Because Leyland Cyprus trees are coniferous and not deciduous, they are resilient to most diseases and insect infestations that are devastating to other trees. However, because they are coniferous and not deciduous, some of the insects they do attract are among the most harmful when it comes to a tree’s health.

Leyland Cyprus trees still have a few environmental enemies that are capable of severely damaging, if not altogether killing the tree, including bagworms and spider mites. One of the ways to prevent these infestations, as well as the damage that occurs along with the presence of these tree pests, is to engage in helpful tree care practices. As with all plants, landscaping experts insist that correct pruning procedures must be engaged in order to keep the tree healthy. According to La Crosse landscapers, if proper techniques are not followed, the tree can become severely and irreparably injured.

Landscaping specialists say Leyland Cyprus trees will greatly benefit from bi-annual shearing. Over-shearing, which means shearing more than twice a year, can actually weaken the tree and leave it vulnerable to fungal infections. Landscapers recommend spaying the Leyland Cyprus with fungicide immediately after it has been sheared. In addition to fungal infections, the Leyland Cyprus usually only suffers from four other diseases: Seiridium cankers, Botryospaeria, Cereosporidium and Phytopht, also known as root rot. The good news is that with the right preventative care, the Leyland Cyprus may remain unaffected by these diseases.

To find out more about proper landscaping techniques for the Leyland Cyprus, call your local La Crosse landscaper and schedule a consultation.

Just because it is wintertime, doesn’t mean your outdoor chores are over. Your trees continue to need care throughout the cold weather. You should make sure there is a thin layer of mulch around your trees and ornamentals to help them retain water and to reduce temperature extremes. The mulch will act like a blanket and give the tree’s roots extra protection.

Trees also need water now, just like they do in the summertime. Winter droughts can be just a severe as summer droughts.  If temperatures permit, you should water your trees occasionally, it can be a life saver. Experts say when the ground is not frozen, trees need at least an inch of water a week. But make sure you only water when the soil is not frozen, otherwise the water may freeze and cause your plants to suffocate.

Wintertime is also the perfect time to prune your trees. It’s easier to see the tree’s structural problems without leaves blocking the way. You should prune off the dead limbs and the ones that are growing improperly, like limbs that cross other branches.  Dense trees can also be pruned to reduce wind resistance which also lowers their risk of being blown over. Plus winter pruning can also reduce ice and snow damage to the trees and nearby structures.

When snow falls you can help unburden your trees by gently brushing from its limbs all that loose snow. And watch where you use de-icing salt. It’s very harmful to trees and other plants because experts say it restricts the root system from absorbing water, creating a drought-like situation. Choose environmentally friendly alternatives like sand, sawdust, ashes and non-clumping kitty litter.

During the winter we prepare for harsh weather by piling on layers of clothing and wearing heavy coats, gloves, hats and scarves; unfortunately, not many people think about how the living things in their yards and gardens react to the cold.  Trees and shrubs are vulnerable to cold weather just like we are.  If new growth in the early  Fall doesn’t have enough time to harden off, experts say the sudden drop in temperatures can create ice crystals that can rupture cell walls, resulting in dead branch tips and branches.

Officials at a state cooperative extension service say one of the biggest problems for trees and shrubs is the sharp temperature change from day into night during the winter.  They say that dramatic change can actually freeze the water in the trunks of trees, causing them to explode or split open.  That reaction is called frost cracking.  Sometimes these cracks can close when warm weather returns, if the damage isn’t that severe.  Many shrubs can suffer from something similar, called bark split.  Extension service officials say those particularly susceptible are many cultivars of evergreen azaleas.  In most cases plants close over the cracks with no treatment necessary.

During this winter there are some things you can do to protect your trees and shrubs.  You can wrap the trunks with burlap strips or commercial tree wrap.  Experts also recommend painting the trunks white or shading them with a board to prevent bark splitting.  These methods reflect sunlight and reduce temperature fluctuations, like the buildup of heat during the day, that cause splitting.  All wraps should be removed after one season to stop insect or moisture damage.

Bagworms are often the bane of any homeowner’s existence. These stubborn insects can take a perfectly healthy and beautiful landscape and destroy it in a matter of months. Their incessant feeding depletes trees and shrubs of the nutrients necessary to keep them alive and thriving, thus killing the plants if there is no intervention.

The presence of bagworms is usually not diagnosed until early June, at which time the introduction of pest control applications is usually effective. The key is to eliminate them before they begin to reproduce, which they do at a rapid rate. If nothing is done about their presence in your trees until mid- to late summer, La Crosse landscaping experts say saving your trees might be much more difficult, if not impossible. As time passes, the “bag” becomes thicker, making it more resilient against insecticides.

The primary method used by many La Crosse landscaping specialists is removing the bags from the trees and burning them. In addition to this process, professional-grade insecticides are applied to stop reproduction and ward off future infestations.

If you have had problems in the past with bagworms and can’t afford to lose more trees to these destructive critters, contact your local La Crosse landscaping professionals and ask them for their help in reducing these populations before it is too late.

Superior La Crosse landscaping involves many steps, but perhaps none is as important as proper hydration. After all, a La Crosse landscape cannot succeed without water. Adequately hydrating your La Crosse landscape is not an exact science, but it is close. The best plan is to install a sprinkler system that ensures your La Crosse landscape is watered every day at the same time. Sprinkler systems with a timer are even more ideal, but you still have several options there. Landscaping specialists highly recommend pulsating sprinklers for the best results.

Pulsating sprinkler systems spray water into the air and allow the water to fall back down to the ground in a fine mist. There are five different types of pulsating sprinklers: impulse, traveling, stationary, oscillating and rotary. Impulse sprinklers are the top choice of La Crosse landscaping professionals because they cover larger areas.

It is important to know if you have high or low water pressure, as that also factors in to which type of pulsating sprinkler you choose for your La Crosse landscaping needs. If you have low water pressure, an H-base is a better choice than a spike-based sprinkler which is better suited for high pressure.

Pulsating sprinklers have the benefit of being designed with gusty winds in mind, as well as low-hanging trees or tall shrubs. The height of the water spray can be adjusted accordingly and since the water is typically sprayed close to the ground, its spray is unaffected by the wind.

If you think a pulsating sprinkler may be beneficial to your La Crosse lawn, contact your local La Crosse landscaping company. Many La Crosse landscaping companies also install irrigation systems, especially since proper hydration makes their job that much easier!

As we get out our heavier sweaters and winter coats to protect ourselves from the cold, it’s also time to think about our trees, shrubs and plants.  Just like many of us don’t like a dip in temperatures and unpredictable temperature swings, neither do most plants.  But there are some things you can do to help make sure your precious ornamentals will survive what mother nature has to dish out this winter.

One of the biggest problems is that trees and shrubs lose a lot of moisture during the winter and tend to dry out.  To help prevent that from happening, it’s important to continue to water all your trees and plants throughout the entire fall, as long as possible.  Mulch is also important.  It’s recommended that a layer of mulch two-to-four inches thick is placed around the base of your La Crosse landscape plants and trees to help them retain moisture.  Anti-desiccant sprays can also help.  They leave a waxy coating on evergreen needles preventing moisture loss.  You can also wrap your trees in canvas or burlap.  That will help them retain moisture during windy days and help prevent breakage from heavy snow.

Fertilization is also a key to keeping your trees and shrubs healthy, but you have to make sure you do it at the right time.  You must fertilize after they’ve gone dormant so the nutrients can help the plants overwinter and recover in the spring.  If they’re not dormant, the fertilizer may spur growth making the plant vulnerable to damage.  Now is also the time to protect against hungry critters.  Place a metal guard or liquid repellent around the base of trees and shrubs to keep small animals from eating them for dinner when the food supply diminishes.  It’s also a good time to put up windbreakers and tie branches together with twine or netting to prevent breakage from the weight of snow.

Also beware of salt or ice-melting products.  Just like they’re hazardous for animals, they’re also hazardous for your plants and trees.  Use sand instead and make sure you protect your ornamentals from salt thrown by road crews, with plastic sheeting.  And when the white stuff sticks, be sure to remove all accumulating snow on your La Crosse landscape plants and trees with a broom so they’re not damaged.

As we get out our heavier sweaters and winter coats to protect ourselves from the cold, it’s also time to think about our trees, shrubs and plants.  Just like many of us don’t like a dip in temperatures and unpredictable temperature swings, neither do most plants.  But there are some things you can do to help make sure your precious ornamentals will survive what Mother Nature has to dish out this winter.

One of the biggest problems is that trees and shrubs lose a lot of moisture during the winter and tend to dry out.  To help prevent that from happening, it’s important to continue to water all your trees and plants throughout the entire fall, as long as possible.  Mulch is also important.  It’s recommended that a layer of mulch two-to-four inches thick is placed around the base of your La Crosse landscape plants and trees to help them retain moisture.  Anti-desiccant sprays can also help.  They leave a waxy coating on evergreen needles preventing moisture loss.  You can also wrap your trees in canvas or burlap.  That will help them retain moisture during windy days and help prevent breakage from heavy snow.

Fertilization is also a key to keeping your trees and shrubs healthy, but you have to make sure you do it at the right time.  You must fertilize after they’ve gone dormant so the nutrients can help the plants overwinter and recover in the spring.  If they’re not dormant, the fertilizer may spur growth making the plant vulnerable to damage.  Now is also the time to protect against hungry critters.  Place a metal guard or liquid repellent around the base of trees and shrubs to keep small animals from eating them for dinner when the food supply diminishes.  It’s also a good time to put up windbreakers and tie branches together with twine or netting to prevent breakage from the weight of snow.

Also beware of salt or ice-melting products.  Just like they’re hazardous for animals, they’re also hazardous for your plants and trees.  Use sand instead and make sure you protect your ornamentals from salt thrown by road crews, with plastic sheeting.  And when the white stuff sticks, be sure to remove all accumulating snow on your La Crosse landscape plants and trees with a broom so they’re not damaged.

When your La Crosse landscape needs fertilized, the best solution is to contact your local landscaping company and have the professionals attend to the task. However, if you’re one of those do-it-yourselfers, then there is some research to be done on the subject. Not all fertilizers are the same, so you should decide which fertilizer is right for your La Crosse landscape, how much should be applied, when it should be applied, as well as what to do to ensure the application is successful. If you’re using granule fertilizer, you will want to look into purchasing a spreader to disseminate the fertilizer evenly.

There are generally two types of spreaders: drop spreaders and broadcast spreaders. Broadcast spreaders are particularly advantageous for those who have a large area of La Crosse landscape to cover. However, if the area you’re fertilizing is small, a drop spreader might be more ideal.

Whereas broadcast spreaders fling the fertilizer in every direction, drop spreaders are more focused, releasing the fertilizer directly underneath the device through the hopper. This means you have to decide what area you want to focus on and make certain you have covered that area thoroughly, or else you could have some plants growing wildly while others are barely past the seedling stage. Another downfall to using a drop spreader is the risk of over-fertilizing your La Crosse landscape. Applying fertilizer is a very delicate balance and if you apply too much fertilizer, you run the risk of frying your plants.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle or you’re not particularly good at staying within the lines, your best option is to contact your local professional landscaping company and leave the fertilizing to them. After all, your La Crosse landscape’s beauty and perfection should melt your stress away, not add to it!

If you’ve ever used mulch, you know it can be a bit annoying when pieces of it fall out of the landscaping beds or children decide to spread bits of it all over the yard and driveway. However, despite the irritating aspects of mulch, it actually has benefits that can be vital to your La Crosse landscape.

Mulch, in addition to adding a decorative flair to your La Crosse landscape, also promotes soil moisture. By acting as a shield between the hot sun and the soil underneath, your dirt can retain more moisture and nutrients, which help plants grow bigger and better.

Another reason mulch is a much-needed addition to your landscaping is because it discourages weed growth. Mulch will help prevent weed growth by shading the soil and keeping it cool, discouraging weed germination.

Mulch is also helpful in preventing soil erosion. Your plants rely on the sturdy earth to keep them in place. Roots needs to be covered with nutrient-rich soil on which to feed, which can all be washed away during a forceful downpour. Mulch will help keep the soil in place, thus keeping your plants safe.

To learn more about how mulch can benefit your landscaping, call your local landscaping company.

Gazebos are a fairly traditional addition to most La Crosse landscapes, but a wrought iron gazebo will add class, charm, luxury and style, not to mention an element of uniqueness.

One of the most advantageous qualities of having a wrought iron gazebo on your La Crosse landscape is that the iron does not wear out. Typical La Crosse landscape gazebos are made from wood will deteriorate over time, and will eventually need to be replaced. But with a wrought iron gazebo, the structure will remain standing for as long as you desire. There is the risk of the iron rusting, but it can easily be painted and treated with material that will prevent rust from occurring. You will want to re-paint your gazebo anyway every few years to maintain the luster of the gazebo’s appearance.

Wrought iron gazebos not only add aesthetic appeal to your La Crosse landscape and give you and your family a distinctive and stylish place to enjoy the outdoors, but they are also popular for having ceremonies such as weddings or providing a special backdrop for your family photo. The gazebo can be decorated with flowers, ribbons and netting to add even more beauty and charm.

Wrought iron gazebos are available in so many distinct shapes, sizes and styles. Most iron comes in black or white, but with the help of metallic and rust-proof paint, you can use paint to blend your gazebo in with the rest of your La Crosse landscape or match your home’s motif.

If you have fallen in love with the possibilities a wrought iron gazebo can bring to your La Crosse landscape, call your local landscaping company and schedule a consultation!