Pruning | Matt's Landcaping, LLC

Roughest March On Record?

March of 2018 has proven to be a tough end to a long winter. Three Nor’Easters in and it still might not be over. As we start to think about spring it’s easy to try to forget about the cold weather and piles of snow.

Always remember to keep an eye on your drains and never forget to keep vents clear. As the snow piles up, so can water problems.

The past few storms have bombarded cities and towns with wind damage. Now is the time to think about preventive maintenance for next year’s storms. Trimming back dead branches or removing a diseased tree can prevent expensive property damage later.

Call us for an estimate today!

Re-Design Your Landscape

During the long New England winter, it’s easy to forget we even have a yard out there under all that snow. The rakes are left unused, the dust piles up on your mower and it seems that spring will never come. But, no matter how much snow mother nature throws at us, the spring always arrives and, with it, plans for the next new addition to your yard can begin!

Matt’s Landscaping can handle all phases of design in your landscape. Your yard is your sanctuary, your vacation spot that’s just outside your back door. Why not customize it to your specifications?

Outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity. Perhaps you’ve been thinking of a new patio by your pool, a new brick walkway, or some stone walls around the property. If you can think of it, we can help you make it a reality. Thirty years in business gives us the experience and expertise to help you make your landscape a showpiece.

Your landscape can be beautiful as well as functional. With expert help, find out what kinds of trees can help provide a shady spot to relax under in the summer, and allow the sun’s warmth to help reduce your heating in the winter. Water runoff can be a problem, especially in older homes. A re-design of your yard can save you the trouble of a damp cellar or, even worse, water damage to your home. When was the last time your trees and shrubs were pruned? An experienced pruner can make your trees stronger and healthier as well as blooming bigger and better than before. Expand your flower beds or add some new eye-catching color to your yard.

Tell us your ideas and we will work with you to create your customized dream landscape. Call us today for a free estimate!

Winter Tree and Stump Removal

Winter can be a tough time on your trees. Everything from small twigs to large branches can fall off when the weight of snow is added. Sometimes, this can leave a mess to clean up in the spring, but occasionally it can cause a problem such as blocking your driveway or walkway and even power loss when they take out an electrical line on the way down.

The good news is, winter is a great time to take trees down. The cold season has several advantages for tree removal. In the winter, trees are dormant and, as a result, they have less sap and water in them. This means the tree is lighter and will do less damage to the ground below it as it is brought down. A frozen lawn will have much less damage from tree limbs and any heavy equipment used to take the tree down. If there is snow on the ground there will be even less damage to the lawn.

Matt’s Landscaping also has the equipment to remove or grind a stump down. Tree stumps will attract pests such as termites which can find their way into your home and they can be an eyesore as they slowly rot away over the years. Let Matt’s Landscaping take care of all your winter tree pruning. Have a safe and worry free winter. Call us for a free estimate!

Fall Cleanups

The fall can be one of the prettiest times of year. When you look around at all the colors, it’s easy to forgive your yard for also becoming a maintenance nightmare for a couple of months.

Cleaning up leaves and tree debris can take up a lot of time but it is essential to keeping your lawn healthy. A small pile of leaves or pine needles can kill the grass underneath it if’s left unchecked for too long. Fall is also the time to weed out the mulchbeds, dethatch your lawn and aerate. Getting rid of the extra weeds, soil and dead grass can help strengthen the plants and trees in your yard. After a whole season of walking and mowing, your lawn can become compacted. Aeration and dethatching helps more water, air and important nutrients get to your lawn’s roots. Maximize the benefits of your fall fertilizer by aerating and removing thatch buildup.

Fall is a good time to perform touch-up pruning on your shrubs and trees. Before they settle in for winter, remember to heavily water your trees and shrubs one last time to help keep them hydrated during the long winter months. Anytime before the ground freezes will work.

The fall is also a great time for planting. Plant your spring bulbs now and you can be sure your tulips and daffodils will come up in the spring. It’s important to keep an eye on weather trends, though. A late fall warm spell could cause the bulbs to sprout early, while planting them after it’s too cold means they may not properly root.

Since you won’t be needing your gardening tools in the winter, the fall is the perfect time for a little preventive maintenance. Take a few minutes to clean off excess dirt and debris from your lawn tools before you store them away for winter. We also recommend applying a little oil on the metal parts to prevent rusting while they are in storage over the winter.

Remember, you don’t have to do all the yard work yourself! Call Matt’s Landscaping today for a free estimate and see what we can do for you this fall.

Tree Pruning

There is a science to pruning your trees and shrubs, although it is not exactly a cut and dry case.
Tree pruning is an important part of the development of your trees. You can prevent disease or accidents as well as improve the tree’s overall shape and size with a pruning program. Often, we think of tree pruning as simply preventing a tree from growing too large to fit our landscape. However, tree pruning can help a tree grow larger and healthier, if it is done correctly.
The most common reason to trim your trees is to get rid of deadwood. Any dead branches are not going to grow back and there is no reason to keep them. Eventually, deadwood will rot and fall off the tree, damaging your landscape or even your car or home.
In order to shape a tree there are particular ways to trim certain branches and encourage growth in others. For example, you may have more sun on one side of your tree than another. As a result, the tree may be growing more on the sunny side and may be thin on the shady side. With proper pruning, the tree can be evened out and will be stronger and more resistant to the damaging effects of a harsh New England storm. You can prevent excessive weight on one side of a tree with regular pruning and monitoring of the tree. If a branch is getting to be too large (specifically is about 1/2 the size of the tree’s trunk or larger) it may be a good idea to trim it back or remove it entirely. Heavier outer branches can put a strain of the interior of a tree, making it weaker and more susceptible to breaking. Proper tree pruning can not only make your yard look nicer, but it can make your yard safer! If your trees and shrubs need help, call Matt’s Landscaping for a free estimate.