So what are shrubs? Shrubs are a small or medium-sized woody plant that are usually larger than flowers but smaller than trees. They usually have many stems as opposed to the one stem or trunk you would find on a tree. They may reach anywhere from one foot to 15 feet tall and can be evergreen (keep needles/leaves in the winter) or deciduous (drop leaves in the fall).

Shrubs serve many purposes in yards, such as providing shade for smaller plants. They also add foliage, color, texture and structure to a garden. Hydrangeas are the most popular form of shrub because of their beautiful, long-lasting flowers. Other popular shrubs include butterfly bushes, azaleas, roses, and lilacs.

If you plan on planting shrubs in your yard, you should look for varieties that will grow well in your environmental conditions. Usually native species are the best.

Some tips on taking care of shrubs include:

• Don’t plant them too close to a house, walkway, or drive way. Their roots need some space to grow.
• Pruning occasionally will help keep the shrub’s shape and size.
• Spring is a good time to prune some shrubs before they begin growing leaves.
• Flowering shrubs should be pruned after they bloom so you don’t cut off flower buds before they bloom. This also encourages them to produce more buds and bloom again.
• Watering shrubs is one of the most important things to do, especially if they are young.
• Do not fertilize newly planted shrubs because it can cause weak and spindly growth.
• Add mulch to help the plant maintain moisture and add micronutrients to the soil.
• If your shrub is not growing well, cultivate the soil and add some mulch or compost. Only then if they are still not performing well, try adding fertilizer.
• Add supplemental support to shrubs when they are young and if they are not growing straight.

Shrubs can be a great addition to your lawn or garden. Their lovely flowers and beautiful leaves are relatively easy to take care of and add much dimension to a landscape. By working with a Gates Mills tree company like Vancuren Tree Service, you can get the help you need to ensure your shrubs’ health and let them thrive.

If you want to plant trees to attract wildlife or create a wildlife garden, many arborists will encourage you to choose native trees and plants. This is because native trees are accustomed to the local environmental conditions. You probably won’t need to give them additional water or amend the soil to help them grow. Native trees are also naturally resistant to the environment’s pests, and provide sufficient food and shelter for native wildlife.

You can use many different plants and trees to attract all kinds of wildlife. These will provide food, cover, and nests for a variety of species. It is best to choose plants that can provide a food source for wildlife all year long. For most birds and mammals, you can plant trees and other woody plants that produce fruit and nuts. Also make sure to include plants that provide fruit through the winter and into early spring because this is the time of year when food is most scarce. Trees that help with this include hawthorn, crabapple, holly, high bush cranberry, and staghorn sumac. Larger trees like oaks, hickories, and beech, as well as nut trees provide food for squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and some birds. These trees, which are also usually larger, give shade to nest sites and birds in the summer as well.

It is recommended to include a variety of plants so you have diverse species and sizes for diverse species and sizes of animals. This is because different species have different preferences in terms of the location and amount of cover. Dead and dying trees, as well as fallen logs and branches can actually provide food and shelter for smaller mammals and salamanders so if you want to create a wildlife garden, leave these things as is unless they are a hazard. Piles of brush or rocks can also provide cover and nest sites for smaller animals. Trailing ground cover, including grape vines and Virginia creeper can camouflage sources of food and cover as well. Deciduous shrubs that have dense foliage are also good for wildlife. They are an excellent cover in addition to producing food.

Wildlife landscaping is also good for larval caterpillars, which turn into butterflies and moths. Woody species can provide a food source for the caterpillars, which will attract butterflies later in the season.

Ensuring that there are nesting places is vital for wildlife. Nesting places can be trees or shrubs that offer cover from predators and harsh weather. These can also serve as places for birds to build nests and raise offspring. Cavities in living and dead trees both make excellent nesting sites for many species, both birds and mammals. If you don’t have cavities, animals that usually use cavities for nesting will use bird houses and nest boxes too, so you can add those if you have no tree cavities.

WIldlife landscaping is also beneficial during the winter. These plants can provide nest sites and shelter from the wind and cold. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide great shelter for wildlife, especially when their branches are closer to the ground. Planting these trees on the northwest side can block cold winds and provide better shelter for wildlife. Birds and small mammals will use pines, hemlocks, and evergreen shrubs as year-round habitats so they can hide from predators and protect themselves from harsh weather.

Arborists recommend letting nature guide you if you are building a landscape to attract wildlife. You should also protect the plants and trees that are already present. They also encourage you to ask many questions about the plants you intend to add to the landscape.

• Will this plant produce fruit or nuts?
• Will this plant need to be cross-pollinated in order to yield a food supply?
• Will this plant thrive in my region?
• How much water does this plant need?
• How much space does it need?
• What type of soil does this plant need?
• How should I plant and care for it?

Landscaping for wildlife can be a very rewarding experience. Watching birds and squirrels enjoy your plants and thrive is incredible. By working with Hunting Valley tree companies like Vancuren Tree Service, you can create and take care of a beautiful landscape that attracts a variety of wildlife.

In addition to beauty and shade, trees just make life nicer. Spending time outdoors and among trees can help reduce stress. In fact, studies revealed that hospital patients recovered quicker when they had easy access to outdoor spaces with trees. Another study showed that children who spent time outdoors retained more information. Also, many people love to plant trees as memorials or to commemorate special events.

Not only do you benefit from planting trees in your yard, your neighbors can too, when shade or privacy enhance their property as well. Well-placed trees also have the ability to increase property values. Shade can also slow down water evaporation for lawns.

Planting trees can also have a positive impact on your entire community. For example, streets that were lined with trees have slower, safer traffic. It can also help block unwanted views and noises from busy highways and streets. Additionally, trees can make the entire neighborhood and buildings more aesthetically pleasing. Trees are also found to reduce violence and help create more economic opportunities by creating a need for jobs that include maintaining trees. They can increase traffic in business areas.

Trees have major environmental effects too. It can reduce the urban heat island effect by evaporating, cooling, and reducing the amount of sunlight that impacts parking lots and large buildings. It can help improve air quality by filtering dust and pollutants, like ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. As everyone knows, trees are also a supplier of oxygen. They also help reduce run-off of stormwater, reduce erosion and pollution in waterways, and could help reduce effects of flooding. They also provide habitats and nutrients for local wildlife.

Strategically placed trees can help with heating and cooling your home. In the summer, trees planted on the south and west sides can provide cooling shade. In the winter, evergreen trees and shrubs planted on the northside of the house and along the foundation can provide windbreak and can reduce cooling effects of wind.

Trees also help reinforce soil by reducing erosion, increasing fertility, and helping soil retain moisture. Fallen leaves can reduce the temperature of the soil and prevent it from losing moisture. Decaying leaves fall to the ground and give nutrients to the trees as well as encourage micro-organism development.

A handful of other benefits include shielding people from UV rays, marking the seasons, producing much-needed wood for fires or building, and providing fruit.

Not only do trees provide shade and beauty to our lawns, but they have countless other benefits as well. Get a hold of a Kirtland Hills tree service company, such as Vancuren Tree Service, to help you take care of your trees so you can reap all the benefits they have to offer!

Prune Dead and Unsafe Branches

Remove Rot and Cavities

When it comes to summer tree safety, early detection is the key to helping your trees survive. If you notice any potential problems, it is best to call a tree expert to inspect as soon as possible. Timing can make all the difference when it comes to keeping a tree alive.

At VanCuren Tree Services, we care about the health of your trees and the safety of you and your home. We’ve been providing tree services to the Cleveland Heights neighborhood for years and would be happy to assist you with answering any questions or to schedule a free inspection. We also specialize in tree trimming and tree removal.

Girdling roots can wrap partially or fully around a tree trunk and it is not always noticeable from the surface.  Linden and maple trees are most susceptible to this problem, but it can affect any type of tree.

Usually, the cause for girdling roots stems from following improper planting methods such as:

• Failing to loosen up circling roots before planting
• Digging to a hole too small for your tree – the tree does not have enough room to spread out
• Making the planting hole too deep – roots will climb back up to the surface because they cannot find enough air and water

The issue could also be completely hidden underneath the surface and is therefore harder to detect and treat. If one of your trees has girdled roots it means that nutrients are not properly being dispersed throughout the tree roots. It also hinders a tree’s ability to move water back up to the leaves. There is a possibility that your tree has girdled roots if you find:

• Dead or leafless branches in the canopy
• A thin tree canopy
• Dropping leaves or premature change in color before fall

The number one thing to look for is if one side of the trunk appears to be going straight into the ground, similarly to how a pole protrudes from the ground. In other words, there will be no familiar and natural outward flare to the tree trunk.

Have more questions about girdling roots or think your tree may be suffering from this issue? Ask any of our experts at VanCuren Tree Services by giving us a call. We proudly provide tree services to Cleveland Heights neighborhoods. We also specialize in tree removal and tree trimming.

Let’s find out which practices are actually encouraging or hurting your tree’s growth.

Mulch Mountain

Yes! Adding a pile or mountaineering the mulch around a tree trunk will suffocate it. This locks in too much moisture which weakens the tree’s bark and leads to a weak foundation. The proper way to mulch around trees is to leave a moat about 2 or 3 inches away from the tree trunk.

Tree girdling

Although this method may prompt your tree to produce more fruit, it will more likely kill your tree. By taking off a layer of bark, your tree is more exposed to things like bug problems. Also, cutting off pieces of bark hinders a tree’s ability to transport nutrients from the tip of the leaves all the way down to the roots. Avoid this outdated practice!

Closely planted trees

Give them the space they need – pay attention to the recommended space between plants and other structures based upon how big the tree is expected to grow.

Looking for more expert advice on how to help your Cleveland trees grow big and strong? Give the VanCuren Tree Service team a call for advice, to schedule a free inspection, or for tree services such as tree removal and tree trimming.

Trees cannot possibly keep all of its roots while being moved, which means that the process begins with tree root pruning. Tree root pruning will create a new root ball which will be transported with the rest of the tree to the new location. It is hard to give any sort of recommendation as to the amount of tree roots to prune because every tree’s root system is different. Obviously, try not to cut too many roots and call an arborist at VanCuren to cut them if you are not quite sure at any point.

Planting large trees is a dangerous task for yourself and for your tree, so the professionals at VanCuren strongly suggest only trying to transplant small or young trees. We would consider a small tree to have roots that are no thicker than two inches wide and/or are two inches in diameter. If you are looking to transplant a bigger or older tree, check with an arborist first to assess the situation and then let the professionals do the transplanting for you. This way, there is less chance of something going awry or of killing your tree. Keep in mind that when transplanting a tree, even when following best practices, there is no guarantee that your tree will survive.

Your tree may even survive a transplant initially and show no signs of harm, but the determining factor will be the ability of the tree’s roots to regrow. This is why it is important to keep enough of the roots attached when trimming and to use clean cuts when root pruning.

Cleveland tree company VanCuren tree care is here to help you with transplanting your tree and to offer advice. . Our team of experts can also provide an inspection of your tree before the transplantation process to make sure your tree is in good health to transplant. We also provide other tree services like tree trimming and tree removal, just give us a call!

The best tip our tree experts can give you when looking to plant new trees and shrubs successfully is to plan ahead. Once a tree is fully grown it is exponentially harder to fix problems that could have been avoided right from the start.

Other things to consider:

• Looking to plant a tree or shrub near the foundation of your home in a flowerbed? Be sure to choose a tree with non-invasive roots, otherwise the roots can grow and interfere with the foundation of your home. Your trees need the proper space for the roots and canopy to grow so that it won’t fall over, potentially onto your house.
• Get the professionals to mark off locations where there are underground utilities like power lines or underground pipes.
• Trees that are expected to be taller need a proper amount of room to widen and spread out. Plan accordingly so that you don’t end up with branches hanging over your house.

During your planning also choose a species that will fit the parameters you are working with. The expected size of the tree, once it has matured, will help you figure out how far to space your plants. So say you find a tree that is expected to grow 15 feet tall, you would then plant the tree at least 15 feet away from other pieces of your landscaping layout.

If you are focused more on adding shrubs to your yard, you won’t need as much room as a tree. If your shrub will grow to be 6 feet wide, you can plan to leave half the amount of space (3 feet) between your shrub and the next landscaping element.

Want more landscaping and planning input from an expert? Our team of experts at VanCuren Tree Services can provide advice based upon years of experience. We also specialize in Cleveland Heights tree trimming, tree removal, and more! Whatever it may be, we are ready to help with your next project.

Do your best to avoid the peak heat hours by mowing in the early morning or early evening. When you do mow, move your mower setting to at least 3 inches. As nice as short grass looks, a couple more inches will help your grass handle the heat better. Another way to go about it is to only mow a third of the total height of your lawn.

Watering is another given to keeping your grass nice and green. Only water your grass when it needs it. If possible, make a point to water your grass in the early morning. This way, the soil will have time throughout the course of the day to drink up the water before the hot temperatures evaporate it away. Avoid watering in the evening — this could turn your brown spot situation into a fungal disease! To check if your grass needs watering, walk around a patch of grass and if it keeps its imprinted, matted form then it is time to water. Alternatively, your grass will also need water when the color changes from bright green to a gray-blue color.

Most grassy green lawns in the Cleveland area will have cool season grass. Just to be sure, double check the grass around your home to see if it is cool season or warm season grass. For the best results, you should fertilize depending on which type of grass is growing in your lawn. If you have cool season grass, do not fertilize in the summer as it will set off too much growth for your grass to stay green. Or if you have warm season grass growing around your home, fertilize in the summer so that it can help keep your grass green during its peak season of growth.

Still unsure what the best course of action is for those dry, brown grass spots in your yard? Give VanCuren Tree Services a call to answer any of your questions. Our team is experienced and knowledgeable about landscaping in Cleveland. We also offer other services such as tree trimming and tree removal as well. Call us today for a free estimate.

Pros of buying a house with mature trees

• Energy savers – According to the USDA Forest Service, “Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air-conditioning costs. Evergreens that block winter winds can save 3 percent on heating”. Trees are a natural way to save energy in your home!
• Privacy and noise reduction – Trees serve as a way to offer privacy from neighbors, but they also reduce noise by 50% according to the USDA National Agroforestry.
• Shade – Trees offer natural shade and can cut down on cooling expenses if they are located in the right spots
• Home value – A house with a nicely landscaped yard with trees is aesthetically pleasing and adds to the value of your new home.

Cons of having big trees near your new home

• Dead trees – having a dead tree on a property is always a large risk. You never know when the tree couple topple or large branches could snap off and damage your house or property. We suggest checking for dead trees and removing before signing or moving in if possible.
• How close is too close? Check to make sure that the trees are not affecting the foundation of the house. You can usually tell when branches are touching or overhanging the house. Also, the trees should not interfere with any cables above or below ground.

If you have your eye on a house to buy and need the trees to be inspected, our arborists at Cleveland tree company VanCuren Tree Services are happy to provide a free inspection! Call us to get started or for any other tree services like tree trimming and tree removal.