Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
Archives for December 2015
The Top 3 Rules for Tree Care
WHEN dry weather continues for an extended period, landscape trees depend on homeowners for water. Millions of urban and landscape trees alike are lost due to drought, so it’s important to take care of surviving trees and nurture replacement trees with proper watering.
The amount of water a tree needs depends on many factors, including the age and species of the tree, the time of year, weather and soil type. As a rule, newly planted and young trees require more frequent watering than older, well-established trees. But during extended periods of drought, all trees benefit from supplemental watering.
During periods of drought, the goal is to provide just enough supplemental irrigation to maximize growth on young trees and to keep older, established trees healthy. We don’t want to water so much or so often that we encourage more canopy growth than the soil, climate and tree species can support during normal rainfall years. Excessive watering can make a tree dependent on irrigation rather than resilient enough to survive on what nature normally provides.
Watering Newly Planted Trees
For the first several months after planting, most of the tree’s roots are still within the original root ball.
For the first several months after planting, most of a tree’s roots are still within the original root ball, with some roots beginning to grow beyond this area. The root ball and the surrounding soil should be kept evenly moist to encourage healthy root growth. After a few months, expand the watering zone to cover the entire area under the canopy. It can take two or more growing seasons for a tree to become established — for roots to venture into the soil well beyond the planting hole. It’s vital to provide supplemental moisture in those early years, if nature doesn’t provide regular soaking rains. During hot, dry weather, new trees may require water as often as three times per week to ensure that the root ball doesn’t dry out.
Watering Established Trees
Once a tree is established, apply water in a wide band around the outer reaches of the tree’s canopy, called the dripline.
It’s a common misconception that a tree’s roots are a mirror image of the aboveground canopy. In reality, an established tree’s roots usually extend well beyond the edge of the canopy, or drip line. Although some anchor roots may reach deep into the soil, most tree roots are concentrated in the upper 12″ to 18″ of soil. When watering established trees, provide a deep, soaking irrigation to the entire area beneath the tree canopy and extending several feet beyond the drip line. Ideally, you should moisten the soil to a depth of 10″ each time you water. To prevent rot, don’t apply water to the area directly around the trunk.
Know When to Water
The easiest way to check soil moisture is to take a long (8″-plus) screwdriver and poke it into the soil. It will pass easily into moist soil, but be difficult to push into dry soil. If you can’t poke it in at least 6″, it’s time to water. This technique works best in clay and loam soils.
How to Apply Water
Overhead sprinklers are the easiest way to cover large expanses, but they’re inefficient, losing up to half the water to evaporation. Trees are better served by watering methods that apply water slowly, right at soil level. It may take several hours to properly water a single mature tree.
A soaker hose applies water slowly so it soaks in rather than running off.
Soaker hoses are an efficient way to water trees because they’re porous and release water slowly. Encircle a tree with a spiral of soaker hose and run it for an hour or more — as long as it takes for water to penetrate 6″ or 8″, using the screwdriver test.
A pressure regulator improves the efficiency and prolongs the life of soaker hoses.
Bubblers are hose-end devices that reduce the velocity of the water, so it soaks in rather than running off. Because it waters one spot at a time, you’ll need to move the bubbler around.
If possible, avoid watering during the hottest part of the day — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — to conserve water.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water does my tree need?
As a general rule of thumb, apply an inch of sprinkler irrigation or enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of 10″ or more for mature trees. A common mistake is to apply frequent shallow waterings that don’t soak deeply into the soil.
My irrigation system waters my lawn regularly. Isn’t that enough for my trees?
Probably not. Most irrigation systems are programmed to apply frequent, shallow waterings. Trees do better with less frequent but deeper soakings — a heavy soaking once a week is much better than a shallow watering every few days. That’s because shallow waterings encourage tree roots to remain near the soil surface where they’re prone to drying out. Watering deeply, on the other hand, encourages deep, drought-tolerant roots.
Should I mulch under my trees?
Yes. Grass growing under trees will intercept much of the water you apply, keeping it from reaching plant roots. It’s best to keep a large (3′ plus), turf-free circle around the trunk. A 2″ to 3″ layer of organic mulch, such as shredded bark or pine straw, helps conserve moisture and keeps weeds at bay. To prevent rot, don’t pile mulch against the trunk.
Should I fertilize during a drought?
As a rule, drought-stressed trees should not be fertilized. When water supplies are limited, trees naturally slow their growth. Applying fertilizer can encourage a flush of growth that causes the tree to require more water than is available. And the salts in many fertilizers can harm drought-stressed roots.
Is the technique the same for those of us living in desert climates?
In desert conditions irrigation should soak the soil at least 3′ deep. In areas with such salty water and salty soil, deep watering helps by leaching salts past the root zone. Salt burn is very common, especially with non-native trees. Deep irrigation also encourages roots to grow deeply, as opposed to frequent light watering which leads to shallow roots that are more vulnerable to drying out.
Take Steps to Minimize Tree Stress During Drought
- Avoid digging under and around trees so you don’t disturb the roots
- Don’t do any heavy pruning. However, it’s OK to remove broken, dead, insect-infested or diseased branches.
- Keep an eye out for insect pests and disease, because drought-stressed trees are more vulnerable to attack.
- Avoid using high-nitrogen lawn fertilizers under trees, and never use weed-and-feed products, which can harm tree roots.
Watering Restrictions
Even if your municipality imposes watering restrictions, it’s likely you’ll be able to properly water trees. If you must choose between turf and trees, remember that trees are a bigger investment. And it will take years, if not decades, for a newly planted tree to take the place of a mature tree that has been lost to drought.
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
5 Reasons for a Mortgage Refinance
Naturally, if you’re paying 6% for your mortgage and you can refinance at 5%, you’re gonna do it. Although cutting your monthly payment remains an important motive, there are at least five other reasons to consider a mortgage refinance, for long-term savings and convenience.
1. Change your mortgage term
If you decrease the term of your mortgage in a refinance by going from a 30-year to a 15-year, you’ll pay a lower interest rate and shorten your total interest costs. You’ll build home equity more quickly, and pay off your loan sooner, even though your monthly payments go up.
2. Move from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate
ARMs offer low introductory rates, but they also offer long periods of uncertainty that make it hard to budget. It makes sense in a mortgage refinance to go from an ARM to a fixed-rate loan during a low-interest rate environment. You’ll get emotional security and your rate won’t fluctuate with changing economic conditions.
3. Take out cash
With a cash-out mortgage refinance, you can turn an intangible asset—accumulated home equity—into a tangible one—cash. It makes sense for a project that will generate long-term benefits, like a home improvement or funding a child’s college education. However, don’t do it for frivolous reasons. Unless you’re extremely disciplined, you could find yourself in even deeper debt.
4. Consolidate two mortgages
When interest rates are low, a mortgage refinance lets you consolidate your main mortgage and an outstanding home equity loan to realize a lower overall monthly payment. Plus, you’ll have only one mortgage payment to make each month.
5. Recover from divorce
If your home is jointly owned with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, a mortgage refinance will turn a joint obligation into the responsibility of the person keeping the home. Nothing is more frustrating than tracking down a former spouse who doesn’t keep up with his or her end of the mortgage payment.
Lay the groundwork
If one of these reasons resonates with you, contact your current lender to see if it’ll offer you preferred rates or reduced closing costs on a mortgage refinance. But don’t assume the current lender is best: Leave no stone unturned by searching for lenders online and calling community banks and local credit unions.
No matter which lender you choose, a mortgage refinance for the right reasons can save you lots of money—and that’s the best reason of all.
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
10 Fun Christmas Appetizers
Spread holiday cheer at your next Christmas party by preparing some of these fun and creative appetizers. A party isn’t complete without decorations, so why not make some that you can eat? Guests will love these snacks not only for their deliciousness, but also for their festive Christmas themed look. They are a must-have for holiday gatherings and are sure to be a hit with everyone. And if your go-to gift is usually some kind of food, these appetizers will be perfect for you. Take a look at these recipes, we are so blown away by all these amazing ideas, and we think you will be too!
Egg Snowman
Recipe via roxyskitchen.com
Christmas Package Cheese Snack
Recipe via spoonful.com
Cheese Wedges
Recipe via littlefoodjunction.com
Olive Penguins
Recipe via onceuponaplate1.com
Festive Cheese Spread
Recipe via mccormick.com
Tortilla Wrap
Recipe via radacutlery.com
Holiday Appetizer Wreath
Recipe via jollyreindeer.com
Caprese Wreath
Recipe via veggiewala.com
Holiday Pine Cone Cheeseball
Recipe via cooking.com
Christmas Santa Crackers
Recipe via freefunchristmas.com
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
Tech Tuesday – 3 Simple Steps to Faster Wi-Fi
Did you know that over 20% of poor Wi-Fi performance is caused by other electronics in your home? It all depends on the distance between your router and these potential Wi-Fi killers. Follow these three simple steps to ensure that your internet speed is as fast as it can possibly be.
- Restart your router. When having problems with connectivity, a simple reboot can make all the difference. Restarting your router allows it to search for a new channel that isn’t being used by other devices.
- Move your router away from electronic devices. Halogen lamps, dimmer switches, speakers, baby monitors, you name it! Even all those Christmas lights you’ve got strung around your house can impede your Wi-Fi strength.
- Place your router in a central part of your home. The more you’ve got between you and your router, the more interference you’ll have. Placing the router in a centralized location will minimize interference no matter where you are in your home.
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
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