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.
All articles
Everything I've learned about trees in 20+ years of homeownership. Pick a topic or browse them all.
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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.
Tree care
Why Are Tree Trunks Painted White? (And Should You Do It)
White trunk paint prevents sunscald, the winter injury that splits young bark on the southwest side. Here's the paint, the dilution, and when to apply it.
Tree care
Best Fertilizer for Apple Trees: What to Use and When
Apple trees mostly need nitrogen in early spring. Here's the NPK for young vs. bearing trees, how much to use, and a tape-measure test for whether to feed.
Tree care
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale: How to Spot It and Get Rid of It
A white felt crust on crape myrtle bark with black sooty mold below means bark scale. How to tell it from aphids and treat it with the right timing.
Buying trees
8 Drought-Tolerant Evergreen Trees for Year-Round Low-Water Screening
Eight evergreen trees that stay green all year and handle a dry summer once established, with zones, mature size, and which work best as privacy screens.
Buying trees
20 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs for a Low-Water Yard
Twenty drought-tolerant shrubs for privacy, foundations, and low-water beds, with zones, size, bloom, and deer resistance. Buy some only as sterile types.
Buying trees
21 Drought-Tolerant Trees That Thrive on Little Water
Twenty-one trees that survive a dry summer once established, sorted by shade, flowering, evergreen, and desert use, plus the watering plan to get there.
Buying trees
Drought-Tolerant Trees for California, Region by Region
The best drought-tolerant trees for California, sorted by coast, Central Valley, SoCal and desert, and foothills, from natives to Mediterranean imports.
Buying trees
9 Fast-Growing Drought-Tolerant Trees for Quick, Low-Water Shade
Nine trees that grow fast and survive a dry summer once established. Speed and drought tolerance rarely come together, so these picks are worth knowing.
Buying trees
11 Trees With White Bark (and Which Ones Survive Heat)
Eleven trees with white or pale bark, from paper birch and Himalayan birch to sycamore and 'Natchez' crape myrtle, and which ones handle a hot climate.
Tools
Chainsaw and Tree-Cutting Safety: The PPE and Rules That Keep You Whole
A homeowner's guide to chainsaw safety: the full PPE system, how kickback works, safe-cutting fundamentals, and when to call a certified arborist.
Tools
Chainsaws for Tree Work: A Homeowner's Buying Guide
How to pick a homeowner chainsaw for limbing, firewood, and small trees. Battery vs gas, bar length, safety features, and the jobs to leave to a pro.
Tools
Hand Pruners: Bypass vs Anvil, Sizing, and How to Buy a Pair That Lasts
A homeowner's guide to hand pruners: bypass vs anvil, what branch size they cut, how to make a clean cut, sharpening the bevel, and disinfecting between trees.
Tools
Hedge Shears: How to Buy and Use Manual Shears for Clean, Quiet Hedge Shaping
How manual hedge shears differ from powered trimmers, what stem size they cut, how to shear a hedge flat and tapered, and how to sharpen the blades.
Tools
Powered Hedge Trimmers: How to Buy and Use One for Long, Formal Hedges
Corded, battery, or gas hedge trimmers compared by blade length and cutting capacity, plus how to trim a hedge tapered so the base keeps its leaves.
Tools
How to Sharpen Pruning Tools: Pruners, Loppers, and Saws
How to sharpen pruning shears and loppers the right way: match the factory bevel, deburr, oil, plus why most pruning saws get replaced, not sharpened.
Tools
Loppers: How to Choose and Use Them
How to pick loppers by cut capacity and handle length, the bypass vs anvil call, sharpening, safety, and the two pairs worth buying.
Tools
Orchard and Tripod Ladders: The Safe Way to Reach Into a Tree
A three-legged tripod orchard ladder is safer than a stepladder on soft ground. Here's how to pick the right height and the safety rules for using one.
Tools
Manual Pole Pruners: A Buyer's Guide to Cutting High Branches From the Ground
How to choose a manual pole pruner by reach, cutting capacity, and pole material, plus a safe overhead cutting method and the power-line rules to follow.
Tools
Powered Pole Saws: A Buyer's Guide to Battery and Electric Saws for High Branches
How to pick a battery, corded, or gas pole saw by bar length, reach, and weight, plus a safe overhead-cut method and the chain-and-power-line rules that matter.
Tools
Pruning Saws and Folding Saws: A Buyer's Guide (Plus Bow Saws for Big Cuts)
How to pick a pruning saw or folding saw by blade length, TPI, and branch diameter, plus the 3-cut method, blade care, and when a bow saw wins.
Tools
Soil Moisture Meters for Trees: How to Use One and Whether You Need It
A homeowner's guide to soil moisture meters for judging when to water trees. How to use one, what the readings mean, and when the finger test wins.
Tools
Soil Test Kits: How to Test Your Soil Before You Plant a Tree
A homeowner's guide to soil test kits: DIY pH/NPK kits vs. a university lab test, how to pull a representative sample, what pH trees want, and how to fix it.
Tools
Stump Grinders and Stump Removal: A Homeowner's Guide
You don't need to buy a stump grinder. Here's how to decide between renting one, hiring a pro, rotting the stump out, or digging it by hand.
Tools
Tree Care Tools: The Complete Guide
The tree care tools that earn a spot in your shed, sorted by job: pruning, reaching high branches, removal, watering, and planting a new tree.
Tools
Tree Planting Tools: The Digging and Planting Gear You Actually Need
The shovels, mattocks, augers, and hauling gear for planting a tree right, matched to the dig-wide-not-deep method that keeps young trees alive.
Tools
Tree Stakes and Ties: What to Buy and When You Actually Need Them
Most newly planted trees do not need staking. Here is how to pick stakes and ties, stake correctly, and pull the setup before it harms the trunk.
Tools
Tree Watering Bags: How Slow-Release Bags Keep a New Tree Alive
A homeowner's guide to tree watering bags: how slow-release bags work, sizing and capacity, how to set one up, refill timing, and when to take it off.
Tools
Tree Wraps and Trunk Guards: Protecting Young Trunks the Right Way
Paper wrap stops sunscald and frost cracks. Plastic guards stop rabbits and string trimmers. Here is which to buy, how to use it, and when to take it off.
Tools
Which Pruning Tool for Which Cut: Choosing by Branch Diameter
Pick the right pruning tool by branch size: hand pruners under 3/4 inch, loppers to 1.5 inches, a saw past that, and when to call an arborist.
Tools
Wood Chippers for Homeowners: What They Actually Chip, and How to Feed One Safely
A homeowner guide to wood chippers and shredders: electric vs gas, real branch capacity, chipper vs shredder, turning prunings into free mulch, and feed safety.
Buying trees
Arborvitae Growing Guide: How to Pick, Plant, and Keep Thuja Green
Complete arborvitae (Thuja) growing guide: pick the right cultivar, plant it, and keep it green. Zones, spacing, deer, winter burn, and snow splay.
Buying trees
Cedar Tree Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for True Cedars
A complete growing guide to true cedars (Cedrus): deodar, blue atlas, and cedar of Lebanon. Sizes, zones, the naming trap, and the catch before you plant.
Buying trees
Crepe Myrtle Growing Guide: How to Plant, Prune, and Choose the Right One
How to grow crepe myrtle in zones 6-9: mature size by cultivar, mildew-resistant varieties, planting, and why topping it (crepe murder) is a mistake.
Buying trees
Dogwood Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Flowering Dogwood
A complete dogwood growing guide covering Cornus florida, Kousa, and Rutgers hybrids: siting, soil, watering, disease-proof cultivars, and the catch.
Buying trees
Eastern Redbud Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Cercis canadensis
A complete eastern redbud growing guide: siting, soil, watering, pruning, the canker and short-life catch, and the best cultivars for your yard.
Buying trees
Fig Tree Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for a Fig
A complete fig tree growing guide for Ficus carica: siting away from foundations, cold protection, watering, pruning, the best cultivars, and the catch.
Buying trees
Italian Cypress Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Cupressus sempervirens
A complete Italian cypress growing guide: sizes, zones, drainage, spider mites, bagworms, and the cypress canker that can brown out a whole tree with no cure.
Buying trees
Japanese Maple Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Acer Palmatum
A complete Japanese maple growing guide: zones, siting, watering, pruning, and the catch on scorch, slow growth, and price. Plus the best cultivars to plant.
Buying trees
Juniper Growing Guide: From Skyrocket Columns to Blue Rug Groundcover
A complete juniper growing guide: upright, spreading, and groundcover types, plus the catch on tip blight, spider mites, and cedar-apple rust.
Buying trees
Magnolia Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Every Type
A complete magnolia growing guide to Southern, saucer, star, and sweetbay magnolias: siting, soil, watering, the best cultivars, and the catch.
Buying trees
Mulberry Tree Growing Guide: Fruit, Shade, and the Purple Mess Nobody Warns You About
How to grow red, white, and black mulberry, with zones, care, and cultivars. Fruitless males won't stain a driveway, but the pollen is hard on allergies.
Buying trees
Olive Tree Growing Guide: Plant the Fruitless Kind
How to grow an olive tree (Olea europaea) in California and beyond. Fruitless cultivars, frost tolerance, the fruit-drop mess, pollen bans, and care advice.
Buying trees
Quaking Aspen Growing Guide: Beautiful Tree, Terrible Yard Choice for Most People
A quaking aspen growing guide: aggressive root suckers, a 20-40 year life, cytospora canker, and why it dies young in hot lowland yards.
Buying trees
River Birch Growing Guide: How to Plant and Care for Betula Nigra
A complete river birch growing guide: the one birch that shrugs off bronze birch borer, plus the catch on water, chlorosis, and litter.
Buying trees
Tulip Poplar Growing Guide: The Fast Giant That Isn't a Poplar
A complete tulip poplar growing guide: mature size, zones, tulip-shaped flowers, the catch on brittle wood and aphid honeydew, plus the best cultivars.
Buying trees
Types of Cypress and Cedar Trees: How to Tell the Real Ones From the Impostors
A plain-English guide to true cedars, cypress, and the trees that borrow the cedar name. Identify each by size, zone, and growth rate before you buy.
Buying trees
Types of Poplar Trees: Poplars, Aspens, Cottonwoods, and Willows Compared
How to tell poplars, aspens, cottonwoods, and willows apart, and which of these fast-growing cousins are worth planting in a home yard.
Buying trees
Weeping Willow Growing Guide: Beautiful, Thirsty, and Usually a Mistake
A weeping willow growing guide from a homeowner who has watched them wreck sewer lines. Size, roots, care, and why most yards should skip Salix babylonica.
Buying trees
Yew Growing Guide: The Classic Hedge That Can Kill Your Dog
How to grow yew (Taxus): the real toxicity risk to pets, kids, and livestock, why wet soil kills it, planting and pruning, and the best hedge cultivars.
Tree care
Sudden Oak Death: How to Spot It, and Why Your Bay Laurel Is the Real Threat
Sudden oak death kills coast live oaks and tanoaks, and its spores come from nearby bay laurels. Learn to spot it and how to protect a healthy oak.
Tree care
Anthracnose on Trees: What It Looks Like and When to Actually Worry
Anthracnose hits sycamore, oak, ash, maple, and dogwood after wet springs. Most cases are cosmetic, but dogwood anthracnose is the one to take seriously.
Tree care
Apple Scab: How to Spot It, Treat It, and Stop It Coming Back
Apple scab spots leaves and fruit on apples and crabapples after wet springs. Learn the symptoms, the resistant cultivars, and when cleanup beats spraying.
Tree care
Cedar Apple Rust: How One Fungus Needs Both Your Juniper and Your Apple Tree
Cedar apple rust needs both a juniper and an apple or crabapple to complete its life cycle. Learn the signs, fungicide timing, and the resistant cultivars.
Tree care
Dutch Elm Disease: The Pathogen, How It Spreads, and What Still Works
Dutch elm disease is an invasive fungus spread by bark beetles and root grafts, and an infected tree can't be cured. Here are the resistant elms to plant.
Tree care
Fire Blight: How to Spot It, Stop It, and Save the Rest of the Tree
Fire blight bends shoot tips into a shepherd's crook on apple, pear, crabapple, and quince. Pruning beats spraying, and some cases need an arborist.
Tree care
Fungicide for Trees: When to Spray, What to Use, and What It Won't Fix
When to spray fungicide on trees, how copper, neem, sulfur, and chlorothalonil compare, how often to apply, and which tree diseases no fungicide will fix.
Tree care
How to Revive a Dying Tree: A Step-by-Step Rescue Plan
A homeowner's rescue plan to save a dying tree: fix the water, redo the mulch, stop the ongoing damage, skip the fertilizer, and know when it's too late.
Tree care
Leaf Scorch on Trees: Is It Drought Stress or Something Worse?
Brown, crispy leaf edges can be environmental leaf scorch or bacterial leaf scorch. Here's how to tell the two apart and what to do about each one.
Tree care
Oak Wilt: How to Spot It, and Why You Can't Prune Your Way Out
Oak wilt can kill a red oak in weeks, and there's no cure. Learn the top-down wilt that identifies it, why pruning timing matters, and how it spreads.
Tree care
Peach Leaf Curl: Why You Have to Spray Before You Ever See It
Peach leaf curl has to be sprayed with copper while the tree is dormant. How to identify it on peach and nectarine, and what to do if leaves curl now.
Tree care
Powdery Mildew on Trees: How to Identify It and Treat It
Identify powdery mildew on trees and woody ornamentals: which species get it worst, why it shows up, and the treatment plan (it's rarely fatal).
Tree care
Root Rot in Trees: How to Spot It, What's Causing It, and What Actually Helps
Root rot in trees starts with waterlogged soil. Learn to tell Phytophthora from Armillaria, why drainage is the real fix, and when a tree can't be saved.
Tree care
Is My Tree Dying? How to Tell What's Wrong and Whether You Can Save It
How to figure out why your tree is declining, whether from water and soil stress, disease, pests, or old age, and which guide to read next to fix it.
Tree care
Sooty Mold on Trees: What Causes It and How to Actually Fix It
Sooty mold is black fungus growing on insect honeydew, not a fungal infection. Learn which pests cause it and why fungicide won't fix it.
Tree care
Tree Rot and Decay: When a Hollow Trunk Means Your Tree Is a Hazard
Decay inside a trunk can be managed but not cured. What conks, cavities, and cracks mean, how much sound wood a tree needs, and when it has to come down.
Tree care
Tree Trunk Protection: How to Stop Sunscald, Mower Damage, and Rodent Gnawing
How to protect a mature trunk from sunscald, mower and trimmer wounds, rodents, and buck rub, and why a mulch ring does more than any trunk guard.
Tree care
Verticillium Wilt in Trees: How to Spot It, and Why There's No Cure
Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne fungus with no chemical cure. Learn the one-sided wilt and sapwood streaks that identify it and what to plant instead.
Buying trees
Deer-Resistant Trees: What Deer Leave Alone (and What They Don't)
Deer-resistant trees ranked by tested ratings, including evergreen, privacy, fruit, and fast-growing picks. No tree is deer-proof, and I explain why.
Buying trees
Fast Growing Flowering Trees: The Quickest Bloomers Worth Planting
Fast growing flowering trees ranked by growth rate and bloom time, from crape myrtle and jacaranda to redbud, plus the fast but invasive ones I'd skip.
Buying trees
Fast Growing Trees for California: What Actually Thrives Here
Fast growing trees for California's dry summers, split by coast, Central Valley, and SoCal, with sourced growth rates and a list of the ones I'd skip.
Buying trees
Fast-Growing Privacy Trees: The Best Screens to Plant
Fast growing privacy trees ranked with sourced growth rates, mature widths, a spacing table, cheap bulk options, and a realistic timeline to a full screen.
Buying trees
Fast-Growing Shade Trees: 10 That Give You Real Shade Fast
Fast growing shade trees ranked by speed and canopy spread, with sourced growth rates, zones, and a realistic timeline for when you'll get usable shade.
Tree care
How Fast Do Crepe Myrtle Trees Grow? (Rates by Cultivar)
How fast do crepe myrtle trees grow? Rapid, 1 to 2-plus feet a year, with some cultivars near 3. Sourced growth rates by size class for crape myrtle cultivars.
Tree care
How Fast Do Magnolia Trees Grow? (By Species)
How fast do magnolia trees grow? Most add 1 to 2 feet a year, but it depends on the species. Sourced growth rates for Southern, saucer, star, and sweetbay.
Tree care
How Fast Do Oak Trees Grow? (And the Fastest Oaks to Plant)
How fast do oak trees grow? It depends on the species. Willow, water, and Nuttall oaks add 2-plus feet a year. Sourced growth rates for 8 common oaks.
Tree care
How Fast Do Pine Trees Grow? (And the Fastest Pines to Plant)
How fast do pine trees grow? Most clear 1 to 2-plus feet a year, and eastern white pine adds 2 to 3. Sourced growth rates for 6 common pines by ft/yr and zone.
Tree care
How Fast Do Trees Grow? Growth Rates for 40+ Common Species
How fast do trees grow? Most add 1 to 2 feet a year, but they range from under a foot to over 8. Sourced growth-rate table for 40+ species by ft/yr and zone.
Planting trees
How Far Apart to Plant Trees: Spacing by Size, House, and Each Other
How far apart to plant trees by mature canopy size, with spacing numbers for the house, sidewalk, power lines, privacy hedges, and fruit tree rows.
Planting trees
How to Mulch a Tree the Right Way (and Avoid the Mulch Volcano)
How to mulch a tree the right way: how much mulch, how deep, how wide, and why mulch volcanoes piled against the trunk slowly kill the tree you planted.
Planting trees
Root-Bound Trees: How to Fix Circling Roots Before You Plant
A root bound tree from the nursery keeps circling and girdles itself within years. Here is how to spot and correct circling roots before you plant a tree.
Planting trees
Soil Prep and Amendments for Planting Trees: What Actually Works
How to prep soil for planting a tree: why you shouldn't amend the backfill, how to test drainage, what to do with clay, and when a soil test is worth it.
Tree care
Transplant Shock in Trees: Signs, Recovery, and What to Do
Transplant shock makes a newly planted tree wilt, scorch, and drop leaves. Learn the signs, how long it lasts, and how to help your stressed tree recover.
Planting trees
How to Transplant an Established Tree (Without Killing It)
How to transplant an established tree and move it without killing it: trunk caliper limits, root pruning, dormant-season timing, and when to call a pro.
Tree care
Why Is My Fig Tree Not Producing Fruit?
A fig that won't fruit is usually too young, overfed, winter-damaged, short on sun, drought-stressed, or pruned wrong. Here's how to diagnose and fix each.
Tree care
Adelgids on Trees: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and the Threat to Eastern Forests
Hemlock woolly adelgid is killing eastern hemlocks in 23 states. Here's how to spot adelgids on hemlock, fir, and spruce, and which treatments work.
Tree care
Pine Beetles: Mountain Pine Beetle, Southern Pine Beetle, and Ips Beetles
How to identify mountain pine beetle, southern pine beetle, and Ips engravers on your pines, what you can do about them, and when to call an arborist.
Tree care
Japanese Beetles on Trees: Damage, Trapping, and Long-Term Control
Identify Japanese beetle damage on linden, Japanese maple, and birch, skip the trap that makes it worse, and treat both adults and lawn grubs the right way.
Tree care
Leafminers in Trees: Identifying the Damage and What to Do
Serpentine trails and blotchy translucent patches on birch, holly, or oak leaves point to leafminers. Contact sprays don't reach them. Here's what does.
Tree care
Scale Insects on Trees: Soft Scale, Armored Scale, and How to Get Rid of Them
How to tell soft scale from armored scale on trees, time horticultural oil to the crawler stage, and stop the honeydew and sooty mold that come with them.
Tree care
Spider Mites on Trees: Why Your Conifers and Houseplants Are Failing
Identify spider mites on trees using the paper test, recognize stippling and webbing damage, and treat outbreaks driven by drought stress or dry indoor heating.
Tree care
Tree Caterpillars: Tent Caterpillars, Webworms, and Bagworms
Identify tent caterpillars, fall webworms, and bagworms by tree, symptom, and season. BT is the canonical treatment, but timing decides whether it works.
Tree care
Tree Sawflies: Pine Sawflies, Rose Sawflies, and How to Stop Defoliation
Sawfly larvae look like caterpillars but aren't, so BT won't kill them. Here's how to identify pine and rose sawflies and stop the defoliation.
Tree care
Whiteflies on Trees: Identification, Damage, and Treatment
Identify citrus, silverleaf, and giant whiteflies on trees. Sooty mold and ant trails are the giveaway. Treatment with neem, soap, and yellow sticky traps.
Tree care
Tree Pest Guide: How to Identify and Treat Common Tree Insects
How to identify sucking, chewing, and boring tree pests by how they look and what they do, with control methods and links to species-specific guides.
Tree care
Apple Tree Diseases: How to Identify and Treat the Big Ones
How to identify apple scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, and black rot on a backyard apple, with treatment costs, pruning steps, and resistant cultivars.
Tree care
Arborvitae Problems: Why Your Privacy Hedge Is Browning and How to Save It
Identify and fix the six problems that hit backyard arborvitae hedges: bagworms, spider mites, tip blight, root rot, winter burn, and deer damage.
Tree care
Cherry Tree Diseases: What's Wrong With Your Cherry and How to Fix It
Identify and treat the six diseases that hit backyard cherry trees: brown rot, cherry leaf spot, black knot, Cytospora canker, bacterial canker, and X-disease.
Tree care
Citrus Tree Diseases: From Greening to Root Rot, What's Hurting Your Tree
How to spot HLB greening, citrus canker, brown rot, sooty mold, melanose, and root rot on backyard citrus, with treatments and the quarantine rules.
Tree care
Crepe Myrtle Diseases and Pests: Bark Scale, Powdery Mildew, and the Rest
Identify and treat the five problems hitting backyard crepe myrtles: crepe myrtle bark scale, powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, sooty mold, and root rot.
Tree care
Dogwood Tree Diseases: Anthracnose and the Other Big Threats
Identify and treat the five problems that hit flowering dogwoods: dogwood anthracnose, powdery mildew, septoria leaf spot, crown canker, and dogwood borer.
Tree care
Elm Tree Diseases: Dutch Elm Disease and What Replaced It
How to spot Dutch elm disease, elm yellows, elm anthracnose, bacterial leaf scorch, and elm leaf beetle, plus the modern resistant elm cultivars to plant.
Tree care
Peach Tree Diseases: Leaf Curl, Brown Rot, and the Rest of the Lineup
How to identify and treat leaf curl, brown rot, scab, bacterial spot, Cytospora canker, and gummosis on backyard peach trees, with spray timing for each.
Tree care
Pear Tree Diseases: Fire Blight and the Rest You Need to Know
Identify and treat the five diseases that hit backyard pear trees: fire blight, pear scab, pear trellis rust, Pseudomonas blossom blast, and sooty blotch.
Tree care
Plum Tree Diseases: Black Knot, Brown Rot, and What to Do About Them
How to treat black knot, plum pockets, brown rot, bacterial spot, and plum rust on backyard plums, with pruning, spray timing, and resistant cultivars.
Buying trees
USDA Hardiness Zones Explained: How to Find Yours and Use It
What USDA hardiness zones mean, how to find yours by ZIP code, what changed in the 2023 map, the a and b split, and how to use your zone to pick trees.
Gardening
California Fuchsia: Hummingbird Magnet for Dry Gardens
California fuchsia is a native perennial that blooms scarlet-orange from August through November and pulls in hummingbirds. Here's how to grow it at home.
Gardening
California Native Plants for Water-Wise Gardens
Manzanita, ceanothus, California poppy, white sage, and more native shrubs, groundcovers, and ferns that grow on rainfall alone in a California yard.
Gardening
California Poppy: Growing the Golden State's Wildflower
California poppies bloom orange and gold from March through May, reseed every year, and want only sun and poor soil. Here's how to grow them from seed.
Gardening
California White Sage: Growing Salvia apiana in Your Garden
California white sage grows silvery leaves and fragrant white flowers in zones 8-11 with no summer water once it's established. Here's how to grow it.
Gardening
Ceanothus (Wild Lilac): Growing California's Native Flowering Shrub
Ceanothus, California's wild lilac, covers itself in blue flowers every spring on rainfall alone and needs no summer water. Here's how to grow it at home.
Buying trees
Coast Live Oak: The Complete Growing Guide
How to plant and care for coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), including irrigation, oak root fungus, and why summer water near the trunk can kill it.
Gardening
Giant Chain Fern: California's Native Shade Fern
Giant chain fern is a California native that grows 4-5 feet tall in shade and moist soil, adding bold texture to woodland gardens and stream banks.
Gardening
Juncus 'Elk Blue': Ornamental Rush for California Gardens
Juncus patens 'Elk Blue' is a California native rush with fine blue-gray foliage for borders, rain gardens, and pots, and it needs very little care.
Gardening
Manzanita 'Emerald Carpet': California's Best Native Groundcover
Manzanita 'Emerald Carpet' is a low California native that covers slopes, crowds out weeds, and needs no summer water once it's established.
Tree care
Best Fertilizer for Fruit Trees: What to Use for Apples, Peaches, Citrus, and More
Fruit trees want a balanced 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 fertilizer, not a high-nitrogen lawn blend. What to buy and when to feed apple, peach, pear, citrus, and fig.
Buying trees
11 Best Shade Trees for Your Backyard (Ranked by Size and Growth Rate)
Eleven backyard shade trees sorted by canopy size and growth rate, with mature sizes, pros and cons, and how much shade you'll have at year 5, 10, and 20.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Front Yard: 12 Species That Boost Curb Appeal
Japanese maple, crape myrtle, redbud, dogwood, zelkova, and red maple, ranked by mature size to fit a small, medium, or large front yard.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Zone 6: Shade Trees, Flowering Trees, Evergreens, and Fruit Trees
The best trees for USDA zone 6, where winters reach 0F to -10F: shade, flowering, evergreen, fruit, and fast-growing picks, plus the ones to avoid.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Zone 7: Shade Trees, Flowering Trees, Evergreens, and Fruit Trees
The best trees for USDA zone 7, where winters reach 0F to 10F: shade, flowering, evergreen, fruit, and fast-growing picks, plus the ones to avoid.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Zone 8: Shade Trees, Flowering Trees, Evergreens, and Fruit Trees
The best trees for USDA zone 8, where winters reach 10F to 20F: shade, flowering, evergreen, fruit, and fast-growing picks, plus the ones to avoid.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Zone 9: Shade Trees, Flowering Trees, Evergreens, and Fruit Trees
The best trees for USDA zone 9, where winters reach 20F to 30F: shade, flowering, evergreen, tropical fruit, and desert trees, plus the ones to avoid.
Buying trees
Flowering Trees in Texas: 16 Species That Handle the Heat
Texas redbud, desert willow, crape myrtle, and pomegranate lead these flowering trees for Texas yards, sorted by bloom color with picks for each region.
Gardening
Best Plants to Grow Under Trees: Perennials, Ground Covers, and Shrubs That Actually Thrive
Shade-tolerant perennials, ground covers, and shrubs to plant under trees, how to plant without damaging roots, and which trees are hard to plant beneath.
Tree care
How to Protect Trees From Deer: Fencing, Repellents, and What Actually Works
How to protect trees from deer browsing and buck rub with tree tubes, wire cages, trunk wraps, fencing, and repellents, with what each method costs.
Planting trees
Tree Tubes: When to Use Them and When to Skip Them
Solid vs. mesh tree tubes, how to install them, when to remove them, DIY alternatives, and when grow tubes are worth the money for a homeowner.
Buying trees
Best Trees for Zone 5: Shade Trees, Flowering Trees, Evergreens, and Fruit Trees
The best trees for USDA zone 5, where winters reach -10F to -20F: shade, flowering, evergreen, fruit, and fast-growing picks, plus the ones to avoid.
Planting trees
Best Time to Plant Trees: A Seasonal Guide by Region and Species
Fall usually beats spring for planting trees. Here's the timing for every US zone, bare root season, species windows, and why soil temperature matters.
Buying trees
California Native Trees: 13 Species That Belong in Your Yard
Coast live oak, western redbud, valley oak, and Catalina cherry lead this list of California native trees, sorted by region with sizes and drought ratings.
Buying trees
Columnar Maple Trees: 8 Narrow Varieties for Tight Spaces
Armstrong, Crimson Sentry, Bowhall, and other narrow maples that fit driveways, property lines, and small yards, with widths, zones, and fall color.
Buying trees
Deciduous Trees: The Best Leaf-Dropping Trees for Every Yard
The best deciduous trees for home landscapes, from shade maples and oaks to compact ornamentals, and why a leaf-dropper beats an evergreen in most yards.
Buying trees
Dwarf Apple Trees: Varieties, Rootstocks, and How to Grow Them
How to grow dwarf apple trees under 10 feet: rootstocks, the best varieties for small yards, container growing, pollination partners, and expected yields.
Buying trees
Dwarf Peach Trees: Varieties, Care, and Growing Peaches in Small Spaces
How to grow dwarf peach trees in small yards and pots, with genetic dwarf varieties, chill hours, pruning, pests, and the best low-chill cultivars by zone.
Buying trees
Fastest Growing Fruit Trees That Actually Produce Quickly
Peach, fig, plum, citrus, and dwarf apple are the quickest fruit trees from planting to harvest. Here are the years to first fruit and the zones for each.
Gardening
Front Yard Landscaping with Trees: Pick the Right Tree for Curb Appeal That Lasts
How to choose and place front yard trees for curb appeal, with spacing from the house and sidewalk, the right species by yard size, and mistakes to avoid.
Tree care
Japanese Maple Diseases: How to Identify and Treat Common Problems
How to identify and treat Japanese maple diseases like verticillium wilt, anthracnose, leaf scorch, and root rot, and when curled brown leaves are normal.
Gardening
How to Landscape Around Trees Without Killing Them
The right way to mulch, plant, and build around tree bases. Shade plants, proper mulch depth, root zone protection, and mistakes that slowly kill trees.
Buying trees
Ornamental Trees: 15 Showpiece Trees That Make Your Yard Unforgettable
Weeping cherry, dogwood, paperbark maple, and Harry Lauder's walking stick lead these ornamental trees for home yards, with sizes, zones, and seasons.
Tree care
Pine Tree Diseases: How to Identify and Treat Common Pine Problems
How to identify and treat Diplodia tip blight, pine wilt, needle cast, rust, and bark beetle damage on pines, and how to know when a pine can't be saved.
Trimming trees
How to Prune Apple Trees: A Homeowner's Complete Guide
When and how to prune apple trees for better fruit and a manageable size, including central leader training, spurs, water sprouts, and neglected trees.
Trimming trees
Pruning Peach Trees: When, How, and Why You Need to Prune Hard
How to prune peach trees to an open center, when to cut, how much to remove, how to spot fruiting wood, and the biggest mistake peach growers make.
Trimming trees
Pruning Pear Trees: A Step-by-Step Guide for Bigger Fruit and Healthier Trees
How and when to prune pear trees using the central leader method, with fire blight control, summer pruning, spur care, and renovation of neglected trees.
Trimming trees
Pruning Plum Trees: When, How, and What to Cut for Better Fruit
How to prune plum trees, with timing for Japanese vs. European plums, open center training, thinning cuts, summer pruning, and the common mistakes.
Tree care
How to Remove Shrubs: DIY Methods, Costs, and When to Hire a Pro
How to remove overgrown or dead shrubs by digging, cutting, or stump treatment, with the tools you need, what a pro charges, and what to plant afterward.
Buying trees
Best Tall Narrow Shrubs for Screening and Privacy
Nine tall narrow shrubs that grow upright without eating your yard. Heights, zones, growth rates, spacing, and which ones actually stay skinny.
Tree care
Tree Boring Insects: How to Identify, Prevent, and Treat Wood-Boring Pests
How to identify and manage emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, bark beetles, and clearwing moths, with treatment costs and when to remove a tree.
Tree care
Tree Fungus Identification: What's Growing on Your Tree and What to Do About It
How to identify tree fungus, from harmless shelf mushrooms to deadly root rot, which fungi need treatment, which to ignore, and when to call an arborist.
Planting trees
How to Protect Tree Saplings: Guards, Stakes, Tubes, and What Actually Works
How to protect young trees from deer, rabbits, sun, wind, and mowers with guards, grow tubes, stakes, trunk wraps, and mulch, with costs and timing.
Planting trees
Best Trees for Pots and Containers
Twelve trees that grow well in pots on patios and balconies, with pot size, soil mix, watering, overwintering, and which species last for years.
Planting trees
Trees for Wet Soil: 10 Species That Thrive Where Others Drown
Trees that tolerate wet soil, standing water, seasonal flooding, and heavy clay, with hardiness zones, mature sizes, and planting tips for soggy yards.
Buying trees
Trees with Large Leaves: 14 Bold, Tropical-Looking Species for Temperate Yards
Catalpa, bigleaf magnolia, paulownia, fig, and other big-leaf trees that give a temperate yard a tropical look, with leaf sizes, zones, and design uses.
Buying trees
Trees with Pink and Purple Flowers: 16 Showstoppers for Every Zone
Cherry, redbud, jacaranda, crape myrtle, and more pink and purple flowering trees, sorted by bloom season with zones, sizes, and care tips.
Buying trees
Trees with Red Leaves: 12 Species for Year-Round or Fall Color
Twelve trees with red or purple leaves, from Japanese maple and purple leaf plum to red maple, sourwood, and sweetgum, with cultivars, zones, and sizes.
Tree care
How to Water a Newly Planted Tree: Schedule, Amount, and Signs You're Getting It Wrong
How to water a newly planted tree for its first three years: weekly schedules by season, how much per inch of trunk, and signs of over or underwatering.
Tree care
What Is an Arborist? When to Hire One and What They Actually Do
What certified arborists do, what they charge, how to find one, and when you can handle tree work yourself, including ISA certification and red flags.
Tree care
Winter Tree Care: How to Protect and Maintain Your Trees Through Cold Weather
Winter tree care covers watering, mulching, trunk wraps, salt damage, rodent protection, dormant pruning, and getting a new tree through its first winter.
Buying trees
Best Indoor Trees for Your Home (10 That Actually Survive Inside)
Fiddle leaf fig, rubber plant, dracaena, money tree, and parlor palm, ranked by light, care difficulty, and pet safety, with extension-backed care tips.
Buying trees
Fast Growing Evergreen Trees for Privacy: 10 Species Ranked by Growth Rate
The fastest growing evergreens for privacy screens and windbreaks, ranked by extension growth-rate data, with spacing and mixed-screen advice by zone.
Planting trees
How to Plant a Tree (So It Actually Survives)
How to plant container, balled-and-burlapped, and bare root trees: hole size, root flare depth, backfill, watering, staking, mulch, and mistakes to avoid.
Tree care
Maple Tree Diseases: Which Ones Actually Threaten Your Tree
Maple diseases from harmless tar spot and anthracnose to verticillium wilt, which can kill a tree. Symptoms, treatment costs, and when to call an arborist.
Tree care
Oak Tree Diseases: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent the Ones That Matter
The oak diseases that threaten home trees: sudden oak death, oak wilt, Armillaria root rot, anthracnose, and look-alike pests, with symptoms and costs.
Trimming trees
How to Prune Fruit Trees: The Complete Guide for Home Orchards
When to prune fruit trees, the two cuts you need, and training for apple, peach, cherry, pear, citrus, and fig, plus how to rescue a neglected tree.
Tree care
How to Fertilize Trees: What to Use, When to Apply, and When to Skip It
Most established trees don't need fertilizer. When yours does, here are the NPK ratios for shade trees, evergreens, and ornamentals, and when to feed.
Trimming trees
How Much Does Tree Trimming Cost? A Homeowner's Real Price Guide
Tree trimming costs $80 to $1,800 per tree depending on height, species, and access. Here's the breakdown, when DIY makes sense, and how to hire well.
Buying trees
Evergreen Trees: The Complete Guide to Trees That Stay Green All Year
Needled conifers, broadleaf evergreens, and privacy trees for home yards, with species profiles, USDA zones, growth rates, and my picks for what works.
Trimming trees
How to Trim Hedges: Timing, Technique, and the Mistakes That Kill Them
Hedge trimming timing by species, how to rejuvenate an overgrown hedge, the right tools, and the mistakes that leave bare spots or kill a hedge outright.
Tree care
How to Cut Down a Tree Safely: A Step-by-Step Felling Guide for Homeowners
How to fell a small tree yourself with a chainsaw: notch and back cuts, escape routes, safety gear, permits, and the point where you should call a pro.
Tree care
How Much Does Tree Removal Cost? A Real Homeowner's Price Guide
Tree removal costs $200 to $3,500 for most home jobs. Here's the breakdown by size, species, and condition, plus stump grinding, permits, and insurance.
Buying trees
Types of Trees: A Homeowner's Guide to Picking the Right One
Deciduous shade trees, evergreens, flowering ornamentals, and fruit trees you'd plant in a yard, with species names, sizes, zones, and my take on each.
Buying trees
Best Columnar and Narrow Evergreen Trees for Privacy and Small Spaces
Ten tall, skinny evergreens ranked for home yards, including Italian cypress, Emerald Green arborvitae, and Taylor juniper, with spacing, zones, and costs.
Buying trees
Best Dwarf and Small Trees for Front Yard Landscaping
Twelve dwarf and small trees that stay under 20 feet for front yards, patios, and tight lots, with sizes, zones, growth rates, and which truly stay small.
Buying trees
Emerald Green Arborvitae: The Best Privacy Tree You Can Plant for Under $40
Emerald Green arborvitae (Thuja 'Smaragd') spacing, growth rate, planting depth, winter care, deer protection, and how it compares to Green Giant.
Buying trees
10 Fast-Growing Trees Worth Planting (and 4 You Should Never Touch)
The fastest growing shade, privacy, and ornamental trees ranked by extension growth-rate data, with a comparison chart, trees to avoid, and zone picks.
Buying trees
18 Flowering Trees That Bloom From January Through December
Flowering trees for every season and zone, with a bloom calendar, disease-resistant varieties, pollinator and deer-resistant picks, and pruning timing.
Buying trees
Green Giant Arborvitae: The Fast-Growing Privacy Tree That Replaced Leyland Cypress
Thuja Green Giant growth rate, privacy screen spacing, planting, care, and pests, plus how it compares to Emerald Green arborvitae and Leyland cypress.
Tree care
How to Get Rid of Aphids on Trees (Without Killing Everything Else)
How to control aphids on trees with water sprays, insecticidal soap, neem oil, natural predators, and ant control, and when it's time to call an arborist.
Tree care
How to Tell If a Tree Is Dead (and When You Might Still Save It)
Nine ways to tell if a tree is dead or dying, from the scratch test to fungal growth and crown dieback, and when a declining tree can still be saved.
Buying trees
Best Privacy Shrubs and Hedges: 12 Plants Ranked by a Homeowner Who Tested Them
Privacy shrubs and hedges for every yard size, zone, and budget, with growth rates, spacing, deer resistance, cost comparisons, and the plants I'd avoid.
Buying trees
Best Trees and Shrubs for Shade (Including Deep Shade)
Twelve trees and shrubs that grow well in partial to full shade, from Japanese maple to serviceberry, with notes on what grows where sunlight is limited.
Buying trees
12 Spring Flowering Trees That Actually Deliver (and One to Skip)
Spring flowering trees sorted by bloom time so you get months of color, from early magnolias to late fringe trees, with zone advice and cultivar picks.
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.
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. 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)
How to trim a crepe myrtle without topping it, why late February is the right time to prune, and which varieties stay small enough that you never have to.
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 plants, seating, string lights, and ground covers that turn the trees in your yard into the centerpiece.
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
A spring tree care checklist: look for winter damage, prune dead branches, mulch correctly, fertilize if needed, water deeply, and check the lawn nearby.
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. 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
Japanese maple tops my list of small trees for tight lots, followed by redbud, crape myrtle, dogwood, and olive. All of them fit a yard under 30 feet deep.
Buying trees
A Front Yard Treasure: The Evergreen Dogwood Tree
A lawn care pro spotted a rare evergreen dogwood and bought every one he could find at $40 a tree. Here's 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, the fastest-growing maples ranked by growth rate, and which ones work in a yard and which cause 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 cut prices in December. Here's what to buy now, what to hold for bare root season, 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 can't reproduce alone. Here's its story and the cycads you can grow.
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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