The Arbor Matters Newsletter

March 2014

In This Issue

Benefit of Fruit Reducers

The War Against Weeds

Give Your Trees a Little TLC This Spring!

Arbor Masters of Ft Worth Aerial Rescue Training

We Want to Hear From You

The Best of the Midwest Trees

Each month, Arbor MastersŽ will highlight the best trees and plants for the Midwest, providing pros and cons as well as maintenance tips for each species.

Ginkgo Tree

The Gingko is one of the oldest known species of trees. Original to China, this tree is also known for its medicinal qualities.

This large tree will average 70-115 ft. in height, and has angular crown. The deep roots allow this tree to hold up against high winds and heavy snows. It is a sturdy and long-lived tree that provides excellent shade.

Pros: Spring and summer leaves are a vibrant green that turn golden yellow in the fall. It is known for its natural resistance to disease and insects. Because this tree has deep roots, it does not have surface rooting issues like oaks or maples.

Cons:

Arborist recommend purchasing a male Gingko as the female produces large amounts of seeds that can have an unpleasant smell and can be a mess to clean up.

	The Gardener's Corner
Spring is a great time to plant new trees. Plant in the spring so that roots can become established before summer heat begins. Early plants: peas, strawberries, asparagus, onions and broccoli can be planted in late March. Early flowers: pansies, snapdragons and calendulas are cooler weather plants and can be planted early.

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Benefit of Fruit Reducers

Spring means bulbs will soon be popping up, trees and bushes will start leafing and fruit will begin to bud out. While you may enjoy the flowers and pop of color now, it can be a different story in the fall.

Seeds including cottonwood, sweet gum and Osage orange, and nuts and fruit such as walnuts, acorns and crab apples can litter landscapes and damage lawns. There is a way to lessen the hassle of cleaning up the seeds and fallen fruit. A fruit reducer spray or injection can be applied to trees to drastically reduce the fruit and nut production. Trees such as pin oaks, sweet gums, crab apples, pear, locust, etc., can see a 70-80% reduction in fruit. The application is time sensitive and must be administered when trees start to flower in early spring. Once the tree has passed the flower stage, treatment is no longer effective.

Arbor MastersŽ can help reduce the amount of time you spend raking up fallen fruit, seeds and nuts. Contact your local Arbor MastersŽ for a fruit reducer estimate for your fruit and nut bearing trees.

The War Against Weeds

A single weed can drop over a thousand seeds. Over winter, these seeds have been lying dormant waiting for the right conditions to emerge.

Dandelion weed

Chickweed, crabgrass, dandelions and a multitude of other broadleaf weeds can overtake your yard. To win the war against these weeds, professionals recommend a pre-emergent application. This will not destroy the weeds, but will prohibit the germination of weed seeds. However, timing is important in order for the pre-emergent to be effective. Applications must be applied in early spring before the weeds can germinate. A post-emergent treatment in the fall is recommended to control weeds that produce the seed that will lay dormant over winter.

Ask the lawn care experts at Arbor MastersŽ of Kansas City and Wichita about our lawn care program and how we can help you win the battle against weeds.

Give Your Trees a Little TLC This Spring!

Like people, trees and plants may need additional nutrients to supplement their immune system and give them a boost during peak growing times. Trees that have been damaged or were stressed due to environmental issues or have poor soil conditions will benefit from a spring fertilization.

Signs that a tree may need fertilization are branch dieback, off-color or smaller than normal leaves and early leaf drop. There are fertilizers that you can purchase and apply to the tree base; however, if the tree is located in a poorly drained, low water content or compacted soil area, it may not get the full benefit of the fertilizer. Plant care experts recommend a deep root fertilization which is designed to penetrate the ground and administer directly to the root system. This form of application allows the tree to uptake and distribute the nutrients throughout the tree.

Make sure that your trees have every advantage for a healthy growing season. Ask your Arbor MastersŽ professional about a tree fertilization program.

Arbor MastersŽ of
Ft. Worth Aerial Rescue Training

Arbor MastersŽ of Ft. Worth completed another Ft. Worth crews practice aerial rescue successful aerial rescue training last month. As an accredited member of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), each branch office participates in the Electrical Hazard Awareness Program (EHAP) training. Each climber rescues an "injured man", determines the severity of the injury and applies first aid until medical help arrives. This ongoing training is mandatory to ensure the safety of all workers. Unfortunately, the highest number of fatalities in the tree care industry are caused by accidental electrocution.

We Want to Hear From You!

Arbor MastersŽ loves to hear from our customers. Read what our customers are saying about us at ArborMasters.com.

Don't forget to tell us how we are doing. You can post your comments on Google, Yahoo, Yellow Pages, etc. and receive a $25.00 Lowe's gift card. Send us an email with a link to your posted review at info@arbormasters.com.

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www.ArborMasters.com

Send your comments and suggestions for The Arbor Matters Newsletter to info@arbormasters.com.

Arbor Masters, ISA Certified Arborist, 50 Years and Growing and an Accredited member of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)