NewsTribune_Home, Garden & Life_042024

IN THE ILLINOIS VALLEY

Watching Out for Tree Health

Check your trees for signs of winter damage

Photos & Story

by Shannon Serpette

Trees do a lot for our planet, like purifying the air, providing wood for our needs, serving as shade on a hot day, and beautifying our surroundings.

“Trees are amazing,” said Dennis Taylor, lead arborist with Taylor’s Way, a lawn care and tree service located in Princeton.

Unfortunately, despite being surrounded by trees, some people don’t know as much about them as they should to help protect tree health. Many people don’t have the knowledge or the motivation to properly care for the trees on their property.

For those who want to do better, Taylor said this time of the year is especially important for considering the health of trees. Coming out of the winter, it’s essential to survey your trees for any signs of damage because this season can be particularly tough on them.

One of the threats they face during the winter is damage from animals like rabbits and deer.

“Rabbits will start to get hungry, and they’ll chew on the trunks,” Taylor said.

The damage to the bark won’t necessarily be at the base of the tree either, adding that if the area has had heavy snowfall, it will allow rabbits to chew on higher parts of the tree than homeowners might expect.

Deer can damage trees by rubbing up against them and stripping the tree of its bark, which can be bad for the health of a tree.

The snowfall of winter can also be damaging, Taylor added.

“We’ve had that heavy, wet snow,” he said.

The extra weight on the tree

from snow and ice can cause limb breakage. In fact, trees can sustain so much damage during the winter that it may affect their longevity.

“It can even lead to tree failure,” Taylor said.

To help protect the longevity of your trees, it’s a good idea to look over any trees

on your property after winter passes. Knowing what signs point to a tree in distress

This branch removal on a tree was done correctly and has healed nicely.

Dennis Taylor, lead arborist for Taylor’s Way in Princeton, often uses a laser pointer to show clients issues with a tree he is discussing with them.

While people sometimes create a tall mound of mulch around the base of a tree, that isn’t good for the tree, according to Dennis Taylor, lead arborist for Taylor’s Way in Princeton. It’s better to use much less mulch or even none at all on the base of a tree. Mulch should never touch the trunk because it rots the bark, he said.

Trees

isn’t always obvious to the untrained eye. But there are certain things even people without any training can see, such as a dying center on the top of the tree.

“If the center is declining or dead, it’s almost always a root issue,” Taylor said, adding that things can be done to relieve the stress on the tree. Tree diseases can impact the health and longevity of trees as well.

“Common diseases in the Midwest are usually fungal,” Taylor said.

Two common tree diseases in the Illinois Valley are needle cast disease in conifers and apple scab in ornamentals, according to Taylor.

Another big issue that Taylor sees affecting the health and beauty of local trees is incorrect cutting. Often, people cut branches on a tree so

there is a stub remaining and sticking out. That kind of cut is both unsightly and potentially harmful to the tree.

Using power equipment too close to a tree can compromise its health and longevity. Lawnmowers and weed eaters can cut through the bark, he said.

Even trimming plants and shrubs at the wrong time of the year can impact them negatively, Taylor said.

“It’s all about timing,” he said.

These are just a few of the many issues that can affect trees. If you don’t know what to look for or how to help your trees, it’s best to call an arborist for a check-up. They’ll be able to gauge the health of a tree and make recommendations that might help it. With the proper care, treatment, and assessments, a tree’s lifespan can often be improved.

“Most anything can be dealt with if it is seen early enough,” Taylor said.

The Year of the Cicada

Story by Shannon Serpette

Every year, it seems there is some sort of natural disaster, plague, or imminent threat on the horizon. This year belongs to the cicadas. They’ve created a huge buzz, with people wondering how bad it will be when these little nuisances emerge.

“Every year we have cicadas, but these are different than the ones we have every year,” said Barb Dahlbach, a Master Gardener for the University of Illinois Extension, primarily in the Marshall and Putnam county region.

Here’s the inside scoop for those who haven’t heard about this year’s cicada problem from concerned family, friends, or neighbors. Illinois will face the emergence of two broods of cicadas. One of the broods has a 13-year cycle, while the other has a 17-year cycle. The two broods are set to overlap in their arrival time, meaning there

will be a lot of cicadas to deal with all at once.

“This is the first time in like 200some years that both broods have come out in the same season,” Dahlbach said.

And though it might be annoying while it’s happening, onlookers can take comfort in the fact that they’re witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“It won’t happen again until 2245,” she said.

That kind of rarity has created a buzz around the emergence of the cicadas. Dahlbach has heard some people talking about the impending cicada arrival, and she expects they will hit the Illinois Valley around the end of May or early June.

“This year, because of the weather, it

Cicadas

could be earlier,” Dahlbach said. The cicadas will pose challenges for local residents.

“Be prepared for the noise. The biggest issue is going to be the noise,” Dahlbach said, adding that it may sound as loud as a lawnmower at times because of the sheer number of cicadas that will be out there looking for mates. “Only the males make noise.”

In addition, Dahlbach said that the University of Illinois Extension office has been warning people that any trees under two inches in diameter could be killed by the cicadas.

Dennis Taylor, the lead arborist at Taylor’s Way in Princeton, offered insight into how the cicada invasion

may affect trees.

“Cicadas are a leaf eater,” Taylor said. “They’re a nuisance, without a doubt.”

For most trees, the real threat cicadas pose is from an appearance standpoint.

“You’re going to lose the aesthetic value (temporarily),” he said.

For smaller trees, some people may consider putting nets up around the tree to protect it from the cicadas, but that’s not ideal since the net would trap birds, Taylor said.

To help your trees weather the upcoming cicada storm, Taylor said the best thing property owners can do is get the proper nutrients into their trees before the cicadas arrive.

“The best way to be proactive is to get the trees as healthy as we can get them,” he said.

While the arrival of so many cicadas

can be concerning and will present challenges, there may be an upside to it after their life cycle ends, according to Dahlbach. Once the cicadas come above ground, they’ll die in a matter of weeks. Their bodies can do some good once their life cycle is over.

“They are actually very nutritious for the ground,” she said.

Cicadas can give off an unpleasant smell after they die, especially when they have a mass die-off like they will this late spring or early summer. If the smell is disturbing, it can be best to move them with a shovel further away from your home, porch, or deck. Dahlbach is formulating a plan to maximize the nutritional benefits for the ground at her property while not being bothered as much by the smell.

“I might bury them in my garden or put them in my compost pile,” she said. The nutritional benefit of cicadas doesn’t extend only to the ground.

“They are supposed to be nutritious to eat, too,” she said, but added she won’t be tempted to find that out firsthand.

From a one-man show to a full lawn care business

Story by Brandon LaChance

Todd Bogatitus’ cell phone is ringing more often than it is not.

The phone calls might lead him to opportunities to be on a lawn mower and a fire truck in the same morning, afternoon, or night. Bogatitus is the owner of TNT Lawn & Snow, LLC, and serves as the Spring Valley Fire Chief.

“My phone rings all the time. All the time. I never turn my phone off or put it on do not disturb,” said Bogatitus. “My phone is on 24/7 either for the business or the fire department. You have to balance it out as much as you can. As many years as I’ve been doing it, it’s just a normal, everyday routine for me. My kids have gotten used to my phone always ringing as well.”

The cliché ‘Man of many hats’ is extremely fitting for Bogatitus.

He’s a devoted partner to his significant other, Maria, father of Tori, Luke, and Maci, the creator and operator of TNT for the last 27 years, and the man who has responded to countless fire and ambulance calls in Spring Valley for 34 years.

“I’ve been juggling both responsibilities. Being a

business owner, it allows me a little more time to respond to fire calls and help

run the Spring Valley Fire Department,” said Bogatitus, 50, of Spring Valley.

“If I’m on a job site for the lawn care business and my pager goes off, I got to go. I’m still the fire chief and have to leave.

“My customers realize I do both. There will be times when I’m talking to a customer, and I have to tell them I have to go or I have to hang up on them because I have a fire call. They’re all understanding,” he said.

TNT Lawn & Snow, LLC, the legal name of TNT Lawn Care, sticks to its slogan: “We strive to provide the highest quality at a reasonable price. Our focus on quality is what distinguishes us from the rest.”

The business gives back to the community through fundraisers for different organizations, such as Hall High School, St. Bede Academy, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, the Hall Township Food Pantry, and many more.

The staff at TNT Lawn Care doesn’t just do a professional job with lawn needs – they look the part. Employees have synchronized uniforms to go along with their customer support and care skills. The gray trucks with the green TNT lettering are recognizable, so everyone knows who they are when they’re parked at people’s homes.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Todd Bogatitus is a familiar face in Spring Valley and the Illinois Valley community. He is the Spring Valley Fire Chief and the owner and founder of TNT Lawn Care. He has been with the fire department for 34 years and on a lawn mower for 27 years.

“I have a successful business endeavor. It comes with a lot of headaches, but I’m proud of what I’ve built up. Everybody knows our trucks. We have multiple crews working every day, so people always tell me they see the TNT trucks here and there. Everyone knows TNT is Todd Bogatitus,” he said.

“We’re all over the area. We have our lawn contracts we maintain. On the landscape end, it’s mostly our lawn contracts, but we do get some outside jobs where we don’t mow their grass,” he added.

The business began as a side project for Bogatitus.

“I started mowing grass by myself in my free time

between my full-time job hours. It kept getting bigger and bigger year after year. Finally, I decided to jump into lawn care full-time and started adding employees,” he said.

He went from helping those with lawn care needs by himself, as a one-man show, to having a legal business name, employees, a tax identification number, and major clientele.

TNT Lawn Care currently staffs ten full-time and four part-time employees, built its first shop at 31450 Illinois Hwy 29 in Spring Valley in 2010 and a second in 2022, and services area schools, parks, the City of Peru, the Village of Ladd, senior housing de -

Inset: If you see a dark gray truck in Spring Valley and the Illinois Valley, it may be a vehicle for TNT Lawn Care. The company provides all lawn care needs for Mendota, Granville, Utica, Oglesby, Princeton, and anywhere in between. If a customer needs landscaping assistance, the trucks will drive further.

velopments, and numerous residential and commercial locations.

Mowing services are generally within the Illinois Valley, including Mendota, Granville, Utica, Oglesby, Princeton, and everywhere in between, while landscaping can take place further

from those boundaries.

Whether he was mowing yards part-time years ago or running a full-time yard care business, Bogatitus has been satisfied with what he was doing.

“I enjoy taking care of people’s yards and making them look nice,” he said.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Top: TNT Lawn & Snow, LLC, also known as TNT Lawn Care, built its first shop at 31450 Illinois Hwy 29 in 2010 and built a second in 2012.

‘I’m a Plant Junkie’

Tad Tinker’s love for horticulture on display at Seatonville Greenhouse

Have you always wanted to grow plants, flowers, vegetables, or fruit but haven’t because you don’t have garden space?

Thankfully, container growing saves the day and allows almost everything grown in the ground to bloom and prosper while in containers.

“There are different ways

you can go about container growing that ensure different levels of success, especially with veggies. The bigger the container, the better for the roots development and to get a strong system,” said Seatonville Greenhouse owner Tad Tinker. “You have to watch the water, even if it means installing drip irrigation be-

cause growing in a container means they’re above ground and they’re going to dry up quicker as opposed to something growing in the ground.”

A look around Seatonville Greenhouse will show customers just how well plants can do in containers.

Tad Tinker has owned and operated Seatonville Greenhouse, located at 309 Oakland St. in Seatonville, for the last eight years. During his tenure, he has found creative and successful ways to grow just about anything in containers.

Story by Brandon LaChance

There

are a few tips Seatonville Greenhouse owner Tad Tinker offers when it comes to container growing. First, the bigger the container, the better it is for roots to develop. Second, watch the amount of water each item is receiving even if it means installing drip irrigation. Third, have fun and try new things.

Plants

FROM PAGE 13

“Everything at Seatonville Greenhouse is in a container. The hanging baskets will live the entire season from frost to frost in the basket. Perennials should be in the ground. Those are the one thing I’d say are not the greatest to grow in containers. Perennials need the winter dormancy and the winter protection that the soil gets as opposed to a container where the air around it will freeze the roots because they’re not in the ground,” Tinker said.

“You can do great things with annuals in containers. I do probably, conservatively, 35 to 40 containers of annuals all summer long spread out between my garden, front steps, front door, back door, and anywhere else. You get the splash of color from annuals in containers,” he added.

Tinker has tips for container growing of all kinds, including those using different soils, fertilizers, containers, and environments. All of them are based on the same philosophy.

“Plants want to live. We just have to figure out their requirements and give them what they need. In containers, you also want to amend with a fertilizer that is suitable with what you’re trying to grow. A lot of times the ground will have those amendments already in them. When you create this new

environment, which is a container, you’ll want to amend your soil with organic matter or fertilizer,” Tinker said.

“We offer some fertilizers that are safe enough to drink if you really wanted to. I don’t drink them, but you could if you wanted to,” he added.

This year, Seatonville Greenhouse, which is a retail garden center with four operating greenhouses located at 309 Oakland St. in Seatonville, has 50 different geranium varieties, 250 annual varieties, 180 perennial varieties, hanging baskets, fruits, vegetables, berries, trees, and shrubs. All are grown at the greenhouse.

“This is a passion. I have an associate’s degree in horticulture, and I have used the piece of paper to do something in the horticulture industry for the last 30 years. I started off in landscape construction, building patios and retaining walls in Peoria. I moved to Chicago and did several things up there, including being a tropical plant buyer for an interior landscape company for about 20 years,” he said.

“I decided it was time to get out of Chicago, and the opportunity came up to come down here. I took over the greenhouse and have been going ever since,” Tinker added.

Tinker is in the greenhouse every day from the second week in February until the greenhouse is empty. The last few years of operation have ended early because the product has sold out by the

end of May compared to his first couple of years where he was in the greenhouse until Father’s Day or a little later in June.

“I receive flack at times when we run out of stuff, but I don’t have the turnaround time since we grow everything here. So when it’s gone, it’s gone,” said Tinker, who is also an avid grower at his residence.

“I have a very big garden at home, but I’m usually at the greenhouses. Even during the summer, I’m there three days a week. I do summer perennials outside on tables between the buildings, and we sell those again in the fall. It sounds like the summer could be downtime, but it’s really not. My downtime is November, December, and January,” he said.

Seatonville Greenhouse is also open for business later in the calendar year because Tinker opens for the fall retail season with chrysanthemums (mums), pumpkins, gourds, and squash, which are grown at both his residence and the greenhouses.

His work ethic and passion for plants came at a young age and grew as he got older.

“Both sets of grandparents had orchards and big gardens. Both my mother and father were novice gardeners, and I was always around plants growing up. I’ll admit, when it was time to go to school, I wasn’t really sure what I was really interested in. Plants, gardening, and horticulture seemed to be a simple way to get my feet wet,” he said.

“I had planned to go to college for landscape architecture or something along those lines for a four-year degree. The greatest part of the associate’s program I was in was paid internships. I had two paid internships, and I absolutely loved it,” he said.

That was the motivation he needed.

“I decided horticulture was it, and I wanted to jump in and start working. I worked with a guy who had 30 years of landscape construction experience, and I learned a lot. I just love it. It’s great to work outdoors. You’re accomplishing something when you’re building and constructing things,” he said. “I’m a plant junkie, and this job has fallen right in line with that.”

Although he has learned a ton of lessons as a plant junkie, there is one that often applies to life and gardening – keep growing and trying.

“A lot of times, people think there is a right and wrong. I tell people, ‘Go with what you like, go with what excites you, try something new, try those things and learn.’ You can do great things if you just try. I think people do the same things every year, which is fine, but sometimes you have to try new things, and you’d be surprised with what can happen,” Tinker said.

“The wonderful thing about gardening is you get to start fresh every year,” he said. “If you had a bad experience or something didn’t go your way, try something different the next year. Every year, we get to start fresh.”