There are steps you can take to protect your trees and the roots below from damage during construction on your property, however, plans aren’t always followed and mistakes are made. So what do you do to provide care to your damaged trees?

If your tree has experienced damage to its exterior, the first place to start is with the bark. Any tree bark that has been damaged should be shaved away to encourage healing. Lawn care experts recommend using a sharp knife to trim around the wounded area in a rounded motion, not cutting any deeper than is necessary to avoid cutting into healthy bark. Removing the damaged bark will promote moisture and nutrients into and around the bruised area. Just like a wound on human flesh, the tree will have a scar, but if the bark is properly cared for, the tree should heal around the wound.

If a large section of the tree has been damaged, for instance more than half of the tree’s circumference, you may want to consult your local Denver lawn care company to save it from dying. Trees will not immediately exhibit symptoms of damage, but without proper nutrients and moisture getting to all the parts of the tree, branches will become brittle and break off, leaves will fade and eventually the tree will stop growing at all. Your tree company can stop the dying process of the tree through intensive Denver lawn care that involves corrective pruning, fertilization and curative irrigation.

If your tree has become damaged during the construction process, call your local Denver lawn care company as soon as possible to save this vital feature of your Denver landscape.

If you find yourself disappointed with the greenness of your Denver lawn, you have more than one Denver landscaping option to produce an emerald turf.

Overseeding is an effective method in producing a green, lush Denver lawn. By first aerating the turf, you will create small holes that will allow the roots of your Denver lawn to swell, taking in extra nutrients and moisture. This added intake will increase the grass’ durability and give it a more vibrant color. After aerating, use a seeder to drop an excess of seed all over the desired areas. This process can usually be done by a professional Denver landscaping company.

Another method to get a greener Denver lawn is through turf dye. Ever wonder how the grass in sports arenas looks so green and healthy? More than likely the Denver landscaping specialists rely on turf dye. This method can also help your Denver lawn stay green after a particularly harsh summer where the heat has dried the blades out, causing them to pale. Turf dye can be purchased directly from the manufacturer, but you may also want to check with your local Denver landscaping company for a more professional touch.

Whatever method you choose, good luck in getting that green Denver lawn you’ve always wanted!

If nothing else, Denver landscaping professionals insist that you water your Denver lawn. If you do nothing else, watering at least should be a priority. But as it goes, life has a funny way of getting in the way of things that you need or want to do and the next thing you know, a couple of weeks have passed and your Denver lawn is as dry as dust. So what’s the remedy? Why, an irrigation system of course!

Many Denver landscaping companies are adding sprinkler system installation to their menu. It does no good to aerate, fertilize and maintain your Denver lawn’s pH level if you’re not properly hydrating your turf. Grass needs water more than it needs anything to remain healthy, durable and vibrant. A Denver lawn that is dehydrated is susceptible to disease and will often have brittle grass blades and look dull in color, sometimes even brown if the dehydration is severe enough.

Installing an irrigation system might seem like a luxury, but if you take into the consideration of what you might have to pay to renovate or repair your Denver lawn after a severe bout of dehydration, it’s more than worth the cost. A sprinkler system can include features such as timers to ensure that your Denver lawn is watered at the same time everyday and with just the right amount of water. Don’t want a visible system? No problem! Most irrigation systems are installed underneath the ground and some Denver landscaping companies also offer products that blend in with your Denver landscaping.

If you’re looking for a guaranteed method of keeping your Denver lawn hydrated throughout the growing season, consult your local Denver landscaping company and ask about how an irrigation system can benefit you!

Cedar trees are a favorite tree to plant on many Denver landscapes and are relatively easy to take care of due to its drought tolerance. This tree has a pyramidal shape and grows relatively slow. There are different varieties of cedar trees and their height varies from one species to another. The eastern red cedar typically grows anywhere from 30 to 50 feet high, while the western red cedar can reach heights of up to 200 feet (however this is usually only typical for western red cedars that grow in the wild).

Many homeowners or commercial property owners use cedar trees as a pleasant-looking privacy screen on their Denver landscape. Others may plant cedar trees for the purpose of being windbreaks or hedges. Whatever the reason you choose to introduce cedars onto your Denver landscape, Denver landscaping specialists say that mulch is an important part of caring for this special tree. Mulch will help keep the soil around the tree damp and loose.

Your professional Denver landscaper can help you select the best type of mulch for your cedar tree. There are several different options:

• Sawdust or straw: Cost-effective, but doesn’t offer much in the way of nutrients to the soil.
• Bark nuggets/wood chips: Offer an eye-pleasing aspect to your Denver landscape, has a slow rate of decomposition and stays put even through strong gusts of wind.
• Composted yard waste: Cost-effective, eco-friendly and offers an abundance of nutrients.
• Grass clippings: Making use of yard waste is always a plus, but tree care authorities warn of using grass clipping too much. The clippings can become compacted when frequent or hard rain occurs and stop moisture from being absorbed into the soil, dehydrating the roots of your cedar tree.

Once you have decided on the right kind of mulch for you, you or your Denver landscaping authority will need to pull out all of the weeds around the area to be mulched, so the mulch can be applied to bare soil. If mulch is applied on top of existing weeds, it will not only appear unkempt, but it also won’t prevent the growth of the weeds.

An area of three to six feet in diameter and two to four inches thick around the tree should be covered with high-quality mulch during any time of the year except in the beginning of spring. The ground is still thawing from the cold weather and the soil and the roots need time to thaw and respond to the warming sun. Mulch will prevent that transfer of heat. Although you want a wide area around the tree to be mulched, leave a gap of about six inches between the base of the tree and the mulch to deter insects and other unwanted pests.

If you want more information on mulching your cedar tree, call your local Denver landscaping professional for expert advice.

Ever wonder what to do with those scraps of food that shouldn’t go down the disposal, but create a terrible smell if left in the garbage for more than a day? Or perhaps you’re looking to enhance the growth of your Denver landscape plants in a more natural and cost-effective manner? Landscaping experts recommend using your kitchen waste to make your own all-organic mulch.

The first step in this journey toward a more eco-friendly way to fertilize your Denver landscape is by choosing the right type of composter. Many Denver landscapers recommend using worm bins. Filling the bin with live worms, your kitchen waste will be broken down by the worms and voila! You have a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your Denver landscape! Using a worm bin is also beneficial because you can keep it inside your home if you wish for easy access. The only rule when it comes to worm bins is to not leave it in direct sunlight.

If you’re not sure how to use a worm bin or where to get the materials (or the worms), check with your community’s Department of Water and Power; they may offer worm bins as well as instructions on how to use them.

So what can you throw in the worm bin? The ingredients that make up worm bin mulch can range from fruit and vegetable rinds and pieces to most Denver landscape debris, according to Denver landscaping experts. So instead of throwing your kitchen scraps in the trash, or even to the dog, think about creating your own personal brand of all-organic mulch.

If making your own mulch is too much of a hassle but you still want to bring a more organic approach to fertilizing your Denver landscape, call your local Denver landscaping company and ask about their organic fertilization program.

All grass types are susceptible to diseases and weeds, however, there are ways to prevent, deter and combat these issues through proper lawn care techniques. But even with the absolute best care, you cannot guarantee that disease or insects will never be a problem with your St. Augustine lawn.

St. Augustine grass is a sturdy type of turf and is able to assert itself over weeds as long as it is healthy and is receiving adequate care. If St. Augustine grass is left to fend for itself, it may become weak, at which time opportunistic weeds will stop popping up throughout your Denver landscape. This is especially true if the lawn is already infested with insects or has been infected with a disease. St. Augustine turf is usually found to have broadleaf and grassy weeds, however, chickweed, clover and henbit have also been found by lawn care specialists to be a menace to this type of grass. These weeds respond best to hormone-type herbicides that are applied in the early spring. Other weeds such as fescue, crabgrass or annual bluegrass require a different type of treatment that includes precise applications of pre-emergent herbicides.

In addition to fighting off weeds, St. Augustine grass is also susceptible to a number of turfgrass diseases including Helminthosporium, brown patch, SAD, Pythium, gray leaf spot, rust, downy mildew and more. Most of these diseases are caused by the presence of fungi and can be easily controlled by a knowledgeable lawn care company. SAD is a virus disease for which there is no chemical solution, which means only defiant types of St. Augustine grass are resistant to the disease.

Brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe diseases caused by fungi infecting St. Augustine turfs. Although these diseases seldom destroy St. Augustine, they weaken and thin the grass to the degree that the lawn is extremely unattractive. Precautionary treatments of fungicides are most effective against these diseases.

To keep your St. Augustine lawn primped and pristine, call your local lawn care provider and ask about their weed and disease control programs.

Many Denver landscaping companies offer the design and installation of irrigation systems because proper hydration is absolutely vital to creating and maintaining a healthy landscape. Many homeowners find that watering their landscape or garden is more of a guessing game than anything else. Knowing precisely how much water your plants need is important because without enough water, their color and growth will suffer. If you water too much, you run the risk of soil erosion and drowning the roots, and if the watering takes place late in the evening, the development of mold.

Landscaping specialists can help you determine the correct watering procedures, but the installation of a sprinkler system can take the guesswork out of the picture. Hydration systems are designed to give your landscape just the right amount of water without overburdening the roots or causing them to go thirsty. Sprinkler systems can also be programmed to be sensitive to weather conditions, so you are experiencing a few days with heavy rainfall, your sprinkler system will not activate.

Irrigation systems are also designed and installed to make sure every inch of your landscape is covered. Many store-bought and self-installed hydration systems only cover one part of your lawn or landscape, whereas Denver landscaping professionals will know how to install the system so that all your plants benefit.

If you are worried about the cost, think of how much money you waste by watering too much or forgetting to turn the sprinkler off. Professionally installed sprinkler systems can actually save you money, not to mention save water from being wasted.

Call your Denver landscaping company today to find out more about the many benefits of an expertly designed sprinkler system.

When the leaves on the trees start to fall, each year you are faced with a tough decision: to bag, or not to bag, that is the question.

Raking and bagging leaves is a tedious landscaping chore. It means spending countless hours outside, hoping and praying a gust of wind doesn’t come along and undo all your hard work. However, despite your disdain for this landscaping have-to, you know that leaving the leaves on the Denver lawn or Denver landscape isn’t an option. Or is it?

Many homeowners believe in the power of mulching. Landscaping experts say it is a common misunderstanding that using a Denver lawn mower to mulch leaves is bad for your turf or Denver landscape. Quite the contrary, actually. But mulching the leaves and cutting them up into teeny tiny little bits, you will create a buffet of nutrients and organic matter on which your Denver landscape can feed and thrive.

In addition to the nutritional benefit and the fact that mulching leaves with a Denver lawn mower requires less time and effort, there is also the environmental benefit. Unless you use the brown leaf bags provided by Lowe’s or The Home Depot, you’re probably filling plastic bags and hoping the garbage men don’t get too nosy when loading your trash into the compactor. These plastic bags will end up in landfills, taking up even more room and putting a material (plastic) into the ground that will never decompose.

So the next time your Denver landscape is covered with leaves, rev up the mower and get those leaves mulched!

Winter pruning allows Denver landscaping experts to fully assess the health and structural integrity of the tree without the interference of foliage. It is important to have this process scheduled early in the winter in order to give Denver landscaping specialists time to accurately diagnose any problems and devise solutions to keep your Denver landscape looking beautiful.

Winter is the ideal time for pruning because the limbs can be fully assessed without the weight of foliage on them. Pruning is generally known to encourage growth, so when it occurs during the growing season, new tissue and bark are constantly being added to the branches. When the foliage is no longer on the tree, proper pruning can take place to establish how much dead or decaying material is on the tree.

Pruning during the growing season is encouraged, but can disrupt the tree’s energy. Landscaping authorities say that since leaves are the primary food source for trees, the pruning that goes on during the summer actually decreases the amount of energy the tree is getting. Obviously the tree is capable of getting through the winter on reserved energy sources, so pruning does not have as much of an impact.

Another reason why winter pruning is ideal and beneficial is because the tree is completely dormant, including disease and insect activity. Pruning sometimes makes trees vulnerable to insect infestations and diseases, especially if the pruning techniques aren’t performed correctly and the tree is wounded. If perchance the tree is wounded during winter pruning, it will be able to seal before or during the early spring before insects and diseases become active once again.

For more information on winter pruning, contact your local Denver landscaping company and schedule a consultation!

Japanese Beetles are a common Denver landscape pest, affecting both trees and Denver lawns alike. While these pests cause issues for your Denver lawn by laying eggs underneath the soil, the affect they have on trees comes from their own feeding. A perfectly healthy tree or Denver lawn can be seriously damaged if corrective action isn’t taken by a professional Denver landscaping specialist.

Japanese Beetles are often found in clusters because their scent attracts more beetles to the area. So even if you see only a few beetles here and there at the beginning of the season, don’t be fooled; over time this population will rapidly increase and have an incredible effect on your Denver landscape.

Landscaping experts say the best way to protect your ornamentals is by placing a fine netting material over the foliage. However, this obviously is not feasible when you are dealing with a larger tree. If this is the case, professional-grade insecticides need to be utilized to eliminate Japanese Beetle populations. Most Denver landscaping companies will employ insecticides that are injected into the soil around the tree in order to get the formula directly into the root system. This will cause the Japanese Beetles to die after they consume the treated foliage. And of course, if they die, they won’t have a chance to lay their eggs underneath your soil, saving your Denver lawn from grubs.

If Japanese Beetles are common to your area, it is important to implement preventative care to ensure your ornamentals and Denver lawn remains protected. Call your local Denver landscape company and have an expert help you protect your Denver landscape!