Category Archives: Trees
Restorative Pruning After the Ice Storm
The recent demand we have experienced due to the ice storm has been both overwhelming and humbling. We greatly appreciate everyone’s request and patience as we deal with the crisis at hand. We have been and will continue to prioritize hazard and safety issues first and focus on restorative pruning and non-emergency removals as things [...]
The Importance of ‘Habitat Trees’
The importance of habitat trees (snags) in the urban environment is something I rarely get asked about but am always trying to encourage property owners to consider. The value of keeping a tree standing as long as possible is vital to many of our local species. I realize this is not always possible given the [...]
The Myth of “Wind Sail Reduction”
“Should I have my trees ‘wind sailed’?” In recent years, one of the most common requests I get as an arborist is to ‘wind sail’ or ‘wind thin’ a tree. You may of had a door-to-door salesperson from another company knock on your door and try to sell you on this fabricated notion. This pruning [...]
Needle Drop and Cedar Flagging
Needle dropping and cedar flagging is a natural process that is often confused with a disease. Evergreen plants, including conifers (cedars, firs, hemlocks, redwoods, etc) and broad leaf types (laurels, rhododendrons, etc) naturally shed some old foliage each year. Although the loss of your evergreen’s needles may at first be disconcerting, the period of natural [...]
How to Recognize Potential Tree Problems
With the storm season approaching, here are eight potential warning signs that a tree may need attention. While these examples may be indications that your trees need the care of an arborist it is important to keep in mind that all trees are natural shedding organisms. It is normal and necessary for trees to be [...]
Does Spiking Hurt My Trees?
As arborists we should be concerned with minimizing injury to a tree. A tree is alive just underneath the bark. This is where the vascular cambium is and really the only ‘live’ part of the tree. Spiking (spurring, hooking, gaffing, etc) up a live tree causes multiple injuries to the phloem, cambium and xylem and [...]
The Benefits of Trees
While I did not write this myself, I do find it very interesting and worth sharing: Most trees and shrubs in cities or communities are planted to provide beauty or shade. These are excellent reasons for their use. Woody plants also serve many other purposes and it’s important to consider these other functions when selecting [...]
