3 Benefits of Pruning Your Trees Prior to Hurricane Season

If you live in an area where you get a lot of hurricanes or other strong storms, one thing that you want to do is think about getting your trees pruned before the hurricane season hits. Below are three benefits of having your trees pruned before the hurricane season.

The Tree’s Health Will be Improved

Strategically pruning your tree before a hurricane hitting will help with strengthening your tree’s overall health and improve the defenses of the tree. Trees that are professionally pruned are healthier, more stable and stronger, which makes them much better equipped to withstand the strong winds that come with a hurricane. Not only that but when a tree’s pruned long before the hurricane season starts, the tree will have enough time for the tree to recuperate from the little wounds sustained by the pruning. When you delay having your tree pruned until the hurricane hits, your tree may be weaker and vulnerable because it can’t replenish the energy resources that have been depleted by pruning.

It Can Reveal Hidden Problems in the Tree

Another thing that pruning can do to help your tree is to reveal problems that you didn’t know about your tree. This could be things like tree stresses, which can require bracing and cabling to help the tree be stabilized. Without having the tree pruned, an owner of a commercial property or a homeowner might not know that the tree is unstable until it’s destroyed or damaged during hurricanes. Additionally, pruning your tree also can help you find insect infestations or tree diseases which can weaken your tree and increase its likelihood to fall over when a hurricane or bad storm comes. If it’s caught in enough time, a Certified Arborist will be able to treat insect infestations and tree diseases so that your tree has a better chance to survive.

Dangerous Limbs Will Be Removed

Finally, the most obvious reason to have your tree trimmed before the next hurricane is to have damaged or broken branches and limbs removed. You might see some of them, but there could be hidden breaks because they’re up high or due to the tree’s dense foliage. Having your tree pruned professionally will remove damaged and broken tree limbs that quickly can become dangerous or deadly objects during a bad storm. Having your tree pruned professionally can greatly reduce the chance of this happening. This can help you with keeping yourself, your family, and your property safe and undamaged.

As you can see, having your trees pruned before the strong season starts is a good idea. Not only can it protect yourself, your family and your property from damage and injury, but it also can let you know when there are problems before they become too bad. This can make a huge difference and help you to save your tree and help it stay healthy. You never know what a good pruning will find in your tree and the problems it can help you avoid.

Tree Services in Charlotte & Sarasota County

Florida Tree & Ground is the premier lawn care and landscaping company in Charlotte County, as well as Sarasota County. We provide our services to cities like, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, North Port, Englewood, Sarasota, and Venice, FL. Our tree services include tree trimming, pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, and more. If you live in Charlotte or Sarasota County and are looking for a tree service company, contact us today!

6 Dangers of Cutting Down a Tree

If you have a tree that needs to come down, one thing that you might consider doing is removing it yourself. But this is often a terrible idea. There are a lot of dangers that associate themselves with cutting down trees or removing them. Below are seven dangers that are worth heading when taking down a tree.

Falling

When you were cutting down a tree, It’s sometimes necessary that you remove some branches first. When you’re climbing up high, one of the things that you have to worry about is falling from the height. This issue is especially true if you’re bending or you’re using a larger unwieldy tool. If you’re using a ladder, securely tie it to the tree you’re working on before you bring your tools up or you start work. If you’re working at a height that’s tall enough that you could be injured if you fell, wear a harness that you attached to a healthy, thick branch that has no signs whatsoever of cracking or rot.

Getting Hit by Trunks or Branches

Since you have to remove branches and the whole tree eventually, you’re going to risk getting hit by the trunk or the branches. Make sure that you have someone helping you bringing the branches down safely when they’re up high and remove all possible branches while standing on the ground. When you are falling a tree cut 1/3 into the trunk, so the cut’s parallel with the ground, and then cut it downward at an angle of 60° to meet the cut’s inward end. This technique is going to create a wedge. It is going to ensure that when it’s cut from the opposite side, the trees going to fall in the wedge’s direction.

Electrocution

A lot of trees are close to power lines, and this is going to put you in danger when you have to remove the tree. You should especially be careful when branches are going wild close to power lines or telephone poles. Get in contact with your power company beforehand to find out if your lines can be turned off, or they can be insulated using blankets. No matter what, you want to make sure you’re taking precaution so that you’re not accidentally touching one of the lines when you’re working since you can’t be certain that it’s turned off.

Injuries from Tools

Even though using a chainsaw is going to make cutting down trees a lot easier, it’s also a very dangerous tool. Make sure you’re reading the directions before using it your first time and make sure that all are in order every time before using it. Make sure you’re removing anything which could cause your chainsaw to kick back, such as rebar pieces or nails. Don’t ever cut with your chainsaw directly overhead since you won’t be able to control the movement and you don’t want the chainsaw close to your face or in a position that’s hard for you to control.

Improper Equipment

Professionals who specialize in tree care also are trained in using the equipment like cranes, wood chippers, ropes and chainsaws for safety selling and disposing of trees. They also have the protective gear that they need to wear so that they stay safe while doing it. A lot of homeowners don’t have all this equipment that they will need, and they don’t have the expertise or experience that a professional has.

Decaying Wood

A tree that is dying or dead is often decaying from its inside out. This problem makes it very unstable. A lot of times professionals will use a crane to remove this kind of deadwood. If you believe that your tree’s starting to decay, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a professional for removing it before it suddenly collapses.

Property Damage

Along with the possibility of you getting hurt from a tree falling or from a branch falling, or from you falling out of the tree, there’s always the chance that you might damage your property. If the tree falls wrong or if a branch falls uncontrollably, it could fall and cause damage to your house or a car. A professional will know how to control it so that this is rare, and they have insurance if something should happen while they are doing it.

It’s easy to see that having a professional remove your tree is a better choice than having a friend do it or doing it yourself. There are so many dangers that professionals are ready for and homeowners are not. If you have a tree that needs to come down, it’s better to have someone come out and do it for you than to take the chance of someone getting hurt or killed or damaging your property.

4 Reasons to Regularly Mow Your Lawn

For a lot of people, mowing the lawn seems like a big chore that they find annoying. But the truth is that there are many benefits to mowing your lawn regularly. Below are four reasons why you should regularly cut your grass.

Stronger Grass

One of the best reasons to have your lawn mown regularly is because it will make it stronger. The best height is around 3” tall. When the grass gets cut, the grass shoots that are healthiest are going to flourish and the weak ones get left behind. When you are regularly cutting your lawn, you are going to have healthier grass shoots. This means that your lawn is going to be healthier and lusher as time goes by.

Even Growth

Chances are that you have seen at least one yard that’s uneven and patchy. It didn’t look that nice, did it? When grass growth is uneven, it causes this kind of problem. But when you mow regularly, it can help you avoid this issue. When you’re slicing your grass’s growth down to a uniform, short level regularly, it will improve its growth because it helps with evenly distributing and absorbing resources from the water and sun. It’s important to have consistent growth to have a gorgeous yard.

Mulching

Mulching’s a very important part of keeping your lawn healthy since it will return the necessary nutrients back to the lawn after it’s been mowed. When you are mowing your lawn consistently, you can use the shorter grass blades for mulching. Returning these shorter blades to the lawn is a lot of healthier than waiting for the grass to be longer since longer blades are going to have fewer nutrients and they’re going to be weaker. The majority of mowers come with mulching features and you can mulch the lawn every time that you mow it, as long as your grass isn’t too tall.

Fast Recovery

There are a lot of things that your lawn faces. There are things like pests, diseases and inclement weather constantly. For your lawn to overcome these annoyances, it must be maintained well. When your lawn’s regularly mowed and maintained, it will recover a lot faster than when it’s unhealthy. When you don’t care for your lawn and don’t give it the care and love it needs, it’s going to be a lot harder for it to bounce back when it’s damaged.

It’s easy to see that it’s very important that you are mowing your lawn regularly. This can help your lawn to be attractive and healthy. One thing that you should remember doesn’t cut off more than a third of the height of the grass at once since this can damage its roots. If you are unable to cut your lawn yourself, you can always hire a lawn care company to take care of it for you. A good lawn care company will make sure that your lawn is cared for so that you can enjoy a beautiful lawn all year round.

How Often Should Your Florida Lawn be Mowed?

When you own a home, one thing that you want to do is to make sure you are caring for your lawn and mowing it frequently and properly. It will help your home look great, it is good for your neighborhood’s property value, and it’s nice to view and enjoy.

If you have recently moved to Florida, chances are that you want to know how often you should mow your lawn, especially if you are coming from someplace that has a totally different climate. After all, Florida is hot longer than most other states.
Just like when you are in other states, how often you should mow your lawn will depend on how the grass is growing. When you make your mowing schedule, there are a few things that you should think about:

  • Grass species
  • Time of year
  • Weather conditions

For the most part, you’re going to mow your lawn a lot less during the winter compared to the summer. You should mow your lawn so often that you aren’t moving any more than ¼ of the blade’s height removed. When you adhere to this general rule, it means you aren’t going to be putting a lot of stress on the grass. It also will leave ample leaf surface so that photosynthesis happens.

If you don’t like mowing often, centipedegrass or bahiagrass should be used for the lawn. These grasses are low-maintenance and you only have to mow them for removing seedheads. One of the fastest growing types of grass is Bermudagrass, and this has to be mowed often. You want to learn about what type of grass is in your lawn before starting your schedule. If you aren’t sure what type of grass you have, you can always speak with a lawn care specialist.

Whether you’re planting a brand-new lawn or you’re restoring your landscape to the way that it used to look, you can do this by finding out what type of grass you have so that you can choose the mowing schedule that will work best. If you have any questions, it’s a good idea to speak with someone who is familiar with different types of grass and their care needs. That way you can give your grass the care that it needs. It will help your grass look healthy and green, and it will help your house and landscape look great!

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5 Tips for Chainsaw Maintenance

If you have a chainsaw, you know that it can be very helpful around the house. But in order to keep it in good working order, there are things that you should do to make sure that your chainsaw is ready to go when you need to use it. Below are five maintenance tips that you can use for keeping it running well.
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5 Facts About Mangrove Trees

If you have been to Florida, chances are that you have heard of mangrove trees but you may not know a lot about these types of trees. Below are five facts about mangrove trees that are both educational and interesting.
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Reasons to Prune Your Shrubs and Trees

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Is Your Tree a Danger to You?

One of the biggest problems with trees each year is when the tree or branch falls. This can lead to damage to your house, car or other things and it even can cause major injuries and sometimes even death. Some people are afraid of this happening and they think about having the trees removed from their property. However, if they have healthy trees, this isn’t always a good idea. Having one big tree on the property can add lots of value to the property or it also can help you with saving money on costs to cool your home. Trees also are great for cheering you up and making you happy.
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A Guide to Pruning Fruit Trees

If you grow fruit trees, whether you grow just a couple or you have an orchard, you want to know how to take good care of them. One way to do this is through pruning them. Below we have provided you with a guide to pruning your fruit trees to get the best yield and results.
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