Fall pruning season often starts with leaf fall. Pruning properly helps trees stay healthy, controls or directs growth, and cleans up after a wind or snowstorm. Not pruning can harm your trees long term by creating codominant leaders, and create structural issues with the trees long term habit.
How to make pruning cuts. Photo courtesy of Missouri Extension.
How To Make Pruning Cuts
First, let’s talk about the proper way to make a pruning cut. First, cut upward on the bottom of the branch to be pruned about a few inches out from the branch collar. The branch collar is the donut-shaped ring where a branch exits the trunk. Cut up about a third of the way through the branch. Then, on the top of the branch, cut about an inch or two further out from the trunk than the undercut. Finally, trim the cut to just outside the branch collar. The undercut keeps the branch from tearing away from the tree and damaging it in the process.
Controlling or Directing Growth
Trees need pruning when young so that they develop the proper shape and grow strong branches. First, remove any sprouts near the ground, often called suckers. Next, remove any fast-growing vertical sprouts from the branches. These are often called water sprouts. Next, cut any branches that are rubbing on another branch.
Finally, cut anything growing inward. These cuts should leave your tree with an open structure with branches that are strong. The open structure lets air and light into the center of the tree, helping to prevent diseases. It is best to remove no more than 25% of the tree in one pruning season.
Trees should never be topped. This way of pruning is destructive to the tree’s health and appearance. Crape myrtles are often topped. We refer to this as “crape murder.” Topping should be unnecessary if you take care to plant the right tree for a given space and prune it with intention to fit the space.
Pruning for Health
Check all the branches of the tree for disease or pest damage. Remove diseased or damaged branches to stop or slow the spread of disease. Remove branches that may fall on a structure or block a sidewalk, so they do not injure someone.
Proper pruning helps prevent storm damage.
After Storm Damage
Proper pruning helps prevent storm damage. Sometimes, however, even properly pruned trees are damaged by big storms. Removing broken branches promptly after a storm, regardless of the time of year, helps the tree heal. Broken branches can allow disease causing fungus or bacteria to enter the tree. These branches also detract from the appearance of the tree.
We Can Help
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping has found that many people are afraid to ruin their trees by pruning the wrong way or they simply don’t have time to prune. If you enroll in our garden care subscription, we will help take care of pruning your ornamental trees and shrubs for you. If you have larger canopy shade trees that need help, we partner with several certified arborists in town to help with the bigger jobs. Call our office at (816) 825-2524 or visit our website www.RoyalCreationsKC.com to get help with your pruning needs.
Grubs are the larva of May/June beetles, masked chafers, Japanese beetles, and green June beetles. While the adult beetles can cause problems, it is the larva that cause dead spots in the lawn.
Grubs are white insects with a brown head. When disturbed, they curl in a C shape. The larger the grub is, the harder it is to kill. Damage due to grubs usually becomes noticeable in July and August, when the grubs are in their third instar or growth period.
Symptoms of Grubs
Grubs feed on the roots of turfgrass. When the roots of the grass are eaten, the grass wilts easily, then dies in irregular patches. You can pull on the turf above the surface of the ground and it will pull away easily. In fact, you can roll the turf up like a carpet.
Treating For Grubs
There are two kinds of treatments for grubs. The first is a stomach poison, which kills the grub after they eat roots with pesticide in them. The second is contact poison, where the poison is in the soil and the grub touches it. Both types of insecticides are effective when used properly.
Applications of insecticide are done in late July/early August in our area. You should water with about half an inch of water two or three days before pesticide application to bring the grubs up to the surface, where the insecticide can reach them. Spread the pesticide and carefully follow the directions on the package. After applying a granular insecticide, water the lawn with at least half an inch of water to drive the insecticide deep enough in the lawn to kill the grubs.
Problems After Treatment
If the thatch in your lawn is deeper than half an inch, it will absorb most of the insecticide. Since grubs don’t eat thatch, they will not be poisoned. Aerate or verticut your lawn to remove the thatch before treating the lawn if the thatch is deep. The other problem is caused by not watering enough after an insecticide application, so the poison doesn’t reach the grubs. In either case, you will not control the grubs despite the cost and effort of applying pesticides, so be sure to be thorough and diligent.
We Kill Grubs
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping’s Blue Crew will kill the grubs in your lawn. We will also reseed the lawn, if needed, when fall arrives. Sign up for our lawn care subscription and we will make sure thatch doesn’t build up, the lawn irrigation is doing its job, and any grubs are treated and destroyed. Call (816) 825-2524 to sign up and let us handle the grubs.
It is almost Mother’s Day and that means it is time for seasonal color. Instead of a bouquet of flowers that quickly wilts, you can give the mom in your life a planter full of seasonal color. We can even swap out the plants in the planter up to four times a year for year-round seasonal color. Here is what you can choose from for your planters.
Just the Right Size
We have four sizes for your seasonal color planter. Small is less than 16 inches in diameter. Medium is 17-21 inches in diameter. Large is 22-27 inches in diameter. Anything over 27 inches in diameter is considered custom. You provide the planter in the size you want, and we will fill it with potting soil, fertilizer, and plants.
Pick Your Pallet
You can pick the color pallet that you like from a selection of complementary colors, monochromatic, polychromatic, or analogous colors. Our plant specialist will design a planter with the colors you choose.
Container Styles
We have five container styles for you to choose from. The Dynasty planter has a classic, symmetrical evergreen plant in the center with annuals all around it. The Renaissance planter is asymmetrical and organic looking. It has an evergreen and annuals as well. The Noble planter has a wispy grass as the centerpiece surrounded by annuals. If you want something colorful from the tropics, order the Crown Jewel planter. The Chateau planter has both mounding and cascading annual. We can also custom design a planter in a different style for an additional cost.
Specials
When you order two containers, you will receive $25 off. For three or more containers, we will give you $50 off. If you sign up for a two-season swap you will save 10% while a four-season swap will earn 15% savings. Let us know if you want to set your properties colorful planters on Auto-Pilot with our subscription programs.
Watering Your Planters
Planters will need to be watered often, especially in the summer heat. To make keeping your planters watered and healthy easy, we can help install drip irrigation from your existing sprinkler system as an additional service.
Curb appeal is how good your house looks from the sidewalk. A 2010 study showed curb appeal accounts for 7% of a home’s value. in a soft market, that amount goes up to as much as 14% of a home’s value. Increase your home’s curb appeal by following these tips.
Replace Overgrown Shrubs
Shrubs that have grown too big for the space they are in can make your home seem smaller than it is. Replace such shrubs with native and adapted shrubs that will be the correct size for the spot they are in when grown. Other than trimming out dead or diseased branches, you should not have to prune a plant to fit in a space. Native plants tend to require less water and other care than nonnative plants. Check out our favorite shrubs here.
Add Annual Color
Annual color can really make your landscape beds pop. Now is the time to add all those amazing colorful annual flowers to your yard. Adding some now means they will look nice for Mother’s Day. Keep in mind that it is a couple weeks early to be sure of a late night frost, so if they are summer heat loving annuals, there could be a chance to have to cover them but by Mother’s Day we are usually in the clear from any threats of overnight frost.
Plant Now
If you need to replace plants that are too big or just aren’t doing well, you need to do that now. In a month or so, it will begin to get hot. Transplanting a plant is hard on it. While fall is the ideal time to transplant perennials and shrubs, spring is the second-best time to do that. Roots can get established before the full heat of summer arrives, and your watering commitments will be less with the spring rains.
Refresh Mulch
Adding an inch or two of mulch around trees and shrubs and in landscape beds can make them look much neater. The mulch replaces the amount that decayed over the year and works to prevent weeds from invading your landscape beds. It also keeps the soil cooler and moist, so your plants don’t have to work so hard to survive.
Lighting
Lighting can be used to accent the positive parts of your outdoor space while hiding the less favorable features. A house that has appropriate lighting looks warm and inviting. In addition, the extra light helps with home security.
Clearing Clutter
A neat yard increases curb appeal the same way a neat inside increases how nice a home looks. Make sure hoses are neatly rolled up, mowers are in sheds, and other tools are put up. Nobody wants to dodge tools when walking around the yard.
Garden Care Your Way
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can help you increase your home’s curb appeal. Enroll in our garden care program and we will replace bad looking shrubs, spread pre-emergent on the landscape beds, and add mulch where it is needed. We make sure the landscape beds look their best. We can also test your lights and make suggestions for the best way to light your landscape. Just call the office at (816) 825-2524 to enroll.
We would like to introduce our new irrigation division manager. We are excited to announce that we are now offering lawn sprinkler service and repair.
Got Here As Soon As He Could
Raymond was born in Wichita, Kansas, but moved to Kansas City in high school. He got a degree in agriculture business from K State. For a while, he lived in Connecticut and serviced irrigation systems there. A few years ago, just before the pandemic, he came home to KC to help care for relatives.
Hobbies
Raymond loves the outdoors and gardening. He also loves hunting, fishing, and working on cars. On the weekends, he can be found at the track watching whatever car races are happening. Indoors, he likes to build trinket boxes from wood. He also creates spectacular woodburning conversation pieces. Raymond likes science fiction too, and can often be found watching sci-fi movies and shows during rain days when he can’t get outside.
Joining of Abilities
Raymond had his own irrigation and landscape business before joining Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. He found Andy through a friend and fellow Blue Crew member who wondered if Raymond and Andy could do more together than apart. Once they met, it was quickly clear that Raymond embodies the core values of the company and that he would be a great fit for our team.
Irrigation Subscription Service
With Raymond here, we are now able to offer a Lawn Sprinkler Subscription program with three tiers of service to match our Garden Care model The Fresh Impressions level includes sprinkler activation, a system inspection at activation, a summer season system inspection, and winterization. The Luscious Landscape level includes all that plus two additional seasonal system inspection, a zone diagram, and 5% off all repairs. Finally, the Royal Treatment level includes sprinkler activation, system inspection at activation, four seasonal system inspections, six remote adjustments of the sprinkler during the season, winterization, zone diagram, and priority scheduling. Royal Treatment clients will also get 10% off of all repairs. To fully take advantage of this level of service, you must have a Wi-Fi-smart controller, which may require a one-time additional fee.
Time To Activate Your Irrigation System
St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional time of year to activate your irrigation system for the growing season. To enroll in our lawn sprinkler subscription program, give the Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping office a call at (816) 825-2524. To have us design your landscape, schedule a consult.
