Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. » Lawn care

Landscape Pros

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:14:50 +0000

Meet our Landscape Professionals!

Curt Watson and Jesse Ragan

Our Landscaping Division Offers:

Full Service Maintenance

Turf Programs

Leaf Removal

Installation of Trees and Shrubs

Mulching

And Landscaping Enhancements

Slides

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:20:47 +0000

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc.

Environmental benefits of a healthy lawn

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:33:17 +0000

Environmental benefits of a healthy lawn

Do you know the environmental benefits of a healthy lawn?

According to Joe Churchill of Rehbein Environmental Solutions, a healthy turf can reduce the amount of energy needed to operate air conditioners by 25%.

The front lawns of 8 houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning!

Having a healthy lawn also removes dust and dirt from the air, approximately 12 million tons of it annually in the U.S.

Frost Damage & Turf Care

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:09:50 +0000

Frost Damage & Turf Care…

By: Jeff Stokes

What happens to your lawn when we get a hard freeze during the winter months?

First of all like most plants, turf grass (fescue) is made up of a large portion of water. So when we get sub 32 degree temperatures, the plant cells inside the grass freeze or crystallize. This is what causes the fescue to turn brown during the cold months. It is not dead! DO NOT WORRY!!!…It may look completely brown, but once we get some warmer soil temperatures, it will grow out of this condition. The early fertilizer applications will aid in this process.

Have you noticed footprints in the lawn? This is simply where the lawn has been walked across while the grass is frozen; the plant cells are broken when stepped on thus leaving footprints…Again do not worry! The turf grass will grow out of this and recover nicely.

Steve Cooley

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:49:43 +0000

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY CERTIFIED

Steve Cooley

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) announces that Steve Cooley of Quality Tree Surgery, Inc., in Nashville, Tennessee, has earned the Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician and is now nationally certified.

Candidates pass two extensive exams covering the care of trees and shrubs in residential and commercial landscapes. Those achieving this certification have expertise in a wide selection of plants used in area landscapes and can recognize pest problems and other factors that stress ornamental foliage. Successful candidates understand the need to carefully observe foliage for the subtle signs that signal a situation to be controlled before it becomes overwhelming or uncontrollable.

Certification enhances an individual’s professionalism, demonstrates a sense of personal achievement, and increases respect and recognition in the profession.

Prepare for the Holidays

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:17:16 +0000

Prepare for the Holidays

What a relief! With the last two scorching summers that seriously had me questioning my profession, this cooler version in ‘09 was a big relief to say the least. My

anticipation for fall is still calling, but nothing compared to ‘07 and ‘08.

While enjoying the cooler weather, fall colors and tailgating, keep in mind there is no better time to plant than in the fall. Tree and shrub roots are working all winter long while the rest of the plant is dormant. This allows the plant more time to get established, improving survival rate and speed of growth.

Fall and winter is also a great time to touch up your mulch and give the shrubs one last trim-up. Although we can’t make your favorite team win, we can help your yard look good for the holidays. Go ahead and get on the schedule early, and GO VOLS!!!

By: Jesse Ragan

Icky, sticky, gooey stuff…

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:14:30 +0000

Icky, sticky, gooey stuff...

Did you experience a clear sticky substance or black mold on your deck, lawn furniture or car last summer? If you did, you may be experienc-ing the symptoms of the Asian woolly hackberry aphid, Shivaphis celti. Middle Tennessee hackberry trees experienced severe infestations during the summers of 2003 through 2006. The aphids mysteriously vanished during the summers of 2006 and 2007 and reappeared again in 2008.

Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis and sugarberry, Celtis laevigata are the host plants for this aphid. The aphids are small, about 2—2.5 millimeters long and are conspicuous due to the large amount of bluish white wax secretion from their abdomen. See Photo. The adults are winged and give the appearance of small pieces of cotton on the undersides of leaves.

Overwintering eggs hatch into females that, without fertilization, give birth to living females. The ability of females to reproduce without mating is termed parthenogensis. This ability allows young to be brought forth throughout the summer, accounting for rapid increases in population. The largest populations usually occur in late July or early August in our area. In late fall, males and females are born. After mating, the female deposits overwintering eggs, and the cycle contin-ues the following year.

During severe infestation the aphids excrete large amounts of honeydew, which coats the lower leaves and drips onto objects below the tree. The honeydew attracts ants, bees and other insects and serves as a medium for the growth of sooty mold fungus. In most cases little injury occurs to the trees; however, staining of wood, painted surfaces or fabric may occur from prolonged exposure to sooty mold.

If you are experiencing staining of decks, lawn furniture or other valuable items, you may want to consider treatment for this pest.

Prevention can be obtained by soil treatment in April or May with a systemic insecticide, such as imidicloprid. Reduction of populations can be obtained by spraying small trees with a contact insecticide or microinjection of larger trees in July through September.

The Long Race of Summer!

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:16:52 +0000

Imagine if you will, a group of racehorses
pacing in a field. They look eager for the
run; it has been a long off-season. You
can see the restlessness in their eyes, the
anxiousness in their body movements.
You can almost see them speaking with
one another, conversing about the challenges
to come and the obstacles to hurdle
over. As they gallop in the field and
spring around the practice track, you can
tell that they are driven beyond something
of duty, they are driven by a passion. Isn’t
this what makes them great and why they
are so quick and efficient on the track?
That love of the race?
They are no different than us, the workers of Quality Tree, Turf
and Landscape. When the long season ended last year and the
days became shorter and cooler we were relieved and enjoyed the
lighter, shorter work weeks! But not anymore. With spring comes
that anxiousness, that drive to once again put our skills and performance
to work. Yes, you can see it in our eyes; that push. Yes,
like an eager racehorse we have begun to pace. And why not?
This is what we love, this is our passion. You may see us during
our race in your yard, looking tired and exhausted, but also you will
see a deep satisfaction. You will see smiling faces streaked with
dirt and sweat and maybe even a thankfulness to do a job so rewarding.
For once again we are in our element – going the distance.
We are now beating our hooves on the ground waiting for the gunshot
to ring out so we may once more run the long race of spring
and summer.

By Joe Giansante

What is my Landscape Worth?

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:48:48 +0000

Most people are aware that trees and other living plants are valuable. They provide beauty to our properties, manufacture oxygen, reduce rain-fall runoff, provide sound barriers, and help us save energy by provid-ing cool shade in the summer and reducing the harsh winds in the winter. However, trees and other landscape plants are a part of your property and have a dollar value that can be measured by competent plant appraisers.

A U.S. Forest study conducted in Amherst, Massachusetts shows that real-estate appraisers estimated that trees contributed as much as 27 % increase in dollars for two thirds wooded compared to open land with no plants. Another study by Arbor National Mortgage, Inc., revealed that “ 84 % of the real estate agents feel a house on a lot with trees would be as much as 20 % more saleable than a house on a lot with no trees.” (Arbor National Mortgage 1993).

If you have trees or shrubs that have been damaged or destroyed, you may be able to recapture your loss through insurance claims, litigation, or as a deduction from your income tax. The extent of damage and how the damage occurred will determine which avenues are available to you to compensate for the lost value. If you have a portion of your property condemned for right of ways, utility easements or other condemnation proceedings, the value of any trees and shrubs on that portion of your property should be considered in determining your compensation for the loss of that property. In the event of a loss or damage to your landscape, you should obtain a written appraisal by a qualified plant appraiser to insure that you are properly compensated for the dollar value of your landscape.

Kim Cross

Benefits of Wood Chips

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:29:57 +0000

Saves Water – far less watering needed, and more rain absorption.

Saves Labor – no weeding, less time watering.

Stimulates growth – mulched trees grow faster than unmulched trees.

Keeps soil and roots from overheating in hot summers.

Eliminates injury to trunk from mower collisions.

Reduces soil compaction over roots.

Nourishes the soil by adding nutrients as it decomposes.

Reduces erosion under heavily shaded areas.

Reduces bruising of fallen fruit under fruit trees.

For FREE Wood Chips, delivered by the truck load, give us a call!!!