Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

One of the most important aspects of creating a new or redoing a landscape is choosing the right plant or tree and putting it in the right place. Taking the soil, available water, and the extreme temperatures of the area are very important for creating a lasting environment for your plant or tree. Using a certified arborist or landscape professional will help avoid choices that aren’t suitable for a long lasting landscape.

Here are some tips from landscape experts on what to take into consideration when planning a new landscape:

Size Matters – If a plant or tree is healthy then it will grow. Make sure that the area in which the plant or tree is planted allows for growth. Make sure that your selected plant or tree won’t outgrow its area when it is fully mature. Also, some plants grow faster than others. Keep in mind the growth characteristics of the chosen plants for your landscape so that they can be arranged in the most aesthetically appealing formation.

Quench their Thirst – Make sure that the irrigation system available to your plants and trees are both effective and efficient. The size of the irrigation system will dictate the amount of water delivered to your plants. In addition to your irrigation system, make sure that your water isn’t harmful to your plants. Some water sources have higher salinity or alkalinity either of which could damage your plants over time.

Soil Solution – The quality of soil composition is often overlooked when choosing plants or trees for your new landscape. It is important to choose plants which match the natural composition of the soil in your landscape. Having soil that is fertile and well balanced is imperative to the survival of your plants and trees.

The Extremes of Temperature - Living in an area which has extreme high temperatures limits the growth of many plants including some annual species. Temperature ranges of the daytime play an important role in determining how a plant will grow and survive in a certain area. Many plants also have nighttime temperature requirements in order to reach their full growth potential. Make sure to check with your landscape professional to ensure proper plants and trees for the climate.

Using site specific planning when it comes to designing your new landscape will be well worth the effort. Your trees and plants will successfully grow and thrive in an environment that matches their needs. Make sure to use a certified landscape professional or certified arborist when entering into your landscape design journey.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

Proper pruning of your trees is imperative not only for aesthetic appeal of your landscape, but also to maintain the health of your trees. For a new tree, pruning fosters healthy growth, sturdy branching structure, and necessary shaping. Pruning can also help in the building of the strength of a tree to combat extreme weather conditions. For example, a properly thinned tree will be better able to withstand high winds in events such as hurricanes or storms.
However, pruning is a process, and each cut that is made has the potential to change the growth of the tree. In fact, if a tree is pruned improperly the result can be damage that will extend to the full life of the tree, or could even shorten the lifespan of the tree.

Common reasons to start the pruning process are to remove dead or dying limbs, balance or shape the tree, or to remove branches that may have become hazardous to your home or family.

Most maintenance pruning can actually take place at any time throughout the year without negatively affecting the tree. Woundwood development and tree health is potentially increased when pruning occurs in early spring. To avoid tree stress, it is recommended that a heavy pruning is not done immediately after the visible spring growth of the tree. Heavy pruning is recommended to be done in the fall.

However, all pruning is not created equal. Here are different types of pruning from which trees can benefit:

Crown Cleaning: Dead, dying, weakly attached, crowded, or diseased branches are removed from the crown of the tree.

Crown Raising: Lower branches from the tree are removed to improve clearance heights for houses, vehicles, surrounding landscape, and of course your family.

Crown Thinning: Branches are selectively removed to increase air circulation through the crown and to increase the amount of light able to penetrate through the branches. The weight on heavy limbs is reduced and the foliage of the tree opens helping the tree retain its natural shape. A common mistake is over-thinning which will leave a tree unbalanced and can result in limbs that are more prone to failure.

Crown Reduction: The size of the tree is reduced. This process is most commonly used in coordination with utility lines. The height and width of the tree is reduced while the structural integrity is maintained.

As a tree ages, it will require less routine pruning as long as the proper pruning was a part of the initial growth process. In fact in large, mature trees, pruning is often a process of only removing dead, dying, or potentially hazardous limbs.

Arborists certified by the International Society of Arboriculture play key roles in the pruning process as they will be able to determine what type of pruning is best for your tree, and for you. With a Certified Arborist, the guesswork of which branches to cut is eliminated as are many safety concerns. Pruning large trees can be very dangerous. Peace of mind can come with a professional crew with all of the necessary safety equipment, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. Embark’s team of Certified Arborists, degreed Foresters, and highly experienced crews will work to help ensure the health, safety, and beauty of your trees.

Trees add to the value and beauty of your landscape, but only if properly maintained. Make sure that your trees are properly pruned so that they can reach their full tree potential.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

If prequalifying improves the experience of buying a home or car, imagine applying that process to the care of trees at your home or business by hiring a International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist.

While not a PhD or M.D., these “tree doctors” have undergone on going recertification testing and intense study on the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.

A pickup truck and a chainsaw do not a Certified Arborist make, at least by the definitions set forth by the ISA.

Just to be eligible for the exam, a candidate must have three or more years of full-time, eligible, practical work experience in arboriculture and/or a degree in the field of arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, or forestry from a regionally accredited educational institute.

The comprehensive certification encompasses a myriad of topics which empowers the candidates with flexibility in the arboricultural profession. The 200-question exam covers tree biology, tree identification and selection, tree-soil-water relations, tree nutrition and fertilization, tree planting and establishment, pruning concepts and techniques, cabling, bracing and lightning protection, problem diagnosis and management, tree preservation on construction sites, climbing and safe work practices, and tree risk assessment.

The work doesn’t stop after becoming a Certified Arborist as 30 continuing education units (CEUs) are required to be recertified. CEUs are earned by attending seminars, studying in college courses, or completing study in ISA published magazines and books.

The image of arborists has improved with the Certified Arborist program, from the arborist's and the general public's perspective. The curriculum has set benchmarked minimum standards of achievement and incentives for continuing education.

Education allows Certified Arborists to better assure their customers that their trees will not be damaged or mutilated and set the expectations of a particular treatment.

To make sure that your trees get the best care, call Embark Tree and Landscape Services for a ISA Certified Arborist at 713-462-3261.

Everyone has a relative or a friend eager to take on a tree with a chainsaw.

Perhaps the question to ask is do they have the knowledge to do the job safely? Most property owners run through this dilemma all too often.

Hiring a tree service provider with a positive reputation, insurance, and permits beats price and concerns about liability any day.

Professional tree service providers possess enough insurance to take care of any of their employees on the job and anything else that may happen. Ask the company for their insurance company and then follow up with a phone call. Homeowners could be responsible for damages and injuries that occur.

The professionals can drop a tree on a dime because they've been trained and they do it every day. It takes more than a truck and a chainsaw to be considered a professional.

Permits and accreditations take the mystery out of hiring someone. Many local and state governments require contractors to apply for licenses to work.

Also, look for professional organizations like the International Society of Arboriculture. An Arborist is a specialist in the care of individual trees and more than a tree cutter.

Larger professional firms invest in the tools needed to do the job. Safety and customer satisfaction should go hand in hand when taking care of the trees on your property.

Besides tree removal, a good tree care company can:

• Prune to maintain or improve the health, appearance and safety of the trees;
• Perform emergency tree care after a storm by safely removing trees and limbs from homes, cars, others trees and structures; and,
• Plant trees that are appropriate for a specific location, taking into consideration factors such as limited growing space, insects, diseases or poor growth.

Ensure the heath of your trees and large shrubs with a comprehensive plant health care program and deep root fertilization.

The decision to hire a tree service is yours. At Embark, our job is to provide the best service at competitive rates.