​What is Pruning?

Pruning is an important part of maintaining a tree's integrity and health. There are a couple different types of pruning, but the most common are crown cleaning and crown thinning. Crown cleaning is a pruning technique that removes dead, dying, or diseased branches so they don't harm or hinder healthy ones. This is the type of pruning that can be done year-round, and is safe to do in the fall.

Why is Fall Pruning Bad?

But in the fall, the weather is just cool, and generally damp. It’s the happiest time of year for a variety of nasty pests and fungi, and is also a great environment for rot and decay. Oak trees are especially vulnerable from April until July to oak wilt, one of the deadliest tree diseases.

Winter Pruning

With the protective barrier of cold temperatures and dormant pests, winter is usually the “best time to prune.” If you’re looking to thin out your branches, trim back wayward limbs, or just improve the overall health of your tree, then waiting until the dormant months is probably your best bet.

Summer Pruning

​So, for example, crepe myrtles have multiple leaders (trunks) that grow from the base and out into a shrub-like shape. If you want to encourage the tree to grow taller rather than wider, you can trim back some of the leaders so one becomes stronger. This will encourage the tree to grow into a more stereotypical “tree” shape. Summer is also a good time to remove defective limbs or branches that have grown too heavy to support themselves any longer.

Flowering Tree Pruning

When it comes to trees that flower (like Bradford pears and crepe myrtles), the best time to prune actually depends on the blooms. If your tree blooms in the spring, then pruning should be done after all the flowers have fallen.  ​​If your tree blooms in late summer, then pruning should be done in winter, or early spring at the latest.

Author

​Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

​What Are Invasive Species?

​You may remember learning this term back in high school, but basically, invasive species are plants or animals that have been introduced to an ecosystem they aren’t native to. Not all “invaders” will survive in a new environment, because they haven’t evolved or adapted to the conditions there. But sometimes, the invading species actually takes really well to their new home.

What Are Some Invasive Species in Georgia?

Probably the most well-known invasive species in our area is kudzu. You’ve seen kudzu blanketing trees around town, covering ground along the highway, and even taking over powerlines. Kudzu is a vine native to Japan. It was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as a new way to control soil erosion.

​In its natural habitat, with insects that feed upon it, kudzu is just another vine in the forest. But in the States, we don’t have those insects. Our insects actually tend to avoid kudzu. So, with nothing keeping the kudzu in check, it grows wildly in every direction, literally choking our native trees and plants.

Another major invasive species in our area is the Chinese Privet. You may not have heard of it, but you’ve definitely seen it, because it’s everywhere. This shrub grows quickly into a dense thicket that blocks light and water from reaching anything beneath it. It also tends to leech nutrients from the soil around it, making the surrounding area less hospitable to native species.

​How Can You Help? ​There are a lot of ways you can get involved in National Invasive Species Awareness Week this year.  Use your voice to help spread awareness about invasive species by posting on social media and using the hashtags #NISAW and #invasivespecies Tune into one of NISAW’s free webinar series to learn more about the of invasive species, common invasive species to look out for, and how to manage them.

Author

​Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Where Did Arbor Day Come From?

What Is Arbor Day Today?

​One of the entities that ensures the world doesn’t forget Arbor Day is the Arbor Day Foundation. A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1972, on the 100-year anniversary of the first Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation unites people across the country in their mission to “help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, a changing climate, deforestation, poverty, and hunger.”

When Is Arbor Day?

How Can You Celebrate Arbor Day?

Author

​Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. 

Platanus occidentalis is also known as the Eastern Sycamore, American Plane Tree, Plane Tree, Buttonwood, and Buttonball Tree. While these trees can be found throughout the Southeast, they’re native to North Carolina. They prefer full sun exposure with plenty of water, and are naturally found along streams and bottom lands. Once fully established, these Sycamores are moderately drought-tolerant.

Though eventually reaching a rounded shape, the crown of the American Sycamore is asymmetrical, with widely-spaced, crooked branches growing randomly in all directions.   ​One of this species’ defining features is its mottled, flaky bark.  ​​The outermost layers, which are generally a darker greyish-brown, lose their elasticity and break off in irregular chunks, revealing lighter grays, browns, and whites underneath. ​This flaking will lessen as the tree reaches full maturity and its growth rate slows down.

American Sycamore leaves are generally wider than they are long, with 3 to 5 pointed lobes.  In the Spring, the medium- to dark-green leaves are accompanied by very tiny red and yellow flowers that grow in clusters. ​Sycamores grow both male and female flowers on the same tree, so they can self-pollinate. ​

While the fruits of the Sycamore are one of the things that make them attractive, they’re also one of the reasons these trees don’t make great lawn ornaments. Most trees just drop dried leaves in the Fall, which can still be a pain to clean up, but is pretty normal. Sycamores, on the other hand, scatter their large, dried seed pods all over your yard.  These trees also present problems when it comes to their size. Many homeowners don’t realize quite how big an American Sycamore can get, and naively plant one near their driveway or out in the backyard. ​

Did You Know? ​The largest American Sycamore on record measured 174 feet tall, and nearly 13 feet in diameter!

And while they are generous shade trees—so much so that they can save you money on your power bill in Summer by keeping your house cooler—they also block the sun from reaching any plants underneath them. Those widespread branches can also easily interfere with nearby powerlines.  But the real threat of the Sycamore is the one under your feet. While it’s easy to forget to account for the roots when it comes to planting any species, failing to do so with a Sycamore can have drastic (and expensive) consequences. The roots of the American Sycamore spread deep and wide, and are notorious for damaging underground piping, cracking pavement and driveways, and even rupturing septic tanks.  ​Definitely do your research and plan ahead if you’re thinking of adding one of these beautiful trees to your landscape!

Author

​Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.