ADVERTISING: Advertorial - Spring is sprung!

Baby chicks are available at the feed and farm stores. Nurseries have opened with stock arriving daily. Grass is quickly losing its dull winter appearance, flowers have pushed up through the warming soil and buds are beginning to expand and open. It's time for the main event of the year! Re-birth! There is a caveat, however. It's easy to contract a bad case of Spring Fever during this period. I came down with a severe bout of it a few weeks back when our temperatures nearly reached 60 on a Saturday. By the end of the day, I had successfully started about eight outdoor projects. Unfortunately, my completion rate was not equivalent to my start rate.

In the tree care world, dormant season pruning will mostly wrap up in the next few weeks. Especially fruit trees. We need be finished as soon a blossoms arrive. We can still prune fruit trees for form and structure after blossom time if a person is not concerned with fruit this year, otherwise its best to wait till the end of October. I would expect deciduous trees will be fully leafed out by this time in May. It is extremely helpful for many large shade trees like birch to be fully leafed out to perform proper pruning. I looked at a large, weeping birch last week with no leaves and it is extremely difficult to see all the dead branches. Waiting until they are in a full head of hair will ensure we get all the dead properly pruned out.

I swung into New Leaf and visited with Ben last week. That place is buzzing like a beehive! Now is an excellent time to think about that new tree for the yard. Spend some time however choosing the right tree for the right location. Privacy and shade are often primary objectives, but you don’t want to regret what you planted or where in a few short year when you discover it was the wrong choice.

Along with plant life awakening, so will the insect and bug world. While there are many pest insects, there are equally as many beneficial insects. We will have to wait and see what pest will arise above normal thresholds. While I do not promote a lot of chemical use as preventative maintain, there are those trees such as paper bark birch that should be treated early to prevent borers from attacking. After all the windstorm damage, I am sure we are going to see a rise in a variety of bark beetles too.

Lastly, and in relation to the windstorms, many folks are seeking quotes for tree removal. Remember, all large trees around people and property are a risk. Managing that risk needs to be a thoughtful process. Some folks are facing home damage for the second or even third time and are ready to remove all risk and I can’t blame them.

It's going to be a busy spring in the tree world! We appreciate all your calls and ask for your patience as we get to everyone as quickly as our Arborist can. As always, for further questions, quotes and consultations, give us a call today, 208-762-5800!

For more information on Grace Tree Service, check out our website at gracetreeservice.com.