Tree care
Best fertilizer for fig trees
The best fertilizer for fig trees is a balanced 10-10-10 or low-nitrogen blend. Here is what to use, when to apply it, and how to avoid common mistakes.
All articles
Everything I've learned about trees in 20+ years of homeownership. Pick a topic or browse them all.
Tree care
Best fertilizer for palm trees
Palm trees need specialized fertilizer with extra potassium, magnesium, and micronutrients. Here is what to buy, when to apply it, and what to avoid.
Planting trees
Best knot to stake a small tree
The figure-eight knot is the best knot to stake a tree. Learn the three knots that work, proper staking technique, and mistakes that kill young trees.
Tree care
Best way to kill a tree (and when you should)
Legit reasons to kill a tree and the methods that work. Cut stump, girdling, hack-and-squirt, and species-specific advice for invasive trees.
Tree care
Best way to remove a tree stump
Stump grinding is the fastest, most effective way to remove a tree stump. Here's what each method costs, how long it takes, and when to DIY vs. hire a pro.
Buying trees
Trees native to Sacramento
Ten trees native to the Sacramento area that thrive in hot, dry summers with zero fuss. Valley Oaks, Redbuds, Buckeyes, and more.
Buying trees
Where do cherry trees grow best
Cherry trees grow best in USDA zones 5-8 with cold winters and well-drained soil. Honest variety picks for flowering, sweet, and sour cherries in your yard.
Planting trees
Never plant this tree in your yard
The Liquidambar (Sweet Gum) looks great on paper but will cost you thousands in root damage, limb cleanup, and ankle injuries. Skip it.
Trimming trees
How to trim a crepe myrtle (and why most people do it wrong)
Crepe murder is real. Here's how to properly trim a crepe myrtle without butchering it, why late February is the right time to prune, and which varieties to pick so you never have to top one again.
Trimming trees
A tree trimmer died doing this work: why tree safety matters
A professional tree trimmer was killed by a wood chipper in 2011. His death is a reminder of why tree work demands training, caution, and proper equipment.
Trimming trees
When to trim your tree (timing matters more than you think)
Trimming at the wrong time can spread disease, kill blooms, or stress your tree. Here's when to prune every common yard tree by type and species.
Tree care
How to protect your trees from frost
Frost can kill young trees and damage mature ones overnight. Here's how to protect them with mulch, covers, and smart watering before a freeze hits.
Gardening
4 ways to turn a tree stump into a garden feature
Don't pay $300-500 to grind that stump. Turn it into a fairy garden, planter, carved seat, or wildlife habitat instead. Here's how.
Planting trees
7 ways to landscape around your trees
Border walls, mulch beds, rock gardens, shade-tolerant plants, seating areas, string lights, and ground covers that make your trees the centerpiece of your yard.
Tree care
How chlorine in tap water affects your trees
Chlorinated tap water can scorch leaves and stunt tree growth. Here's how much is too much, which trees are most vulnerable, and what you can do about it.
Tree care
Spring tree care checklist
Your complete spring tree care checklist: inspect for winter damage, prune dead branches, apply mulch correctly, fertilize, water deep, and check the lawn around your trees.
Planting trees
Europe planted the wrong trees for 250 years
A study in Science found that Europe's shift from broadleaf to conifer forests actually increased warming. The wrong trees made things worse.
Tree care
Tree care after a storm: what to save, what to remove
After ice or wind storm damage, here is how to assess your trees, avoid scams, and decide what to save, wait on, or remove.
Tree care
Protecting your trees before the next storm
Practical steps to prepare your trees for wind and ice storms, from finding an arborist now to planting trees that handle severe weather.
Tree care
Tree removal: 10 critical things you need to know
Before you remove a tree, know the rules on heritage trees, buried utilities, insurance, licensing, and hiring a trustworthy company.
Buying trees
Best trees to plant near the sidewalk
Seven trees that won't crack your sidewalk, plus six species to avoid. Selected for small root footprint, low mess, and proven performance in planting strips.
Tree care
What to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays
Skip the curb. Recycle your Christmas tree into mulch, fish habitat, bird shelter, or garden material instead of sending it to the landfill.
Buying trees
Best trees for fall color in your yard
Twelve trees with outstanding autumn color, from fiery red maples to golden ginkgos. Honest picks for home landscapes, not just arboretums.
Planting trees
Best trees for shade in summer and sun in winter
Deciduous trees that cool your house in summer and let sunlight through in winter. Save on energy bills with the right tree placement.
Planting trees
Best trees to plant for small yards
The best small trees for tight lots and urban yards. Japanese Maple leads the list, plus Redbud, Crape Myrtle, Dogwood, Olive, and more specific picks for yards under 30 feet deep.
Buying trees
A front yard treasure: the Evergreen Dogwood tree
How a lawn care pro spotted a rare Evergreen Dogwood across the street and bought every one he could find at $40 a tree. Growing tips, care guide, and why Cornus capitata deserves a spot in your yard.
Buying trees
The Camphor tree: beautiful, useful, and totally invasive
The Camphor tree is gorgeous, historically significant, and a Class 1 invasive in two states. Here's what to know before you plant one.
Buying trees
Types of maple trees
Seven maple species worth planting in your yard, with honest advice on which ones work and which ones will give you headaches.
Buying trees
Meanings and symbolism of trees
Fourteen trees and the myths, legends, and cultural stories behind them. From Norse gods to Greek heroes, the stories trees carry into your yard.
Buying trees
December landscaping purchases: why winter is the smartest time to buy
Garden centers drop prices in December and bare root season is around the corner. Here's what to buy now, what to wait on, and how to save 30-50% on trees, shrubs, and supplies.
Buying trees
The prehistoric cycad tree that outlived the dinosaurs
Encephalartos woodii is the rarest tree on Earth. One male specimen remains, and it cannot reproduce on its own. Here is its story, plus what cycads you can actually grow at home.
Trimming trees
What it takes to remove a 229-foot tree
A look at professional tree removal from 229 feet up, and why qualified arborists charge what they charge for dangerous work.
Tree care
Fertilize your fruit trees in February
February is the best month to feed apple, peach, pear, plum, and berry bushes. Here is what to use, how much, and what to avoid.
Planting trees
How to plant bare root trees
Step-by-step guide to planting bare root trees the right way, from soaking roots to first-year watering. Get it right and they thrive.
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