As one of your property’s biggest assets, we all know that trees need to be taken care of.  Knowing which trees need to be trimmed and when can make your life a bit less stressful when it comes to managing your properties in 2017.  Jason Richard, our Director of Tree Management, has put together some tips to help you with your Tree Management plan in 2017.

Olive Tree Pruning and Fruit Mitigation

The best time to spray for mitigating fruit production is usually mid-February.  This can fluctuate slightly based on the weather and when the flowers start to open.  When planning for Olive spraying it is best to have the trees pruned prior to the Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) application. Crown Reduction should be included as part of this pruning. This will lessen the density of the foliage at the ends of the branches and enable the PGR to penetrate further into the crown of the tree for better fruit prevention. The time for this is quickly approaching.  If you don’t have this on your calendar already, start planning now to prevent problems later in the year.

Deciduous Tree Pruning

We are currently in the window to be pruning all deciduous trees (elm, ash, pistache). Pruning these trees during the dormant season is best to ensure when the spring growth emerges it goes to promoting strong structure and even foliage distribution.

Although the year is just getting started, now is the best time to begin planning for mitigating the impact the monsoon storms will have on your properties. Scheduling tree assessments to be done in February will allow all necessary parties to review and schedule the work before the schedule fills up and the window for storm mitigation pruning passes.  This will help ensure safety on your properties come monsoon season.

Palm Tree Trimming

When it comes to your Palms the Date Palms will need to be addressed before the Fan Palms. Weather being a factor, March/April will be the time to begin pruning Date Palms to eliminate the date clusters and dead or low hanging fronds. Removing the clusters before they mature will prevent them from dropping and staining any surrounding hard scape.  In regards to Mexican Fan Palms (thinner trunks), the time for pruning usually begins around mid-June.  With the California Fan Palms (large diameter trunks) it is best to wait till latter in the summer months around end of July because their seed pods emerge slower than the Mexican Fan Palms.

Planning and scheduling for your tree maintenance in 2017 now is sure to lessen your tree related incidents this year. It’s time to set your calendar reminders and contact your Caretaker Landscape and Tree Management ISA Certified Professional to keep your trees safe and healthy this year.

To request your Caretaker Landscape Tree Management Calendar…  CLICK HERE

 

Care to Know Tip: Pre-emergent Herbicide – Although this service is not tree related, having pre-emergent herbicide applied during the first part of year definitely lessens the headaches come spring/summer.