Tree Services Blog

If you've ever gotten tree sap on your hands, you know how sticky, messy, and annoying it can be. There are many types of trees here in South Florida that produce excess sap at certain times of the year. If you have any magnolia, willow, maple, mesquite, silk-oak, or avocado trees on your property, you can avoid dealing with heavy sap drip by waiting to trim them until after spring. While sap drip is messy and unsightly, it is important to remember that it isn't harmful to your trees. If you do encounter sap drip, it's best to leave it alone rather than trying to stop it or clean it up.

Wait until after spring to trim these trees if you want to avoid dealing with sap drip.

There are a variety of trees commonly found in the South Florida area that are known for their heavy sap drip. If you wait to trim these trees until after spring, you can avoid dealing with sap drip. These trees include:

• Magnolias: Magnolia trees excrete a thick, sugary sap called honeydew. To avoid messy sap drip, you should trim your magnolia trees any time between mid-summer and early fall.
• Willows: Willow trees produce a watery sap that is abundant in salicylic acid. Avoid heavy sap drip by trimming your willow trees in the winter while they are dormant.
• Maples: Maple tree sap is well-known as the main ingredient in maple syrup and other sweeteners. Trim your maple trees in the mid-summer so you don't have to worry as much about sticky sap drip.
• Mesquites:...

Trimming and pruning are commonly confused with each other. It's a common mistake among property owners because both processes involve cutting away parts of a tree, shrub, or hedge. However, the difference lies in the goal of each service. Trimming is the process of cutting away overgrowth on plants to keep them looking neat while pruning aims to remove dead or diseased branches to maintain the plant's health. Keep reading to learn how trimming is different from pruning, and why your trees and shrubs need both.

Trimming Keeps Your Trees, Shrubs & Hedges Looking Pristine

Plants are beautiful, but they tend to overgrow if they are not properly cared for. Overgrown plants with unruly branches and foliage can bring down your curb appeal. Trimming involves removing excessive overgrowth on your trees, shrubs, and hedges to maintain their pristine condition.

Here are some reasons why routine trimming is beneficial:

• It will keep your plants looking well-shaped and neat.
• It will keep your plants the same size to create a uniform appearance.
• It will give your plants a much-needed haircut, and multiple stems can be trimmed at once.

Because trimming is a maintenance service, you can trim your plants whenever you feel like they are becoming unruly. However, we recommend getting professionals to do it because if it is done wrong, it can actually be detrimental to the health of your plants.

The mighty palm tree has been commonly enjoyed in Florida for thousands of years so, luckily, we've had lots of time to learn the best practices of caring for these giant trees. Trimming is one of those practices! Trimming is the practice of removing brown or dying fronds to improve your palm's appearance as well as encourage healthy growth. While most property owners might think that trimming can be done year-round, this is actually far from the truth!

It is best to stick to trimming your palm tree's fronds in the spring season to keep your tree in optimal condition. In the same way, it is highly recommended that you avoid trimming in the winter season so that the fronds can protect your tree from cooler weather. Continue reading to learn more about why the time of the year matters so much when it comes to trimming your palm trees!

Trim your palms in the spring season to protect the health of your tree.

Many people assume that they should trim their palm fronds as soon as they being to turn brown or start to dry up. However, this could actually be a big mistake. To keep your palm in optimal health, it is extremely important to trim it before it starts to flower in the spring season. This ensures that your palm tree will recover with ease from the trimming process and grow new, healthy fronds.

If your palms have already begun to flower, you should wait until the next spring season to trim your browning fronds. Although brown fronds might be a sore...

From June to November, the state of Florida has to deal with hurricane season, which brings a general feeling of unease and uncertainty to homeowners and business owners throughout the state.

One way to mitigate property damage during this time is to inspect your trees for any signs that they could be vulnerable to storm damage. Here are some signs to look out for in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lee County, FL.

Trees have been weakened due to tree disease or insect infestation.

When tree diseases and insects attack their intended targets, they cause the tree's overall structure to weaken, along with large branches and small limbs. A hurricane-force wind can easily knock these trees over or blow the limbs and branches off, turning them into flying projectiles. If you know that a tree on your property has had any tree diseases or problems with insect infestation, then you need to have a professional tree surgeon come to examine it to assess its weaknesses.

Branches of the tree are growing too close to structures on your property.

When a tree starts to grow too close to homes or buildings, it's already a hazard, but during a hurricane, it can be much worse. A category 3 hurricane can have winds anywhere from 111-130 miles per hour, which can easily knock over a tree and cause it to fall into the building, possibly injuring those inside or causing catastrophic damage to the walls and roof.

Work incidents related to tree care may be more common than you think. In 2016, the Tree Care Industry Association reported that there were 153 incidents in the United States, and 92 of them were fatal. Tree care is an incredibly dangerous field due to its scope of work and the use of heavy machinery. If an unlicensed tree professional is injured on your property, you may become liable for their medical costs.

Also, those who perform tree care without a license likely don't abide by safe practices. Not only will your property's aesthetic appeal suffer, but your home or business may also be more susceptible to fallen tree damage.

To help you avoid the harm that an unlicensed tree professional can inflict, our team at Tim's Tree Service is fully licensed to perform comprehensive tree care on your property in Cape Coral, Lee County, or Fort Myers, FL. Learn some of the reasons why you should avoid hiring unlicensed tree professionals.

Unlicensed tree professionals often don't abide by industry standards when it comes to trimming and pruning.

Trimming and pruning are essential services that your trees need. This way, they will maintain manicured appearances, positively contribute to your property's curb appeal, and achieve their full growth potential.

Unlicensed tree professionals often don't abide by industry standards when it comes to trimming and pruning. They partake in detrimental practices like tipping and topping, both of...

Not all trees grow at the same rate. Some will reach up to 100 feet in their lifetimes, while others will never grow taller than 20 feet. No matter their height, all trees have the potential to enhance the look of your landscape. However, keep in mind that poorly-maintained trees can pose a safety risk to your property.

Here at Tim's Tree Service, we specialize in caring for your trees regardless of their size or age. We perform tree trimming services to increase your trees' exposure to sunlight, water, air, and nutrients and cut away excess branches. When necessary, we will also perform stump grinding and tree removal services to haul away unwanted stumps and trees from your property in Lee County, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and the surrounding areas.

Here, we'll explore what differentiates the different sizes of trees, which are small, medium, and large. We'll also cover some examples of each kind present in Florida and specific spacing requirements to think about when you have these trees in your landscape.

What Is a Small Tree?

Small trees tend to be 15 feet in height or less. They need to be spaced anywhere from 6 to 15 feet apart to have access to the proper nutrients. Make sure small trees are placed between 8 to 10 feet away from the wall of a one-story building or 6 to 8 feet away from the corner of a one-story building.

Some examples of small trees that can be found in Florida include:

• Crabapple
• Yaupon holly
• Sweet acacia
...

During a hurricane, it’s very easy for trees to be damaged or even lost due to extremely high, intense cyclonic winds. A hurricane’s strong winds and heavy rains can cause many problems for a tree, especially ones with poor branch structure, weak root system, and overgrown limbs.

In our area of Florida, it’s important to take the necessary steps to hurricane-proof your trees to minimize damage and help save your trees. Here is how to hurricane proof your trees and when it needs to be done in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lee County, and the surrounding areas.

Protect Your Trees’ Root Systems

Your trees’ roots aren’t just a means of transferring nutrients and food to the core of your tree; they are critical to the overall stability and strength of the tree. The root system is like an anchor for your trees, securely holding it down during high winds. Laying mulch around your tree roots helps preserve nutrients and water in the soil while protecting the roots from damage. Roots are susceptible to damage from mowing, foot traffic, and daily wear and tear of weather and other elements. You should keep a layer of mulch around the base of your trees year-round, and periodically replace the mulch with a fresh batch.

Trim & Prune Trees Regularly to Prevent Hurricane Damage

A strong, deep-rooted tree may not fall during a storm, but weak and overgrown canopy limbs are susceptible to damage and falling....

Much like your lawn and landscape, trees require routine maintenance to keep them healthy and looking nice on your property. Regularly trimming trees ensures they are healthy, eliminates safety hazards, and increases the curb appeal and value of your home.

Here are some reasons why your trees in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lee County, and the surrounding areas need to be trimmed.

Trimming Your Trees Keeps Them Healthy

Keeping your trees trimmed is vital to their health and structural support. Proper trimming improves the health of your trees by eliminating branches that are dead or dying. These branches compete with healthier branches and steal necessary nutrition from the rest of your tree. Rather than feeding only the lively, healthy parts of your tree, nutrients such as fertilizer, water, food, and light are being split amongst the healthy and dead branches. Trimming these branches off your tree will increase the amount of nutrients and food your healthy branches get and cut down on waste.

Trimming also improves the overall structure and support of your trees, keeping it from developing broad or weak branches. Trimming your tree prevents limbs from growing weak crotches and crossing over each other and causing wounds in the bark. When branches grow out of hand and cross over each other, they compete for space and light in the crown. Trimming your trees will increase sun exposure and air circulation throughout the tree and underlying landscape,...