Ryan's Guide to Your Lawn & Landscape
December 14th, 2011
While the midwest weather has remained fairly mild so far, we all know that winter snow and ice storms are just around the corner…
Ice storms especially can pose quite a hazard; especially when large trees overhang your house or street. Dead trees and branches are likely to pose the greatest hazard during these storms, and broken or ragged branches are the most likely to develop tree-weakening diseases.
Pruning your trees late-winter or early spring will be best for most trees as it allows the tree to concentrate its stored energy on a few branches. This time of year is also a less busy time for tree surgeons and arborists.
Make sure to call your Ryan pruning experts to help prevent any damage from this year’s winter storms!
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, winter
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July 26th, 2011
If your shrubs are starting to look a bit overgrown or unruly, they may need some late summer pruning. Pruning your shrubs is an essential step in keeping them attractive and healthy.
Pruning is beneficial for removing dead or unwanted branches, encouraging flowering and density and maintaining shape and size.
The first key to successful pruning is the right tool. A pair of quality pruning shears for shaping your shrubs is necessary.
Every shrub variety has different pruning requirements, so do some research before you begin. Depending on the plant, the amount of foliage you take off, the time of year you prune and how often you prune can vary. Flowering shrubs usually require more maintenance than non-flowering plants and some plants, like evergreens, do best when pruned very sparingly.
Tags: Kansas, landscape maintenance, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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July 12th, 2011
If you’ve had trouble growing grass in certain areas of your lawn this year, take a moment and look up. As your trees grow larger, they shade your lawn.
Spring and summer bring great growth to your trees, and it is sometimes easy to miss the connection between that wonderful new shade and a bare spot in your yard.
Luckily, this problem may be possible to cure. Prune the large trees in your yard by removing low and interior branches to allow more light to filter through to your grass. Adding a little seed each fall to the bare areas can also help to fill in your lawn.
Keep in mind that trees and grass naturally compete for nutrients so it is rare that grass can grow all the way up to the trunk of a tree. To remedy this, mulch around the base of the tree in a generous circle, from the trunk to the halfway point of the canopy. For a little color, plant some shade-loving perennials in the mulched area.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, seeding
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June 22nd, 2011
To keep your shrubs looking vibrant all year long, prune them annually or biannually depending on the plant. Pruning your shrubs on a regular basis improves their health and can help maintain their size and shape, promote flowering, and minimize disease occurrence.
Image from source
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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June 17th, 2011
Why prune your backyard trees? Correct pruning gives many benefits to your trees and your landscape.
- Health: The removal of diseased, broken, or dead branches on mature trees and young trees alike prevents fungi from penetrating and infecting other areas of your tree. The removal of live branches is occasionally necessary to allow increased exposure to sunlight and circulation of air within the canopy.
- Structural: Young tree pruning is performed for structural enhancement. This helps ensure that your new trees have a healthy branch structure. Proper pruning when trees are young reduces the potential of future problems and the need for structural support as the tree grows.
- Safety: Tree pruning can protect against storm damage and the danger of falling limbs. This is very important for trees that are close to your home and along sidewalks, streets or driveways.
If you are unsure how to go about pruning on your own, a certified arborist who is knowledgable about tree pruning techniques can help. Ryan Lawn & Tree offers free estimates for tree-pruning year-round!
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, Ryan Lawn & Tree
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April 29th, 2010
A local news story recently detailed the plight of homeowners in Lenexa whose trees are being removed or transplanted to accommodate overhead power lines. You can read the full article here Lenexa neighbors fight to save trees.
This brings up a common issue – trees and power lines don’t mix. Local electric companies, largely for safety reasons, often prune or remove trees that interfere with their lines. At times, trees pruned to avoid coming into contact with power lines can look unsightly.
The best way to prevent these issues altogether is to avoid planting trees near power lines.
- Small trees, like crabapples and dogwoods, should be planted at least 20 feet from power lines.
- Medium trees, like American Holly and Lacebark Elm should be planted at least 35 feet from a power line.
- Large trees like red maples, Ginko, oaks and pines should be planted 45 feet from power lines.
Of course, if the tree is already planted too close to a line, this is not an option. In these cases, it is best to hire a professional tree company to prune the tree regularly to keep it from growing into the line. Arborists you hire will be more sensitive to the aesthetics of the tree than a company hired by the electric company.
Tags: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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April 15th, 2010
I went for a walk on Monday to enjoy the nice weather. I was thrilled to see several saucer magnolias in bloom, and several freshly mowed lawns. The rain last week has landscapes green and thriving.
Unfortunately, the rain also encourages the growth of volunteer or “weed” trees. When these pop up in the lawn, you can just mow over them. Eventually, they will stop springing back to life.
Volunteers next to your house, deck or fence line are a little more tricky. Sure, you can cut them down, but that is usually not enough to knock these plants back. Your best bet is to cut the tree as close to the ground as possible, then use a brush control product to keep the plant from reviving. (A little goes a long way.)
Eastern Red Cedars commonly come up as volunteers in our area. This one has been thriving in our side yard for a couple of years. As you can see, they grow fast!
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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April 7th, 2010
We’ve had a few thunderstorms pass through the area lately. Most of these storms have been accompanied by lots of thunder, lightening, rain and high winds. When it comes to our trees, the high winds are the most damaging.
Thankfully, this branch didn’t cause much damage when it fell.
Imagine if the tree had been closer to the house!Pruning dead or broken limbs out of your trees as soon as you notice them can prevent damage during storms. (We have customers call frequently who have had limbs fall on their cars, houses, driveways and sidewalks.) Removing these limbs in advance of storms gives you control of when and where these limbs fall.
If you are at a loss when it comes to what pruning your trees need to help protect them from storm damage, give Ryan Lawn & Tree a call or visit Trees Are Good to find a certified arborist in your area.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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October 22nd, 2009
If it has been awhile since you have had your trees pruned, have a professional arborist out to look them over before winter.
An arborist can recommend pruning to keep your home safe from falling and/or breaking limbs during winter storms.
When it comes to large tree pruning, it is better to be proactive than to react to an emergency down the line.
Visit Trees Are Good to find a certified arborist in your area. You can also request an estimate from Ryan Lawn & Tree.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, Ryan Lawn & Tree
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October 15th, 2009
Finally, prune for height. Prune top growth by cutting the stem back to a leaflet or stem. (This prevents “stubs” which make the plant look funny.) The goal is for the top growth to be pruned to essentially the same height. Step back frequently to make sure the shrub looks the way you want it.
The first shrub you prune may not look perfect, but after two or three pruning cycles, you will get the hang of it. Hand pruning may be more tedious than the hedge pruners we talked about, but the overall result and health of the plant will be much improved by taking a little extra time to do the job right.
Day 1 Day 2
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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