5 Benefits of Growing Trees in Your Landscape

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When designing your home’s landscape, you should consider adding trees.

Some homeowners assume trees should be excluded from their landscape, believing they consume valuable space while offering little or no benefits in the process.

While trees certainly require space to grow, however, it’s a small price to pay. With trees growing in your landscape, you’ll experience the five following benefits.

#1) Lower Cooling Costs During Summer

You might be surprised to learn that trees can lower your home’s cooling costs during the summer.

Depending on the placement of the trees, as well as their length and canopy size, they may lower your home’s cooling costs by as much as 20%.

They’ll cast shade on your home, reducing the amount of solar heat it absorbs.

#2) Sound Dampening

One benefit of trees that is often overlooked by homeowners is their ability to dampen sound.

If you live in or near a busy city, growing trees in your landscape may create a quieter environment for you and your family. They’ll absorb sound waves, resulting in less noise.

#3) Increased Property Value

Research shows that adding trees to a landscape increases its property value by an average of 20%.

When searching for a home, many buyers will survey the landscape. If the landscape is barren and consists entirely of grass, buyers may perceive the property as being less valuable.

If the landscape is attractive and filled with trees, on the other hand, buyers may perceive the property as being more valuable.

Regardless, growing trees in your home’s landscape can have a positive impact on its property value.

#4) Cleaner Environment

Growing trees in your landscape will also create a cleaner environment.

Trees filter water as well as the air. At the same time, trees release oxygen after converting sunlight into energy.

If you’re an environmentally conscious person, you can do your part to promote a cleaner environment by growing trees in your landscape.

#5) Promotes Outdoor Living

You’ll probably spend more time outdoors if your landscape has trees in it.

It’s difficult to enjoy your landscape when the sun is glaring down on you. With trees, you’ll have natural protection from the sun, allowing you and your family to fully enjoy your home’s landscape.

Whether they are hardwood or softwood, trees offer a variety of benefits.

Trees offer lower cooling costs during the summer, dampen noise, increased property value, a cleaner environment, and they promote outdoor living.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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How to Use Pine Needles as Garden Mulch

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To say pine trees shed a lot of needles would be an understatement. Even if you only have a single pine tree growing in your landscape, it will likely drop a thick layer of needles.

Rather than trying to rake and dispose of them, however, you should consider using them as garden mulch.

As the pine needles decompose, they’ll enrich the surrounding soil with nutrients.

Cover Exposed Soil

If you’re struggling to keep your garden weed-free, try covering the exposed soil with pine needles.

As you may know, weeds typically emerge in areas with exposed soil. If there’s nothing growing in or covering a patch of soil, a weed may emerge.

You can keep weeds out of your garden by covering the exposed soil with pine needles.

Just sprinkle a thin, but complete, layer over the soil to prevent the growth of weeds. The pine needles will block out sunlight, preventing any underlying weeds from growing.

Insulate Plants

You can also use pine needles to insulate plants in your garden.

During the winter, sprinkle some pine needles around the base of your plants. Assuming you add enough, the pine needles will create an insulative barrier that protects your plants from the cold weather.

Plant Food

Pine needles make excellent plant food.

They contain essential nutrients that, when released into the soil, will stimulate the growth and health of your plants.

The pine needles will slowly degrade, at which point their nutrients will be released into the soil.

To use pine needles as plant food, simply sprinkle a small amount around your garden.

Mix in Compost

Another way to use pine needles as garden mulch is to mix them in compost.

Compost, of course, is organic fertilizer consisting of decomposed ingredients. The ingredients used in compost are often referred to as either “browns” or “greens.”

Brown ingredients, such as pine straw, have higher levels of carbon, whereas green ingredients, such as grass clipping and vegetable scraps, have higher levels of nitrogen and protein.

You’ll still need to add green ingredients to create nutrient-rich compost. An easy and readily available brown ingredient, though, is pine straw.

Although they are evergreen trees, pine trees still shed needles.

Depending on the species, a pine tree may hold its needles for two or three years. Eventually, though, all pine trees will shed their needles.

While you can always rake the fallen needles, another idea is to use them as garden mulch.

Pine needles can be used to protect against weeds, insulate plants, fertilize the soil and even create compost.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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5 Tips on How to Harvest Firewood From a Fallen Tree

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Has a tree fallen in your landscape? If so, you should consider harvesting it for firewood.

It’s not uncommon for a single tree to yield anywhere from one-quarter cord to one full cord of firewood. Furthermore, harvesting the fallen tree for firewood means you won’t have to worry about hauling off and disposing of the tree.

With that said, you should follow these five tips to get the highest-quality firewood from the fallen tree.

#1) Choose Hardwood, Not Softwood

It’s recommended that you harvest firewood from hardwood trees and not softwood trees.

Hardwood trees, such as oak, contain less sap than softwood trees, such as pine. Therefore, they offer better firewood that produces more heat and less resin-filled smoke when burned.

#2) Split Into Halves or Quarters

After cutting the tree into equally sized logs, you should split those logs into halves or quarters.

Why is splitting necessary exactly?

Splitting does two things: First, it facilitates the drying process by allowing moisture to evaporate out of the wood more quickly. Second, it creates smaller pieces of firewood that are easier to light.

#3) Store Off the Ground

You shouldn’t burn firewood harvested from a fallen tree immediately after splitting it.

Rather, you’ll need to store it outside so that it can dry – a process known as seasoning.

Don’t just store your firewood directly on the ground outside your home, however. Instead, store it off the ground, such as on a wood deck or concrete pad, where it won’t be able to absorb moisture from the soil.

#4) Cover It

You’ll also need to cover your firewood when seasoning it.

Without any form of cover, your firewood won’t dry out. Each time it rains, the wood will absorb some of the water. A simple and effective way to protect your firewood from the elements is to cover it with a tarp.

#5) Let It Dry for at Least 6 Months

Depending on the particular tree species, as well as the moisture content, it can take fresh wood up to six months to dry.

Neglecting to wait at least six months will result in damp firewood that’s difficult to light. All the moisture inside the firewood will restrict its ability to ignite as well as burn.

So, mark your calendar to ensure that your firewood seasons outside for at least six months.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

The post 5 Tips on How to Harvest Firewood From a Fallen Tree appeared first on Woodsman Tree Service.

How to Prevent Tree Roots From Growing Above Ground

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Whether it’s a hardwood or softwood, all trees have roots. Roots are designed to collect nutrients and water from the surrounding soil while also stabilizing trees.

As a result, most trees have a subterranean root system that grows underground. There are times, however, when a tree’s roots may grow above ground.

Why Roots Grow Above Ground

A tree’s roots can grow above ground for several reasons.

Uneven terrain with a steep incline, for instance, may result in above-ground roots. If a tree is located on a steep incline, its roots may grow outwards rather than downwards.

Older trees are also more likely to grow above-ground roots than younger counterparts. As a tree ages, its feeder roots will dig into the soil, potentially pushing up its other roots.

This typically isn’t a concern with young trees. Once a tree reaches maturity, though, its old roots must push up and through the soil.

Cover the Above-Ground Roots

If you discover a tree with above-ground roots in your landscape, you should consider covering them.

Exposed roots aren’t just an eyesore; they can prove hazardous. You or a family member, for example, could trip and fall while walking in your landscape, or you could accidentally strike the above-ground roots with your lawnmower.

Regardless, a simple and effective way to prevent roots from growing above ground is to cover them.

You can cover the above-ground roots with either soil or mulch.

Of those two options, mulch is recommended because of its high level of nutrients. Mulch contains a plethora of beneficial nutrients that trees need to grow.

Using mulch, you can cover the above-ground roots in your landscape while replenishing your trees with vital nutrients in the process.

Trim the Above-Ground Roots

Alternatively, you can trim the above-ground roots.

Some people assume that trimming a tree’s roots will kill it. Assuming you don’t overdo it, though, you can safely trim above-ground roots without fear of it killing or otherwise harming the tree.

When pruning above-ground roots, follow the rule of three.

What is the rule of three exactly? Basically, it states that a tree’s roots should consume at least three times the tree’s diameter.

If a tree’s diameter is 5 feet, you shouldn’t prune its above-ground roots more than 15 feet away.

For above-ground roots that extend farther than three times the tree’s diameter, you may want to simply cover them with soil or mulch.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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5 Common Types of Weeds That Grow in Texas

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It’s frustrating when you spend long hours mowing and grooming your Texas lawn, only for weeds to emerge.

As the weeds spread across your landscape, they’ll steal moisture and nutrients from other plants. Different weeds, however, prefer different regions in which to grow.

As a Texas homeowner, you should familiarize yourself with the five following types of weeds, all of which grow in Texas.

#1) Thistle

Onopordum acanthium, or what’s more commonly known as thistle, is a flowering plant featuring spiny leaves and multi-winged stems that grows throughout Texas.

While other weeds are often kept in check by herbivores, thistle is naturally protected against animals. The weed’s spiny leaves deter herbivores, allowing thistle to rapidly spread.

#2) Chickweed

In addition to thistle, chickweed is a common weed found throughout the Lone Star State.

Also known as chickenwort and maruns, it’s an annual weed that reaches heights of just 40 cm when fully grown.

In Texas, chickweed is commonly found in residential lawns, meadows, fields and other open areas of land.

#3) Dandelion

Whether you’ve lived in Texas for one year or 50 years, you’ve probably seen dandelions growing.

Dandelions are a genus of flowering plant characterized by their distinct flowerheads and seedheads.

Dandelion flowerheads consist of bright-yellow-colored pedals that bloom outward. Dandelion seedheads, on the other hand, consist of many thin and fluffy seeds.

Regardless, dandelions in either of the two life cycle stages can quickly consume your landscape.

#4) Crabgrass

Of course, Texas isn’t without its fair share of crabgrass. Also known as finger grass and fonio, it grows in large clusters of uneven grass leaves.

One of the reasons why crabgrass is so common is because of the number of seeds it produces. Just a single crabgrass plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds each year.

With that said, you can keep crabgrass in check by properly watering and fertilizing your lawn. Although it can grow in a variety of environments, crabgrass prefers dry, poorly fertilized soil.

#5) Yellow Foxtail

Featuring long fuzz-covered stems resembling a fox’s tail, yellow foxtail is another common Texas weed.

Like thistle, it features a natural defense mechanism to protect against herbivores. The fuzz encompassing the top of foxtail is often razor-sharp, thereby deterring animals from consuming the weed as a source of food.

Yellow foxtail is frequently found in woods and areas of thick brush.

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