Tree Service Bakersfield

You can easily forget trees as part of the annual yard maintenance. This is why at Chippers Tree Service we always ask our clients to take a look around their yard. Are your trees healthy? We routinely ask our clients this question. Most people are unaware of the signs of a diseased, damaged or sickly tree until it’s too late.

In fact, most DFW homeowners forget about their trees as long as the leaves stay green and the tree continues to offer shade on hot sunny days. Your tree adds value to your property. You can protect your investment and ensure the trees are as healthy as possible by looking for signs of damage early on.

These are the three signs of a health tree:

Single Central Trunk

Your tree should not have a forked trunk or a twisted trunk. There should be a single trunk that helps keeping the tree stable and strong. You cannot do much about this in mature trees. However, having an arborist involved while your tree is growing can prevent this from happening later on.

New Growth

All trees should be producing new growth each year. However, there are always exceptions to this rule. Look up the tree species and research the growth pattern. You can also call tree care experts to know more about your tree’s health.

Full and Wholesome Branches

Diseases and pests are invited to enter the tree when the branches break away or are snapped in half. You should always eliminate all broken or dead branches at the first sign. Dormant branches can be tested by bending them gently to check whether they snap easily. Only dead branches will break away when bent. Living branches tend to snap back in shape.

Why Should You Care for Trees?

There are several reasons to care for your trees. It is not just because they add value to your property or make your yard look more beautiful. They also offer several benefits to the environment that helps in making the world a better place for everyone.

You get to enjoy cleaner air when your trees are healthy and vibrant. You also save on energy bills since you don’t need to use the HVAC system that often with trees shading your house. You can also benefit from reduced soil erosion because of storm. Trees tend to increase ground water by reducing storm water run-off.

Signs of an Unhealthy Tree

Now that you know the signs of a healthy tree, you should also know what an unhealthy tree is like. The answer to “are your trees healthy?” is negative if there are cracks, cavities or holes in the limbs. The same holds true if there are bare patches or leaf free branches.

The post Are Your Trees Healthy? 3 Signs to Watch Out For appeared first on Chippers Tree Service.

Tree bracing and cabling may offer similar outcome but tend to serve different purposes. Mature trees go a long way in protecting property, people, and wildlife. Trees act as a natural sunblock for people looking for some fresh air on a warm sunny day.

They also act as a shield during the cold winter months or during a storm. However, you may need to employ tree cabling and bracing techniques to protect your tree. Tree bracing in particular is a popular approach to preserving a tree’s health in DFW area.

There are several causes for a tree becoming weak. It can be due to:

Type of treeAge of the treeGrowth patternWeight of foliageStorm or wind damageInadequate careInfestation of disease or insects

Trees can start displaying a variety of health conditions as a result of the above mentioned conditions. In such situations, the tree is unable to support its own weight and it at a risk of toppling over. Some of the more common signs that we ask all our clients to look out for are:

Splitting trunkVisible leaningBroken or cracked branchesUnnatural swayingAudible creaking or cracking

There are two main approaches to supporting the weight of trees that show these signs – tree cabling and bracing. The difference between the two is explained in detail below.

Tree Cabling

Tree cabling is usually reserved for the upper canopy. It involves installation of steel rods between primary or major branches. The rods work to reallocate structural stress between the connected branches. Cabling allows for natural movement and swaying to a major extent between these branches. There is also a decreased risk of damage during storms or severe weather conditions.

Tree Bracing

Tree bracing is usually applied in the lower parts of the tree. It involves the installation of rods below and above the damaged area in an invasive way. Tree bracing helps in securing cracks or splits in tree trunks at major junctions. Tree bracing is highly invasive and more rigid. Swaying and natural movement of the tree is restricted to a major extent.

Choosing Between the Two

Generally, tree bracing and cabling are performed in conjunction with each other. However, you should have a professional tree bracing take a look at the damaged tree and make a decision. It is important to diagnose the condition of the tree before recommending the best course of action.

We usually begin the tree bracing and cabling process by assessing the structural soundness of the tree. We take a look at the existing decay, infestation, and root system. This is followed by a quick determination of whether bracing and cabling will be beneficial to the tree or not. If not, we usually recommend removing the tree completely.

The post Difference Between Tree Bracing And Cabling appeared first on Chippers Tree Service.

Invasive plants are not native to an ecosystem. Further, their introduction results in harm to that ecosystem. Their presence can negatively impact the environment as they spread aggressively and outperform native plants. They can also hurt the local economy, affecting agriculture, outdoor recreation or operation of utilities, to name a few. In some cases, invasive species can even introduce threats to human health like toxins and allergens not previously common in a geographic region. For many property owners, invasive plants can also be a major nuisance. They are often difficult to remove and control, and quickly take over prized landscape plantings and native woodlands.

Invasive plants easily overtake and outperform native species.

Depending on your location, there are likely a number of invasive species that have already become established. Each region seems to have a plant that locals know and hate. For example, Japanese knotweed, burning bush and tree of heaven are all well-known, and unloved, invaders.

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

Winged euonymus, burning bush (Euonymus alatus)Some common invasive plant species.

Some invasive plants were introduced accidentally. Others were first planted intentionally, owing to some endearing quality they possess. Once established, however, these species have overtaken ecosystems by outcompeting native flora and have negatively impacted wildlife populations.

Be sure to know what plants are considered invasive in your area. The USDA provides a number of resources and invasive species lists at the National Invasive Species Information Center.

What do do about invasive plants

Some places have instituted programs to control the spread of invasive plants. In fact, many areas now restrict the sale of certain species known to be invasive.

Removing invasive plants on your property is largely dependent on the species. Methods include:

pulling plants out at the roots manually;mowing or trimming to prevent plant growth;judicious use of selective herbicides;using grazing animals to control plant populations.

It is important to tailor strategies for managing invasive plants to the species, situation and local ecosystem. A multi-faceted approach may be necessary because these plants have an amazing capability to persist and regrow. Local experts, such as a Certified Arborist, can provide good advice.

When an appropriate program is implemented, the results can be astounding. Just know that even when you see short-term results, management of invasive plants often requires a long-term commitment.

The post Identify and Manage Invasive Plants first appeared on Tree Topics.

This time of year many people want to know the best way to prune hydrangeas. How and when to prune strongly depends on the hydrangea species. Therefore, you should first understand the type of hydrangea you have to ensure health and maximum blooms.

Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla) is one of the most common. This group is often known as mophead, lacecaps or French hydrangeas. Bigleaf hydrangea bloom on one-year-old wood. With that in mind, prune these plants within four to six weeks after blooming. To rejuvenate these plants, prune by selectively thinning out old stems. You should remove no more than one quarter to one third of the older stems each year. In addition, you can reduce long stems and branches to shape the plant. Further, oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) also blooms on old wood. Therefore, you should prune it in the same manner.

Before pruning hydrangea, be sure to know what species you have.

Do not prune bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangea heavily during late summer or in early spring. Pruning during this time period will reduce blooms as it removes the flower buds for the next cycle.

In comparison, panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata), which include pee gee hydrangea, and smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) bloom on new wood in mid to late summer. Prune these species in winter or early spring. They can tolerate severe reduction.

For smooth hydrangea, including the common cultivar ‘Annabelle,’ some prefer to prune the plant nearly to the ground in winter or early spring. Panicle hydrangeas can also withstand this type of pruning. The exception is when you have trained the plant into a tree form. To maintain as a tree form, thin the plant to remove crossing and conflicting branches and selectively reduce to maintain desired size and shape.

The post Tips on How to Properly Prune Hydrangea first appeared on Tree Topics.

Research shows that trees with multiple (codominant) stems have a higher likelihood of failure than those with a single stem so it is important to address this trait – the earlier, the better. To explain, codominant stems occur when two or more stems grow upward from a single point. This creates a v-shaped crotch that typically indicates a structural issue.

A codominant stem with a “V” crotch.

Tree trunks need wood tissue to hold the tree up, particularly in windy conditions. When codominant stems exist, there is less direct connection of this wood tissue, creating a weak point in the tree that is more likely to fail. In some cases, bark on the side facing the other stem is captured in between the stems (included bark or bark inclusion). Generally, this makes the attachment even weaker.

Included bark is clearly visible on the right stem.

Preventing Codominant Stems in Young Trees

The best way to prevent codominant stems is to prune the tree while it is young. Start a year or two after planting and continue as the tree grows. Structurally pruning a tree several times while it is growing can nearly eliminate this problem. It is important to realize that it costs far less to prune a small tree than to treat a large tree with codominant stems.

What is Structural Pruning?

In the forest, trees tend to crowd each other. As they race upward for sunlight in the sky, they usually maintain a single main stem. Alternatively, when trees grow uncrowded in a landscape, they often develop structural weaknesses like codominant stems. Structural pruning is the technique used to address these weaknesses and guide trees into a strong architecture/form. The objective is to create a strong, healthy structure so that trees are sturdier under wind and other conditions.

With structural pruning, live leaders and lateral limbs are “subordinated,” or reduced, to slow their growth. Consequently, the main stem can develop dominance again. The sooner in life that structural pruning is started, the easier and less costly it is. Waiting until the tree is mature frequently means bigger pruning cuts, cabling and greater expense.

Solutions for Mature Trees

For mature trees, structural pruning may no longer always be the best option. Some issues that have developed over years simply cannot be addressed through pruning at this point. More likely, when a codominant stem is present on a mature tree, a structural support system will be a better option. Structural support systems are steel cables or steel rods that are installed between the codominant stems. These systems reduce movement and improve wind resistance.

Whatever age your tree, codominant stems are a structural problem that you should address. Early pruning and support systems are two methods of increasing the strength and longevity of your trees.

The post Codominant Stems and Reducing Tree Failures first appeared on Tree Topics.

If you plan to buy a spacious aquarium, the chances are that you’re in for a real treat – especially if you decide to get a 120 Gallon Aquarium. These aquariums are made with convenience in mind, can fit in almost any room, and are very easy to care for. In this article, we have created this buyer’s guide to help narrow down the advantages of owning such a large aquarium, what the best features to look out for in such a tank, and importantly, have also prepared a top seven most excellent 120 gallon aquariums.

With all the latest technologies in aquarium technology these days, one of the latest developments is the rise in popularity of the three-piece stand aquarium. The three-piece stand tank can be a combination of acrylic enclosures, shelves and light equipment. The tank stands on three sturdy and flexible legs, which allow it to be placed on a table or shelf. Also, due to the flexibility the enclosures of this type are available in, you can tailor the arrangement and design to fit into the overall ambiance of your home.

When considering the main features of this tank, one of the things that most people notice first about it is the fact that it has a glass front. Glass is a very effective barrier against harmful chemical, biological and physical particles from entering the aquarium. However, in order to save space, a lot of manufacturers now use plastics as the main material instead of glass. While glass still has some advantages over the plastic alternatives in terms of size, clarity, and durability, it is now so much more popular for a 120 gallon aquarium because of its various benefits.

The biggest advantage to having a glass aquarium is that you get to have the best views of the plants and fish. The large viewing area can give you a very good view of the movements of your fish. Also, being larger than a traditional aquarium, it can be easily visible from any part of the house or room. If you have a large enough aquarium, you can even watch live tropical fish. There is no reason why a 60 gallon aquarium cannot provide the same viewing opportunities as a larger version.

Another big plus of having a larger aquarium like this is that it is extremely spacious. If you add waterfalls, or other features, it will look even more spacious. Even having a full set of waterfalls in the tank is going to be a great focal point. Also, with a full tank, you can have a lot of floating plants such as Water lettuce. They love full sunlight but will do quite well if given some shade during the cooler times of the year.

One thing that is going to make a bigger difference than anything else is an air pump. Having an air pump is going to give you a much better environment for your fish than you would have if you did not have an air pump. Even having just a small one can make a huge difference in how big your aquarium looks. One other thing that can help is to choose the proper filter size for your aquarium.

The proper filtration size is going to depend on the type of fish you have. If you have tropical fish, you are going to want to go with a larger filter than a fish that like freshwater. A larger filter will also cost more money. It does you little good to have a filter that is too small, and it will just waste money. The ideal filtration size for a 120 gallon aquarium is a filter that is at least four inches by six inches. Anything longer than this and it will not work properly and could possibly cause the tank to become unstable.

The last thing to consider when building a 120 gallon aquarium is the lighting and heaters that you need. Do you want an LED grow light or an HID light? If you choose to get an HID light, then you will need to get a specific filtration system. You should always remember to follow all instructions carefully and do not cut corners no matter what you buy. These types of things can end up costing you more money down the line if you do not.