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, Sarasota landscaping experts insist that correct pruning procedures must be engaged in order to keep the tree healthy. According to Sarasota 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 Sarasota landscaping techniques for the Leyland Cyprus, call your local Sarasota landscaper and schedule a consultation.

Winter pruning allows Sarasota landscaping experts to fully assess the health and structural integrity of the tree without the interference of foliage. It is important to have this process scheduled early in the winter in order to give Sarasota landscaping specialists time to accurately diagnose any problems and devise solutions to keep your Sarasota landscape looking beautiful.

Winter is the ideal time for pruning because the limbs can be fully assessed without the weight of foliage on them. Pruning is generally known to encourage growth, so when it occurs during the growing season, new tissue and bark are constantly being added to the branches. When the foliage is no longer on the tree, proper pruning can take place to establish how much dead or decaying material is on the tree.

Pruning during the growing season is encouraged, but can disrupt the tree’s energy. Landscaping authorities say that since leaves are the primary food source for trees, the pruning that goes on during the summer actually decreases the amount of energy the tree is getting. Obviously the tree is capable of getting through the winter on reserved energy sources, so pruning does not have as much of an impact.

Another reason why winter pruning is ideal and beneficial is because the tree is completely dormant, including disease and insect activity. Pruning sometimes makes trees vulnerable to insect infestations and diseases, especially if the pruning techniques aren’t performed correctly and the tree is wounded. If perchance the tree is wounded during winter pruning, it will be able to seal before or during the early spring before insects and diseases become active once again.

For more information on winter pruning, contact your local Sarasota landscaping company and schedule a consultation!

Japanese Beetles are a common landscape pest, affecting both trees and lawns alike. While these pests cause issues for your lawn by laying eggs underneath the soil, the affect they have on trees comes from their own feeding. A perfectly healthy tree or lawn can be seriously damaged if corrective action isn’t taken by a professional Sarasota landscaping specialist.

Japanese Beetles are often found in clusters because their scent attracts more beetles to the area. So even if you see only a few beetles here and there at the beginning of the season, don’t be fooled; over time this population will rapidly increase and have an incredible effect on your landscape.

Landscaping experts say the best way to protect your ornamentals is by placing a fine netting material over the foliage. However, this obviously is not feasible when you are dealing with a larger tree. If this is the case, professional-grade insecticides need to be utilized to eliminate Japanese Beetle populations. Most Sarasota landscaping companies will employ insecticides that are injected into the soil around the tree in order to get the formula directly into the root system. This will cause the Japanese Beetles to die after they consume the treated foliage. And of course, if they die, they won’t have a chance to lay their eggs underneath your soil, saving your lawn from grubs.

If Japanese Beetles are common to your area, it is important to implement preventative care to ensure your ornamentals and lawn remains protected. Call your local landscape company and have an expert help you protect your landscape!

Bagworms are often the bane of any homeowner’s existence. These stubborn insects can take a perfectly healthy and beautiful Sarasota 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, Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota landscaping professionals and ask them for their help in reducing these populations before it is too late.

Superior Sarasota landscaping involves many steps, but perhaps none is as important as proper hydration. After all, a landscape cannot succeed without water. Adequately hydrating your landscape is not an exact science, but it is close. The best plan is to install a sprinkler system that ensures your 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 lawn, contact your local Sarasota landscaping company. Many Sarasota landscaping companies also install irrigation systems, especially since proper hydration makes their job that much easier!

Most people know that when they want to increase their soil’s pH level to enhance the quality and rate of growth of the plants in their Sarasota landscape, they add lime. However, what should you do if you want to decrease the pH level of your soil?

Landscaping experts recommend using sulfate and sulfur to reduce your soil’s pH level. If you use sulfate, you will notice immediate results in your Sarasota landscape because the aluminum within the sulfate dissolves and quickly produces acidity within the soil. Sulfur applications can take quite a bit longer, sometime even months, to produce any noticeable difference. If you choose to use sulfur, you will have to use other applications on your Sarasota landscape plants in the meantime to enhance their growth.

Regardless of what type of materials you use, both should be manipulated into the soil after it has been applied to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment. If you are applying the sulfate or sulfur yourself, take care not to get it on any surrounding landscaping plants. If you do, wash the leaves of the plants off as soon as you can to prevent leaf burn. You should also be aware of how much you’re applying and take measures to not over-apply either.

The best solution is to contact your landscaping company and let them handle the process.

You have been noticing that the plants in your Sarasota landscape are not growing as fast as they should or perhaps they just do not appear as vibrant as they used to look. You may want to call your Sarasota landscaping company and ask them to perform a soil analysis. There could be several explanations as to why your Sarasota landscape isn’t thriving, but one reason may be that the pH level of your soil is not where it should be. If that is the case, your Sarasota landscaping specialist will more than likely suggest lime applications to correct the acidity level. However, wood ashes are an alternative to lime applications that with continual use can have the same level of effectiveness as lime.

The reason wood ashes are used to correct the pH level of soil is because the ashes contain small quantities of boron, potassium, phosphate and other elements pertinent to increasing the soil’s pH level. If you do decide to use wood ashes, you need to be vigilant about using them often and having your soil’s acidity tested annually. Wood ashes are particularly effective in sandy soils. Landscaping experts recommend spreading a thin layer of the ashes over the soil in the winter, then mixing the ashes in with the soil again in the spring. Be aware of what other plants the ashes come into contact with, as they can cause damage to plant roots or seedlings that are in a state of germination.

If you aren’t sure about how much to use or how to correctly apply the wood ashes, call your Sarasota landscaping professional.

When your Sarasota landscape needs fertilized, the best solution is to contact your local Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota landscaping company and leave the fertilizing to them. After all, your Sarasota 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 Sarasota landscape.

Mulch, in addition to adding a decorative flair to your Sarasota 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.

When your landscape needs fertilized, the best solution is to contact your local Sarasota 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 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 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 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 Sarasota landscaping company and leave the fertilizing to them. After all, your landscape’s beauty and perfection should melt your stress away, not add to it!