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Seven Things Tree Experts Know That Most People Don’t

March 7, 2024July 15, 2023 by The Parke Company

Trees are complex plants that can live for decades and even centuries in some cases. With that complexity comes a lot of unexpected information non-experts might not be aware of. Read on to learn some of the more interesting tree facts.

Seven Interesting Facts About Trees

1. There Is a Wrong Way to Prune a Tree

When it comes to tree maintenance, pruning is a critical way to extend a tree’s life. But pruning a tree isn’t as simple as just cutting off dead limbs and shaping the canopy. Every pruning cut is a wound to a tree, and just like with people, a wound is susceptible to infection. Many people who take pruning into their own hands are likely to make mistakes without properly researching how to prune their trees. When improperly pruned trees attempt to heal themselves, they are much more likely to fail at keeping out fungal infections and insects like termites. Since the inner system of a tree works slowly, this might not be noticeable for seasons until it’s much too late. Fungal infections are the leading cause of tree rot, and pruning wounds are a perfect place for them to enter a tree. When it comes to pruning, it’s wise to work with a tree expert near you rather than attempting it on your own.

2. Breeding Trees Is a Full-Time Job

Trees can be bred and cultivated in a variety of unique ways, from improving aesthetics to developing specific traits in an effort to make a tree hardier and more resilient. Wondering what a tree expert is called? Whether they’re experimenting with new cultivars of elm at a university or removing a dead limb, tree gurus known as arborists have been using tried and true methods passed down for generations in combination with modern technology to advance trees for humans to enjoy and for the trees’ own sake.

3. Not Every Conifer Is Evergreen

You’re probably familiar with the concept of an evergreen tree, or a tree that doesn’t drop its leaves (or more likely, needles) in the fall. Pine trees, like the ones we bring into the home every Christmas, are considered conifers and are often thought of as evergreen. While every evergreen is a conifer, not every conifer is evergreen. There are some select species of trees that do shed their foliage with seasonal changes. Trees that drop leaves on a seasonal basis are called deciduous. Many of these rare conifers are actually well-suited to growth in the United States, including the dawn redwood.

4. Trees Offer Natural Soundproofing

We all know that trees provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the air, but did you know that you can thank a tree every time you can’t hear your neighbor’s loud music? A few trees can actually absorb and deflect a great deal of unwanted noise. Trees have been used as noise barriers for generations, especially with the advent of the American highway. Evergreen trees like the cyprus are popular choices because the presence of needles year-round ensures the same noise canceling is enjoyed regardless of the season. Interested in quieting things on your property? Work with a certified tree expert at The Parke Company for the best layout for preventing noise pollution around your home or business.

5. Tree Trunks Are Dead Cells, Like Hair

Almost all of a tree is actually made up of dead cells, much like human hair. The only living parts of a tree are the leaves, root tips, buds, and cambium, which is the outermost layer of a tree’s core. The cambium is responsible for transporting food and water from the roots upward to the rest of the tree. Ever wonder why it’s so simple to count the rings of a tree to determine its age? Scientists and laymen have a very reliable system for determining the season of a tree’s life due to this fact.

6. The United States Has Many of the Oldest Living Trees

When you think of old trees, you might be thinking of an oak tree in the park that you heard was around during the Civil War. While that’s impressive, the oldest trees on earth have lived much, much longer. Many of Earth’s oldest trees call the United States home, and most share the same real estate in the American West. Many of the world’s oldest trees also have unique names, like Methuselah, which was a tree that was sadly cut down in the 1960s. At the time of its legal removal, it was over 4,000 years old, making it around the same age as the Egyptian pyramids (how’s that for a “wonder of the world?”). While your tree isn’t quite that old, Nashville tree experts at The Parke Company will treat your trees with the respect and practicality they deserve.

7. Trees Can Defend Themselves

You won’t see tree-like creatures walking around or using weapons like in some high-fantasy film, but a tree is not powerless to protect itself from the world, despite its immobility. The trees we have today have evolved and developed for thousands of years to get to the place they are today, and they’ve learned some clever tricks. Fragrant flowers can attract a great deal of insects and animals to the tree, and some of those insects and animals may be harmful to the trees. But among these visitors, a natural balance is established. Many of the insects that could harm a tree (termites, for example), also find their natural predators hanging around. Birds and other animals are drawn to trees to build nests and seek shelter or grab a snack. By attracting a diverse range of animals, trees protect themselves and ensure their future. While trees do have a lot of built-in protections, they can always do with a little help. Invasive species like the emerald ash borer are harder to fend off, and professional tree service from an arborist can help a tree survive.

Learning From the Tree of Knowledge

Arborists are incredibly knowledgeable about trees, and like most experts, they’re more than happy to talk about trees for hours. If you choose The Parke Company for your tree service, expect an expert who’s willing to answer any questions and address your unique needs. Ready to consult your local arborist? Give us a call at The Parke Company for a free consultation and estimate today.

What’s the True Cost to Remove a Tree in Nashville, TN?

March 7, 2024June 28, 2023 by The Parke Company

When it comes to removing a tree from your Nashville property, there is no shortage of factors that can impact the price. It can be hard to get a great idea of cost before having an arborist provide an estimate. Fortunately, there are many resources for figuring out a rough cost before exploring your options.

Tree Removal Explained

You may need to remove a tree from your residential or commercial property for a number of reasons, from safety concerns to making space for a new shed or addition. So how exactly does tree removal work? Arborists, skilled tree workers, use a broad range of tools to safely perform their job, and that does contribute to the cost to remove a tree. There are many specialized devices to effectively remove a tree, and they’re much more complex than an axe or chainsaw. There are many other parts of the tree removal process that can complicate the procedure, from aspects of the tree itself to its surroundings. Let’s explore what goes into removing a tree and how these scenarios can impact the final cost to remove trees from your property.

Tree Age and Size

If you’ve settled on removing one or more trees from your property, you are undoubtedly wondering just how much it costs to cut down a tree in Nashville. You might think that older trees pose the most problems when planning and executing a removal, but that’s not always the case. Young trees are much stronger than dead or aged trees because their core wood is much more dense. Trying to cut down a healthy young tree with an axe will be much harder than with an old, dead tree. Denser trees call for more specialized, powerful equipment that’s incredibly expensive for a DIYer to have on hand. Trying to remove a tree on your own is never recommended for safety reasons, but it’s also incredibly time-consuming when you’re not working with the right tools. No matter the age or size of your tree, you’re going to be better off in the hands of the experts.

Unfortunately, you can’t assume that removing old, dead trees from a property will be cheaper than living trees. Just because it’s physically easier to fell a dead tree doesn’t mean it’s actually simpler. Dead trees are more unpredictable than healthy trees, making the removal process a lot more dangerous. Since old trees are usually taller and thicker than younger trees, this size issue compounds the risk. Dead wood is drier and more brittle than living wood, and that makes it more prone to cracking and breaking apart in the process. When a tree cracks during the process of cutting it down, inexperienced people can lose control of the situation quickly. Arborists employ a number of techniques to remove large dead trees safely, but each tree requires a unique approach. Many tall trees will be removed from the top down, with sections being cut off in manageable chunks rather than felling it all at once. This method typically requires climbing gear or a tall bucket truck to perform.

Removing a tree by felling it traditionally is less common in cities and suburbs like Nashville, but it is possible. This practice is generally less expensive than removing a tree in segments because it calls for less equipment. While it’s not going to work for most properties here, there are scenarios where this method can save you some serious money if you’re able.

Tree Location

The average cost to remove a tree is partially dependent on how easy it is for an arborist to get their equipment to the tree and set it up. Navigating through tight spaces with heavy equipment or removing a tree among many others in close proximity makes the job trickier. If the tree that needs to be removed is close to power lines, homes, roadways, or other things at risk of damage from falling limbs, things become more complicated. In small spaces, trees will often be removed piece by piece. This process is more costly than felling a tree traditionally. The risks to the surrounding property are minimized, but things are more dangerous for the person performing the tree removal.

The Difference a Good Tree Service Provider Makes

Hiring an arborist that is insured is crucial for your safety as well as the arborist’s. Insurance also makes sure that you aren’t liable for damage to your own property or your neighbors’ in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. Insured arborists cost more than private individuals who don’t have insurance, but that price is well worth it for peace of mind and the well-being of everyone involved.

You might still be tempted to try removing a tree yourself. While it will probably cost less upfront, the possible issues that result from removing a tree yourself can be incredibly costly. From damage to property or persons to destruction of rented or purchased tree removal equipment, it’s almost never a good idea to remove a tree yourself. Even small trees can pose problems, and improperly removing the trunk or leaving it intact can actually lead to long-term issues for your lawn and other trees.

Ultimately, the cost of removing a tree is hard to predict without consulting a professional arborist. However, we can try to give you a ballpark based on the tree and its surroundings. For a young, smaller tree with a lot of room, you’re looking at anywhere between $200 and $500. This is assuming the best possible conditions, meaning the price can often skew toward the higher side. When removing a large tree, especially in a situation where it poses a safety risk or there is the possibility of property damage, that cost rises fast. Trees that are over 30 feet in height start at around $500 dollars, though it can be a bit lower if there’s a lot of room to work. For larger trees or trees with a lot of potential for damage, you can possibly be spending over $1500. Removing multiple trees at once is best, but the prices still go up with each tree removed, obviously. Without seeing your tree, an arborist can only guess so well. We need to see your trees in person to give a truly accurate estimate, and even that can change a bit once the crew actually gets to work. At The Parke Company, we pride ourselves on accuracy and honesty, so you can expect a fair quote and quality work to match.

If you’re interested in a free consultation and estimate from the pros at The Parke Company, we’d be happy to help. Give us a call today to learn more and get the peace of mind that comes with professional tree removal service.

Prepare Irrigation for Summer Heat

September 25, 2025June 12, 2023 by The Parke Company

With the summer heat already starting to bear down upon us, you might be getting worried about drought and its impact on your landscaping. Beating the heat can be a challenge, but it’s easy to do with a properly installed and maintained irrigation system. Here’s how you can make sure you’re ready for the summer.

Nashville Summers and Your Lawn and Landscape

Tennessee is no stranger to droughts, and our lawns are the first to pay the price for this lack of rainfall. Grass roots need 1-2 inches of water each week to thrive. Sure, when it’s drier, your lawn grows slower, but it can also quickly die and turn yellow and brown. Dead grass, besides being an eyesore, can encourage pests to set up in your lawn and cause further damage. Additionally, dead grass patches don’t usually grow back perfectly, so even if you do get rain, it’s not going to be the way it was without some hard work. Irrigation systems are excellent ways to protect your lawn and keep it hydrated, but hydration isn’t the only issue summer poses.

Sunlight contains ultraviolet light, which is harmful to our skin and, perhaps more surprisingly, our lawns. Shade in landscaping is almost as important as water, so it’s crucial to make sure that every part of your lawn has shade for some part of the day. Planting shade trees is the best way to guarantee that your grass is well-shaded. Some of the best trees for providing shade are wide-canopied trees like the paper birch or pin oak tree. Too much shade isn’t really a huge concern, but there is such a thing as too many trees. You don’t want to transform your lawn into a forest because a good deal of sunlight is safe and necessary for grass to flourish and remain green and vibrant.

Exploring Your Irrigation System Options

Garden hose sprinklers are good at hydrating lawns, but they take a lot of attention and can lead to wasted water. The best method for keeping your lawn hydrated is to invest in an automatic irrigation system. An irrigation system is a series of connected sprinkler heads that are all connected to a single pump system. This system of buried or above-ground pipes connects each sprinkler to the next, guaranteeing proper coverage. A skilled irrigation system installer can determine the necessary layout of your sprinkler system. Irrigation systems come in many forms, from the simple to the futuristic and complex. A simple irrigation system may operate on timers, while more advanced systems can connect with a smartphone, tablet, or computer to provide data and adaptability.

A weather-based irrigation system is a more advanced system that can adapt to the local weather and tune itself automatically to provide more or less water to your lawn. These smart systems can connect to local weather services and use hydrometers and other devices to perform real-time measurements of your landscaping’s hydration level. These systems are the best at conserving water because of how finely they measure, making them the most eco-friendly option.

On the simpler, more budget-friendly side of things, there are more basic timer-operated irrigation systems. These systems are cheaper because they involve less technology, but they have been keeping lawns hydrated for decades. You choose when the sprinklers operate, but keeping them on a consistent schedule is good for the lawn. You want to avoid watering at the hottest time of the day, instead opting for early morning or evening when the sun’s rays aren’t so hot. Moisture in the soil can become too hot and actually damage the grass and its root systems, harming your lawn if you water at the wrong time of day. This might sound like a lot of information to absorb, but don’t worry. When you work with professional landscapers, they go over every aspect of the irrigation system with you and often have a plan that works with the local weather systems. With a landscaper like The Parke Company, you’re in good hands when we leave after installing your system.

Irrigation System Installation and Maintenance

Now that you know how these systems work and the different options you have, let’s explore installation and maintenance. Installation costs are not cheap, but these systems put DIY irrigation options to shame. The urge to DIY and save money might be strong for you, but keep in mind how fragile a lawn’s ecosystem can be. Many people make the mistake of overwatering a lawn, causing grass to die out, or creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests. Planning exactly where each sprinkler head goes is also easier said than done. Improperly installed systems can lead to dry patches or areas that are too wet. These systems also don’t allow you to measure your water consumption as well, leading to higher water bills and a lot of wasted water. In times of drought, water conservation is important at every level. A professional irrigation system installation will ensure that you minimize the time it takes, the potential for damage to your lawn, and the headaches doing it yourself can cause.

Maintaining irrigation systems is necessary to prolong the life of your investment and your lawn. Many landscaping companies offer maintenance plans with regularly scheduled checks and irrigation system tune-ups in addition to other landscaping services. So how do you prepare your irrigation system for summer? There are some necessary winterization steps that you should have taken in the fall to prepare your system for cold weather. Now that summer is here, there are a variety of things that must be done to make sure your irrigation system is in good working order. A landscaping company will check water pressure in the lines to ensure that pipes weren’t damaged and will perform visual inspections for damage to sprinkler heads. It’s also critical to check the health of the pump machinery and any electrical components to ensure that things will work when they need to. All of these health assessments are important, and they’re best left to the pros.

With The Parke Company, you can rest easy knowing that your irrigation system is in the hands of professionals. Whether you need your Nashville irrigation system installed, repaired, maintained, or have further questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

Protecting Your Nashville Property from Storm Damage

October 11, 2024May 29, 2023 by The Parke Company

Nashville is no stranger to severe weather year round, and the spring and summer feature some of the messiest months. Protecting your property from storm damage is undoubtedly one of your priorities, but what are the best practices for preparing and cleaning up after the fact?

Nashville Climate

Tennesseans are well-versed in all varieties of bad weather. We aren’t spared winter storms or summer lightning and hail. Nashville has even seen its fair share of tornadoes and extreme wind, and even those of us who were out of direct danger saw property damage, power outages, and flooding. April showers bring May flowers, but they can also cause rivers to swell and trees to fall. Between the wind, lightning, excessive rainfall, and damaging hail, our properties are at risk from a variety of damage. Every Nashville resident has probably wondered: How can you protect your home from storm damage?

Preventing Storm Damage

Since spring and summer severe weather can do several different things all at once, it’s important to be prepared on multiple fronts. If you’re asking how do I prepare my house for a storm season, we can help. Working with trained landscapers and arborists is the single best way to prevent storms from damaging your property, whether it’s your home, landscaping, or cars. Think about what the average severe thunderstorm brings with it: torrential rain, heavy winds, lightning, and hail. Tackle each of these concerns separately but head-on.

Rainfall

While rain doesn’t seem like the biggest concern at the moment, as lightning flashes and the winds whip past, that doesn’t mean rain can’t ruin your day. Flash flooding is a common issue in low-lying areas during storm season in Nashville, and preventing water damage relies heavily on your landscaping. Ensuring that your yard drains properly is critical for preventing flooding that can damage your yard and even your home. Poorly graded lawns can act as rivers during a flood, guiding water toward your home and causing flooding in the basement or the first floor. Standing water from storms also acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and kills yards, causing problems for weeks after the severe weather.

Preventing water damage during Nashville storm season is about proper planning and understanding how water behaves on a landscape. Since we can’t control the weather, we have to focus on diverting as much water as possible away from the home while also avoiding erosion and water damage. There are plenty of ways a landscaper can help to do this, and the solution often starts at the home. Ensuring your home’s gutters are properly cleaned and draining is critical for keeping your home dry. Gutter cleaning should be done at least once a year, and regular maintenance on downspouts and drainage systems will help get that water away from your home’s foundation. Planting grasses and shrubs with strong, deep roots helps to keep your yard’s soil in place despite flooding. Grading the topsoil of your yard away from the home is also important. This allows the water to flow away from the home, keeping soil level to prevent pooling and standing water.

Wind

We have seen tornadoes and extremely severe windstorms in the past several years each summer in Nashville, making our job as arborists all the more important. Fallen trees and limbs during summer storms can cause thousands of dollars in damage to a home in a single storm. Preventative measures should be taken each year to remove dead or dying trees and prune limbs that may pose threats. An arborist can determine which trees on your property are most at risk for falling and safely remove them before they can be toppled by wind. Tree work is incredibly dangerous and should be left to the professionals. At The Parke Company, we have decades of experience in tree work. We are fully insured and safely and effectively remove trees and at-risk branches and limbs with precision.

Hail and Lightning

Preventing hail and lightning damage is a bit trickier than ensuring trees are properly pruned and the yard is free of flood dangers. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done! Fortunately, while hail is destructive to our windows and cars, it doesn’t usually kill trees or plants. Some low-lying vegetation can be damaged and may die from severe hail, but many can withstand and overcome damage. Having trees with sturdy and large canopies can help protect property beneath them by absorbing the force of hail, though wind can make it less predictable. Preventing lightning strikes seems impossible, right? Lightning simply strikes where it will, often being attracted to the tallest object. In many cases on landscaping, the tallest targets are trees. Fortunately, there actually are ways to install lightning rods on landscaping trees in order to prevent them from being damaged. These should only be installed by professionals, and they are not always worth the investment. While lightning strikes do often damage or kill trees, your trees do manage to protect your home and property from it by acting as lightning rods themselves. If you’re fortunate, lightning won’t be a major concern to your landscaping, but the threat always exists. Remain indoors and away from windows and tall objects during thunderstorms.

Cleaning Up

Once things subside and you’ve been able to assess the Nashville storm damage your property sustained, you’re going to need a hand cleaning things up. Landscaping companies like The Parke Company have a lot of experience in helping homeowners with tree removal and property repair. No matter how prepared you are, things can always go wrong. Your safety is the main priority, so removing damaged tree limbs and assessing tree health is the first course of action following a severe storm. Cleanup isn’t fun, and it can be disheartening to see your landscaping suffer damage, but it’s important to act fast. While trees don’t generally survive lightning strikes, damaged limbs don’t have to be death sentences. If a damaged tree is not pruned, it could become susceptible to pests and illnesses that could kill it, so proper pruning is key. Finding an arborist you can depend on is critical for your landscaping, and The Parke Company is ready to help at a moment’s notice.

If you need more information or help preparing for Nashville storm season, don’t delay. Give the experts at The Parke Company a call today for a free consultation and estimate on crucial storm damage prevention services.

Celebrate Spring With Seasonal Color Installations and Other Services

March 7, 2024May 15, 2023 by The Parke Company

Spring is a season known for its colorful buds, flowers, and green foliage, but that effortless look in nature does take some work to replicate in your landscaping. Here are the ways you can celebrate spring with seasonal color installation and other rejuvenating springtime services from The Parke Company.

Annual and Perennial Flowers, Seasonal Colors

Whether or not you’ve worked with landscapers before, your property deserves an added touch of color this year. Springtime flowers are a real sight to see after a long winter, and these mood-enhancing bits of nature can come back year after year! Perennials are plants that grow on a yearly cycle, meaning they lay dormant during a period of time (usually fall and winter) and bloom in the spring on a yearly basis. As long as the soil is well maintained, perennials can come back for years and years with no major effort on your part. This is especially true if you work with your local Nashville landscapers.

Yearly maintenance and management plans can make sure that your perennials are in perfect shape for the spring and are well-watered through the hot summer months. All without any effort on your part. Get that pop of color for curb appeal that comes back year after year! Common perennials that do well in Nashville include Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, white evening primrose, and butterfly weed. These colorful plants can survive many seasons and come back up as things warm up.

Annuals are another type of flowering plant that is often used in spring color installations. Unlike perennials, annuals only last a single season and will not regrow in subsequent years. While annuals aren’t quite as low-maintenance as perennials, they make up for it in affordability and vibrance. Annual flowers that grow well in Nashville gardens include marigolds, petunias, pansies, and mums. While they don’t come back next year, annuals can actually self-seed, meaning they will shed seeds toward the end of their life, and those seeds will grow the following year. Collecting seeds from marigolds and other annual flowers and saving them for the next year is also fairly simple and a great way to help sustain a garden.

Seasonal Color Installation Tips

When you work with a landscaper to install new seasonal color flowers and plants in your garden, you will need to consider a few things. Not every flower is great for every environment, and their needs can vary. Some flowers need very little water to survive, while others rely on a more steady supply. Mixing these can mean that you’re either over- or under-watering some of your flowers. In addition to water needs, the other main component of planning your color landscaping is sunlight. Plants have different needs; some prefer shade and indirect light while others thrive in open sun. Making sure to pick the right plants for the right location doesn’t have to be your responsibility; landscapers have a lot of knowledge and experience to ensure that every aspect of your color installation is placed properly.

When considering the positioning of annual and perennial flower installations for spring color, you also need to think of how these colors all work together. Sure, a great variety of colors sounds great on paper, but it can look pretty chaotic when it actually comes together in the garden. Sticking to a color scheme and choosing plants that complement one another is an important way to set your garden apart from the rest. Even the boldest gardeners are usually sticking to a few color groups, and planning them can be fun for a lot of people. For people who prefer to leave that level of planning to the pros, however, your color installation is safe in the hands of your landscaper.

At The Parke Company, we have decades of experience in planning gardens and planting them too. You can rest assured that your color installation will be supported all season with affordable maintenance plans designed to prune and nourish your garden in the spring and beyond.

Springtime Services

Floral color installations are a great way to spruce up your landscaping this spring, but that’s not all you can do. Color comes in many forms, and many trees and hardscapes can give a great deal of color to your yard as well. Cherry trees that blossom in the spring are a spectacle that also smells great, and they attract bees and other helpful insects that can pollinate your other trees and flowers. Other fruiting trees like a variety of apples also boast beautiful buds in the springtime. Hardscapes like fences, pathways, pergolas, and water installations are all perfect candidates for the spring as well. These landscaping installation staples can greatly up your garden game and can give you the yard everyone else envies for years to come.

Irrigation systems are also important for your garden and lawn to thrive, and they are easily installed in the spring once the ground is no longer frozen. These systems take the worry out of watering, leaving you more time to barbecue, hop in the pool, or just have one less worry. You don’t need massive and elaborate landscaping to justify an irrigation system either. Landscapers can advise you on exactly what your yard needs and install as much or as little as necessary to keep your yard and garden hydrated all summer.

Springtime is about color, and putting color at the forefront of your landscaping is a breeze with The Parke Company. If you’re interested in exploring your color installation options or need advice on your current landscaping, don’t hesitate to give us a call for a free consultation and estimate.