Tick Populations Exploding!

Tick Populations in Philadelphia PA are exploding thanks to a mild winter. Peak season for ticks is summer; just when families and pets are enjoying the great outdoors. 

Ticks are dangerous.  One bite from these tiny pests could infect you or your pet with Lyme Disease, a debilitating and often difficult to cure illness. 

Read about more ways to protect your family from ticks with Giroud's Top 5 Tick Control Strategies.

In the video below, Rob Nagy, Giroud Arborist, and his dog, Nugent demonstrate how to find ticks on your property and the actions to take.  Watch the video on our blog.

Giroud Arbor Day Fair at Pennypack Trust Celebrates Trees

With Arbor Day fast approaching, Giroud Tree and Lawn and Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust joined together for an Arbor Day Fair on April 17th to celebrate and preserve trees.

The Pennypack Preserve came alive with children, parents and other nature seekers ready to have fun and learn about trees in a whole new way. Rope climb and saddle rides, nature themed crafts, and aerial lift rides were were among the popular attractions.

The Fair culminated with Giroud's donation of $1,000 in free tree care to preserve a giant European Beech that posed a safety hazard to visitors and cars. Visitors watched as Mike Teti, Giroud Trainer and Champion Climber, thinned the crown, installed two cables and inserted a bolt to brace the trunk and make the tree safe.

Giroud and Pennypack Trust hope to make the Arbor Day Fair an annual event to raise awareness about the importance of trees in our landscapes and encourage more people to enjoy the Pennypack Preserve, a beautiful resource that is right in our backyard.

Creating A Children's Fort In the Woods

Jenny Galiani, of Ambler PA, had an idea to make a tangled wooded area of her yard into a secret fort for her children to explore, play and let their imaginations run free. Enter Dan Rombold, Crew Leader for Giroud Tree and Lawn and the brush-hog. Dan shows Jenny, her son Thomas and friends, how the brush-hog works; discusses the design of the play area and mows down brush to create the fort.

Giroud Removes Hazardous Oak Between Two Houses

It's like threading a needle. A hazardous Oak is carefully rigged, cut and lowered piece by piece through a narrow space between two houses.

Giroud's Mike Teti Places 2nd in ISA Climbing Competition

Watch climbing at its best! After a five year hiatus, Mike Teti, Giroud Field Trainer, returns to competition at Penn-Del East ISA’s Championship. Placing 2nd out of 35 top climbers in the Preliminary Round, Mike moved on to the Masters Round to finish 2nd out of the 5 best climbers. As head of Giroud's training program, Mike helps each member of the field team perform at the top of their game.

How to Control Ticks!

It's Tick Season! Ticks spread Lyme Disease as well as other serious illnesses. Learn how to stop ticks from infecting your family and pets from Giroud representatives: Rob Nagy, ISA Certified Arborist and Rodney Stahl, Jr., PA Certified Applicator, along with Giroud Customer, Dr. Francis Felice, of Huntingdon Valley.

Ticks like the shade. They seek protection from the sun in ground level vegetation such as high grasses, underbrush, shrubs and woods. Giroud can help protect your family from ticks and tick borne illnesses through property inspection, cleaning-up shady tick habitats, deer repellant and tick control treatments. Call for a free evaluation today: 215-682-7704

Giroud Treats Destructive Pests With Horticultural Oil

Scale, Mites and Adelgid damage trees and shrubs. Horticultural oils are a Green approach to treating these destructive pests. Drew Slousky, ISA Certified Arborist, and Ken Watson, PA Certified Applicator, explain how Giroud uses Horticultural Oils and show treatment being applied on Pines, Azaleas and Arborvitaes.

Check your trees for the following warning signs: white cottony spots, rust colored needles, major needle loss or excessive thinning. Ask your Giroud Arborist to inspect your trees to determine if treatment is needed.

Tree Spotlight: Syringa Reticula

With a profusion of perfect, creamy, fragrant flowers and cherry-brown bark, the Syringa Reticula (aka Japanese Tree Lilac) is possibly the most trouble-free lilac you can grow. Hardy and tough, the Tree Lilac is resistant to mildew, borers and scale. It grows 20-30 feet tall and blooms in early to mid-June.

Follow these steps to maintain a healthy and beautiful plant:

• Provide water during bloom and heavy growth periods.
• Prune to ensure good air circulation and to maintain shape.
• Prune immediately after flowering to avoid removing flower buds.

CBS Local News Interviews Giroud About Hiring A Tree Service for Storm Clean Up

From lifting trees off houses to hiring a qualified tree service, 3 on Your Side's, Jim Donovan, interviews Lou Giroud, President of Giroud Tree and Lawn. Watch: 3 On Your Side Interview.

Lou discusses how recent storms have left many trees with hidden damage. He encourages homeowners to have their trees checked from root to crown by an ISA Certified Arborist. When hiring a tree service, Jim Donovan advises to:

1. Use Referrals
2. Use Certified Arborists
3. Check for Workers Compensation and Liability Insurance
4. Be careful of door to door solicitations
5. Opt for local businesses

How to Stop Ticks!

Ticks spread Lyme Disease! These shade lovers are usually found around the fringes of your lawn in high grasses, underbrush, shrubs and woods. Deer are one of the primary ways that ticks are carried to your property.

In the video below, Scott Slousky, ISA Certified Arborist, explains how Giroud stops ticks by: cleaning up shady tick habitats, spreading wood chips and using monthly tick and deer repellent treatments.

If you're worried about ticks, ask your Giroud Arborist to inspect your property to determine the best ways to stop ticks from invading your property.

Giroud Evaluates Lawn Health

Learn how Giroud evaluates lawn health. ISA Certified Arborist, Mike Taraborrelli, explains the steps to develop a lawn care program that produces a healthy, thick, green lawn.

How to Spot Hemlock Problems

Adelgid and Scale spell serious trouble for Hemlocks. ISA Certified Arborist, Robert Nagy, with Giroud Tree and Lawn in Pennsylvania, explains how to spot the pests on your Hemlocks and provides advice on the best action to take.
Watch This Video

Duck Finds Unusual Nesting Spot

An interesting thing recently happened at a customer's property. We were walking around checking out a few items in the rain. The ground was wet and puddles were everywhere, As everyone knows, it's been raining for what seems like months so there is no shortage of water on properties, streams, ponds etc.

I was inspecting some cables in a large multi-leadered Silver Maple, when I noticed something out of the ordinary. To the customer's and my surprise, I noticed a female duck nesting 5 feet off the ground in the crotch of the tree. She was laying on approximately a dozen eggs. I guess this duck just was trying to stay dry?? Posted by, Rob Nagy, Giroud Arborist, ISA Certified Arborist

Winning the War Against Weeds!

Weeds, including crabgrass (pictured right) and nutsedge, are actively growing in lawns and garden beds.

The best defense against weeds in your lawn is a healthy, thick lawn that leaves little room for weeds to grow. If weed control is necessary, use Sedgehammer or Drive herbicides. Always follow the label and use caution when applying herbicides. If your herbicides contains dicamba, do not use it near trees or shrubs. Never use Round-Up in lawns unless you're doing a complete reseeding.

Weeds in beds may be treated with a non-selective herbicide such as Round-Up. The herbicide will break down into harmless components in the soil . Take care not to let this product come in contact desirable plants.

Rainy Spring Perfect for Fungus

Tree and lawn alert! The past two months of rain and cool temperatures have created the perfect breeding grounds for fungus.

Practically any tree can get fungus. Crabapples, Dogwoods, Ash, Sycamores and Pines are most susceptible. Discolored leaves, leaf loss and trunk or root rot are primary symptoms. (Pictured right: Dogwood leaf infected with Anthracnose)

Your lawn is also vulnerable. Excessive rain has promoted fungal diseases such as Red Thread, Pink Patch and Dollar Spot. Pink or brown patches of grass are a warning sign. (Pictured left: Lawn infected with Red Thread fungus)

Fungus diseases have a tendency to spread quickly so early detection is key. If you suspect your trees or lawn have a fungus, please call us to schedule an inspection.

Organic vs. Traditional Lawn Care

Which approach is right for you?

1. Traditional: This approach produces the greenest lawn with the fewest weeds at the lowest price. Giroud minimizes chemical usage by monitoring the lawn throughout the growing season and only treating specific problems.


2. Organic: Giroud’s program is 100% organic.No herbicides, fungicides, or synthetic pesticides are utilized. Instead, Giroud relies on non-chemical strategies to address any problems.


3. Hybrid: If you prefer organic but your lawn is thin or weed infested, you can jump start with our traditional program to make your lawn thick and healthy. Then, shift to our 100% organic program to keep it green and chemical free.

Take the Weight Off...Your trees!

Trees can be overweight too! Top heavy crowns and dense branches make your trees a target for storm damage and other problems.

Pruning opens the crown. It also eliminates dead and weakly attached limbs as well as branches that obstruct or interfere with pools, walks, patios, roofs and other structures.

Help your tree lose weight. Ask your Giroud Arborist to evaluate the condition of your trees. He may prescribe a weight loss program of professional pruning to help your trees look their best and keep you safe.

Tree Tales: No Deer Around Here!

A customer was concerned about insects or disease on her arborvitae hedge. I inspected her tree and it took me no more than 2 seconds to see that the local deer herd from the nearby woodlots were having a buffet on her plants.

After explaining the problem to her, she told me that: "There are no deer around here. I've never seen one."

We continued walking around the back of the house and both burst out laughing. An adult female deer was standing behind her Arborvitae just looking at us with her 2 yearlings. I guess they were having a late breakfast??? Posted by: Rob Nagy, ISA Certified Arborist serving: Abington, Rydal, Meadowbrook, Elkins Park, Cheltenham, and Wyncote, PA (pictured above)

Do It Yourself: Weed Control

Before you plant, take time to minimize weeds.

1. Apply a pre-emergent weed and grass control: Last year’s weeds left their seeds in your shrub and flower beds. Apply Preen or ask Giroud to manage your beds for you with a professional grade treatment.
2. Use Organic Alternative: Great for vegetable gardens and organic gardeners, spread newspapers on the bare soil before you mulch. The newspaper keeps weeds down and eventually decomposes to become organic matter.


3. Add Mulch: Spread a thin layer of mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.


4. Control Perennial Weeds: Apply a post-emergent spray like Round-up. Or, ask Giroud to take control as needed with professional grade treatments in your gardens, patios, walks and driveways.

How to get a healthy, green lawn

Sign up for Giroud Lawn Care Today!

Now the trust, integrity and quality that you count on for your trees is available for your lawn.

Beginning this Spring, Giroud is offering a lawn care program to keep your lawn green and healthy. Giroud Lawn Care includes:

• Free evaluation
  
• Fertilizer Treatments
• Insect and Disease Control
• Weed Control
• Seeding
• Aeration

Choose Giroud and Save $25! Call our office today at 215-682-7704 to schedule a free evaluation and ask how to save $25 on our Annual Lawn Care Program.