In the summer and all throughout the year proper care for your palm trees here in Florida is a must. Palm trees require proper fertilization to receive the correct balance of nutrients needed for overall heath and vigor. It is recommended to fertilize palm trees in the spring, summer, and fall. Palm tree care from fertilization assures good growth. When fertilized on a regular basis following the right program they will get the proper nutrients needed. It can take quite some time to bounce back if your palm trees are left untreated. It can take two or three years to return to normal if they are seriously neglected.
Never forget your roots and never forget those of your palms. With Palms it is important to take special care for their roots. Unlike a typical tree, a Palm does not have roots growing deep beneath the tree. Root balls branch very little and do not increase in size with the growth of the above ground tree.With watering palms timing can be everything. You should water your Palm tree early in the morning or late in the evening when it is not too hot. Watering your palm in the middle on the hot day can result in leaf burn. If you water your palm tree in the middle of the hot summer day, when the temperature is around 100F, and get the water on the palm tree frond it will fry the leaves.
Summer is a busy growing season. And for some a busy eating season. This includes those pests that want enjoy a palm salad at your expense. The Giant Palm Borer is a large and quite ugly beetle whose larvae have a taste for the wood of palm trees. Borer grubs can live inside a palm trunk for up to nine years before exiting as beetles through quarter-sized holes. The Palmetto Weevil can be found throughout Florida, as far west as southern Texas and as far north as South Carolina. It is North America's largest weevil.
Keeping your palm trees healthy and looking their best requires expert care. Each palm tree has specific needs based on the palm variety, soil, location of planting, time of year, weather and other conditions. Zimmerman Tree Service provides expert care and specialized treatments to keep your palm trees at their best. Our professional arborists assess the needs of each of your palm trees, diagnosis any issues and customize treatments specifically for your property.
One flash of ultrabright light, supercharged electricity in the air, the smell of burning ozone and an earthshaking boom you can feel in your bones - that perfectly describes your encounter with a close lightning strike during the summer in Florida. The truth of the matter is that lightning never strikes the same place twice because a place is never the same after lightning strikes it.
The trees in your yard can be a prime example. Trees protrude from the earth’s surface, and when several million volts of electricity charge through the air in the form of lightning, they follow the path of least resistance to the ground, often through the bark of a tree. When lightning strikes, the sap in the bark of the tree is subject to extreme temperatures many times hotter than the surface of the sun due to electrical resistance. This electrical resistance causes the sap to be heated into steam, which can make it explode. That is why some trees violently explode when struck by lightning.
Usually, the lightning current runs just underneath the bark, down to ground, and the tree is scarred by a strip of blown-away bark. It usually survives such a strike. However it is also possible that the jolting current may run down near the center of the trunk, and then there may be little left of the tree afterwards. Other trees seemingly have no damage at all, and then die a few weeks or months later, probably because the unseen damage was in the root zone.
A tree struck by lightning has been severely stressed. Stressed trees are also targets for insect and disease problems. That is a lot for a tree to handle, and it is no wonder that many lightning-struck trees die. Providing water and fertilizer can help increase a damaged tree's stress tolerance. Aside from providing proper professional care to your lightning-struck tree, you should also have lightning-damaged branches pruned.
You may protect your trees by having Zimmerman Tree Service install lightning protection systems. The best lightning protection for your trees is having lightning rods installed in the trees that are most susceptible to lightning strikes. Lightning rods are made of conducting metal and installed in your trees. The lightning rod goes down to the ground and a distance from the trees. The lightning rods provide better conducting material than trees. Electricity seeks the most efficient path to the ground, which is through the lightning rod, bypassing your trees and keeping your trees safe.
Not all your trees need lightning rods. Zimmerman Tree Service will make a professional assessment of your trees, based on species, height, proximity to structures and other pertinent factors to help you determine in which trees to install lightning protection.
The winds of change may be blowing soon. Once again hurricane season is upon us. What can we expect this year? The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be more active than historical averages regarding the number of named storms and hurricanes, according to a forecast released Thursday by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA's forecast calls for a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms (including April's Tropical Storm Arlene). 5 to 9 of those could become hurricanes. Further, 2 to 4 of those might become major hurricanes. The 30-year historical average (1981-2010) for the Atlantic basin is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
“The outlook reflects our expectation of a weak or non-existent El Nino, near- or above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and average or weaker-than-average vertical wind shear in that same region,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
Strong El Ninos and wind shear typically suppress development of Atlantic hurricanes, so the prediction for weak conditions points to more hurricane activity this year. Also, warmer sea surface temperatures tend to fuel hurricanes as they move across the ocean. However, the climate models are showing considerable uncertainty, which is reflected in the comparable probabilities for an above-normal and near-normal season.
As usual, all coastal Florida residents are urged to make the same hurricane preparations every year regardless of their prediction. Inspect your property thoroughly. Hire a Certified Arborist to evaluate your trees and provide pruning recommendations to prepare them for hurricane season. Make a comprehensive list of essential items you may need to survive and start now to accumulate them. Locate the nearest hurricane shelter in your area in the event an evacuation order is given. Most importantly, have a plan and be prepared. It only takes one hurricane to make landfall near you and disrupt normal daily activities.
Spring is always a time of new growth. Everything gets more active, and bigger. Unfortunately that includes those freeloaders that like to munch on your greenery. Yes, they are back despite popular demand (that they begone!).Lawn pests can take away your lawn’s beautiful color and overall health if not controlled and treated.Any signs of munched-on leaves, plants, or fruit could be a sign that the annual bug invasion has begun in your garden. Grass that is turning yellow or reddish-brown in color could be suffering from a chinch bug problem. You might not see them at first. These tiny critters are difficult to spot in the grass during the day.
Some crickets will eat most anything. Mole crickets are one of the most devastating lawn pests all through the Southeast. These insects tunnel through soil and will devour insects and decaying plant matter, along with grass roots and shoots. A lawn infested with mole crickets feels spongy when you walk on it and has irregularly-shaped brown patches.
All this spring growth will surely get your attention. Spring is the time when homeowners will start to see increasing insect activity outdoors and in. Warmer spring temperatures cause an influx of insects to emerge. Now would be a great time to have a professional come out and treat your trees, shrubs, plants and lawn to prevent any infestations from happening or damage to your greenery.
Florida is notorious for lawn destroying bugs and keeping them from destroying your yard and plants can seem overwhelming. Your yard should be for you to enjoy, not something you have to fight to keep. When bugs make you want to bug out it is time to call in the pros. At Zimmerman Tree Service we can get rid of them and offer lawn treatments that keep them from coming back.
