A Great Time for Planting

Fall is for planting. The cooler months provide an optimum time for adding plants to your landscape. There are several benefits to fall planting. With an increase in rainfall and cooler temperatures, less watering is needed. As shoot growth slows, plants require less water because the days are cooler and shorter, and the rate of […]

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Powdery Mildew Disease of Dogwoods

Most of us enjoy the spring blooming of the white to pink flowers of dogwood trees. Sadly, many dogwoods are susceptible to a fungal disease called powdery mildew. It can cover the leaves and infect young buds, shoots, and flowers, dwarfing developing leaves and blooms, and causing distortion and even death. Because it survives on […]

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What Happens When Trees and Shrubs Bloom Early?

People aren’t the only ones affected by warm temperatures during the winter months, trees and shrubs are too. So what does this mean for our plants long term? Daffodils have been in bloom, and they will be fine in colder temperatures. What if my azaleas or magnolias are in bloom? The buds or blooms can […]

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Blooming Cherry Trees

Almost everyone can agree, you know its spring once you see the cherry tree blooms. There are a couple of types of flowering Cherry trees, but the most common type is the Yoshino. The Prunus serrulata or Yoshino Flowering Cherry Tree is widely used as an ornamental tree; valued for its abundance of soft, pink […]

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How Do Drastic Changes in Temperature Affect My Landscape Plants

In early January, our Richmond temperatures were near zero degrees and then got up in the low eighties near the end of last month.  How do these drastic changes in temperature affect my landscape plants? Cooler temperatures in the fall trigger plants to reduce growth and store energy for the winter.  As temperatures get closer […]

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Dormant Pruning of Deciduous Trees

A question people often ask us is: when do we prune our trees? Pruning can be done almost any time of the year, but dormant pruning is typically done late fall till early spring. It is best done when the leaves are off of deciduous plants and/or growth has slowed to a crawl. When deciding […]

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Spruce Your Yard Up With Some Trees and Shrubs

Fall is for planting. The cooler months provide an optimum time for adding plants to your landscape. With an increase in rainfall and cooler temperatures in the fall, less watering is needed. As shoot growth slows, plants require less water because the days are cooler and shorter and the rate of photosynthesis decreases. Stable air […]

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My Tree Is Dropping Leaves Already, Should I Worry?

I have noticed that quite a few trees appear to be dropping their leaves early this year.  We have a maple tree in our yard that has dropped almost half its leaves while another maple next to it looks fine.  If you have trees that are shedding their leaves early, you may be wondering what […]

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When to Prune Your Spring Shrubs

Why Prune? Pruning is the selective removal of specific plant parts for the benefit of the whole plant. Some reasons to prune are to train a plant, maintain plant health, improve the quality of flowers, fruits, and stems, restrict growth, remove damaged and diseased branches, and to increase air circulation that can decrease specific plant […]

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