Trimming trees
Pruning Cherry Trees: When to Cut Sweet, Sour, and Flowering Cherries
When to prune cherry trees: sweet cherries right after harvest in dry summer weather, sour cherries in late winter, flowering cherries after bloom.
The best trees to plant, and how to keep them alive.
Honest, specific tree advice from 20+ years of Northern California homeownership, grounded in real arborist sources.
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Tree Planting GuideA staged walkthrough, from soil prep to the two years that decide if it lives.Start the guide → 
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Trimming trees
Pruning Fig Trees: When to Cut, What to Keep, and How to Keep a Fig Small
Prune figs in January or February while dormant. Learn which wood carries the breba crop, how to train and shrink a fig, and the cuts that cost you fruit.
Trimming trees
Pruning Japanese Maples: When to Cut, How Much, and How to Keep One Small
When to prune a Japanese maple, how much to remove in a year, the thinning cuts that keep the layered look, and how to keep one small without topping it.
Buying trees
Types of Oak Trees: Red Oaks, White Oaks, and the Ones Worth Planting
Oak trees split into red and white groups you can tell apart by leaf tips and acorns. 16 oak species with sizes, zones, and which to plant in your yard.
Gardening
Ash Tree Identification: Leaves, Bark, and the Lookalikes
Identify an ash by opposite branching, compound leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets, and diamond bark. Here's how to rule out boxelder, walnut, and hickory.
Tree care
Why Are My Tree's Leaves Turning Yellow? A Diagnosis Guide
Yellow leaves in summer point to iron chlorosis, overwatering, drought, or root damage. The pattern on the leaf and the tree tells you which one to fix.
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