Fall Pruning

It's finally starting to get cold! I don't know about you but I'm under a blanket as I'm writing this. That means that were getting close to Autumn, and that means it's almost time to bust out those shears, clippers, and trimmers.

You can trim anytime you want, but the best times to trim would be in the spring and the fall. The reason for this is that without leaves covering your trees and shrubs, you can deal directly with branches and limbs. This makes it easier to keep everything nice and tidy. Also it gives you the power to basically tell the tree where you want it to grow out and where you want it to let new growth in. Decorative trimming is not hard to do and just takes a little perspective and imagination. If you're looking for a cheap way to make your yard look awesome, trimming up shrubs like arborvitaes, junpiers, boxwoods and birdsnest spruces may be the best option.

How much did this cost? Probably a day of shaping. Worth it.

With the leaves being off the tree, it may also be easier for you to find any diseased or infected limbs and remove them. This works great with many different tree diseases because there are several diseases that reinfect the new leaves the next year. We don't want that. Not after all the work we've done to keep the diseases at bay. Look for discolored or spotted branches and remove them promptly. This may help get rid of an infection the next year or at least give the tree a chance to fight it off.

Now would also be a good time to increase the structural integrity of your trees. Some tips:

•  when you're trimming branches off not to trim them flush with the trunk. You want to leave about an inch of the only branch there. 
• if you want to stake a tree, the fall is the best time to do it because you can get further into the tree, making sure not to break any surrounding branches with the cables
• trimming off braches that grew irregularly, causing the tree to tip or bend can be trimmed off at "v crotches" along the main trunk. 

photos from nexus backgrounds

Aphids

Aphids are some of the most destructive pests in your average landscape. Since they have spread worldwide, it's possible that you might have them in your garden. In this post I'll help you figure out if you have them, and I'll tell you how to kill 'um.

The Aphid (pictured above) usually only feed on a specific type of plant, depending on the species. There are some species, however, that will eat hundreds of different kind of plants. Without being an expert on them, odds are that you won't know what species is attacking your growth. Aphids feed on sap. Sap, although appearing to be a slow moving liquid, is actually under high pressure which after being punctured by the aphid forces it into the bugs food canal. If the feeding itself doesn't stress the plant, the virus's that they introduce in the process sometimes will. To get to the sap, Aphids have long, sharp mouthparts that allow them to pierce the soft parts of the plants. Below is a picture of an aphid feeding on a plant, showing the mandibles piercing a stem.

Aphids are most damaging between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit. This would be the best time to see if you've got them on your plants.

KEEP IN MIND: A small level of Aphids on your plants is actually normal, as this pest is very widespread. It's when there is a mass of them causing damage that the plant can't keep up with that you need to take action to have them removed. 

How to tell if you have a damaging level of aphids:

• Curled, yellow, or distorted leaves
• gall spots
• Stunted shoots
• honeydew on leaves (a fluid produced by the aphid)
• when looking for the aphids themselves, look on the underside of the leaves or inside curled leaves

Now, how to get rid of them:

Biological controls include parasitic wasps that mummify aphids after laying eggs inside of them. If you see this happening, there's a good chance the aphid population will be decreasing in the next few weeks. Another natural predator is the common ladybug. They feed on the bugs while the bugs are feeding on the plants. This is good because it interrupts big outbreaks.

Mostly, the best option for control is insecticides. There are several brands available to take care of Aphids, but they are sometimes specific about the type of plant it can be used on. Make sure you read the label. Or you could always call your local tree care company and have them take care of it!