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Removing Leaves in Nashville, Tennessee

March 7, 2024November 26, 2012 by The Parke Company

Here in Nashville, there are a lot of trees. Old, broad, tall trees with a lot of leaves. Though leaves are beautiful, when they eventually fall to the ground they can cover your lawn so densely that you might not see any grass at all. In the quest to get rid of leaves and save lawns, there are a few options.

1. Raking. Raking leaves while they are dry is an effective way to get leaves into piles. The biggest advantage to raking is that it’s cheap. Rakes are inexpensive and effective. Wholesale stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, as well as grocery stores sell compost bags specifically designed for leaves. These compost bags run from $.35 a bag if you buy in bulk, to $2.50 per individual bag. The bags can then be taken to compost centers for further use. The downside to the raking method is time. It can take a while to get leaves raked into piles and placed into compost bags. Remember, if you use this method, always wear gloves to protect from injury.

2. Leaf blowing. Leaf blowers are an effective and time efficient way to get leaves into piles. When looking for a leaf blower, there a few key things to look at:

Electric or Gas Powered
Overall Engine Power in MPH
Mulching Kit Component

There are advantages to owning electric and gas powered leaf blowers. Most leaf blowers on the market tend to be electric, so a quality extension cord should also be purchased. Typical engine speeds range from approximately 150 mph to 260 mph, depending on the make and model.

3. Mulching. Many leaf blowers have a mulching kit attachment available. Mulching leaves into compost is the most efficient way to eliminate leaves from a lawn. Many leaf blowers have suction speeds ranging from 180 mph to 220 mph. It’s important to look at blade types as well, as metal blades will last longer than plastic blades. Another consideration is if the mulching kit has a bag attachment or a plastic hose attachment. If your property has a lot of twigs and acorns, you should consider going with a leaf blower/mulching kit that has a rubber or plastic hose attachment rather than just a bag attachment. Twigs can be sharp and often rip through bag attachments, meaning repeat purchases of mulching attachment bags are necessary. Once you fill up a mulching bag or can, simply put the compost into compost bags and take them to your local compost center.

However you choose to get rid of your leaves this fall, just remember to be careful and exercise a “safety first” mentality. For more tips on leaves and all things trees, please feel free to contact us today!

How to Start Your Own Backyard Composting System

March 7, 2024October 3, 2012 by The Parke Company

It’s a beautiful time of year. The air is cool and crisp. Comfy, beautiful sweaters are making their way from the back of the closet. And leaves are changing colors all over the country. Beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow take the place of vibrant spring greens.

And then, those leaves fall to the ground.

It becomes quite a chore for homeowners to keep up with the falling leaves during fall and winter lawn care, but instead of bagging and sending them to the landfill. There is another option: composting.

Starting a backyard composting system is fairly easy and requires three basic ingredients: “browns,” “greens,” and water.

The “browns” in the composting recipe are those beautiful colorful (but dead) leaves, branches and twigs that have fallen from trees, shrubs, bushes. The “greens” in the mix refer to fresh grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels and waste, and even coffee grounds.

Start a compost pile (or fill a bin) now with those three ingredients, turn and mix frequently, and you’ll have ready-to-use compost in as little as two months. You’re basically creating the food for the following season’s landscaping.

For more on starting your own composting system, what to use and what not to use, visit TreeHugger.com.

The Benefits of Fall Planting

March 7, 2024September 18, 2012 by The Parke Company

As the leaves begin to change colors and the winds shift and become cooler, that can only mean one thing: It’s time to plant!

Jason Underwood, Landscape Department Leader of The Parke Company, says that the fall weather creates the perfect conditions for planting.

“Weather conditions are cool and allow plants to establish roots in the new location before spring rains and summer heat stimulate new top growth,” Underwood says.

The top half of the trees slow their growth and, instead, the roots become the focus of growth.

“As tree shoot growth halts, the trees require less water because the days are cooler and shorter and the rate of photosynthesis decreases,” Underwood says. “Stable air temperatures also promote rapid root development. Soils stay warm well after the air temperature cools, also encouraging root growth. During shoot dormancy, trees grow to establish roots in new locations before warm weather stimulates top growth.”

Trees planted in the fall have time to establish a hardy root base and are better equipped to deal with heat and drought the following season.

But according to Underwood, fall planting is perfect for all species.

“Avoid planting broad leaved evergreens in the fall such as rhododendrons, azaleas, boxwoods and hollies,” he says. “If planted, provide them with protection from winter winds and have them treated with an anti-desiccant.”

Another good thing about fall planting: Fewer weeds, insects and other pests are present in the cooler fall temperatures, allowing for much-needed growth in plants and trees.

If you have questions about fall planting, leaf collection or tree care as the weather continues to cool, please contact us.

Do Your Trees Need to Be Trimmed?

March 7, 2024August 27, 2012 by The Parke Company

We see it all too often: Trees are added to landscape and then forgotten about. Sure, they get water with the rest of the yard. But when was the last time you maintained your trees from the top down? Here are 4 ways to know when you’re trees need to be trimmed:

Branches are drooping onto your roof. That’s never good. Trimming the branches from your roof will save you in roof repairs, prevent leaks and keep pests from having easy access to your home by traveling those branches.
Branches are close to power lines. This becomes a safety issue, and one that should be taken care of quickly. Before leaves and branches actually touch the power lines, trimming is vitally important.
Other plants, grasses aren’t thriving. If the grass, flowers and others plants in your landscaping aren’t thriving, it may be because they’re not getting adequate sunlight. Perhaps your trees are to blame. Trimming the trees in the form of crown thinning — allowing more natural sunlight to come through — can solve the problem.
Branches are growing too close to the ground. If you find yourself hitting your head when you mow the yard, the canopy of your trees may need to be raised. This trimming technique removes the lower branches of the tree to provide plenty of headroom and airflow underneath.

If your trees are in needs of service — from raising the canopy to thinning the crown — please contact us. We strive to maintain your trees so that you get many more years of enjoyment from them.

3 Ways to Save Water and Your Landscaping

March 7, 2024August 1, 2012 by The Parke Company

It’s hard a balance to strike sometimes: Watering your trees and landscaping while utilizing resources responsibly. With the summertime heat and drought restrictions in place for watering in many cities across the country, providing your plants with enough of the wet stuff can be a challenge.

There are creative ways to collect and use water, though, saving one of our most precious natural resources along the way. Consider the following:

Rain barrels. Rain barrels collect rain water as it falls from the sky and drips from the roof of your home. Not only do the barrels store water for future use, they also help decrease demand for local water resources during the hottest months of the year. Use of rain barrels can help save money and protect our water as a natural resource.
Rain gardens. A rain garden is a group of native perennial plants and soil arranged in such a way to absorb and best manage storm water runoff. These gardens catch pollutants and ensure that those pollutants and storm water runoff don’t interfere with or harm local water resources. Even the smallest of rain gardens can make a positive impact on our water supply.
Passive watering systems. A great example of a passive watering system is an underground drip system. Installed just below the ground (or underneath the mulch or stone in your landscaping), such a system delivers water directly to your plants’ roots, ensuring that every drop is used by your tree and plants, making evaporation minimal.

If you’d like to learn more about these watering methods or others which can help best care for your landscaping during these dry summer months, contact us. We’re happy to help.