Fall is here and the leaves are down. SPM and the crew are out cleaning up leaves for the next few weeks up until snow flies. At SPM we work year round so if the snow is not on the leaves we are ready to clean them up. SPM has top quality equipment making our cleanups more efficient  We have backpack blowers, rolling blowers, ride on mowers, and a leaf vacuum for the truck.

During a fall cleanup we also offer gutter cleaning which is crucial in New England to avoid ice dams. If you do not get the gutters clear the water will back up and cause this issue. If you have not had your gutters cleaned and do have ice dams please feel free to call us and we will send a team out to help remove the dams and allow the water to run off.

Snow is the next phase in the year. We offer snow plowing to all of Pembroke. We also offer sanding and salting, walkway shoveling, snow blowing, roof shoveling, ice dam removal, large snow pile moving with bobcat

This is a snow moving machine

, and much more. Please call us for any of your needs.

SPM Enterprises tree care division had been very busy this week. With hurricane sandy past and Nor’Easter Athena upon us people are worried about their trees with due cause. The crew at SPM has been out all week preforming tree removals, stump grinding, and tree pruning.

The recent increase in storms has had many home owners thinking about whether the trees on their property are safe. The best way to find out is to have a Mass Certified arborist out to inspect your trees. SPM’s arborist Dan Cohen #2252 has been working in the industry for well over eleven years, has a degree from Umass Amherst in both arbor-culture and urban forestry, and has a passion for trees making him the perfect choice to inspect your trees.

Tree removal and tree pruning go hand in hand when it comes to storm safety. If a tree has to much sail in its canopy the wind can be damaging to the tree which can be avoided with proper pruning. Pruning is something that is done on most trees and is a place where many trees reach failure due to either lack of pruning or incorrect pruning. Techniques such as up branching, removal of all interior wood, topping, and other bad practices are most common with few companies following any pruning guidelines such as ansi standard.

SPM’s crew has been coached by their lead arborist Dan to make proper cuts, sensible decisions, and have learned to work towards the best health of a plant. When a plant has been incorrectly pruned, damaged by a storm, attacked by bugs, rotten, or anything else that may impair it’s ability to stand it is time to talk removal.

Removal is a place where SPM has a unique ability to work without cranes, or bucket trucks . All SPM work is done with a low impact method and leaves a customer with a clean landscape and minimal damage vs out competitors with large ruts from heavy equipment and expensive landscape repairs. At SPM we utilize expert tree climbers and rigging and roping to do tree removal. The benefits to this are endless such as low impact to surrounding area, ability to take down trees over things like homes, ability to take trees down where cranes or other large trucks can’t access, and the ability to problem solve with trees that are just in an awkward spot.

Today we have recieved calls from most of our towns we service for down trees. In Norwell MA we looked at a down tree. In Hanson Ma a tree that was rocking in the wind to much was added to removal list. In Duxbury, Pembroke, and Marshfield we have calls in for tree pruning. The winter is coming and so is snow are your trees ready?

Please always call a professional when dealing with tree work and if you decide to take it on yourself please wear a helmet, chaps, safety glasses, ear protection, boots, long pants, and all other safety gear. Also remember never work in the woods alone. Have a safe weekend.
Shawn

The fall is here and the leaves are falling making it a great time of the year for tree pruning and removal. Today Mass Certified Arborist #2252 Dan Cohen and his crew are on a large removal and pruning project in Norwell Ma. The goal for the project they are working today is to removal all standing dead trees and large dead limbs in the trees lining the driveway. The second reason for this is to allow more light to the existing rhododendron  azalea, mountain laurel, river birch, kousa dogwood, and other plantings.

This project will involve expert tree climbing, rigging and roping, brush clearing and chipping, and skid steer work to load the wood and clean the area up. Dan and his expert staff use all proper cuts when pruning trees to ensure the long healthy life and the trees they are working on. Having a tree care company do work for you not only ensures the work will be done to arborist standards but also ensures the safety of the crew, your existing landscapes,  and property. 

For customers that have just spent a lot into having a really nice planting done watering can be intimidating, contradictory, and plain confusing. I have written this mini guide to watering to help all of our customers with their install.

When a plant is installed tree or shrub it is going to need water and a lot of it. The first step to watering is to water a plant upon completion of the install with a slow trickle hose to allow it to soak the whole area and deep. The next step to watering is constant monitoring for dry soil, curling leaves, fungus (due to over-watering), or just plain burn out. Depending on the soil type and the sun watering can be a multi time per day process or a single watering each day. During a planting a plants roots are damaged and in need of repair, as well as looking to hook into the soil to become healthy healed in plants and water helps this process.

Most trees and shrubs when first planted love water but to much water can harm plants. Plants such as Holly can end up iron necrotic or rhododendron can get root rot if exposed too to wet of any area. When watering recently installed items remember how large the root ball is and make sure to soak the entire area deep. Watering of the foliage on plants and trees is unnecessary and will lead to fungal issues, pathogen issues, as well as insect issues.

The item I try to get each of my install clients to purchase to take care of their new plants is either weeper hoses with a battery operated timer, or an irrigation system that is properly installed and waters the roots not the foliage. Having a system such as either of these ensures the plant is getting the appropriate amount of water EVERY day.

One common mistake is to feel one day going away will not hurt a plant and the truth is if hot and dry enough the plants can both defoliate, or completely dry out and die. Either options is both undesirable and unsightly. Taking the proper steps to have a system in place or a friend to water can prevent this problem.

Lastly I am sure you are all thinking well…how much water? It varies based on plant, location, weather, and many other factors. The key to getting it right is to hire and experienced crew. On our staff we have a Mass Certified Arborist available to help guide our clients to good decisions.

Today the crew was working in Duxbury on a large tree removal job. Tree removal is a last choice in the tree care industry. Today this tree happened to be a 150 plus year old Norway Maple. In the past this tree had been cabled and showed signs of severe rot. While estimating this job the sales person explained to the customer why pruning was not the right approach for this tree.
During the removal of this tree the crew used advanced rigging techniques so minimal damage was done to the existing landscape. SPM is able to go where cranes are not an option and safely remove large trees. We offer a full line of tree services.

So it is that time of the year again where our trees shrubs, and perennials are growing out of control and we need to reduce their size. This can be a challenge because there is a lot of science behind the art of proper pruning. In order to correctly prune any plant the first and most important step is plant identification. This is a step often overlooked in the landscape world as most landscaper are hedge trimming for aesthetics. The professional staff at SPM Enterprises can Identify all New England Plants and if they can’t they have the resources to research the plant.

The second step to proper pruning is choosing the time of year to prune. Depending on the variety it could be a spring time, fall, or winter pruning. Some of the most common spring time plants to be pruned are azaleas, rhododendron, lilac, forsythia, ewe, and other flowering trees and shrubs.

The third step is choosing the proper tool for the job. Some plants require hand pruning and nice collar cuts where as other plants grown in hedge require shearing. Mixing this can lead to many problems such as no interior growth and therefor inability for reduction pruning. Insect damage and fungus can also be induced by improper pruning.

The fourth and most important step is deciding who to allow to touch your plants. When deciding on a tree or landscape company do not base it your decision solely on price but also base it on quality and knowledge. If quality is not affordable it may mean its your time to shine grab a book and dive in or have a garden consult with one of our staff. Then put what you learned to work in the garden a garden is not work it is a labor of love.

Does your property have a tick or mosquito problem? Protect your family and pets from pest borne diseases such as Lyme disease, EEE and West Nile. Due to the warm winter and the rainy spring, these pests are going to be very prevalent.
Reduce the number of ticks, mosquitoes, gnats and fleas on your property this season with an environmentally friendly material. We recommend four sprays a season to keep ticks and mosquitoes in check. Our experts also are available for one time sprays that can be added if you feel that they are necessary, or if you are hosting an outdoor event that you would like your property to be pest free for. The organic material used in our Mosquito and Tick spray lasts for 30-60 days depending on the severity of an infestation and the weather conditions. The greatest part is your yard is safe to go out on once it dries in only 15 Minutes. This week has been a very wet week and we have noticed rising populations in Duxbury, Pembroke, Hingham, and Marshfield.

You may have noticed that the little green caterpillars are back and are chewing on your trees. This pest is know as the Winter Moth Catipillar and can do serious damage. Their favorite foods are decidous ornamental trees that flower. Some of the most common trees that are chewed on by the winter moth are Oaks, Maples, Apples, Cherries and Pears. The extent of the damage can be from mild to complete defoliation which with other stresses present can lead to tree death. In out travels we have noticed the most extensive damage to both Purple Plum and Flowering Cherry. The area that we have noticed the most damage is the coastal towns in south east Massachusetts. While in Plymouth we noticed notabably larger populations than any other town.Our expert staff can come out and treat the trees that are experiencing damage. Call today to get a free estimate. Feel like it is to late cause the damage is done? False! Cutting the number of these pests will cut your properties population. By calling in this season you also will be reminded in time to have your trees treated next season to avoid this damage. The problem is by the time we notice the damage it has already happend but if we look at it by a scientific approach we know they climb into the buds before the leaf emerges so early treatment is crucial. If your trees have been severly damaged you may also want to call and have a fertilizer estimate for your trees and shrubs to help them bounce back.