4 Reasons You Need an Awesome (and Certified) Arborist

Trees are trees, right? How much help could you really need with them?

Tell that to your elderly elm, which needs a little more attention due to its dropped twigs, or your pining pine, which clearly needs a site with less water.

The thing is, trees are finicky about their needs and surroundings – just like trees and animals. If you’re not sure how to treat them, you need help. That’s where a certified arborist comes in. Here are four reasons you need one.

1. Certified Arborists Offer Lots of Resources

Not sure how to water your trees during the summer months or where to site that new oak tree you just picked up from the nursery? Hint: If you’re hoping to see that tree reach a ripe old age so your grandkids can swing from it, you need to plant it in the right place. These are the tips an arborist can bring to the table.

2. They Can Catch Pests in the Early Stages

Creepy-crawlies are a fact of life. Most of us are trained to find serenity whenever we see icky bugs on the surfaces that surround us, including plants and trees. However, just like in your basement, some bugs are harmless but some can cause serious damage. A certified arborist can help you recognize the bugs to watch out for each season and make a plan for dealing with them.

3. Arborists Help Your Trees Weather Storms

Whether (get it?) you’ve recently had a storm or are headed into thundershower season, it pays to know how to keep your trees safe. An arborist will help you prune correctly to ensure strong branches, and they can assist you in cleaning up after storms that cause cracks or broken branches in your trees. Bring it on, Zeus.

Oops, sorry … we meant Thor.

4. They Know a Lot About Urban Tree Care

Much of the information about tree care available online today presupposes that you live in a rural setting, or at least in the suburbs. But lots of people who live in the city care about their trees as well, and an arborist can help you determine how best to keep your branched beauties safe on the busy streets of Atlanta.

Need help? Premier Tree Solutions is a family-run business offering a huge range of arboreal services, including tree removal and trimming, pruning and storm damage repairs and cleanup, stump removal and grinding, debris removal, and more.

Looking to green up that beautiful yard and keep healthy trees alive for years to come? Just give us a call at 404.252.6448, or for an emergency, call 404.569.8897. Don’t wait to speak to your certified arboreal expert today.

 

Goodbye Root Rot: 4 Approaches to Aid in Your Armillaria Attack

Cute little mushrooms often bring a smile to our faces … fairy rings and magic and all that! Yet before you get lost in fantasy, here’s a sobering reality for you: Those wee mushrooms may be a sign of terrible stress to your trees and shrubs.

That’s because they’re often the most visible sign of Armillaria mellea, a genus of 10 root-devouring fungus species. Collectively, they are known as honey fungi, a name that’s also much sweeter than the reality.

Because Armillaria can feed on dead as well as living wood, it can take out trees very quickly; it has no need to keep them alive to keep “feeding.” Not cool, root rot!

Obviously, you need a plan of attack to ensure root rot doesn’t hurt your trees and shrubs. Here are four steps to take if you see root rot in your neighborhood.

1. Recognize the Signs

Mushrooms aren’t the only sign of root rot, which causes people to miss the presence of armillaria until it’s too late. Initial signs include branch dieback and crown thinning, cankers on exposed roots, more resin than usual coming from the bark, and white or brown rotting on external surfaces. If you cut the roots open, you’ll see clear evidence of rot.

2. Understand the Spread

Armillaria is technically the world’s largest organism because of its ability to spread clonally underground through rhizomes. (Not to be confused with Pando, the largest single organism in existence, and final proof that trees are the coolest. Mic drop.)

Anyway, these impressive rhizomes mean root rot can spread between infected trees that are still alive, but more troublingly, it can also pass from a dead tree to a live one. That means leaving dead trees or stumps in place too long can damage your living trees. It’s important you dig them out, and surrounding areas, right away.

3. Keep Trees Happy

Just like people, trees are more prone to infection when they’re stressed and their immune system can’t rally as effectively. Trees need proper care, such as mulch to protect their roots and fertilization in their first few years. Deal with other diseases quickly, and be sure to prepare them for the stressors of summer.

4. Deal with Water

Standing water makes root rot spread, so make sure you get ready for summer storms by creating swales to catch and funnel rain to appropriate parts of the yard – such as lawns or wildflower areas – and keep it away from tree roots.

If you need more help, especially with the removal of diseased trees or stumps, feel free to call Premier Tree Solutions. Our experts would be happy to help you deal with any infected trees and take good care of your still-healthy babies. Contact us here today or give us a ring at 404-252-6448.

BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: BLACK LOCUST TREE

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. For June, we are showcasing the Black Locust Tree. Learn all about Black Locust trees below!