January 2021 – Nature's Shade Tree Care – Tree Pruning, Tree Removal & Stump Removal in Schomberg, Barrie, Newmarket & Aurora

In the tree world, there are many fabulous types to consider. And while oak trees and apple trees all have their gifts, evergreen trees are a perennial favorite. These trees never lose their needles, and thus are a true constant. If you’re not sure why you should love your evergreen trees, we’ve got a few ideas for you.

1. Green All-year

Winter definitely has its advantages but after some time, the season can start to really drag on. Even newly fallen snow can only make the area look lively for so long. At the end of the day, winter can feel like a barren landscape.

The one constant bright spot of winter, however, is the inclusion of evergreen trees. As other deciduous trees all lose their leaves, evergreen trees hold onto theirs, allowing us the chance to always see green.

Without evergreen trees, there would be no green in winter, and that is not a pleasant idea. You don’t even need to have a lot of evergreen trees in your yard to make a difference. A few in the front and a few in the back can make a big impact. It’s also nice if there is an evergreen tree in view of well-frequented areas, such as the living room and the kitchen. This way you can look out a window and be reminded that life still exists outside.

2. Wind Breakers

Evergreen trees are a great way to stop the wind from wreaking havoc on yourself and your home. While cold days can be felt inside your home, windy days make that cold felt even more. Evergreen trees, and their strong, full branches, can protect that wind from entering your home year-round.

These trees offer a layer of protection to your home. As a result, it won’t get as cold inside and that means less money spent on your heating costs.

3. Shade Makers

While evergreen trees provide extra warmth in the winter, they actually provide extra coolness in the summer. This is because evergreen trees provide a lot of shade. As they are usually quite tall trees, they can really cover the whole house in shade.

More shade around your home means cooler temperatures inside. Not only is this more comfortable but it also means your air conditioning costs can take a bit of a break.

4. Clean the Air

Interestingly, evergreen trees go dormant in the winter, meaning they don’t produce oxygen through photosynthesis. However, when they wake up in the spring, evergreen trees can start producing oxygen right away.

Deciduous trees, on the other hand, only produce oxygen once their leaves have grown, which doesn’t happen until late spring. They need to wait for the tree buds to start growing and develop into leaves. Meanwhile, evergreen trees never lose their needles so they don’t need to wait for new growth to start the oxygen process.

You will end up breathing clearer air with evergreen trees on your property.

5. Habitat for Animals

Your home is where you live, but your yard is where animals live. Why not give them a bit of sanctuary with some evergreen trees?

Other types of trees will lose their leaves, and exposed branches are no place for birds to stay safe. Instead, evergreen trees offer birds and other animals a chance to stay in a safe, warm place.

Furthermore, the berries and cones that evergreen trees produce are a much needed source of food, especially in the winter.

Critters are our friends, and having a few evergreen trees in your yard means they will be as warm and snug as you are in your home.

6. Privacy

If you move into a house in the summer you might start with a perception that you live in a very private area. But come winter, that privacy can start to diminish, leaving your house, and everything that happens in it, quite exposed.

Deciduous trees, or those types that lose their leaves in the winter, are very different throughout the year. A maple tree can be full and bushy in summer, but completely bare in the winter. As such, while you may get to experience privacy for half the year, the rest of the year can be quite revealing.

With evergreen trees, you get the same amount of privacy year-round. No matter what season you move into your home, you can count on the same amount of privacy if your yard is full of evergreen trees.

7. Different depths

While we might automatically think of towering pine trees when it comes to evergreen trees, the reality is that there are many varieties that come in both different colors and different heights. The abundance of choice will really make you love your evergreen trees.

You can choose cedar trees to make a border between you and your neighbors, which can be more attractive than a simple fence. Cedars also help create borders, such as down the driveway.

Boxwood plants are an excellent evergreen that creates borders and is easy to manicure. Create a dynamic path with a boxwood, clipped as low or high as you would like.

If you’re looking for a bit of whimsy in your yard, consider yew trees. They grow to be 5 to 10 feet tall and are easy to shear. You can get quite creative in what shapes you want, making them a real focal point of any garden.

Finally, there’s something really majestic about spruce trees, that can tower up to 60 feet tall. Knowing that there was once a spruce forest in your area, before the land was cleared for houses, makes you feel a real part of the history of the area.

A new year means a new you. But what about other parts of your life? Even though it’s winter, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your yard and make some important tree care resolutions. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered.

1. Take better care of your tools

So often we start the year off right, carefully putting yard care tools away. And then at some point in the year, it becomes a bit tiring and they’re left haphazardly all over the place. Start the year right by organizing your tools.

Select a designated space for all your tree care tools. Make sure it is somewhere accessible and most importantly dry and not exposed to the elements.

Inspect your tools. Clean off any rust and take items like pruning sheers in to be sharpened. Designate a day every month to inspect your tools and tidy them up if need be. Once this becomes a habit, it will be easier to take care of all your tools, which means they will last for much longer.

2. Make a schedule for the entire year

So often we live in one season and become a bit surprised when it changes to the next one. We can be comfortable in our homes, allowing the snow to fall, and then when spring hits we’re suddenly unprepared for the tree care tasks that are upcoming.

Take some time to think about the entire year and make a list of what needs to be done for each season.

Some examples include:

SPRING – inspect for winter damage, plant new trees, fertilize
SUMMER – mulch, create a watering schedule
FALL – trim branches, add winter mulch
WINTER – prune trees, wrap specific trees against cold

When creating a tree care schedule, think about external factors such as your own vacation time and how often you are able to get out in your yard to work on it. Also take into consideration the unique climate of where you live as this will determine what needs to happen when.

3. Create a tree care budget

Proper tree care takes money. However, with proper planning, you can end up spending a lot less. Start by thinking about big projects you want to take on in your yard. This could be a big landscaping project, taking down the old tree house, planting new trees, or removing trees.

It’s important to think about projects you can envision for the next five years. If you have kids that are growing up, they might want to play in the tree house for another year, but that could change real soon. Likewise, you may have trees that are providing a nice mix of shade at the moment, but in just a few years they can become too bushy or too tall, creating more shade than you wish.

Once you have a five-year plan, start assigning costs to each project. Ask neighbors, check the internet, or call a tree care company to get rough estimates.

After the bigger items are listed, start thinking about yearly costs. These include annual tree trimming, planting seeds, buying fertilizer, new trees and plants, and any new tools.

Finally, set aside money in your budget for emergencies such as winter storms and broken branches. When all the numbers have been crunched, you will have a good idea of how much to save each year so you can stick to your five-year budget and have the yard you’ve always dreamed of.

4. Only hire professionals

We’ve all been there before. You need a tree trimmed but don’t want to pay for a professional. So, you hire a cheaper alternative with unsurprisingly disastrous results. Then, you need to end up paying again to have a professional fix the mistake.

Tree care professionals are experienced and knowledgeable. They know how to do things the right way and they stand by their results. It can be tempting to cut corners but you will regret it in the end.

This is why making a tree care budget is so important. If you know how much you will need to spend each year on your trees and the rest of your yard, then it won’t be a surprise when it comes time hiring a tree care professional.

5. Learn more about the trees on your property

Our last recommendation for tree care resolutions is kind of a fun one. Take the time to learn more about the trees on your property. Most people move into a house that already has tree growing around them. And too often, we have no idea what they actually are.

There are many ways to figure out what types of trees you have. You can take pictures or even clippings of the branches and head to your local gardening store. You can also download apps that will identify the trees for you.

Once you know what kind of trees you have, you can take much better care of them. You might find that you have a tree that is drought-tolerant, and therefore don’t have to worry about always watering it. Or, you might find that a tree needs even more water than you’re already giving it.

Knowing the types of trees you own means you will also know what their future will hold. Perhaps you have a tree that looks kind of young. However, you may find that it grows to be way bigger than imagined, and at a very quick pace. In this case, you can really plan for the future and move it to a more suitable location.

Knowing more about your trees is always a good thing, so make this an activity for the whole family. The world of trees is pretty fun once you start getting to know it.

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