Tag - denver metro area

26 Apr

Storm Damage: What to Do: A Step-by-Step Plan

Storm Damage is stressful. Waking up to a tree down in your front yard, a limb on your house or your car is just not the way anyone wants to start their day. amiright? 

Tis the season for heavy, wet snow that breaks your tree limbs and causes that unwelcomed headache. How should you handle it and what can you do to prevent it?

Prevention is always key to preventing these spring storm problems. 

  1. Always ensure you are keeping your trees happy and healthy by trimming them when necessary, removing them when they need removal, or treating them before they are infested.
    1. When trees are healthy they are less likely to snap under the pressure of heavy spring snow.
  2. We are always available to access the health of your trees and make any suggestions to ensure they stay that way.

When the snow comes.

  1. Check to make sure the tree is safe and clear of all utility lines prior to removing snow. If they are laying on a power line: DO NOT TOUCH OR TRY AND MOVE IT. CALL EXCEL ENERGY.
  2. If the tree is clear of utility lines, use a broom to remove as much snow as possible from branches by brushing off or gently shaking. Do not bang broom on tree limbs as this could cause the limb to break.
  3. Do not attempt to climb a tree or use a ladder to reach higher limbs, this is dangerous and will cause bigger problems than just the tree being hurt!
  4. If the tree is between the street and the sidewalk on your street – call your city official as this is more likely their responsibility.
  5. If your limb has landed on your house, fence, car, shed, another tree DO NOT attempt to move them.
    1.  Take photos of the damage to the best of your ability.
    2. Call you insurance and report the damage.
    3. Call Colorado Trees or fill out the work request form and we will get you on the schedule asap. Be sure to include “storm damage” in your details so we can mark as urgent.
    4. Do not attempt to move (if small enough off car or fence etc) until you are told to do so by your adjuster.
  6. Do not attempt to remove broken branches or trees by yourself.
    1. If the job requires running a chainsaw overhead, sawing from a ladder or removing large branches or entire trees, contact an insured, ISA- Certified arborist like Colorado Trees. We have multiple certified arborists on staff, are licensed, insured and we prioritize safety and client satisfcation.
    2. PLUS for every tree or trim or remove this year we are planting one tree with our partner One Tree Planted in burn areas in Colorado to reforest.

 

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04 Nov

Weather Emergencies and Colorado Trees

Weather emergencies and other extreme weather events are commonplace in Colorado’s front range. In this case, the Colorado Trees crew is here to help resolve tree-related weather emergency calls.

Although Colorado’s deciduous trees go dormant for the winter, they are still susceptible to damage via extreme weather. Fluctuating temperatures, swift temperature drops, and low soil moisture are weather emergencies which influence your tree’s vulnerability to damage.

Property owners can decrease tree susceptibility to illness, injury, and death in the case of winter weather emergencies via preventative maintenance. Thus, decrease your risk of tree damage or property damage during a weather emergency by keeping soil moist in the fall, and making sure limbs are pruned regularly.

If you weren’t able to do your yearly maintenance and your tree gets hit by the heavy snows, a certified arborist from Colorado Trees is happy to help set your trees straight. We mitigate this damage through trimming or removal of hazardous trees or their limbs.

After a snow or ice storm, there are some questions you can ask to see if you need our help:

  • Has the tree lost any portion of its canopy?
  • Does the tree have any broken limbs or branches?
  • Are there cracks in the wood?
  • Is the tree leaning?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, please get in touch with us.

This means your tree is likely damaged, and we’ll need to come trim or remove parts of it. Broken trees as a result of weather emergencies are hazardous. They have the potential to harm people and property if not taken care of swiftly.

With Colorado Trees, the winter season is a fantastic time for removing trees that could become a problem if not dealt with.  We offer discounted pricing on all trims and removals during the winter. So give us a call!

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27 Oct

Maintain Trees That Are Ready for Denver’s Winter

As winter approaches, you may be wondering whether or not your property’s trees are ready to face ice and snow. It’s no surprise that snow and ice can damage your trees. Yet, you’re wondering if there’s anything you can do to maintain trees that are ready for Denver’s winter months. 

The answer is yes! Allow us to explain. maintain trees that are ready for denver's winter

Maintenance pruning is the thoughtful cutting back of certain parts of your trees or other woody plants. This controls the size and shape of the tree. However, it also keeps the organism productive and healthy. An added bonus of maintenance pruning is that it decreases your tree’s susceptibility to pests and disease.

When your tree has lots of dead branches and thick, congested areas in the canopy, they are more susceptible to breaking in snow, ice, and wind storms. For this reason, maintenance pruning throughout the year can set your tree up for success before the heavy snows come in. 

For your trees that are younger or newly transplanted, it’s a good idea to wrap the lower 1 to 2 feet of the trunk with a light cloth wrap. You can get these at any nursery. This will help protect your younger trees from frost damage and help better prepare them for Denver’s winter. 

Your trees are a valuable asset to your property, so it’s important to care for and maintain trees that are ready for Denver’s winter. If you’d like to learn even more, be sure to schedule an estimate with a certified arborist from Colorado Trees to make sure your trees are ready for anything this winter. 

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Elm Leaf Beatle in Active Season
11 Sep

What is an Elm Leaf Beetle, and Why Do I Care?

Elm Leaf Beetles are an invasive species in the Denver Metro area, as well as the rest of the lower 48 states in America.

In case you didn’t know, there are over twelve thousand elm trees in Denver. They make up eighteen percent of Denver’s canopy cover in our urban forest ecosystem. They’re a well studied pest in forestry, because they’ve been a known invasive species for a really long time — and seriously damage elm trees. 

Elm Leaf Beetle

Both adult beetles and their larvae eat elm leaves on the surface. The green-and-yellow adults lay eggs on the leaves. When the babies are born, they eat the leaves, leaving them looking lacy and dead. Loss of foliage from the trees is both an aesthetic and functional setback, as it reduces shade cover, and can increase the tree’s susceptibility to diseases, like Dutch Elm Disease. 

It’s hard to prevent an infestation, because of how widespread the pest is. One cure-all for keeping any tree healthy is keeping the soil at the base of the tree saturated with water, as long as weather will allow it.

There are few natural (or ecologically preexisting) enemies of Elm Leaf Beetle populations. Certain small parasitic wasps and breeds of fungi can reduce population sizes at the pupal stage. However, these species aren’t nearly as widespread as Elm Leaf Beetles are.

If your trees are experiencing an infestation you’ll want to schedule a consultation with a certified arborist from Colorado Trees.

By treating an infestation, you’re reducing the beetle population, and ensuring improved tree health for the following season. For instance, this year (2020), Colorado has seen a huge impact from elm leaf beetles. 

Elm Leaf Beetles are known to seek shelter inside homes and other buildings for harsher winter months, and more often than not, they don’t make it back outside. That’s just icky! 

It’s important to treat an Elm Leaf Beetle infestation sooner, rather than later. Just like you’d rather see a doctor with the sniffles and a headache, rather than in a more dire situation. Trees can be treated early on!

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Icicles on branch
11 Sep

Can Snow and Ice Damage My Trees?

Ice buildup on tree branch

Here in Colorado, winter weather is a given. Between seasons, snow can come at what seems like any moment. While some arbor species were meant to handle this harsh climate, the climate is changing, and so are the weather patterns. Extreme fluctuations in the weather can seriously damage your trees! 

Any deciduous tree can be damaged by the snow and ice storms which frequent the Denver Metro area. Softer trees like elm and birch trees can be damaged by the weight of ice accumulation on branches. Trees with a single trunk that splits into two can even crack right down the middle!

When trees and branches break, they can impair buildings and power lines. This can create a dangerous situation for your family or business. If a tree is damaged in any way, you’ll want to call a certified arborist from Colorado Trees. We’re happy to come give you an estimate or assess storm damage on more immediate notice.

There’s not too much you can do to prevent storm damage on your older, more established trees before a big storm except regular maintenance. They’ve been through a lot, but with proper care you can set them up for success before a storm comes. Younger, smaller trees around twelve to fifteen feet tall might fare a little worse at the onset of an extreme temperature drop or winter storm. You can loosely wrap a tarp, burlap, or thin plastic around these guys if they still have leaves.  

If one of your trees or branches is starting to crack due to winter weather — don’t worry! Just get in touch. We’re certified, licensed, insured, and not to mention, pretty good at what we do! We’d love to make sure your trees are ready for a wild winter, and we’re here to help in case of immediate tree damage, too.

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