October 2022 Treecologist Tribune

Another summer has come and gone. The aroma of pumpkin spice is in the air! Honestly, I don't really care for pumpkin spice, but I am loving the cooler weather!

Things in the field are slowing down as far as pest treatments go; however other services are “falling” into place. For example, compost tea applications are still going strong, and the planting season is upon us! I want to talk specifically about planting because it's something clients ask me about a lot.

In the Southeast, fall is the prime time to plant. However, we can easily extend that into winter as well because the temperatures aren’t that extreme, and soil temperatures stay moderate, which is ideal for planting. In addition, planting in the fall gives the plant enough time to develop strong roots before the summer sun shines again.

I've been at Leaf & Limb for several planting seasons, and no season has been the same. We adjust our planting procedures every year based on what we learned the previous year. This year is no different. Not only are we improving services for our clients, but we are also improving them for the environment!

We are only planting native trees. This is huge from an ecological standpoint! Planting only these types of trees provides an abundance of homes, food, and resources for native insects and animals. It honestly makes me smile to know that I play a role in supporting our local ecosystems!

The exciting news is that sometime in the future, we will not only be offering native trees but also ones grown by us and Project Pando! Our Treecologists and volunteers will raise these trees in specialized boxes that ensure a healthy root system. As a result, they are much higher quality than container-grown nursery trees!