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Tree trimming and pruning are both crucial to the health and beauty of your trees. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, these services are not the same.

What’s the difference between tree trimming and tree pruning?

What Is Tree Trimming?

The process of tree trimming is focused primarily on aesthetics. We do this task to maintain a tree’s desired shape and appearance.

Left alone, trees can become unwieldy, with branches growing in various directions. This uneven growth can leave your trees looking scraggly, unbalanced or misshapen. Overgrowth can also have an impact on the health of the tree and any adjoining plants. Extra branches can prevent them from getting the moisture, nutrients and light they need to thrive.

Trimming mostly involves thinning out overgrown branches, which helps create shapely growth.

What Is Tree Pruning?

Tree pruning also helps to enhance a tree’s shape and beauty, but the task is primarily focused on its future health.

Pruning helps protect against pests and diseases, and promotes strong growth. It primarily involves removing dead, diseased and loose branches that prevent the trees from flourishing. We also remove any growth that interferes with other parts of the plant, such as branches that cross over one another.

Arborists have the training and experience essential for proper tree pruning. It can be difficult or impossible for an untrained person to determine which branches should be removed to achieve healthier trees.

Correct pruning can boost flower production and optimize fruit yields. However, if this task is performed incorrectly, the plant’s growth may be stunted. In some cases, excess pruning can encourage pests and disease or even lead to the death of the plant.

How Often Should You Trim and Prune Trees?

How often you need to trim primarily depends upon appearance and personal preference. When trees are looking too large or awkward, they probably need a trim. Trimming is typically done only once or twice per year.

Pruning is done strategically, at specific times of the year, but the exact timing depends upon the plant species. Spring-flowering trees are usually pruned after the blooming cycle, toward the middle of summer. For summer-flowering and fruit trees, pruning is typically done during the winter or spring.

Would you like to know more about trimming and pruning? A professional arborist can easily handle these tasks for you. And by working with a certified arborist, you’ll be giving your trees the best possible care to ensure that they’ll continue to grow strong and beautiful.

The professionals at Reliable Tree Care, serving customers throughout northern Utah, have the skills and experience to keep your trees healthy all year long. To schedule a free comprehensive yard evaluation with one of our certified arborists, or to learn more about our tree trimming and pruning services, contact our Murray office today.

When it comes to tree care, don’t hire a landscaper — hire a certified arborist.

Healthy, well-maintained trees can boost your curb appeal and add value to your property. Damaged and diseased trees do exactly the opposite. And often, landscapers may not have the requisite training and skills to properly care for your trees.

Whether your trees need help or you simply want to keep them in good shape, an arborist is the right professional for the job.

What Is a Certified Arborist?

A certified arborist is a highly trained professional with extensive knowledge about the art and science behind properly planting, caring for and maintaining trees.

Becoming an arborist takes a great deal of study and dedication. At least three years of full-time experience working in the professional tree-care industry is required for certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). And then there’s the test — arborists must pass a comprehensive exam covering 10 areas of knowledge in arboriculture (the cultivation and management of trees and shrubs).

To maintain ISA certification, arborists are required to participate in ongoing training. Continued education also serves to keep arborists updated on the latest science and field techniques.

Why Should You Trust Tree Care to a Certified Arborist?

Hiring a certified arborist means you can rest easy knowing that your tree care professional has the right training and experience to restore or maintain the health of your trees.

Plus, arborists know how to care for trees in ways that are environmentally conscious and that preserve the safety and beauty of your property. Hiring a landscaper or working with a tree service that doesn’t have certified arborists puts your trees and your property at risk.

When Should You Hire a Certified Arborist?

Many homeowners first think to hire an arborist during an emergency situation. Here at Reliable Tree Care, we field a lot of calls from people with trees that have fallen or become unstable after stormy Utah weather.

Certified arborists are the go-to professionals for emergency tree service. But crunch time isn’t the only time to hire an arborist.

Preventive maintenance through routine tree care is the best way to keep your trees healthy, strong and beautiful. A certified arborist can control insects and disease and expertly prune, trim and fertilize trees. And if tree removal becomes necessary, an arborist can safely handle the task without compromising your property.

Planning to plant some new trees? Hire a certified arborist, and you’ll get expert advice on choosing the best varieties for your property and on planning their placement. Pre-planting consultation helps prevent future complications and growth problems.

If you live in northern Utah, trust Reliable Tree Care to provide professional pruning, trimming, fertilization, insect and disease control, and emergency tree service. The certified arborists on our team have the skills and experience to help your trees flourish. Contact our Murray office to schedule a free comprehensive tree evaluation with an arborist today.

Must you call a tree-removal service to get rid of that old stump in your yard, or can you just leave it there?

In most cases, arborists recommend stump removal. Why?

No. 1: Tree Stumps Are Hazardous

An old stump could be dangerous for your kids, as they could easily trip and fall when running and playing in the yard. Neighbors and visitors might also take a tumble, and if someone is injured, you could be held liable.

Stumps that are low to the ground can also be a lawn-care hazard. You or your landscape service could accidentally hit a stump and damage mowing equipment, requiring a trip to the repair shop.

No. 2: Tree Stumps Attract Insects

If you leave an old stump to rot, it can attract wood-boring insects. Beetles, carpenter ants, termites and many other pests love to take up residence in rotting stumps.

While you may not care about bugs in your yard, arborists caution that these destructive insects can pose a health concern for neighboring healthy trees and shrubs. Left unchecked, the pests could even spread to your home.

No. 3: Tree Stumps Can Harbor Disease

Arborists can frequently treat diseased trees, but they can’t cure all of them. Sometimes, tree removal is necessary.

When old stumps are left behind, diseases may also remain. Consequently, nearby trees, shrubs and ornamental plants could be affected — and what killed your trees could also end up killing your other vegetation.

No. 4: Tree Stumps Can Lead to New Growth

Stumps don’t always begin to decay right away. Often, they continue to generate growth. You might notice sprouts popping up, resulting in several new small trees. Left alone, these rogue trees can quickly turn awkward, unattractive and bushy.

These new shoots can be a headache to control, because they keep coming back. Your landscape may suffer, as all that regrowth takes nutrients away from your ornamental plants.

No. 5: Tree Stumps Are Unsightly

An old stump can be an eyesore. The sight of rotting wood just isn’t appealing.

With effort, some stumps can become landscape focal points. Handy homeowners can turn one into a planter or garden table, for example. But since many old stumps don’t make good craft project fodder, hiring a tree removal service is usually a must to maintain your home’s curb appeal.

Are you ready to remove your old stump? The certified arborists at Reliable Tree Care provide free comprehensive yard evaluations to homeowners throughout northern Utah. To schedule your professional stump and tree removal consultation, contact our Murray office today.

With professional tree services, your trees can remain healthy all winter and be ready to grow strong next spring.

Just like lawns and gardens, trees are vulnerable to weather changes. To prepare them for survival during the colder months, they need some care and attention. Winter will be here in Utah before you know it, so consider the five tree services below for fall.

No. 1: Tree Evaluation

If you’ve never gotten tree services, schedule a professional checkup.

A comprehensive evaluation will reveal the condition of your trees as well as any issues that may need to be addressed. Trees with problems will be able to get the care they require to survive through the winter.

No. 2: Fall Tree Soil Care

You may already know that your lawn benefits from fertilization in the fall, but did you know that trees may also need a dose?

Monitoring and maintaining soil quality is an important part of keeping trees healthy. To make sure your trees have the nutrients they need to get through the colder months, have your soil checked and add the necessary amount of a slow-release fertilizer.

No. 3: Fall Pruning and Trimming

Pruning and trimming in the fall can help protect your trees from the effects of harsh winter storms.

Plus, pruning away dead or damaged areas and trimming the trees to ensure proper growth is easier after the leaves have fallen. The branch structure is more visible, so it’s the perfect time to handle these tree care tasks.

No. 4: Seasonal Tree Protection

In Utah, fall tree services should include seasonal protection.

Depending upon your landscape and the condition of your trees, you may need to consider special nutrients or treatments to help fend off insects and disease. A professional tree care service can offer late-season foliage protection, overwintering insect control and targeted trunk nutrients to keep trees strong and healthy all winter.

No. 5: Fall Tree Planting

Spring is generally viewed as the time for planting. But in northern Utah, early fall is also an excellent time to think about adding a few new trees to your landscape.

Planting trees in the fall allows them to establish roots in the cooler soil, with much less of a chance of stress from high temperatures, sun scorch and drought. So when you consider fall tree services, don’t forget new plantings.

Do you need help preparing your trees for the upcoming season? Get professional tree services for all your soil care, pruning, protection and planting needs. And if you hire certified arborists, you can trust that you’ll have beautiful, healthy tree growth next spring.

The professional team at Reliable Tree Care has the skills, training and experience to properly care for your Utah trees all year long. To schedule a free comprehensive yard evaluation or to learn more about our tree services, contact our Murray office today.

In Utah, tree insect control is quickly becoming a critical concern.

Besides the many potentially damaging pests that are native to our area, changes in our climate are driving new pests into our state. Some of these pests aren’t much more than a nuisance that may eat your fruit or cause foliage to become unsightly.

Others, however, can kill your trees before you know they even exist.

The Potential Damage of Tree Insects

Every year, we talk to customers who had their fruit tree crop decimated by some type of pest or another. Although this is frustrating – and, if you sell your crop, potentially costly – your trees will live to see another year. The same can be said for tree insects that cause cosmetic damage.

The more dangerous pests, and the ones you need to worry about, are those that kill your trees.

For example, bark beetles are a serious problem in Utah and throughout the southwestern United States. The emerald ash borer is another problem pest that is literally decimating thousands of acres of trees across the country. These and other pests often do serious damage before anyone notices they’re there.

Bark beetles often leave a tree and move on to a new one before detection. By that time, the tree cannot be saved under any circumstances.

Peach tree borers are another example of tree insects that can kill or seriously weaken the plant without you knowing they’re present. In Utah, we have many such threats in our ecosystem.

How an Arborist Handles Tree Insect Control

Any services we provide are based specifically on the location and type of trees you have, and on the problem itself.

For infestations and pest problems, we may have to use a chemical pesticide. This may be applied either as a spray or as an injection into the trunk or roots zone of the tree. If possible, we will use a non-chemical treatment, such as dormant oil sprays. However, unless we treat an insect infestation correctly, we won’t be able to control it.

The other approach we use for tree insect control is to keep your trees as health as possible all year long. A healthy tree resists diseases and pests, helping to avoid the need for active tree insect control.

How You Can Help Control Insects on Your Trees

We recommend that you inspect your trees thoroughly every two weeks or so.

If you do develop a pest problem, it’s unlikely (although not impossible) that irreparable damage can occur in the span of only two weeks. So, if you do detect the presence of insects or note any damage that’s occurring, we can get to the problem quickly enough to treat it successfully in most cases.

But how will you know what to look for? Depending on the type of trees you have, we can tell you what to watch out for. In some cases, what you perceive to be insect damage may be attributable to particularly harsh weather or improper care.

However, since a healthy tree is best able to resist an infestation, call us if you note any suspicious damage. We may need to provide fertilization or help you adjust your watering schedule.

Reliable Tree Care provides assistance to residential and commercial customers throughout Northern Utah. We provide professional arborist services including pruning, trimming, fertilization, disease and insect control. We know how much you’ve invested in your trees and how much benefit they bring to your home or office. Trust us to handle all your care, including tree insect control.

Did you know that planting trees can save you money on your power bill and help the environment?

You probably already knew about the second part, but when trees are selected and sited correctly, you can reduce electricity use in both summer and winter.

Planting Trees for Summer Shade

To maximize summer shade and minimize power use, consider how your home is oriented.

Typically, you want to shade the east and west windows most, and the south face of the home if possible. Choose deciduous shade trees for this purpose, and once they grow to a sufficient height, you can prune the bottom branches away to preserve your views.

Concrete and asphalt surfaces raise the ambient temperature around the home. You can offset this by planting trees that will shade your driveway and patio.

Finally, don’t forget to add a tree to shade your air conditioning unit. If it’s a roof-mounted unit, this may be difficult, but usually not impossible. This will help the unit run more efficiently, keeping your home more comfortable and using less power.

Planting Trees for Winter Warmth

Your deciduous trees will lose their leaves in the fall, letting the warm sunshine through on those cold winter days.

Keep it even warmer by adding evergreens on the north and west sides of your property. This will provide an effective windbreak while allowing the winter’s southern sun to provide maximum passive solar energy to your home.

The ideal location for your conifers is not more than about two tree heights’ distance from the house. In other words, if the trees will reach 20 feet in height, place then no farther than 40 feet from your home.

This will provide the best level of windbreak, but it will also ensure your safety if one comes down in a storm.

Planting Trees to Meet Your Needs

Before choosing your trees and their locations, consult with a certified arborist.

Trees represent an investment in your home and in the environment, and you want them to thrive. A Utah arborist can advise you on the right species for your needs and provide guidance on their optimal placement.

Finally, an arborist can explain how to care for your new plants, including when to prune, when to fertilize and how to water them correctly.

At Reliable Tree Care, we offer annual programs for fertilization, disease and insect control, and tree pruning. Our programs are designed specifically for our region of northern Utah, to provide all the nutrients and care necessary to keep your investment healthy and green.

Contact us today to learn more about our services or to request assistance with planning and planting trees.

A little tree pruning this summer will go a long way toward helping your trees overcome the stress that summer causes them.

Not unlike humans, your trees get stressed in the heat of the season. But summer can cause some other problems you may not even be aware of, and you can help offset a lot of these stressors.

For the tree pruning part of the equation, you’ll need a qualified Utah arborist.

What Stresses Your Trees During the Summer?

As we’ve already mentioned, temperature extremes — particularly on the high side — can stress your Utah shade, ornamental and fruit trees. The heat prompts the plant to move as many resources as possible to the leaves, in an attempt to reduce scorch.

Summer storms can bring high winds. But even if they don’t break limbs, winds can cause unseen damage to your tree’s body and root system. Summertime can also wreak havoc on the water table, especially during drought and near-drought conditions.

And while you might not notice any change in the water table, your trees certainly do, because it affects soil moisture significantly. Summer projects around the home, like building a garden shed or putting in a hot tub, can also unset the root system — even if it’s more than 100 feet away.

Finally, your trees get extra stress in the summer because they have to compete for resources. As all the flora in your yard grows and thrives, they all need more water. When they don’t have enough, their growth can be stunted and they become vulnerable to diseases and pests.

How Tree Pruning Helps Ease Summer Stress

Because summer is not a normal tree-pruning season, any cutting needs to be done with great care and knowledge — and that’s why you need to call an arborist to handle this work. Otherwise, you could see significant dieback at the wounds.

The type of cutting back will depend on what’s happening with the plant. However, we look for areas of crowding, any diseased or infected branches or dead matter. We also look for any potential hazards that could cause damage during a storm.

We can also prune for shape, to help alleviate overcrowding among neighboring trees.

Some species need pruning during the summer normally, including flowering plum, walnut, aspen and cottonwood. We typically also prune water sprouts from fruit and decorative species any time they develop.

Other Methods to Alleviate Summer Stress

When we examine your trees for potential problems, we may recommend adjusting the watering schedule. We may also recommend treating for diseases or pests or applying specific fertilizers to help offset whatever is causing stress for your trees.

Don’t let the summer heat overstress your trees. Contact Reliable Tree Care today to schedule a consultation. We are located in Murray, but we provide professional arborist services throughout northern Utah. Contact us today to learn more about our summer tree pruning services.

Coniferous trees grow well throughout most Utah locations, bringing a splash of cool green to your landscape all year long.

These ornamental species are characterized by their evergreen needles that — unlike deciduous tree leaves — do not drop annually. And rather than produce seeds in fruit, coniferouss produce their seeds in the form of pine cones.

In Utah, we have five basic types of coniferous trees.

Spruce Trees

Spruce trees grow in a classic pyramid or cone shape. They are shade-tolerant, but require a fair amount of water. Some species of spruce can grow to 90 feet tall, but because they are slow growers, this can take up to 150 years.

Blue spruces and Norway spruces are both viable for growing in northern Utah, with the Norway variety offering several sizes and a unique “weeping” appearance. The Engelmann spruce, Utah’s official state tree, requires cooler growing conditions, making it appropriate for higher elevation locations.

Fir Trees

Also known as “true firs,” fir trees feature flat needles and unique, upright cones that do not drop.

Some of the many varieties of true firs include white, grand and Spanish firs. White firs are well-suited to the Utah growing region, and have long needles and an intriguing blue color. Most varieties tend toward large size at maturity.

Douglas Firs

Douglas firs are of a different genus than true firs, with short, flat, flexible needles. Their characteristic blue-green color and short, pyramid shape are highly prized in Utah landscapes.

Douglas firs can grow 40 to 80 feet tall in the home landscape, but up to 200 feet in the wild. These coniferous trees are not drought-tolerant.

Pinyon Trees

Pinyons, commonly known as pine trees, have cylindrical needles and the edible seeds are known as pinon nuts or pine nuts.

The two most common species of pinyon trees that can be found growing in Utah are the two-needle pinyon and the single-leaf pinyon. Featuring a pyramid or spreading shape, pinyons can reach between 10 and 30 feet at maturity.

Pinyons are valued for their seeds, their sturdy wood and their unmistakable fragrance.

Juniper Trees

The Utah juniper typically takes the shape of a bushy tree, with a dominant, forked main trunk and a rounded crown. Junipers are known to be hardy in drought and highly resistant to disease and pests. At maturity, Utah junipers can easily reach a height of 30 feet.

The Rocky Mountain juniper, which more closely resembles the iconic shape of a Christmas tree, is also a hardy species and can be found in a dwarf variety.

Dwarf Coniferous Trees

If you don’t have the space to devote to a full-sized coniferous tree, consider one of the many dwarf varieties that grow well in northern Utah.

Dwarf coniferous species are essentially the same plant as their full-sized counterpart, but they have been cultivated to reach a maximum of one-twentieth to one-fourth the size of the normal plant at maturity. You can also choose a pygmy form (one-twentieth size) or compact form (one-third to one-half size), based on your space availability.

Some of the most popular include the dwarf Alberta spruce, the weeping or miniature Norway spruce and the Mugo pine. The Mugo pine offers several interesting cultivars that work beautifully as Utah landscape shrubbery.

If you are not sure what size or type tree is best for your landscape, contact the expert Utah arborists of Reliable Tree Care. Based in Murray, Utah, we provide services to clients throughout northern Utah. Contact us today to learn more about planting and caring for Utah conifer trees.

In Utah, tree disease is one of the most common reasons for die-off in our forests. Your home’s landscape is equally vulnerable to the challenges that affect our state’s most common species.

Once disease sets in, you have no choice but to treat the problem or remove the tree. But with just a little planning and effort on your part, you can help discourage tree diseases and pests.

Utah arborists recommend that homeowners use a strategy that integrates proactive care, pruning, sanitation, watering and fertilization.

Choose Tree Species for Your Location

One of the best ways to avoid tree disease is to select varietals that are well-suited to your location.

You can accomplish this by choosing species that are well-adapted to your property’s hardiness zone. If you select a species that can’t handle the cold temperatures in your area, winter weather can damage the bark, making it vulnerable to pests and disease.

In northern Utah, most locations fall into hardiness zone 5. However, depending on your elevation and other factors, yours may be zone 4, 5 or 6.

Choose Tree Disease-Resistant Species

Another way to avoid problems is to select varietals that are resistant to common types of Utah tree diseases.

For example, the Bell Golden apple is resistant to aphids. Honeycrisp apples resist fire blight. The Japanese lilac is resistant to most diseases and pests, and does well in high-pH soils.

The Utah State University Extension has a handy tree browser that you can use to search for species that are appropriate for your location.

Prevent Tree Diseases with Proper Pruning & Sanitation

Proper pruning is necessary to maintain the health of any tree, but pruning is especially important for resisting pests and diseases. Pruning allows sunlight to penetrate and air to circulate properly, discouraging mildew and disease. But as different species have different pruning requirements, talk to your arborist to develop an appropriate pruning schedule.

Clean up all dropped fruit promptly, remove unwanted fruit and fallen leaves. Nearby woodpiles can also provide a haven for disease-carrying pests. Keep weeds and turf from growing up to the base of trees by applying a layer of mulch periodically.

If your trees develop a problem with pests or disease, it is critical that you have an arborist out to evaluate and treat the problem. Otherwise, it can kill the affected specimen and spread to nearby trees.

Proactive Tree Care Helps Prevent Pests & Disease

A healthy tree will always have the best chance of resisting disease. By using a professional arborist for seasonal tree care, you can help prevent problems from developing. And if diseases or pests attempt to infiltrate your property, an arborist can spot it early for more effective treatment.

In northern Utah, Reliable Tree Care offers a complimentary yard analysis to homeowners in Murray, Utah, and throughout the Salt Lake City area. We can recommend a schedule for seasonal pruning, fertilization and treatment. And if a problem develops, our arborists can provide expert tree disease control.

If you’ll be planting trees this fall, it’s time to start planning.

Yes, we’ve barely gotten into the swing of summer, but autumn will be here before you know it — and that’s one of our tree-planting seasons here in northern Utah. Whether you’ll be planting fruit trees, shade trees or an ornamental species, choosing the right location and growing conditions is critical.

To give your trees the best chance of success, our Utah arborists have assembled some tips to help you.

No. 1: Choosing the Ideal Location for Planting Trees

One of the biggest problems we arborists in northern Utah deal with is poorly located trees. It’s difficult to look at a diminutive sapling and think 20 or 30 years into the future, but that’s what you have to do before you settle on a planting location.

For example, are there power lines overhead? If so, branches will meet overhead wires one day — and that means unnatural (and potentially unhealthy) pruning. What about structures, such as your home, garage or workshop? Plant too close, and the root system could affect the foundation in a few years.

Finally, think about the orientation of your new trees. Some species will not do well on the hot sides of your home (west or south). More delicate species that might not fare well in the harsh winter winds should be planted on the protected side of your home to provide a critical windbreak.

No. 2: Creating the Perfect Soil Conditions for Planting Trees

Different species have different needs in terms of soil content and makeup. Our northern Utah soil tends toward salty with a high pH. If the soil in your yard fits this profile, planting trees that need a low pH soil is asking for trouble.

You can add soil amendments and fertilize the trees periodically to help offset the natural soil conditions. However, unless you know what your dirt composition is, you’ll be playing a guessing game.

You can order a test kit online, but consider doing your soils testing through the Utah State University Analytical Labs (USUAL). By doing a home soil test before planting trees, you can choose species that will do best in that location or add soil amendments to create a more hospitable planting environment.

No. 3: Consider the Water Needs of Utah Trees

When planting trees, find out the water needs of the species you select, then make sure that you have a reliable way to meet those needs.

If you have a drip irrigation system, you will likely need to devote a zone to your trees. If you will be watering by hand, you’ll need to learn how to gauge the amount of water you’re using. Too much, and you can cause root rot. Too little, and the trees will struggle.

Remember that your new trees will send out roots in different directions, potentially interacting with other plants in your yard. If you’re watering those plants more than your tree needs or can handle, it can affect its health and future growth.

Before you select and plant your new trees, consider consulting with a professional Utah arborist to discuss these critical factors. Reliable Tree Care, located in Murray, Utah, provides expert consultation, fertilization, pruning and pest control services to clients throughout the Salt Lake City area and northern Utah. Contact us before planting trees this fall, and we can help you create the perfect growing environment.