Practical advice on picking, planting, and caring for trees, backed by arborist knowledge and 20+ years of Northern California homeownership.
The best fertilizer for fruit trees uses a balanced 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 NPK ratio, not the high-nitrogen blends sold for lawns. Here is what to buy, when to apply, and species-specific recommendations for apple, peach, pear, cherry, citrus, and fig trees.
The best shade trees for backyards, organized by canopy size and growth rate. Covers 12 species with honest pros, cons, mature sizes, and how much shade to expect by year 5, 10, and 20.
The best front yard trees ranked by size. Japanese Maple, Crape Myrtle, Redbud, Dogwood, Zelkova, Red Maple, and more picks for small, medium, and large front yards.
The best trees for USDA hardiness zone 6, where winter lows hit 0F to -10F. Covers shade trees, flowering trees, evergreens, fruit trees, and fast growers with specific varieties, sizes, and what to avoid.
The best trees for USDA hardiness zone 7, where winter lows hit 0F to 10F. Covers shade trees, flowering trees, evergreens, fruit trees, and fast growers with specific varieties, sizes, and what to avoid.
The best trees for USDA hardiness zone 8, where winter lows hit 10F to 20F. Covers shade trees, flowering trees, evergreens, fruit trees, and fast growers with specific varieties, sizes, and what to avoid.
The trees worth planting, based on real experience.
Avoid these trees. Trust me on this.
Get it right the first time.
When, how, and what not to cut.
11 reasons your yard needs them.
9 things to know before you dig.