Tree pruning and shrub pruning are two general practices that can vastly improve the health of your plant life if done properly. The goal of pruning is to improve the visual appeal of your trees and shrubs while also enhancing the quality of life that they enjoy. This is also an excellent and economical measure to ensure the health of your property’s plant life!
Pruning Benefits
The benefits are extensive, especially if it is performed by the professionals from Randburg Tree Felling.
Pruning clears your trees of dead or dying branches, which will maintain the natural branch structure that you’ve come to enjoy as part of your view. We have come to realise that love is in the details, which is why we examine the natural growth paths of branches.
Clearing out dead, weak or dying tree limbs will allow ample room for the healthy branches to continue their strong existence. This not only adds to the overall health of your trees, it also improves their visual aesthetic.
Types Of Pruning
Randburg Tree Felling pruning specialists can offer you fine pruning, standard pruning and crown reduction pruning for your trees.
We are also experienced in hazard pruning, which eliminates potential danger zones on your property caused by the possibility of falling branches. The trees aren’t the only investment that you have to protect on your property!
As with all of our services, pruning can be performed as part of your regular services.
Contact Randburg Tree Fellers today to schedule a on site consultation. You’ll be able to discuss what you’d like to accomplish through proper tree pruning and shrub pruning while we also make recommendations to improve the health, beauty and safety of your property’s plant life
Randburg Tree Fellers other tree services include:
Make yourself acquainted with these important safety tips before you take a saw to an unwanted tree in the garden.
Felling a tree is never a task to be carried out lightly, whether it blocks your view, is sick or damaged, or takes up space that you would like to use for something else. This is a project that, if not done properly, can have serious consequences, including damage to your home and surrounding property or severe injury to you or bystanders.
Don’t neglect safety gear.
Don’t take the chance of ignoring safety gear, even if the tree you’re felling isn’t extremely large. While you are unlikely to have any issues, safety should still be the top priority. You should wear:
Locked, hard-wearing shoes or boots
Pants and a shirt with long-sleeves
Logger or strong hat
Goggles which completely cover your eyes
Ear protection-plugs or earmuffs designed for sound reduction
Gloves
Know the boundaries.
It’s better to leave the job to a professional if you’ve never handled a chainsaw, does not have all the protective gear you need, or are facing a rather large tree. Although it’s not extremely difficult to fell a tree, it takes preparation, concentration, and care, so don’t take on the project on a day you don’t feel your best.
Choose the right equipment.
Although you can easily cut down a very small tree or sapling with an ax, a chainsaw is the best instrument for most trees above that scale. In general, for small to medium trees, a 16-to-18-inch bar is best, and a 20-to-24-inch bar for larger trees or for cutting up a large firewood tree that has already been felled. You should be fully familiar with its usage before firing up your chainsaw.
Don’t just cut.
You will need to take the time to observe both the tree you are cutting down and its surrounding area before felling a tree. Is the tree near to your home or a fence, garage, or parking area for another structure? Are there any nearby utility lines? Is the tree dead or diseased, or does it have branches that are split or dead? Does the tree lean in the opposite direction of where you like it?
Start by having a notch.
It is possible that aiming the chainsaw straight through the middle of the trunk before the other side comes out would carry the tree down on you instead of away from you. With a notch, proper tree felling begins. Stand facing the tree so that on your right and your escape routes on your left are where it will fall. Slick on the side of the tree facing the direction in which the tree would fall.
Stand facing the tree so that on your right and your escape routes on your left are where it will fall. Slice down into the trunk at an approximately 70-degree angle on the side of the tree facing the way the tree would fall.
Continue to cut at that angle until the chainsaw is roughly one third of the way through the trunk of the tree. No more than two feet from the ground should be the bottom of this cut.
Now, at the bottom of your first cut, cut horizontally into the wood. You will have a notch cut in the trunk where the two cuts meet.
Keeping your garden looking its best will always involve an amount of care. Even basic maintenance in your garden will require gardening tools to be as efficient as possible – these will be in constant use.
Buying equipment that is as good a quality as you can afford will save you effort in the long term through ease of use and reliability. Walk into any garden centre and there is a huge choice of tools available.
Basic Tools
As a minimum you need the basic tools to cultivate your soil. These include a spade, fork, garden rake, hoe, hand trowel, and hand fork.
The spade and fork will be used for essential jobs such as removing large weeds, aerating the soil, digging new beds and if you can afford it I would recommend stainless steel, and as lightweight as you can.
Secateurs, Pruners and Pruning Saws
For deadheading and pruning, secateurs are frequently needed. Long handled pruners and a pruning saw may also be useful for mature gardens larger tasks. There are three different types of blades for secateurs and pruners – I recommend you buy ‘by-pass’ types as these have a sharp scissor-like action causing less damage to plants. Shears are mainly used for trimming hedges, but can be useful for cutting back herbaceous plants, or awkward areas of grass.
A watering can is indispensable, along with a mower if you have a lawn and a stiff broom for hard surfaces. You may also require, although less frequently a garden hose, a wheel-barrow, and sprayer (for feed or weedkiller)
Gardening gloves really are kind to your hands, and I always have two pairs – one sturdy leather pair, for jobs such as pruning and most winter jobs, and a plastic coated pair for weeding, damp days and summer jobs.
Hiring a Garden Chipper, Hedge trimmers or Chainsaws
For rare occasions you may need machinery such as a garden chipper, hedge trimmers or a chainsaw, hiring is certainly the most cost effective route. Useful links to nationwide tool suppliers and tool hire specialists can be found here.
However, you must remember when operating such equipment to carefully read the instructions first, and ensure the Hire shop has supplied you with all the necessary safety clothing required for that item.
If you don’t have time to spend on keeping your garden looking impressive, here are some low maintenance garden tips.
We all desire a stunning garden, but the result required in maintaining that beautiful landscape is sometimes too much. Watering, weeding, pruning, and removing can take hours. Most of us are so busy with jobs and errands. We want to enjoy the garden, not working in the garden the whole day.
The answer to this problem is to install a low maintenance garden. Take time to learn how to choose the right plants, remember the layout of your yard and the climate of where you live, but also how much time you have to give to your plants all play a role.
Fill in space with grasses and groundcovers. Less open spaces mean fewer opportunities for weeds to take root. Some ornamental grasses clump without spreading too wide and will add variety to your garden. Pick the right varieties, there a few that will spread vigorously.
Consider ground cover, rather than grass, particularly if your lawn is patchy.
You’ll save time mowing, and may end up with better results. Patchy lawns typically mean the grass is fighting with tree roots or lack of sun. Groundcover is a great alternative to grass.
Watering
Install an irrigation system and add a timer on. Keep flowering beds evenly moist. Water just 1 or twice times per week.
Water plants in the evening or early in the morning, when the soil is cooler, as less will evaporate than during the heat of the day.
Don’t water the leaves or plant heads to avoid mold formation. Water gently to avoid damage to your plants.
A Few Low Maintenance Garden Flowers.
Aptenia cordifolia
Another name for it is baby sun rose. Aptenia cordifolia is a low evergreen growing succulent groundcover, therefore, it is normally used for retaining walls and dry patches of soil where other plants may struggle.
They have heart-shaped fleshy leaves with red flowers. It can also be used to stabilise soil in areas where there is erosion or can be used as a lawn replacement for difficult to reach areas.
Plectranthus neochilus
Also known as lobster flower. The plectranthus has succulent, grey-green leaves, which form an attractive ground cover even when the plant is not in flower. This flower will performs well in warm dry areas.
Aloe spp
Aloe is a large family consisting of around 558 evergreen, perennial, succulent, flowering plants with fleshy leaves edged with spikes and arranged in rosettes.
Some are tree or shrub-like and other species have climbing habits. These succulents are a good water-wise choice. The leaves are fleshy and water-holding.
Strelitzia reginae
The Strelitzia is one of South Africa’s favourite exports and is cultivated worldwide. Strelitzias are hardy, and when established it can withstand long dry spells and a fair amount of neglect. Plants can be grown in sun and shade and it gives a beautiful structural display when in flower.
Container Plants that Beat the Heat
This style of gardening is great because you can use a number of containers. You don’t need to have a yard to create a beautiful container garden.
Decks, balconies, patios can become a garden oasis. Because of this, container gardens are also a great option for areas that have very poor soil.
Best of all, container gardens are easily maintained because it requires minimum care and is not plagued by pests and diseases. Plants for container gardens include annuals like pansies and sweet peas as well as such perennials as yellow coneflower, morning glory vine, big blue lily turf, and multiple species of marigold.
Meadow grasses and flowers that will do well in your Low Maintenance Garden.
