The Parke Company | The Parke Company

Landscape Lighting Ideas to Highlight Autumn Beauty

October 20, 2025 by The Parke Company

As the long days of summer transition into autumn’s earlier sunsets, there’s no better time to showcase the beauty of your outdoor spaces. Fall in Nashville and Middle Tennessee is known for its warm colors and golden horizons, and the right landscape lighting installation can turn your property into a glowing showcase of seasonal sophistication. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to enhance your property and improve curb appeal, or a business owner seeking ways to make your storefront more inviting in the evening hours, thoughtful lighting can highlight the best of your landscape while improving its safety and functionality.

As expert landscapers in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, The Parke Company can help you make the most of the season with just the right lighting in all the right places.

Why Landscape Lighting Matters in Fall

Fall is known for its cozy, earthy tones like amber, gold, and bronze, and your lighting can complement that palette. Right now (before the ground freezes) is the ideal time for planning and installing a lighting scheme that showcases all those colors.

To bring out the richness of autumn leaves and create an inviting glow throughout your outdoor spaces, choose warm white or amber LED bulbs instead of cool shades. Cooler lights can look harsh or create a washed-out effect, while warmer lights harmonize with the natural hues of the season.

A soft, golden glow can instantly transform your front yard, patio, entryway, and backyard into an inviting and relaxing retreat. It also enhances the textures in your landscaping, things like stone walkways, hardscaping items, and softscapes like garden beds and the rough bark of mature trees. The right lighting plan adds visual interest that punctuates both residential and commercial settings beautifully.

Popular Fixtures for Seasonal Charm

Strategic lighting can draw attention to your property’s best features. Spotlights placed at the base of trees, sculptures, or architectural elements and angled upward can create focal points that give your yard a professional, well-balanced look. In Middle Tennessee, uplighting is particularly effective for maples, dogwoods, and oaks, species of trees that burst into brilliant red, gold, and orange during the fall.

You can also experiment with silhouetting by positioning a light behind a plant or ornamental tree and directing it toward a wall or fence. This technique casts dramatic shadows that emphasize tree and shrubbery shapes and add depth to your design. Silhouetting works especially well for ornamental grasses, weeping cherries, and shrubs with airy foliage.

As fall progresses into winter, consider adjusting your lighting angles. Early in the season, a focus on highlighting the canopy is an effective choice, but later, as trees shed their foliage, you may want to shift the lighting to emphasize the trunks and branch structures beginning to take center stage.

LED, Solar, and Smart Lighting Options

Nothing says fall evenings quite like a softly lit patio or deck. To achieve this look, string standard or solar-powered soft lights along your deck railings or drape them over a pergola. You can also embellish tree branches to create a cozy, inviting atmosphere perfect for outdoor gatherings.

By highlighting your backyard patio, you can make space for al fresco dining or to enjoy a quiet cup of cocoa after work. Landscape installations that also include subtle lighting or recessed lights near fire pits can enhance warmth and ambiance without overpowering the space.

For a rustic touch, lanterns with LED candles can be placed along the steps to your home’s entrance, as well as garden edges or beside outdoor tables. Flickering varieties of LED lights add additional charm for a relaxed yet magical mood. In commercial spaces like restaurants, office courtyards, or retail exteriors, LED lighting can make customers and clients feel welcome in the early evening hours.

Modern technology makes managing outdoor lighting easier than ever. Smart timers, dimmers, or Wi-Fi-enabled controls that allow you to adjust the brightness and timing of your lights with a smartphone app can offer several benefits. If you’re out of town or out for the night, these extra options can prevent your home from appearing empty and vulnerable.

Program your lights to come on automatically at dusk or dim them late in the evening to save energy. This is especially helpful for busy homeowners and property managers who want to maintain a safe and inviting space without the hassle of manual operation.

A tip to bear in mind when sprucing up your outdoor areas with lighting techniques: Nashville’s humid climate and occasional heavy rains mean durability matters. Choose weatherproof fixtures made of copper, brass, or stainless steel to resist corrosion and moisture. Ensure fittings are properly sealed and, of course, that wiring is waterproof.

Layering Lighting for More Depth

A single type of light can’t achieve the same inviting atmosphere as a layered design. By combining different fixtures—path lights, wall sconces, recessed step lights, and pendant lights—you create a dynamic, multi-dimensional effect.

Layering allows you to balance light and shadow, guiding the eye naturally through the property. For instance, path lighting helps mark walkways and garden borders, while uplights draw the eye upward toward tree canopies or toward architectural details of your home or business. Subtle downlighting from pergolas or rooflines mimics moonlight to provide broad, natural-looking property illumination that enhances ambiance, security, and the enjoyment of your outdoor space.

Safety and Security Benefits of Fall Lighting

While aesthetics are important, practical safety considerations matter too, especially as the daylight hours shorten. This is where pathway and stair lighting perform double duty, enhancing your landscape while illuminating uneven terrain or tripping hazards to prevent accidents.

Look for low-voltage LED path lights that blend seamlessly into your landscaping. These provide enough illumination to guide guests while maintaining a gentle, ambient glow. Motion sensors or timers can help conserve energy while improving security by activating lights only when needed.

By thoughtfully balancing beauty and safety, you’ll create an outdoor environment in the fall that’s functional, inviting, and worry-free.

Light Your Landscape This Fall With Expert Help

The right Nashville landscape lighting can do wonders for highlighting autumn’s natural beauty, adding warmth and depth to your property, and extending your enjoyment of the outdoors at home, day or night.

Our experts at The Parke Company have been helping Nashville homeowners and business owners make the most of their landscapes with sophisticated, creative lighting layouts for years. With professional guidance, you can achieve a lighting design that complements your property’s unique features, enhances its curb appeal, and increases its value.

Beyond outdoor lighting, The Parke Company offers a full range of landscaping services and tree services designed to keep your property looking its best season after season. We offer:

Comprehensive tree services
Full, year-round landscape services
Irrigation services (including winterization and spring startups)
Landscape installation (softscapes, hardscapes, lighting, and décor)
Municipal services (tree removal, brush cleanup, arborist consulting, storm damage cleanup, and emergency tree services)

Whether you’re looking to install a new lighting system, address tree concerns, or plan an all-season maintenance program, The Parke Company has the passion and expertise to achieve your goals and exceed your expectations.

Work with local professionals when you partner with The Parke Company, Nashville’s trusted name in landscaping services. Contact us now for your free estimate.

Fall Tree Pruning in Nashville: Why Now Is the Perfect Time

October 8, 2025 by The Parke Company

We value our Nashville trees. For their beauty, their resilience, and the critical role they play in supporting Middle Tennessee’s green infrastructure, air quality, and habitat. When it comes to maintaining their size, shape, strength, and health, however, they need a little help.

There’s a lot you can do to make sure your trees thrive during the winter so that come spring and summer, they’ll be the picture of resplendence once again. And this begins with proper tree pruning.

While many trees in Nashville are best pruned from late November to early March, some trees need professional pruning right now, before the stormy weather arrives.

Here’s why October is the perfect time for pruning trees, and a list of the common types of trees that need this kind of attention.

Why Prune in Fall?

Pruning at this time of the year enhances a tree’s long-term stability, prevents pests and diseases from spreading, and reduces potential hazards from winter storms. And with the absence of excessive leaves, it’s easier for your arborist to assess a tree’s limbs and overall structure, helping them identify weak points in converging tree trunks, crossing branches, and other problem areas.

By October, Nashville trees have also slowed their growth and are preparing for dormancy. This means they’ll be less impacted by the removal of dead or problematic growth. When a tree isn’t actively growing, it can redirect energy toward recovery instead of toward repairing cuts so that by spring, the tree is ready to flush out new growth.

And let’s not overlook the aesthetic value tree trimming imparts. A beautifully maintained tree or set of trees creates a cleaner, more polished appearance, sprucing up your yard or your urban business area. Fall pruning keeps every property looking well-maintained as we move into the colder months and summer’s foliage has long disappeared.

Benefits for Tree Health and Safety

An often-overlooked benefit of pruning at this time of year is that it helps prevent the spread of disease, pests, insects, and harmful fungi that thrive in warm, humid weather and may have made a brand-new home out of your trees over the summer. By removing infected limbs now, you prevent problems from progressing. This is especially important in Nashville, where pests like borers and fungal infections can be fatal to the trees in our area.

In addition to healthy maintenance, pruning right now is a good safety call. Winter snow, ice, and wind can cause compromised limbs to snap, creating dangerous conditions for homeowners, business owners, and anyone walking beneath the tree’s branches. Thinning out the canopy in the fall prevents overcrowding and keeps branches that hit each other when it’s windy from breaking under the weight of accumulated ice and snow. Removing these risks now is far better than dealing with emergency tree services during a January storm. It keeps your home, vehicles, and your surrounding structures safe.

Healthy, well-maintained trees and landscaping can also help increase the value of your home. When it comes time to sell, you can command top price thanks to a well-manicured yard that many buyers prioritize.

Common Tree Types to Prune in Nashville

Nashville’s mix of native and ornamental trees makes the timing of pruning especially important. While some trees should wait until late winter, others will benefit from some light fall maintenance. If you have any of the following trees on your property, it’s a good time to call your arborist and schedule a pruning service:

Fruit trees: Light pruning can be done after harvest time to remove suckers (shoots that emerge from the roots and can form dense, invasive thickets) or water sprouts that can rob energy from the tree. Major pruning, however, should be postponed until late winter or early spring.
Birch trees: These are best trimmed in early fall to reduce heavy sap bleeding that can occur in winter. Pruning can also remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches.
Catalpa trees (also known as the Indian Bean Tree): They can be pruned from late October through winter. A light trim helps maintain the shape of your tree and removes dead and damaged branches.
Hornbeams: These also benefit from light pruning in October to remove diseased or broken limbs, though major pruning is better left for late winter or early spring.
Robinia (commonly known as black locust): Robinia trees can be pruned now to prevent sap from bleeding from the cuts, to prevent suckers, and to remove dead or damaged wood.
Sorbus trees: These can be pruned this month to eliminate crossing branches or damaged wood. Heavier crown thinning, however, is best delayed until later in the dormant season.

Pro tip: Removing dead, diseased, or hazardous wood is always appropriate, regardless of the season, as it supports both tree health and safety in and around your property or place of business.

Why Hire a Certified Arborist

While general fall pruning offers a variety of benefits, be aware that some plants or flowering trees have very specific pruning needs. What works well for one could harm another if done incorrectly or at the wrong time of year.

At The Parke Company, we understand the pruning cycles our Nashville trees require and how to safely maintain their health and strength, season after season, year after year.

Our certified arborists provide a variety of tree services, and are also well-versed in the unique biology of each tree species in Nashville. We can spot early signs of stress, disease, or insect infestation that homeowners might easily overlook, and recommend the right treatments for preventing small problems from becoming large, costly ones down the road.

To ensure your trees continue to thrive, schedule your fall pruning with our pro team today. Be proactive with your tree and landscape maintenance, and work with the local experts at The Parke Company.

Get in touch now for the care your trees need, and the peace of mind you deserve.

How to Spot Tree Diseases Before Fall: A Guide for Nashville Property Owners

September 30, 2025 by The Parke Company

Trees are nature’s multitaskers. They provide shade, improve air quality, manage stormwater, boost your home’s curb appeal, and increase property values. But like all living things, trees are also vulnerable to disease, and without the right attention, an unhealthy tree can quickly begin to decline.

Spotting problems before fall is one of the best things you can do to protect your property’s beautiful trees (and your property itself). But as Nashville’s seasons change from summer to fall, it becomes more difficult to tell the difference between a healthy tree going dormant and a sick tree in decline.

Early detection of unusual spots, curling leaves, or dieback gives you a head start on managing any problems and, if needed, treatment for them, to prevent costly removals and keep your yard safe and resplendent.

If you’re concerned about a particular issue with one of the trees on your property, the skilled arborists at The Parke Company are here to help. We’ll guide you in differentiating between concerning issues and natural tree cycles, and will ensure your trees are ready for the winter months ahead.

Tree Disease Control, Nashville, TN

You may already know that tree decay can weaken a trunk or limb, making it more likely to snap during a storm. But there’s more than just broken branches to watch for when you’re monitoring your trees’ health, along with steps you can take to keep your trees in tip-top shape. Here’s what to watch for:

Weak or damaged branches: Look for dead, decaying, or broken branches, especially ones near your home or power lines. Be sure to have troublesome areas pruned by a skilled arborist.
Damaged or crumbling bark: The bark on your trees should always be strong and healthy-looking, not brittle or crumbling. These cues can indicate the presence of mold, moss, or fungi, which are usually caused by underlying issues.
Poor tree structure: A healthy tree has a strong trunk. Trees that split into multiple trunks higher up can indicate weaknesses that are prone to damage from severe weather.
Pest infestation and disease: Take time to inspect your trees for signs of insects, larvae, and disease. The first signs of infestation or disease include unusual growths and discolored foliage. Identifying and treating these things early can stop them from spreading to other trees.

Fall is a critical time for trees to prepare for winter dormancy. Schedule key treatments like fertilizing, mulching, and strategic pruning to protect against the cold and promote healthy root development.

Five Tree Diseases Nashville Property Owners Should Watch For

Knowing what tree disease looks like will help you act before it’s too late. Here are five of the most common and concerning tree diseases present in Nashville, and tips on how to treat tree disease:

1. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

Emerald Ash Borer is technically an insect—an invasive metallic-green beetle that acts like a disease. It hollows out ash trees from the inside, blocking their capacity to transport water and nutrients. EAB was detected in Davidson County in 2014 and led to the decline and death of nearly all untreated trees in the area. It has since become a major problem for ash trees in Nashville, so it’s important to watch for signs of infestation and contact your arborist to discuss treatment options if you’re concerned. Once EAB sets in, decline is rapid, and removal often becomes the only option.

What to look for to recognize EAB:

D-shaped exit holes in the bark left by emerging larvae.
A thinning crown or dead upper branches.
“Blonding” on bark from woodpeckers aggressively digging out larvae.
Unusual yellow or brown colored leaves falling off earlier than normal.
Shoots sprouting low on the trunk (epicormic shoots)—a stress response from an infested tree producing leafy sprouts below where the larvae are feeding.

2. Oak Decline

Oaks are iconic in Tennessee, but they’re not invincible. Oak decline is not caused by a single agent but is a “disease complex” condition. It is triggered by multiple interacting stressors (such as prolonged drought) that make it vulnerable to root decay from a variety of fungi, mold, and insects. Trees that are 70 to 90 years of age or older are the most susceptible. Once large branches start to fail, the tree becomes hazardous, so preventive care and stress reduction are crucial.

What to look for to spot oak decline:

Sparse foliage and small, yellowed leaves.
Thinning in the upper canopy
Epicormic sprouts from the trunk and large branches.
Premature fall coloration.
Reduced diameter growth – a key primary indicator of oak decline.

3. Anthracnose

This fungal disease is a common concern in Nashville, particularly during cool, wet spring weather. It is known to impact dogwoods and sycamores primarily, but other susceptible species include white oak, ash, maple, and sometimes walnut, hickory, and birch. Fortunately, you can take steps to minimize the impact of anthracnose on your trees. Raking and destroying infected leaves and twigs in fall and pruning sycamores can eliminate fungus from overwintering, while proper water and fertilization help trees better withstand infections.

When checking for anthracnose, look for:

Tan, brown or reddish-brown blotches or spots on leaves, often along the veins.
Cupped or curled leaves.
Premature leaf drop.
A progressive scorched appearance on the leaves.
Twig dieback.
Sunken areas with swollen edges, known as ‘cankers.’
Gnarled or crooked branch growth and side shoots.

4. Oak Wilt

Unlike oak decline, oak wilt is a fast-acting, fatal disease that begins with rapid bronzing and the dropping of leaves, starting at the crown. One of the most dangerous fungal threats to oaks, it spreads underground through root grafts and overland via beetles, and can kill a tree within a season. In red oaks, which are highly susceptible, symptoms can lead to death in weeks, while white oaks will exhibit slower wilting.

If you suspect oak wilt, it’s important to contact an arborist or the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for a conclusive diagnosis. Because oak wilt spreads so easily, quick detection and professional management are critical.

How to identify oak wilt:

Cracks in the bark or a sweet-smelling fungus beneath the bark.
Brown discoloration starting at the leaf tips and moving inward.
Rapid leaf curling and premature dropping.
“Flagging,” a term that describes branches with dead and dying leaves.
Sprouts or suckers that appear at the base of the tree.
White, gray, or black fungus underneath the bark.

5. Verticillium Wilt

This disease is caused by a soil-borne fungus (primarily Verticillium dahliae in the Southeast) that clogs the tree’s water-conducting tissues. Symptoms are most visible during the hot, dry summer weather. This fungus can kill a tree and can persist in the soil for years, making prevention and management critical. Susceptible trees include the maple, redbud, ash, magnolia, tulip tree, elm, and catalpa.

Regular monitoring and soil management help protect particularly vulnerable species.

To identify verticillium wilt, look for the following signs:

Yellowing or wilting leaves on scattered branches, often starting on one side of the tree or on a single branch
Streaking in the sapwood (vascular discoloration)
Branch dieback
Stunted growth
A gradual decline in resilience

How to Prevent Tree Disease

Now that we’ve introduced the most concerning and pervasive tree diseases, the next step is learning how to detect tree disease to prevent it from worsening or causing damage. Late summer and early fall are ideal times to conduct a little due diligence, because symptoms are still visible before seasonal color changes mask them. Here are some simple but important checks you can make to catch problems early:

Walk your property: Take a slow lap around your yard, looking up into the canopy for thinning crowns, dead tips, or unusual color changes.
Check the bark: Look for cracks, exit holes, peeling bark, or fungal growths.
Inspect the leaves: Notice whether spots, blotches, or early dropping are limited to one limb or spread across the tree.
Compare trees: If one oak looks sickly while others look fine, that’s a red flag.
Keep notes: Snap photos or jot down what you see. This helps a professional arborist diagnose the issue faster.

What to Do if You Spot Tree Disease Symptoms

If you suspect tree disease, don’t ignore it. Start by documenting what you see through photos of the leaves, bark, or thinning canopy. This will help your arborist make a faster and more accurate diagnosis of the problem. Resist the urge to try DIY fixes because most tree diseases require precise techniques and specialized equipment for effective treatment. It’s always best to call a certified arborist who can confirm the problem and then recommend the right treatment or safely remove a hazardous tree if necessary. Above all, act quickly; the longer you wait, the greater the risk of the disease spreading.

Prevention Is Always Better

As we always say, preventing tree disease is far better than facing the expense and heartache of losing a beloved tree or risking harm to your people or property. Simple habits like mulching properly, watering during drought, and avoiding root compaction can go a long way in keeping your trees healthy. And when problems do arise, early action makes all the difference.

You will never regret being proactive with tree maintenance on your property. Contact our local experts at The Parke Company for help keeping your beautiful trees healthy and thriving year after year.

Storm Prep: Protect Trees & Landscape This Season

September 25, 2025September 4, 2025 by The Parke Company

As the seasons change in Nashville, the weather can become quite unpredictable. Fall is a time when leaves change color, but it can also be a time of intense storms, especially if La Niña develops. Protecting your trees and landscaping from these storms and winds is possible, as long as you know how to prepare. Here are some of our tips for storm prep this fall.

Fall Storm Tree Preparation

For young trees, high winds can pose big problems. Fall can bring major gusts, with the added risk of tornadoes later in the fall, so it’s important to be prepared for these types of weather. If you’ve recently transplanted trees in the last few years, you can do a few things to ensure that they have a good chance of surviving the seasonal changes between summer and fall.

Water your young trees deeply but infrequently; this helps them naturally develop stronger root systems. If you’ve already had your trees on a good watering schedule this summer, keep it up in the fall, paying attention to drought conditions to ensure that you aren’t overwatering. Too much water can damage roots or simply soften the soil, making the tree’s root system weaker. Stronger roots keep trees from being uprooted during windstorms, but saplings have the odds stacked against them.

Fortunately, there are other things you can do for young trees to protect them from storm damage. You likely have seen stakes planted around a tree, attached by rope or wire. Staking is a common form of tree protection that helps saplings grow straight and survive stormy weather. Staking provides supplemental support to a tree, giving it extra strength to stand up against damaging gusts from fall storms. The best stake method depends on the type of tree and its location, but generally, you should use three stakes to give it optimal support. It’s important to drive stakes into the ground at least a foot from the tree, avoiding damage to the rootball that’s underground. Triangulating the stakes around the tree helps provide it with the best support, while ensuring that you do not over-tighten the guiding wire, which gives the tree assistance without damaging it. Trees also need to flex and bend in the wind, as this is a natural way to strengthen their trunks as they develop. Giving them some space to move naturally while staking them is the best way to guarantee they thrive as they mature.

The best way to protect your trees is to give them a lot of attention and care year-round so they stay healthy and robust. While the summer and early fall aren’t the most optimal for tree pruning, you can still consult an arborist to give you an idea of your trees’ health and alert you to any problems. Pruning during this time of year can be risky, and actually make your trees more susceptible to damage from fall storms and the potential remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms. If a tree expert can properly inventory your trees, however, they may have other ways to help your trees weather the storms they may face this year. Nashville trees are no strangers to heavy winds, but that means they may have damaged limbs. Removing dead wood can be done in the fall, and when it’s properly and safely performed, tree trimming is possible all year round. Ensuring that any damage from recent summer storms is properly cleaned up and cleared away helps prevent disease and hazards posed by partially fallen branches. Work with local professionals like the folks at The Parke Company this fall to make sure your trees are ready for the fall and winter seasons.

Preparing Landscaping for Colder, Windier Weather

Hiring a reliable Nashville tree service is important, but it’s not the only thing you need to do this fall to ensure your property is ready for the changing weather. Trees aren’t the only aspect of a Nashville lawn that needs assistance when it comes to heavy winds and fall storms. Garden beds, shrubbery, and hardscape features are all at risk of wind damage this autumn.

Wrapping shrubbery and bushes is an effective way to protect them from damage caused by wind, cold, and even pests this winter. Generally, burlap is used, which helps to insulate the plant and keep moisture locked in. As winter leads to scarcer food for local wildlife (such as deer), they may find your garden to be a convenient food source. Wrapping keeps them from defoliating your garden and leaving you with dead landscaping come spring. Another way you can protect your landscaping from fall and winter storms is by replenishing mulch. Mulch can be washed away by heavy summer rainfall, so ensuring that your garden bed is properly mulched this fall is important. Mulch protects roots from wind erosion and insulates them from cold weather, while also locking in moisture and releasing it slowly for steady hydration during a plant’s dormant winter cycle.

Protect Your Other Outdoor Features

Once your plants are prepared for the changing seasons, you need to make sure that your non-plant lawn decor is ready for wind and cold. Some outdoor furniture or other decorations may not be heavy enough to withstand high winds. Consider taking some things into storage, either in your shed or garage for the fall and winter storms. Alternatively, you can use stakes to help secure lighter hardscapes and keep them from blowing away. Water features and irrigation systems should be winterized in preparation for the colder months, as we often experience cold snaps that could cause damage by freezing water in pipes or sprinkler heads. Follow proper winterization procedures to drain all of the water from anything that can be harmed by even the slightest risk of a freeze, as you’re much better safe than sorry when it comes to the unpredictable Nashville winters we’ve been having. As with all of these tips, many of these things are best left to the pros.

Parke Can Help as Things Cool Down

Don’t hesitate to reach out to The Parke Company and schedule a visit with a landscaper or arborist to guarantee you’re ready for the changing seasons. Give us a call today to make your appointment, before fall storm damage poses a problem for you.

Signs Your Trees Are Struggling in Nashville’s Summer Heat—and What to Do

September 4, 2025August 21, 2025 by The Parke Company

Summer can be hard on us all. With high heat and low rainfall in many parts of the U.S., we’re dealing with some unpleasant weather this summer. Nashville is still getting plenty of rain this summer, but it’s been scorching hot. The trees on your property may be struggling with the heat, so let’s review how to spot signs of distress and what you can do to help ensure your trees are healthy during this especially warm summer.

Leaf Scorch

From the sound of it, leaf scorch should be leaf damage directly caused by the hot sun, but it’s not. Instead, the heat is indirectly causing this issue for your trees. Summer tree damage like leaf scorch is actually the result of inadequate water, which is something we often see in drought-prone Nashville summers. Even during rainier summers, leaf scorch can rear its head.

The visible symptoms of leaf scorch are easy to spot, but detecting them early is important to ensure that you can help a tree recover. Look for leaf scorch when the weather is especially dry, but always keep an eye out for this issue. You’ll notice that your leaves are looking like they’re starting to die, similar in appearance to how they may look in the fall. In the early stages of leaf scorch, the outside edges of leaves will turn brown—look along the borders of your trees’ leaves for brown, dry, and crumbly foliage. When unresolved, leaf scorch can turn the entire leaf brown, and it will eventually fall from the tree. Check the grounds of your property for fallen leaves that are either fully or partially brown for an early indicator of leaf scorch.

The best way to treat leaf scorch is to provide more water to your tree. Leaf scorch in the summer is usually due to drought, but other factors can contribute. The roots of a tree manage its water supply. If the soil around the tree is relatively well hydrated, the issue may be with root damage or problems with the trunk of the tree. This can be harder to diagnose and treat on your own. That’s why you should consider consulting a landscaping company in Nashville like The Parke Company, as their expertise can help correctly diagnose a leaf scorch issue early and help you treat it.

Other Leaf Indicators

The leaves of a tree are the best way to determine its overall health, but leaf scorching is just one sign. Other notable signs determine something is going wrong with your tree, and the health of the leaves is your best bet for spotting things early.

In the summer, trees are exposed to a lot of sunlight, which they need to live, converting water and carbon dioxide into food. But that sunlight can be overkill, especially when a tree doesn’t have enough water. Leaves of a malnourished or underwatered tree will visibly change, wilting, shrinking, and turning yellow or brown. Outside of the fall, when deciduous trees naturally shed their leaves, leaf drops are a sign of a stressed tree. If your tree is losing a lot of leaves, and you notice its crown thinning or just dead foliage piling up on your lawn, there’s something wrong.

Spotting Other Summer Tree Issues

Leaves aren’t the only parts of a tree that suffer when dealing with high temperatures and drought. But what are the other symptoms of heat stress in trees?

A good indicator that something is wrong in younger trees is slow growth. You likely won’t notice a lack of growth from a larger, mature tree, but in some cases, you may be able to observe that growth has slowed or halted in newer trees. These trees should have rooted well after planting them, but signs of failure are relatively easy to spot in a tree’s first season. You should never try planting trees in summer heat. Instead, opt for fall or late winter for transplanting in Nashville. If your properly planted tree is struggling (whether that means it’s not growing taller or sprouting leaves), that’s a pretty good indicator that it’s not getting adequate hydration.

On mature trees, you may notice dead limbs or branches in the summer. These are quite visible sometimes, as the leaves on healthy limbs contrast them. If you note dead limbs or visible signs of rot or pest infestation, it could be due to summer heat and dryness. Getting the proper help quickly is the best way to prevent issues like this from leading to the tree’s death. In many cases, early intervention can help put a tree back on the right course, even during the toughest drought.

How to Help Struggling Trees

Now that you know many of the most obvious things to look out for, you’re probably wondering what can be done. Rather than tell you what you should have done, we’re going to focus on what you can do now to help a struggling tree.

The best thing you can do for your trees during signs of heat stress is to call an arborist. Professional tree service landscapers are well-versed in a tree’s complex health system and can give you the proper diagnosis and treatment plan for getting your tree back to good health. Arborists will recognize signs you may miss, and can help you take stock of all the trees on your property that may need help. Since most of the time water is the issue, the solution is often to improve your landscaping’s irrigation. Whether that means introducing a sprinkler system that targets trees (and also can help keep your lawn looking green) or employing a soaker hose directly on the roots of afflicted trees, you have options.

Improving the drainage of your property may also help you deliver much-needed moisture to the trees that need it. In some cases, parts of your landscaping may be too wet and others too dry, which can lead to other issues like mold and fungal growth. Installing drainage systems or improving gutter downspout management can help alleviate problems with a tree’s water supply.

Ultimately, the right fix for your tree comes down to the root cause of its issues. While heat stress and drought conditions common in summer deprive trees of water, other issues like disease, rot, or invasive insect damage can cause similar symptoms. In those cases, extra water won’t help and could actually harm the situation.

Help Your Trees This Summer and Beyond

Expert intervention is the best thing for trees and homeowners alike when summer heat causes problems for your landscaping. Give us a call at The Parke Company today for a free consultation and estimate on how we can help your trees during this difficult season.