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Mulch - but not too much!

6/25/2016

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Mulch is a useful tool that benefits and beautifies your landscape in many ways, but you need to make sure you're installing it correctly in order for plants to reap those benefits instead of suffer. Unfortunately, many landscaping companies install "mulch volcanos," and we see so many instances of these around town that it's practically burned into our minds as the correct way to do it! WRONG! Some might find these volcanos to be visually appealing, but boy do they make us arborists cringe! 

The benefits of mulching:

  • Soil moisture retention.
  • Soil temperature control.
  • Reduces root competition between trees, weeds and grass.
  • Improves soil fertility over time (kind of like the forest floor!)
  • Reduces soil compaction from foot traffic.
  • Keeps weed whackers and lawn mowers away from the trunk and surface roots.
  • It looks nice. Unless you do it wrong. Mulch volcanos: Ugly. Mulch volcanos: BAD!

How to correctly install mulch:

  • Keep mulch away from the trunk. Bark that is constantly damp is an invitation for disease, fungus and insects.
  • Keep it shallow. No more than 2-3", please! 
  • Expose the root collar. Make sure the flare is visible at the bottom of the tree. Surface roots can actually grow upward, girdling the trunk and strangling the tree. Yes! STRANGLING! 
  • Take it out the drip line (if you can). While this may not be feasible for all landscapes, it's most beneficial for the tree. As a bonus, you don't have to mow under the tree, exposing surface roots to lawn mower damage. It can be a real struggle to grow grass under a tree, anyway! Give up and install mulch!
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Emerald Ash Borer arrives in Omaha

6/8/2016

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The long and reluctantly awaited Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been officially detected in Omaha by the Nebraska Forest Service (Press Release). It's time to get serious about your plans to either save your ash tree or plan for its future removal. The Omaha World Herald has published a great Q&A about EAB and what your next steps as a homeowner should be, from DIY treatments, to the cost and timing of treatments, to determining whether your ash tree is worth saving. Click here to read the article.

We cannot urge you strongly enough to be proactive and to get a plan in place if you have an ash tree. Call us today for a free, no-obligation evaluation. Aside from the chemical treatments themselves, hiring a professional, certified arborist will be the strongest tool in your arsenal! 
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Courtesy: Nebraska Forest Service.
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Before & After: The Gift of Beautiful Trees 2015

6/3/2016

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Last December, we asked the Omaha community to nominate a family in need to receive free tree care services for our first annual "Gift of Beautiful Trees" charity program. We received many nominations, and it was heartwarming to hear so many stories of generosity and neighbors helping neighbors. It was so difficult to pick one winner that we ended up selecting TWO families to receive free services. 

The winner, whom we shall call 'D' for all intents and purposes, was a wounded war veteran. He was anonymously nominated by a neighbor, who noticed he had some dangerous dead trees in his yard, as well as some dead limbs hanging directly over the wheelchair ramp leading up to his front door. We knew right away we had to help D.

I stopped by the job site to snap some photos of the crew working and D's wife called me inside to chat. I wasn't expecting to walk into the living room filled with BEAUTIFUL hand-carved wooden model cars and trucks. This was D's hobby, pride and joy, as he was wheelchair bound. D insisted I take one of his model cars home as a token of gratitude. His gift was awesome, but what I enjoyed most was hearing how D was so overcome with joy that his neighbors nominated him for this project. He explained that for years, he used his riding mower to tend to his neighbors' lawns until his body just couldn't handle it anymore. We shed tears of joy together; his tears were of gratitude toward us and his neighbors, and my tears were of gratitude that Jeff and I have a gift to share with the people of our community, in turn making it a better place.

​
It's not just tree trimming we were giving away; it's peace of mind, it's pride in your home, it's thinking of those around you and taking care of your neighbors. There are good people in this world. 

I hope this story inspires YOU to think about the gifts you have to offer those around you. It doesn't matter if they're big or small, complex or easy, costly or free. Being generous with your time and talent is what truly makes this world a better place. 

~ Amy Grewe
Scroll down for the before and after!
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'D' and M, with the hand-carved model truck he gave us as a token of gratitude.
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 What our customers LOVE about Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service

6/3/2016

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We take customer feedback seriously, and we're always looking for ways to improve. That's why we leave an anonymous feedback postcard behind after every job. Want to know what we do best? After reviewing hundreds of those postcards, here's what our customers had to say about their experience with us!
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    Author

    Amy Grewe, Certified Arborist & Co-Owner 

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Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service

Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service
6724 Irvington Rd, Omaha, NE 68122
402-408-5600
info@arboraesthetics.com
  • Residential Services
  • Free Proposal Request
  • Commercial Services
  • Our People
  • Careers
    • Employment Application
  • Customer Portal
  • Gift of Beautiful Trees
  • Blog