to a Healthy Start this Spring

Mike Kennedy Tip of The Month

Spring is an excellent time to give your trees and shrubs a tune-up and prepare them for their flush of new growth. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your trees healthy this spring.

Remove mulch from the immediate area around the trunk of your tree. An inspection for rodent damage is also recommended, since during the winter, mice may nest in deep piles of mulch and feed on the thin bark at the base of a tree.
Have damaged branches pruned properly. A torn branch will not callus over quickly. This will leave an open wound on the tree that can attract all kinds of invaders.

Click here to read all 5 tips

Why is Deer Browsing Worse this Year Than in the Past?

Luke Williams Tip of The Month

Acorns are a primary fall and winter food source for the white tail deer. If a bumper crop of acorns fall from oak trees in the fall, deer, along with wild turkeys, squirrels and other forest wildlife are able to overindulge. White Tailed Deer

However, if there is a small crop of acorns or they are covered by deep snow, these animals do not have enough to eat. Due to nutritious food scarcity, the weak and young animals often will not survive. This forces deer to browse much more aggressively on plant material and almost no evergreen within reach is spared.

Click here to learn more about this year's unusually small acorn crop.

I hope you find this information to be useful as you care for the health, beauty and safety of your trees and shrubs. Tell me about specific areas of interest that you'd like us to discuss in a future report.

Sincerely,

Mike Toth

Total Tree Care

203-718-1043

al Tree Care

�