The state of Michigan is heavily forested. In fact, more than 50% of Michigan is covered in forests and there are vast stretches of forests covering the landscape.

There are different varieties of shrubs and Native Michigan Trees and the forest department is especially meticulous when it comes to monitoring these trees as the chances of these trees being damaged by diseases, insects, and other factors are quite high.

Here are some of the most common, Native Michigan Trees:

The Eastern White Pine
Towering at 150 feet with a lifespan of 450 years, the Eastern White Pine is among the tallest and oldest trees in Michigan. Their barks are smooth when young and break into small plates during the maturation period. Their leaves resemble needles that are quite long and appear to bunched together. The seeds are dispersed between August and September.

Maple Trees
There are many varieties of maple trees in Michigan. These include sugar maples, red maple, silver maple, and Boxelder. The presence of so many varieties of maple trees is essentially the reason why Michigan is the 5th largest state in United States that produces maple syrup.

Birch Trees
Birches are commonly found in cooler climates and their leaves are simple and shaped like saw tooth margins. There are a number of varieties of birches including Yellow Birch, Ironwood, Musclewood, and so on.

Cypress trees
Cypress is quite majestic in appearance and they are quite strong in structure. This is the reason why cypress trees are used in building and construction. Michigan has a large variety of cypress trees like Incense Cedar, Atlantic White Cedar, Arizona Cypress, and plenty more. Cypress trees are flood tolerant and their barks are brown or gray in color. They can grow up to immense heights. Some species have found to grow up to 150 feet.

If you are planning to hire a tree professional to take care of your trees this winter, then you should know that tree care is quite a complex procedure. Proper expertise is necessary to make sure that the trees are safe and sound. Also, working on huge trees can be a risky business, especially if it involves someone climbing up a ladder.

Proper training comes in handy.

Here are some tips for hiring the right tree professional to take care of your tree.

The documents
The first thing to make sure while hiring a professional is that they are properly insured and that they provide a work contract that is properly drawn up. If the company is properly insured, you will not be liable for any damages should such a situation arise.

The job
Before hiring a tree professional, you need to make sure that they know what they are doing. Ask questions on the kind of equipment they use. Also make sure that you provide them a detailed layout of your plan with the exact locations of sprinklers and other accessories properly marked out. It is important to ask for references before you decide to hire.

The time and money
Before the project is taken up, ask the agency to give you an estimate of the time and money it will take to finish up. List out a couple of companies and compare the time and cost predicted by each company with the other. Decide on which is the best way to proceed.

Safety measures
Make sure that the company you hire uses proper safety measures and equipment while handling the project. Ensure that the company has a strict policy when it comes to the safety of the workers.
Also make sure that you will not be held liable for injuries or any other damages.

Winter can be harsh on the trees and shrubs in your garden. In some cases, heavy snow or ice can cause significant damage to your trees. In addition, the soil repeatedly freezes and thaws and this can have a detrimental effect on the roots of the plants. It is important to properly protect your plants against the harsh conditions brought about by winter. If you read our, Winter Tree Preparation blog post, you might be already set for these cold temperatures. If you didn’t here are some winter tree protection tips the rest of this winter.

Pruning
It is a fact that healthy plants are more likely to make their way through the winter without much damage. Young or old plants stand a risk of damage. This means that you have to take proper care of your plants right before winter. Make sure that there are no damages to the trees, that they receive sufficient sunlight, and nutrition.

Prevent pruning after midsummer since pruning can stimulate new growths. These new growths do not have what it takes to protect themselves in the winter. This takes us to the second winter tree protection tip, hydration.

Constant watering
Winter brings dry conditions and your plants must be constantly watered so that they do not get dehydrated. It is important to monitor how much water each plant needs and to water accordingly. Too much or too little water can be harmful to the plant. Also, while watering, it is advisable to use a water hose and to wet the soil so that the plant can retain the moisture.

Insulating the soil
During extreme conditions, the ground freezes up. In such cases, it is important to insulate the base of the plant with some kind of mulch such as bark mulch. The insulation prevents the ground from repeatedly freezing and then thawing. This ensures that your tree stays protected. While applying the mulch, keep it a few inches away from the roots in order to prevent rot.

The winter season and the accompanying snow can often prove to be hazardous. Snow bent tree branches are a frequent occurrence at this time of the year and property owners have to constantly deal with damaged trees. The property owner must know how to properly handle snow bent trees.
Here are a few steps to be followed while handling snow bent tree branches.

Make sure the area surrounding the tree is safe
Before you start handling the tree, the first step is to make sure that the area surrounding the damaged tree is safe and that there are no damaged utility lines or something similar. Broken tree branches can cause a lot of damage and if at all power lines have been damaged, it should be taken care of immediately.

Assess the damage
Snowstorms and rain can cause significant damage to trees. Try and assess the damage done in order to ensure maximum safety. A broken tree branch may not be visible until you inspect it up close. Proceed with caution.

Do not shake the damages
If the tree is covered by ice or heavy snow, it is best to wait a few days for the snow or ice to melt. The heavy snow may have weakened the branches and aggravating them can cause more damage. So wait for a few days if you have to.

Avoid using ladders
You may find that you need to prune or trim some branches in certain cases. The best thing is to avoid this step, especially if it means you have to climb up a ladder. If there has been a snow storm, it is highly likely that the ground is slippery. This can prove to be dangerous.

If needed, seek assistance
It may so happen that the snow bent tree is far too much for you to handle alone. You may need power tools such as chainsaws. In such cases, it is always better to contact experts or commercial companies. They are better equipped to handle the situation without causing damage to themselves or the surrounding area.

Trees are quite strong. However, they aren’t strong enough to deal with the forces of nature. Though they have the capacity to handle every kind of weather under the sun, there are times when extreme weather can get to them. Winter tree preparation helps keep your trees looking and growing exceptionally well during the harsh freezing temperatures.

Winter happens to be one of those seasons. So, if you want your trees to survive and stay in good shape, you will need to sign up for what is known as fall preparation. Here is what it entails.

Fertilization

For starters, fall preparation involves fertilization. The transition from summers to colder seasons affects your trees in many ways and causes changes. For instance, they begin to lose nutrition and minerals that are necessary for their longevity.

So, to ensure that nothing that their nutrition levels are steady, you need to fertilize them during the fall. This increases their resistance to the cold winter chill, which can be damaging.

Snow Preparation

This is very important if your region is known for heavy snowfall like right here in Michigan. The process entails pruning and grooming. By pruning and grooming your trees prior to the winter season, you are preparing them to deal with frosted tips and cold weather. That is why winter tree preparation is important for your trees to have done before it gets too cold.

This is best done during the fall because most of the leaves have already fallen, making the overall process easier and faster.

Hydration

The third part of fall preparation is hydration. Since winter is an extreme weather, it can affect your trees’ ability to source enough water and moisture. However, their needs still remain the same even in winter. So, to prevent your trees from suffering from thirst, make sure you load them up with water while they can still spruce them from the ground.

Fall preparation can allow your trees to stay healthy through the long winters and keep them fit enough for as long as possible.

Fall is creeping closer, and that means it is about time to start thinking about fertilizing your yard for the non-growing season. Fall fertilization can be very important for your yard, especially with the winters that we have here in Michigan. The first thing you need to know about commercial fertilizer is that it has a formula made up of 3 numbers, the most common of which is 5-10-5. The first number represents Nitrogen. Nitrogen promotes lawn blade and foliage growth. The second number stands for Phosphorus, which helps with root growth. The third number represents Potassium, which promotes cell function and absorption of trace elements.

Now that you know the fertilizer formula, the next step is to then decide what needs to be fertilized, at what time, and with what type of fertilization? A good place to start is with your lawn. Early in September, your grass will be recovering from what has probably been a long hot summer. To help your grass bounce back, you’ll want to give your lawn a shot of nitrogen to push blade growth. A fertilizer with a formula of 20-8-8 will get it growing again. If you’re wondering how much to apply to your lawn, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommended rate of application.

At this point, you could treat for weeds and insects if there are signs of trouble, or if you have a history of pest problems. However, if you do not see any signs of trouble, it really isn’t necessary to treat for weeds and insects at this time.

Now that you are done with your fertilizing for September, your attention should turn to October/November fertilization. While the September dose of fertilizer is important, an application at the end of October or early November is essential. At this time, applying a fertilizer with a formula of 13-25-12 would be the best option. It will provide your lawn with a push of phosphorus that will stimulate root growth. This root growth will last through November and even into early December. It’s so important to fertilize your lawn before winter sets in, because you are insuring that it will get green quicker in the spring and become more resistant to insects, disease and drought.

Now, you’ve often heard about people talking about the landscaping pros for their lawns/gardens. But, have you ever thought to yourself why they do it? Well, if you have, you’re obviously looking for answers. Luckily for you, we’ve got the answers right here.

When it comes to the benefits, there are 4 key areas that these benefits can be divided into. This includes Economic, Environmental, Health, and Social. We’ll take a look at each individual area and the benefits that apply to them.

Economic

One of the most obvious economic benefits of landscaping is that it boosts your home value. So, if you’re planning to sell your home in the future for a profit, landscaping would be one of the many ways to increase the resale value.

The reason why landscaping pros boosts resale value is that it allows your home to look far more attractive than it does otherwise.

Other than boosting home value, studies have shown that landscaping can actually help with insulation, thereby, reducing your heating and cooling costs. As a result, your utility charges come down.

On the whole, it can definitely help you earn or save a fair bit of money in the long run even though the initial costs might seem a bit high.

Environmental

The environmental benefits include the reduction in soil degradation and evaporation, the reduction of storm water runoff (prevents flooding), better temperature control, and elimination of soil erosion.

Health

Landscaping filters out harmful pollutants which can help in the production of purer air. This is great for your health and the overall environment in general. Apart from that, there is enough anecdotal evidence out there to suggest that a well-landscaped garden/lawn can alleviate stress as well.

Social

Finally, we come down to the social part. The most obvious benefit here is that your lawn or garden becomes more accessible and usable with landscaping, which, makes it the perfect spot for parties or other events. Other than that, there have been observations made indicating that landscaping can reduce the social stress that one might have.