Tree Care

While most trees and shrubs in Alberta are well adapted to winter conditions, having a sudden heavy/wet snowfall when trees are just starting their growing season can be devastating. Most spruces, pines, and fir have flexible branches and shed snow relatively easily, but coniferous trees often have their tops broken by heavy snow.  Trees with […]

Planting and choosing salt tolerant trees and shrubs species along roads and driveways requires an additional consideration due to potential salt damages and injuries that will occurring during their lifetime. Trees affected by salt will have stunned appearance and reduce growth as well as many will succumb due to higher doze of salt in soil

Prairie fires play an important role in healthy prairie ecosystems by rejuvenating native vegetation and speeding up plant decomposition.  All native plants and shrubs are well-adapted to prairie fires and thrive after the fires. Fires return nutrients to the soil and slow the invasion of trees. But prairie fires are also a destructive force to

Canadians love our outdoor activities – camping, hiking or enjoying nature’s beauty in our beautiful parks. Forests are the main fabric of our natural world and greatly contribute to environmental, social, and economic values to all of us.  People love and enjoy being around trees and nature. Trees truly enhance the beauty and enjoyment of

I will start with a simple rule when it comes to pruning trees: “don’t prune it unless you have a good reason for it”. Each tree has its own natural shape, form and growth habit that has been developed through the process of natural selection. Pruning is the process where we can change natural shape,

The value of field windbreaks, either planted or natural occurring, has been known for many decades in Canadian Prairie Provinces. Since the 1930s, farmers and ranchers have planted trees to reduce the negative effect of the wind to their homes, soil, crops, livestock, and their water and land infrastructure. Impact and consequences of field windbreak

Throughout my career, I have been asked this question every time when I talk or perform pruning work for a client. To answers this question, I ask a client following: How much pruning work do you do? Few hours, days, or full-time job? How much money you are willing to spend on pruning tools? What

Simply put, Prairie and Trees don’t get together well. Dry southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba prairies are very challenging for tree and shrubs establishment. Most of the trees and shrubs you see around farmyards, fields, parks and RV campgrounds were planted in the last 120 years. Prior European settlement prairie has very few trees and

Springtime needle discoloration on previously healthy evergreens is often a result of some form of winter injury and damages to evergreen trees. There are many reasons why evergreen trees and shrubs turn brown and change colour or loose needles. Many environmental conditions such as winter desiccation, salt, frost, drought, flood, soil deficiency and many others