Do you know what kind of trees, shrubs, and plants you have in your yard? If you don’t, then you may not be aware of the kinds of insects and disease that can invade your property.
MFS has prepared informational files to better educate our staff and clients.
"Thank you so much for all the information you provide – the watering information, the emails and the flier. I read it all and have learned so much."
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Many tree species are not adapted to our alkaline clay soils, which can limit access to certain nutrients in the soil, especially iron. An iron deficiency that causes yellowing is known as iron chlorosis.
Trees are great at moving water and nutrients up and down the trunk, but have difficulty moving them around the trunk. Dieback on one side can indicate root damage on that side, such as from a girdling root, trenching, or excavation.
It is best to prune most trees in winter, when the trees, their pests, and diseases are all dormant. Many flowering trees, however, can be pruned at different times of the year to affect flower production.
When the weather is cool and the ground is not frozen. In Missouri, late fall and early spring are common planting times.
Properly mulching your trees is one of the best ways to improve their long-term health. Mulch provides many benefits: it insulates the soil from extreme temperatures, retains water during drought, suppresses weeds that could compete for water and nutrients, and reduces soil compaction and lawnmower damage.
Different plants prefer different amounts of mulch, but usually 2-4 inches deep. Another factor to consider is the width of your mulch ring; trees usually have roots that extend beyond the reach of the longest branches, and can benefit from mulch anywhere under the canopy. The mulch should be in a ring, not piled against the trunk, to prevent decay. Picture a donut rather than a volcano.
Vines can damage trees in several ways. They compete for water and nutrients in the soil. They can hold moisture against the trunk and make it more susceptible to decay. They can shade out the leaves of the tree, and eventually add enough weight and wind resistance to make your tree more hazardous in storms.
Topping a tree refers to removing the entire top, or many large branches or trunks to drastically reduce the size of the tree. It is extremely stressful to the tree and is almost never the best option. Removing so much of a tree at once reduces its ability to grow and restructure itself. New limbs that emerge from topping cuts are often fast-growing and weakly-attached, making the tree more hazardous in the future.
Spikes are not an ideal way to fertilize your trees. They contain a small amount of fertilizer that is released quickly and shallowly in the soil. In contrast, deep-root fertilization provides a full dose, is long-acting, and penetrates the soil deep enough to reach most of the root system.
Many do, it depends on the species. In Missouri, some of our more common trees with taproots include redbud, white oak, black walnut, and hickories.
It depends on the tree and condition, but typically every other year. A tree in rich, healthy forest soil may never need to be fertilized, while the same tree may need to be fertilized every year if it’s in poor soil and surrounded by pavement.
Hedge maple, hornbeam, and many evergreens (arborvitae, pine, yew, spruce) are all good choices for a visual screen.
Baldcypress, dawn redwood, swamp white oak, willow oak, river birch, and blackgum can all handle wet areas.
Post oak, white oak, persimmon, chokecherry, and hoptree can all handle dry, rocky areas.
There are many options, but maples, serviceberry, ginkgo, zelkova, crabapple, and baldcypress are all good choices for fall color.
Willow, tuliptree, many maples, arborvitae, and pin oak are all relatively fast growers.
Small differences in sunlight, moisture, soil texture, and nutrient levels can cause the same tree species to grow at different rates.
Several fungal diseases have been affecting our spruce trees in recent years. One of our ISA Certified Arborists can collect a tissue sample to determine the exact species and help you develop a treatment plan.
The most likely culprit is spider mites. Spider mites can reproduce very quickly and impact a wide variety of plants. There are several treatment options available. Contact us and we’ll help you come up with a treatment plan.
The short answer is that you can’t tell just by looking at it.
The long answer is that trees and animals grow in different ways. Animals usually grow quickly at the beginning, and level off as they reach maturity. Some animals, such as many fish, can continue growing at a linear rate indefinitely, and you can make a rough guess at their age based on their size.
Trees are entirely different. They usually grow slowly when first planted, and can put on exponentially more growth each year as they get larger and put out more leaves. The largest trees can gain hundreds of pounds a year! Their growth rate is dependent on both species and site conditions. Fast-growing trees in the tropics can reach 100 feet tall in just a few decades, while the oldest trees in the world (bristlecone pines) are often less than 20 feet tall. The only way to accurately age a tree is to count the rings after it is cut.
Most established shade trees prefer about one inch of water per week on average. They prefer deeper, less frequent watering compared to turf grasses.
We were very pleased with the service and particularly the knowledge & professionalism of your staff. We would certainly recommend you.
We are very pleased with the plantings suggested by and picked out by Mike. The men arrived on time to plant the boxwood and witch hazel tree; dug out the stump and cleaned up. They were pleasant and helpful – we couldn’t have asked for a better team.
We were very pleased and impressed with Dan and his team. We love our new trees and garden.
Thank you so much for all the information you provide – the watering information, the emails and the flier. I read it all and have learned so much. My magnolia trees look surprisingly healthy considering the way they looked when I first called.
Kevin Seger provided expert advice and recommendations about tree maintenance and removal. He listened to my needs and provided a thorough and affordable proposal. On the day of the job, I was very impressed with crew leader, Dave and his team (Felix & Adam). They were professional, efficient, hard-working and very neat about clean-up.
An outstanding job on the four trees and clean-up after the work and removal. We would be happy to recommend your services to everyone – the best tree service we ever have had here in St. Louis.
Kevin was able to come out the same day I called and a crew was out the next day! Great prompt service. I was not at home when the work was done but results show they did a fine job.
Everyone came through as usual when I needed the crew to come back & take out the balance of the fire blight. They did not have a bucket the first time and were so nice and professional about coming back again.
Thank you again for responding to our urgent need after the storm took down our 2 trees & deposited them across our driveway. Your crew, as always, did a fabulous job. Professional, courteous & it is a pleasure doing business with your company.
We appreciate your knowledge and professionalism. Your employees are prompt and courteous and willing to do whatever needs to be done to complete the project. Cleanup was great.
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