This is the time of the year where people have started murdering their Crape Myrtle Trees all over Metro Atlanta Landscapes. Every year it happens but hopefully it is not too late for your trees. Crape Myrtle Trees are easy to prune and for the most part we tend to over think it. Many of our Atlanta Lawn Care clients have learned through our blog posts how to properly prune these trees. One of the myths that we constantly have to renounce is that Crape Myrtle Trees won’t bloom if all of the dead blooms are not removed. This just isn’t true. Another myth is that if you don’t cut your trees back they will keep growing taller. This isn’t true either. There are many varieties of crape myrtle trees with many different sizes. Crape Myrtle Trees range from 5’ to 25’ mature and it has nothing to do with how far back you cut them each year.
There are many reasons why Atlanta residents shouldn’t murder their Crape Myrtle Trees. Many years of poor pruning practices will develop knots on the tree trunks. These knots are unattractive as the tree matures. Likewise if you don’t murder the trees you’ll have a much nicer tree trunk and structure.
When pruning Crape Myrtles in Atlanta Landscapes make sure to have a “V” shape outcome. Remove dead limbs or cross branches that are rubbing against each other. This YouTube video can better help demonstrate the technique. We hope it’s helpful to visually describe how to properly prune Crape Myrtle Trees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hZJRWkRH5M
Watering shrubs is simple! Don’t over think the process and remember that the roots go deep on most trees and shrubs. Your objective should be to slowly soak the entire root ball of the plant. Ideally having a drip system installed is the best method of watering. Drip systems will allow each plant to have a direct source of water and it will release the water slowly. The size emitter you have installed on the drip line will determine the amount of water released. Of course if you have the time, hand watering each plant individually is a great way too! We suggest watering 1 time per week for established plants during a normal weather pattern. Drought like conditions may require an additional watering. Likewise, if you have new plants, they may also need additional watering. Simply keep in mind that short watering each day is not a good practice. You should plan to soak the entire root ball with a long, slow watering. It’s really that easy! If you need more help with your irrigation system, email us! info@naturesls.com
During this time of the year, many early blooming perennials have started to fade. You’ve probably noticed those once beautiful flowers are now turning brown. Go ahead and start dead heading to improve the appearance of the plant. ‘Dead heading’ is the practice of removing old blooms off a plant. Depending on the plant, dead heading can also help promote a few extra blooms. Some flowering shrubs, such as roses, will need to be dead headed all spring and summer to promote new blooms. If possible, when you prune off the dead blooms, try and make the cuts below the canopy of the plant. Dead heading is a simple task that can bring great benefits to the garden!
Pruning is one of the most important chores to be done in the landscape. If you do your own pruning, you know that it is very labor intensive, especially if done in the correct manner. If you hire others to prune, you know how difficult it can be to find someone that will do it correctly. If you can find someone that knows how to prune correctly, they usually have to charge so much more to do so that you may be tempted to go the less desired route.
As a result, shrubs that look and perform better if “pruned” are often “sheared”, which challenges future pruning and often leads to pest problems that wouldn’t otherwise occur.
To make matters more difficult, we are often trying to keep plants that grow tall when left alone, to a height of approximately four feet which results in the need for still more pruning.
Disposing of pruned clippings can also be a problem as landfill operators are being forced to restrict the intake of landscape waste. To help manage pruning needs, some landscapers have begun to rely on Growth Regulators. Properly used, these products can reduce pruning needs of some plant species to at least half the time needed prior to treatment. This is a link for more information on this topic http://www.umass.edu/umext/floriculture/fact_sheets/greenhouse_management/pgr.html
Proper watering procedures will give you the benefits that we have all come to appreciate when a plant grows and prospers. All plants should be watered by hand immediately after being planted. We strongly suggest using a Dramm Rain Wand. The Rain Wand is the most effective tool to help you evenly and deeply water plants while giving them the amount that they need without blasting away soil with the open end of a hose.
When watering trees you should give them 2 minutes of watering for every 5 feet of height (using a Rain Wand with the hose bib open all the way). A 12 ft. tall tree, for example, would require 5 minutes of watering. Other plants need 30 seconds of watering (using a Rain Wand with the hose bib open all the way).
New plantings need watering once every 3 days using the methods described above. Every site is different, though, so the best way to tell whether or not your plants need watering is by sticking your finger down 2-3″ into the soil to check for dryness. A shady area will tend to stay wet longer and will not need as much water as a sunny location, high on a hill, where the wind helps dry out the ground.
Proper hand watering is important even if you have a permanent irrigation system. All areas of your garden may not receive the exact amount of water it needs from your system.
Refrain from the urge to water your new plantings with an automatic rotating sprinkler, and save this kind of watering device for the turf (they look cute, but generally will not help you with the deep-water penetration that your new plantings need).
A simple investment in a rain gauge will be of great benefit to you as you take care of your new plantings. By monitoring the gauge, you can more accurately tell whether or not the monsoon you just drove through coming from the airport actually did more than just wet the pavement at your house.
Unless your plants are completely dried out (on death’s door), refrain from watering in the evenings and late nights. Watering between the hours of 4am and 9am prevents problems such as funguses and diseases. Enjoy your garden!
Proper mulching is very important for all types of plantings. In nature, fallen leaves, sticks, pine needles, etc. act as mulch. In our man-made landscapes, we must add our own if the plants are to thrive. After planting, spread a 3″ layer of pine needles (also referred to as pine straw) on top of the ground unless planting annuals (use a 1″ layer of pine bark mini-nuggets for them). If you prefer the looks of hardwood chips or pine bark, apply a 2-3″ layer. Pine needles work best in planting beds around Metro Atlanta, as they tend to let water and air pass through to the soil better than chips and bark. Hardwood chips and pine bark tends to float in heavier rain, but pine needles interlock and stay in place.
Mulch helps keep the ground moist around your plants by minimizing soil temperature and water evaporation in the hot Georgia summers. In the winter, mulch helps insulate the soil from freezing temperatures. Proper mulch depth also slows weed growth by keeping the sun from warming up the soil and encouraging weed seeds from germinating in your planting beds. Finally, it keeps your soil in place. When rain falls on the mulch instead of the bare ground, the water essentially is slowed down. It filters through the mulch gently onto and through the soil rather than slamming down on it and causing erosion.
Prior to applying mulch in your planting island, dig a 2″ deep trench at the edge of the bed. After you spread your pine needles simply tuck the pine straw along the edge of the bed into the trench with a flat shovel to give the bed a crisp finished look. This 2″ trench will also help keep your mulch from washing out of the bed during periods of heavy rain.
Every 9-12 months add a 1″ layer to insure that the decaying mulch on the bottom layer is compensated for, and to give your beds a fresh look. The most common cause of weeds in planting beds is allowing your mulch layer to become too thin. Be aware, however, that you don’t add too much mulch since this can be detrimental as well. An over-abundance of mulch encourages the plant to send roots into the mulch, searching for water. Root growth in the mulch layer makes the plant susceptible to damage from freezes and droughts. Send us your questions by visiting our website www.NaturesLS.com.
If you have a specimen tree that is critical to you for any reason, consider having lightning protection installed. Like insurance, you may never need it, but it’ll sure be nice having it if you do. Lightning protection is a very specialized area of Arboriculture and should only be performed by a reputable company that has experience in this work. Looking through a directory of the National Arborist Association or The International Society of Arboriculture – Southern Chapter is a good place to start (both have web sites).
Now is a great time to cut back roses. You’ve waited long enough and now is a safe time to make those important cuts to the plant. This is a great video link to better demonstrate how to cut back roses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWSbJNGF-E&feature=related
With the extremes in weather that we have had, you may not have been out in the landscape long enough to tally any cold injury to landscape trees and shrubs. No worries! Cold injury only becomes easier to spot over time, as tissue death is realized. Ordinarily, cold injury occurs when plants are “triggered” to grow prematurely, as a result of an out of season warm spell during the winter months. In this scenario, plant sap flows upward and cell water content increases. In the event of a freeze, respective cellular water freezes and therefore ruptures cellular walls, resulting in cold injury. However, the weather this winter has remained consistently cold. So the scenario above has not occurred, at least not yet. Still, cold damage is manifesting with some ornamentals within the landscape. Examples of plants that have exhibited cold injury include Wax Myrtle and Tobira Pittosporum.
If you are planning on pruning Crape Myrtles, NOW is the time! Take a few minutes to watch this video on the proper way to prune these trees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hZJRWkRH5M
Many professional landscapers and homeowners incorrectly prune Crape Myrtles every year. We see these beautiful trees chopped down in our neighbor’s yards or in the grocery store parking lot. Share this video with others and help us stop our fellow citizens from “murdering” these great trees.
