Why You Should Consider A Local Texas Tree Farm
Growing high-quality trees can be a crap-shoot for many homeowners, making it difficult for them to get the kind of foliage they want in their yard. If you live in the McKinney area and are looking for great trees, consider turning to Chambersville Tree Farm. There are many benefits to going this particular route.
Uniform And Reliable Trees
Growing trees on your own often result in awkward mistakes that can impact a tree’s health and growth for years. That’s why tree farms are so crucial. They understand how to grow trees without these mistakes and will do what they can to ensure that your tree is healthy and uniform.
Uniform trees are important if you are interested in making a natural fence or simply decorating your yard in a memorable way.
Professional Tree Growing Experts
Tree farms staff professionals with years of experience working with trees. They are skilled at improving tree health, making sure they grow to their maximum height. In this way, you get the best possible trees at prices that are fair for both you and the farm.
Careful Inspection Process
Before each tree is sold, they are carefully inspected to ensure they are free from damage. They are also treated to keep off pests that could impact their health. There’s no better way to get a reliable tree for your home or yard.
As you can see, there are many reasons you should consider a McKinney tree farm near you. If you are looking for the best and most reliable farm in the area, please contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.
The Southern Spotlight – Crape Myrtle
How could Crape Myrtles not steal the spotlight? They have a year-round flowering plant with an impressive bark. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia) are a deciduous tree, meaning that they lose their leaves seasonally. While they hold their value year-round, they are most impressive in full bloom.
Crape Myrtle trees are part of a large family with many varieties. Most are umbrella shaped and have several stems. Crape Myrtles bloom bright hues in the summer and deeper hues in the fall. They create a warm entrance and look great standing alone or with trees/shrubs to compliment. They pair exceptionally well with darker green hues.
Several things to be aware of include placement, bark peeling, and pruning. In regards to placement, make sure you give the Crape Myrtle all the spotlight it deserves. They flourish in the sunlight. Their bark does shed, but don’t worry, newer and healthier layers are underneath. Pruning is best to do in the winter. Pruning is very important while the tree is young to develop strong shoots. It will flourish with age. You may also want to lightly prune them during the summer to keep blooms fresh.
Crape Myrtles have been the joy of the south since 1786 when King Louis XVI introduced them to Charleston, South Carolina. Today, it ranks as the South’s most popular and ornamental tree. They make great yard dividers for homes in crowded neighborhoods or fillers for open land.
Contact us with questions on our Crape Myrtle varieties or installation.
Types Of Ornamental Trees To Use In Landscaping
Ornamental trees are a great way to make your yard look gorgeous, but what kinds are available? The following ornamental trees are among the most popular to use for landscaping projects.
Flowering Pears
These beautiful trees bloom with gorgeous white blossoms in the early spring. They typically grow to be about 30 feet tall, though some may grow as high as 40 feet. They are great for adding a little decorative touch to your home. Try integrating them near boundary fences to make those eye-sores more pleasant to look at.
Eastern Redbud
If you’re looking for a tree to provide purple or pink flowers for your fall or spring decorations, this is your best bet. This tree not only produces red buds in the winter but yellow in the fall and brown in the winter. If you like birds on your property, choose this tree as it attracts them in droves.
Crabapple
Though its name is somewhat humorous, this tree is one of the most popular ornamental options in the nation. There are over 200 different species that you can choose, each which has slightly different colors and styles. Make sure to spray them regularly to protect them from the dangers of pest invasion.
Flowering Dogwood
Last, but not least, is the Flowering Dogwood. When this ornamental tree blooms, it creates white and pink flowers that add a little style and texture to your yard. They also produce nice fall colors, making this a tree that looks pretty good all year round.
Each of these ornamental trees has different care methods that you need to consider when planting them. To learn more about those methods, please contact us today.
What Accent Plants Can Do For Your Landscaping
Planting is a vital part of the landscaping design of your home. The key is to carefully place your plants into your landscaping where they can thrive and live long healthy lives. Accent plants are a great way to define and enhance your property. Find out exactly what accent plants can do for your landscaping and your home.
Line Your Foundation and Walkways
Accent edges are the perfect way to line the foundation of your house. They not only look great, but they will become a very valuable asset to your home. They can hide unsightly masonry or basement windows while being very pleasing to the eyes at the same time. They can extend the appearance of your house as well. Accent plants are also a nice way to line your walkways. Effortlessly turn a boring walkway into something that looks fantastic, simply by just lining both sides of it with plants.
Great Visual Impact
Accent plants can have an immense visual impact on your home. They are delightful to look at every day for both you and your neighbors. They will add to the value of your house and are a major selling point if you ever put your house on the market. Sometimes first impressions are everything, and accent plants do a wonderful job at creating first impressions that are sure to last.
Contact us today at Chambersville Tree Farm for more information on accent plants and all of your planting needs. We truly believe that planting is such an essential part of a good landscaping design.
Why Mulch Is So Important For A Tree’s Health
Homeowners hear a lot about mulch, but few understand how it helps protect the health of their trees. Here is why you should consider applying mulch around your tree, followed by a simple application procedure any homeowner can perform.
Insulates The Soil
As the temperature changes around your tree, the soil and the roots can be heavily affected. This can cause root health problems or even severe damage. A good buffer of mulch will protect it from temperature damage and keep your tree strong and secure in the soil.
Keeps Water Near The Roots
Your trees need a lot of water to promote root health. Without mulch, much of this water will dissipate in the soil and leave them thirsty. Mulch will trap water, hold it tight to the roots, and help promote a quicker growing tree, one that is strong enough to survive droughts and other negative weather conditions.
Stops Weed Growth
Did you know that mulch is one of the best ways to keep weeds away from your tree? It’s true: a nice surrounding layer of mulch will block weeds from growing up near your trees and protect their roots from the nutrient-sapping of weeds.
How To Add Mulch To Your Trees
If you want to add mulch around the base of your tree, you need to remove the grass in a 3-10 foot circle around your tree. Now you need to spread mulch within that circle to a depth of about 2-4 inches. Keep it from touching the bark of the tree for maximizing effectiveness.
To learn more about mulch and the health of your trees, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
North Texas Trees: Native Oaks
Oak trees are great trees, and there are 42 native oaks in Texas. There are three major types: red, white, and black, all represented in the state. These trees tend to do well here, and worth considering when planning a landscape with North Texas trees. Here are two great examples of native oaks available through our farm:
This medium-sized white oak was established as native to Texas in 1992. It holds its leaves well into winter, meaning that there is a short period between leaf drop and when the tree leafs out again in the spring. This makes this tree a good choice for the north side of a house for winter wind protection.
It has average water needs when first planted, but once established is drought tolerant. It is also considered a relatively fast growing oak and can add up to two feet a year under good growing conditions.
This oak is frequently chosen as an alternative to Live Oaks since it is less susceptible to oak wilt. Just be aware, if you’re considering this tree, that the tree’s shape is more upright with less canopy spread when compared to a Live Oak.
The chinquapin, also a white oak, is a smaller tree when compared to the Mexican White Oak. In Texas, it tops out between 30 and 50 feet. The native range extends farther north, where the tree can grow much taller.
This oak does well in very diverse soil conditions and can handle clay, and as a bonus can do well in alkaline soils. However, the tree does not do well with severe drought.
In addition to the Mexican White Oak and Chinquapin, we have other types of oaks and other types of trees available at Chambersville Tree Farm. We would love to talk to you about your landscaping plans.
Caring For Your Fruit Tree in Texas
Growing a tree that bears fruit is a very appealing idea. Not only does it add charm to a backyard and beautiful blossoms in the spring, but there’s also the promise of sweet-tasting goodness when the tree is ready for the picking in the fall. But growing a healthy fruit tree that will produce a lot of healthy fruit takes more than just planting the tree in the ground. Here’s what you need to do to help your tree grow healthy and fruitful.
- Plant your tree in a sunny place with adequate drainage in the ground. In other words, don’t plant it in a place that’s swampy, or where water pools and lingers after a rain shower. If the roots are soaked in too much water, they will rot and the tree will die.
- Prune your tree regularly. Pruning keeps dead branches from overcrowding the live branches and preventing fruit to grow. Make sure you use sharp tools for a clean cut. You should prune dead or broken branches and downward sloping branches. Make sure to prune in a way so water can drain off a pruned area easily to prevent rot.
- Train your fruit tree’s branches. This can take up to many years after the tree’s planting. You need to train your tree’s branches to spread in different directions for more room to grow and to encourage fruit bearing. Do so by tying the branches together to train it to grow how you want to. Training your fruit tree correctly is difficult, so make sure you do some research or ask someone experienced for help.
For more information, please contact us.
Four High Performing North Texas Rose Varieties
Growing roses in North Texas is sometimes tricky. The long season makes roses susceptible to fungus, which includes rust, mildew, and black spot. Also, the most popular colors in this area are not dainty pinks or whites. Many Texas rose gardeners prefer bold, bright oranges, reds and yellows. Here are four rose varieties that are both appealing and easy to grow.
Knockout rose, double red – In North Texas, double roses grow better than singles. Knockout roses are very popular, easy to grow, versatile and hardy. Plant them in masses, as borders or as a focal point. This rose is resistant to mildew, rust and black spots. They grow about four feet tall.
Belinda’s Dream – Featuring bright pink flowers, this bush grows about four to six feet tall. Texas horticulturists developed Belinda’s Dream specifically to flourish in our hot climate. It bears pink flowers that resemble an English tea rose, but the plant is very hardy. While this rose can develop blackspot, the plant resists it and continues producing flowers.
Fourth of July – Bearing festive red and white striped flowers that smell like apples, this rose blooms consistently all season. The showy, semi-double, flowers dress up bare white walls, a gazebo, or a trellis. A vigorous climber, this rose is easily trained and grows between three and seven feet tall. It does best in partial sun.
Cinco de Mayo – Known as one of the more reliable roses for North Texas, this plant grows three to four feet tall and bears rich orange-red flowers. The stunning ruffled blooms flourish in the Texas heat, particularly in July when other flowering plants wilt. Cinco de Mayo roses need a moderate amount of water and care to thrive.
Chambersville Tree Farm carries these roses and we have over 200 varieties to choose from. For more information please contact us.
Graceful and Sculptural Japanese Maples
There are few ornamental trees more highly prized by homeowners and buyers alike than the sculptural Japanese Maple. Lacy, intricate leaves, and graceful growth habits make the Japanese Maple an asset to any landscape. Beautiful at any time of the year, they’re especially brilliant in the fall, when their elegant shapes are highlighted by intense crimsons, oranges, and yellows.
There are several varieties that thrive in North-Central Texas and all of them are amazing specimens that add a classy, elegant aspect to your yard:
- Shin Deshojo – opens in the spring with red leaves so brilliant, they look almost like blooms. In late spring, the small leaves turn a blue-green color. On mature trees, a pink and green mottled effect can appear in summer, and it continues its show with a bright orange and yellow display in fall. This variety is a semi-dwarf and will reach a height of 12 feet in maturity.
- Crimson Queen is one of the most common, but also one of the most beautiful of the many varieties of Japanese Maple. It reaches a mature height of 6 feet but is a slow-growing variety. It can spread to 10 feet in width and displays a brilliant red show in fall that’s always perfect! It has a particularly interesting branching pattern, so it’s also a treat in the wintertime without its leaves.
- Orange Dream gets its name from its brilliant fall orange color. In spring, the leaves are a mix of bright orange and yellow, making it one of the most pretty Japanese Maples at that time of year. In early summer, it takes on a bright yellow-green hue which morphs into a greener color until fall. Orange Dream reaches a height of 10 feet.
As you can see, it’s hard to go wrong with a Japanese Maple. They’re a little pricier than other ornamentals, but they’re worth the investment for the years of exquisite beauty they’ll provide for years to come. Contact us to see our amazing inventory of Japanese Maples. They’re actually one of our favorite trees and our specialty!
A Care Guide For The Cedar Elm
The cedar elm is one of the most popular trees in Texas. It is an easy tree to care for and makes an excellent shade from the severe Texan summers. However, you need to care for them properly from the moment you plant them or they’ll struggle to thrive.
Start By Planting It In The Right Season
Don’t make the mistake of planting a cedar elm during the hottest time of the year. The best time to plant them is in late fall or early winter. Why? They are dormant during this period and won’t need as much water.
However, they will grow a little which will make them more ready to grow fully in the spring and summer.
Mulching With Hardwood
Just before spring comes around, spread a hardwood mulch around the base of your cedar elm. This will help keep the water close its roots and help it grow.
Spread it evenly around the base of the tree, in a circle about three or four feet from the trunk. This will fully cover the soil near the base of the tree and help it retain water more fully.
Properly Watering
The cedar elm doesn’t need a heavy input of water to be healthy. Simply stick a small hose into the mulch near the base and let water drain out in a slow dribble. This will very slowly add water to the soil and let it spread out evenly.
Water it in this way at least once a week during wet seasons and daily during dry weather. Water it for no more than four or five hours in this way.
By following this guide, your cedar elm will thrive and provide your home with wonderful shade. To learn more about the cedar elm or other evergreen trees, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
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