We at Unique Tree and Lawn believe that a healthy tree is an investment.Trees do not only purify air and give welcome shade, they also increase property values.

TREE MAINTENANCE

Plant a tree and nature will take care of the rest? Wrong! In communities, trees face their worst enemy...PEOPLE. Learning about your tree can help you become your tree's best friend.

To have the best-looking trees in the neighborhood:

1. Plant the right tree in the right place. Some trees love the sun while others don't.
2. Water and mulch newly planted trees.
3. Protect trees from mowers, weedeaters, and other equipment. Avoid growing grass right up to the base of the tree.
4. The soil should be firm around the trunk, but don't pack the soil tightly when planting. Mulch around the tree to avoid soil compaction and root suffocation. Leave roots alone.
5. Prune according to accepted methods.
6. Correct pruning is the best thing you can do for your tree. Topping, or removing a majority of the tree's branches is bad for the tree.

PRUNING AND SHAPING
In order to do a proper job of pruning, you must have some understanding of the tree. Pines, for example, are often pruned incorrectly. Pines' growth buds are located at the ends of branches, and if the buds are removed, the branch won't grow.

1. The old recommendation for removing a large branch was to cut it off flush with the trunk. Now experts advise leaving the branch collar-the swollen area just outside the branch bark ridge, where the branch and trunk tissue meet. If the cut is made at the proper spot, a callus of new tissue will eventually grow over the wound. Begin removing a large branch by first making a small cut on the underside of the branch 8" to 12" from the trunk.
   
2. Next, cut off most of the branch, leaving a foot or so, including the first cut you made.
   
3. With the final cut you'll remove the stub up to the branch collar. If you try to remove a large, heavy branch in one stroke, it may fall from the tree before it's cut all the way through, tearing the branch collar.

Do not seal the pruning cuts; wound dressings and pruning paints don't speed healing of the cut and may encourage decay. The tree's sap will seal off the wound, and ultimately callus tissue will grow over it. If the weather has been dry, water the tree to increase the flow of sap.

Palm trees are a love/hate affair that you may see first in the spaces between, as you crash into, speeding into the color of the night, because no one wants to be a fifth avenue heartache but then everything is as good as it gets...

Maintaining a Palm Tree

Once planted, a palm tree is easily maintained with just a little effort and some tender loving care. The most important factor in a palm tree's health is soil. Compacted, nutrient-deficient soils found in most urban environments do not contain the components necessary for a palm to truly thrive. As steward to your trees, it is your responsibility to maintain healthy soil. You can do that in two ways.

1. Adding Mycorrhizal Fungi
   Mycorrhizal fungi coexist with plants in nature, colonizing the root systems. In exchange for food, these fungi provide the plant with nutrients and moisture. Effectively, they can extend the root area of a plant by up to 1000% helping it survive under conditions of stress. Soil in many urban areas and in most potted plants lacks this essential organism. By adding the correct mycorrhizal fungi to the soil, you are giving your trees a vital boost.
   
   
2. Fertilizing
   Palm trees require a large variety of nutrients to survive. Most of the common problems with result from lack of nutrients or improper fertilization. Specific nutrient deficiencies should be treated with specific fertilizers.
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3. Other Care Concerns
   The most important consideration is to ensure that your palm receives sufficient water for healthy growth. In desert areas and in the absence of regular rainfall, periodic watering is essential. Slow drip or bubble type watering over a number of hours is better than a simple drenching with a hose. As for how often, this will depend on the climate, season and rainfall frequency. In many areas, twice a month during the summer decreasing to once every six weeks during the colder season should be enough.

As they grow, the older fronds of palm trees will turn brown, die and, eventually, fall off. For aesthetic reasons, you may wish to speed the process along a little by pruning off of the dead fronds. Use some caution when pruning a palm tree. Prune only the dead fronds and remember not to cut too close to the trunk. In the case of a large tree, this is a job that should be left to a tree maintenance specialist.

Finally, be careful when using lawn mowers and other gardening equipment around your palm tree. The bark is easily damaged and the resulting wounds are entry points for insects and disease.