As a homeowner, you should remember that every healthy tree in your yard helps improve the world. Trees give off oxygen, reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, reduce soil erosion, minimize pollution in the waterways, etc. As such, you must be passionate about caring for your trees because they are a valuable investment. Here are 10 tree services you need to perform as a Chicago homeowner.
1. Care
Tree care is part of the tree service involving different activities. Just like animals, trees have a specific lifespan. According to experts, depending on their species, trees live from 30 to 2000 years. So, for the tree to reach its maximum number of years, you must perform good care of it.
Tree care involves disease prevention, supplying nutrients, and adding support to its branches to prevent breakage due to weight. For instance, you can have a fruit tree in your yard. Trees such as avocados get heavy once they start to set fruit. In this situation, you need to add support to the branches.
Application of some arboricultural methods may require a professional if you are inexperienced. As such, you may hire a tree arborist at least once or twice a year to ensure your trees are healthy and safe. An arborist is a trained professional who can diagnose your trees and discover diseases earlier. Fortunately, an arborist is trained in dealing with all tree species, so you’ll get all the services with one quote.
2. Removal
Tree removal is a special tree service you can perform to enhance health and safety. The removal services involve a set of processes to enhance safety in the yard. The first step that is performed is assessing the tree and the environment. It involves checking the position of telephone wires, electrical wiring, home roofing, and other areas that can be affected.
The second step performed during tree removal is setting up the necessary equipment. The equipment includes the chain saw, the wood chipper, strong ropes, etc. Equipment like the wood chipper will access your yard, so you may experience damage to the yard and the pavement as it drives along. However, the equipment is beneficial in removing the green waste.
The third step involves dismantling the tree from the canopy and branches. This step makes it easier and safer because felling a tree with all the branches and leaves can damage a wide range of vegetation and hardscaping in the yard. The chainsaw is ideal for removing the upper parts and felling the trunk afterward.
Tree removal also involves disposing of the waste to keep the yard clean and minimize the chances of spreading disease. Normally, homeowners seek local tree services if they notice their trees dying. But some homeowners also eliminate trees to minimize the competition for light and space. However, you can also plant trees for income; they can be used for timber or as fuel in factories and homes.
3. Trimming
Tree trimming services are performed to remove overgrown branches. Trimming is often confused with pruning, but they are different tasks. While trimming is done to enhance light penetration to various tree parts and enhance better growth, pruning is done because of health concerns. Pruning removes dead or diseased parts to prevent further spreading of the disease.
Trimming starts immediately after you buy your trees from the local tree nursery and plant it in your yard. As the branches grow, they cross and rub against each other. This is when you start trimming them to ensure they grow in safer directions. Additionally, you will trim the lower branches for the shoot to reach the required height.
You must also trim your fruit trees during flowering because it has several benefits. The first one is increasing the airflow for better production. The second benefit is redirecting resources to growing fruits and opening up more space for growth. Finally, you strengthen the main stalk or the stump because excessive branches may deprive it of nutrients and other resources.
Finally, trimming improves the plant’s appearance, adding aesthetics to the home. For instance, shaping your climbing plants around the patio roofing can give the best look. Garden green roof walkways also give the home the best look, provided you perform the necessary care. Hire professionals or use the right tools to keep your plants healthy during trimming.
4. Inspection
Tree safety inspections, also known as a tree risk survey, are done to identify any problems with the trees that can put it or your property at risk. As such, the objective of the risk survey is to check the tree’s current condition and identify potential issues that can arise in the near future. Unfortunately, tree inspection is not a service you can perform if you haven’t undergone the training. So, you’ll have to hire a professional.
Tree inspection can be done in various ways depending on your budget and the extent of infection. If you are on a budget and your trees have few signs of infection, you can hire an arborist for a walk-over tree survey. The professional walks over to check for cavities or decay and creates a report of what measures to prevent further damage. This inspection type is suitable if you have a larger yard with several trees that need assessment.
A full tree survey is the second inspection type conducted at a more detailed level. The local arborists inspect every tree in the yard and records every detail. This inspection is ideal if your trees have different infections or damage levels. Additionally, it’s suitable if your yard has several plant species.
Although initial inspection is done on the ground, there is a need for further inspection if you notice defects high up. Arborists perform a climbed tree survey for a more detailed assessment. And this third type is known as climbed tree inspection. Safety precautions are highly required due to the height and the equipment carried up, like the camera for photographic evidence.
5. Stump Grinding
After felling the trees in the yard, you would want to observe the safety of your home afterward. Tree stumps start to rot after the trees are cut and can become the hiding place for harmful insects. Bugs and beetles hiding in the tree stump around the yard can be difficult to control in your house. Tree stumps also store rainwater which is the breeding platform for mosquitoes.
Additionally, water in the tree stump can release a foul smell in the yard. As such, you need tree stump grinding services when you cut the trees. The process of grinding can be done using a specialized wood chipper. The equipment grinds the stump into mulch a few inches below the ground level, and the remaining part is covered with the soil to decay.
A covered stump is less likely to affect your yard because bugs and other insects cannot access it. However, ensure you get a professional tree stump grinder because careless grinding can injure humans. Part of the stump left above the ground can harm children and pets as they play around the yard.
6. Fertilization
Tree growth is limited more often by nitrogen and other element deficiency. As the trees grow, they use all the resources available in the soil, and in the end, the growth rate starts to slow. Soil erosion, leaching, and runoff also reduce the soil’s nutrients. As a homeowner, you should do fertilization to keep your trees healthy.
Fertilization is the process of applying nutrients around the trees. Many homeowners use different types of fertilization, for example, broadcasting. Broadcasting is beneficial if you have trees and other vegetation in the yard. It involves the uniform application of the fertilizer over the yard.
Another great method of fertilization is foliar application. The method involves spraying the fertilizer on the leaves. This method may not be very effective for your trees because of the limited absorption of nutrients. The fertilizer solution can be washed away by the rains or swept by the strong winds because the leaves take key nutrients in.
On the other hand, fertilization can be done through irrigation water. The nutrients flow with the irrigation water and later seep into the soil as a solution. Broadcasting and irrigation remain the best because fertilizer can rest on the soil for extended periods. Manuring is even the best because it releases essential micro and macronutrients over time.
7. Mulching
During hot seasons, soil loses moisture and nutrients due to erosion. Your trees may suffer during this period if your soil has low water-holding capability. Mulching can preserve soil moisture and save you from high water bills. Luckily, you can do mulching with the most available materials, like sawdust, straw leaves, and green manure crops.
Organic materials are spread on the surface during mulching, making it possible for the tree roots to get water and nutrients easily. Mulching can help your landscape look more polished and tidy if done well. You may do mulching immediately after the rainy season to retain the soil moisture. Alternatively, you may water the yard once a week or biweekly to save on water.
Mulching adds nutrients to the soil because organic materials decay, making it more fertile. The only drawback noticed with mulching is increased harmful pests that can enter your house. Once you add the mulch, pests, and bugs will have a good hiding place around your yard. The only solution is to hire exterminators regularly to reduce their population.
8. Cabling and Bracing
Strong winds, storms, and other forces can lead to tree damage. As such, you should install support systems for your trees around the yard. Cabling and brace rods are ideal for supporting trees in strong winds. If you have climbing plants, you may need to invest in cabling support because they need space to spread.
Staking is also effective if you have young trees that have weaker stems. You need to drive two parallel stakes into the soil in line with the tree and tie them around after confirming the tree is upright. On the other hand, you may add cabling and staking for the climbing plants to make them more stable.
9. Planting
After cutting down the trees, you need to replace them to ensure your yard stays beautiful. But trees aren’t planted in just any season. Fall is the best time to do your planting because temperatures are low and favorable for the new plants. In addition, dig the right size hole to give your tree a good start.
According to experts, it’s important to space the trees in the yard for better lighting and nutrient absorption. Leave at least 10 feet of spacing for small trees and 30 to 50 feet between large trees. It’s advisable to plant trees far from the roofing because storms can cause severe damage if the branches fall off. Water the new trees daily for the 2 weeks after planting and later every 3 days for the next 3 months.
10. Tree Surgery
Tree surgery is done when the trees are attacked by fungal infection, pest infestation, and other diseases. The main goal of tree surgery is to save the tree from permanent damage. The surgery normally involves the removal of dead or damaged branches and parts of the trunk.
Chicago has traditionally been a good region for agriculture because of its good climate. Cold winters and warm summers are ideal for tree growth. The short fluctuations experienced in the city shouldn’t hinder you from pursuing your homeowner dream. Trees benefit your family and neighborhood by giving oxygen, cooling the region, and preventing soil erosion.
