LandscapExpert Tip of the Week, June 4, 2012

Factors Contributing to Landscape Decline: Plant Abuse

For years we’ve heard the phrase, “Plants are like people!” Landscape plants and particularly trees in public locations are often wounded and vandalized. Some of this is malicious, like the $43K worth of unspeakable vandalism recently at the Seattle public arboretum.  

Other abuse is inadvertent, but opens wounds and gives disease organisms an entry:

• Trees are used as posts and eventually girdled
• Signs are nailed to trunks
• Initials are carved in trunks  
• Lawn Mowers and string trimmers can damage bark (Crabapple LandscapExperts call this “lawnmower blight” with tongue in cheek)
• Cars hit trees scraping both trunk and car

 These are just a few of the plant abuse factors that contribute to landscape decline. 

LandscapExperts Tip of the Week, May 21, 2012

Factors Contributing to Landscape Decline: Diminished Water, Light + Space

Over time, landscape plants can overgrow their spaces, and can feel the competition pressure from surrounding plants for physical space, light, nutrients, water; all essential elements required for plant health.

• Hedges or shrubs once branched all the way to the ground may loose branches that were shaded out
• Flowers that once enveloped a shrub may be limited to the upper and outer ends of the branches. 
• Some landscape plants are more vigorous than others, and will out-compete for scarce resources such as light or moisture
• Still others can lose the competition game because they were not originally selected for the location, or perhaps the conditions have changed (increasing shade is a given).

Your Crabapple LandscapExperts Team can sort this type of landscape decline out for you, and give the properties you manage new curb appeal.

LandscapExpert Tip of the Week, May 14, 2012

Early Recognition of Landscape Pests and Diseases

Without thorough monitoring by your CrabappleLandscapExperts Team, by the time property managers or Homeowners Associations realize there is a problem, the plants are disfigured or too damaged to be saved.

• Sometimes a problem is misidentified or misdiagnosed and allowed to progress beyond repair
• Physiological damage to landscape plants occurs as the result of environmental causes like air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil or drought
• Other damage can be caused by living pests such as deer, chipmunks or voles that damage the landscape plants

Crabapple can pin the blame on the correct pathogen and institute the right corrective regimen. 

LandscapExperts Tip of the Week, May 7, 2012

Factors Contributing to Landscape Decline: Pests + Diseases

A good way to prevent or lessen the effects of landscape plant problems is with our routine monitoring. Crabapple LandscapExperts Team takes a few minutes every other week or so to monitor the landscapes we service for insect and disease problems. In this way we reduce the decline of the landscape plants of our clients.    

If their presence is detected early before pests become widespread or have inflicted much damage, they are much more easily suppressed.

LandscapExpert Tip of the Week, April 30

Damage Due to Weather or Natural Disaster

A variety of natural disasters, ranging from hail to high winds, tornadoes, ice breakage, lightening strikes, flooding or split trunks, can occur suddenly to landscapes in good health.

Although little can be done to protect plants from natural occurrences, quick corrective action will be taken by Crabapple LandscapExperts. Uprooted plants can be replanted or removed, broken limbs can be properly pruned flush, and saturated or eroded soils can be restored. Set-up a contract with the responsive folks on the Crabapple LandscapExperts Team before hand.  

LandscapExpert Tip of the Week, April 23

Reaction to Changes in the Landscape

If additional construction changes are planned for an existing landscape, Crabapple Landscape Experts can help property managers minimize potential damage to the landscape. Plants can be moved, pruned back, or in some cases, even removed prior to the construction.

Changes occurring on neighboring properties, little or no control over the results may be possible, but even then, our LandscapExperts Team can offer suggestions.

LandscapExperts Tip of the Week, April 16, 2012

Changes in the Landscape

A landscape is not static, but is ever-evolving. Trees grow larger and create more shade; flowering shrubs that once bloomed profusely in sun may fail to bloom; an area that’s used for many years as a path becomes devoid of vegetation due to soil compaction, and so forth. Additional construction such as pools, storage buildings, patios, fences, gates, sidewalks can affect the landscape plants.

When a homeowner association plans to make a change that could impact the landscape, Crabapple LandscapExperts can minimize injury to existing plants.