Category: Misc.
The Business of “Growing” Successfully
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. February 16, 2011 12:58 pm Did You Know?, Employees, Misc., Tree care, employees, nashville, proper care, quality tree surgery, roots, ruel jones, spring, winter
The Business of “Growing” Successfully

Ruel Jones
While I always hoped I’d be in the international banking business, I found my niche in nature, though ironically there are similarities.
Understanding how a plant operates is the key component to providing proper year-round care, much the same as with operating a successful business.
A tree is like a company, which has employees both below ground (roots) and above ground (leaves), and both play vital roles. A tree stores money (energy) in its fibers and cells just like a company does with a savings or checking account. In the spring this living, breathing company uses last year’s stored savings to build new leaves, or what we might call next year’s “employees” for the growing season. All winter long this plant was spend-ing money on root development to support the group of employees that will soon be coming on. After the leaves are built, they are now ready to start making money for the company to use in a new growth development season, while at the same time, of course, refilling the savings account now low due to all the money the company spent developing the current roots and leaves.
That is basically how a plant works. The leaves support the roots and the roots sup-port the leaves in a symbiotic relationship. The margin or profit from these two groups of employees is what the company uses each year for new growth.
Improper pruning or care of your trees and plants can cause them to dig further down into their “savings account” and spend more money to create additional leaves to do necessary work. The plant knows that without the proper amount of leaves doing the job and making money, the company will soon be filling Chapter 7.
So in the end, though the company’s name is Quality Tree Surgery, some might con-sider us in the financial and banking business for trees!
Environmental benefits of a healthy lawn
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. February 15, 2011 10:33 pm Did You Know?, Lawn care, Misc., energy, environmental, healthy lawn, joe churchill, save

Environmental benefits of a healthy lawn
Do you know the environmental benefits of a healthy lawn?
According to Joe Churchill of Rehbein Environmental Solutions, a healthy turf can reduce the amount of energy needed to operate air conditioners by 25%.
The front lawns of 8 houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning!
Having a healthy lawn also removes dust and dirt from the air, approximately 12 million tons of it annually in the U.S.
Something you should know
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. February 15, 2011 2:15 pm Did You Know?, Employees, Misc., property value, quality tree surgery, ruel, ruel jones
Something You Should Know…
Twenty seven years ago when I started this tree care company, I had no idea I was lined up for a roller coaster ride of Feast or Famine as a career. That’s right; a roller coaster job is putting it lightly because in the spring and summer, wonderful volumes of work come in like nobody’s business but then come the winter months where starvation and poverty-stricken days show up and surround us like buzzards on road kill.
Getting a tree job is like standing in a soup line with only enough food for half the people and everyone cutting corners to get in front. It’s too funny I’m telling you! I catch myself laughing at the irony of why in the world anyone would start a tree care company – “Just kidding”.
Anyhow, facts are, the best time of year for tree operations are the winter months when trees are in a kind of sleep mode or should I say, “taking a rest and gearing up for the next growing season.”
Not only is it better for the tree but winter pruning is easier because it’s easier to see limbs without leaves blocking the view of dead or unproductive branches. Pruning off undesirable live material is better because the tree hasn’t spent all that energy growing leaves. It’s almost always more cost effective because of factors like less debris to clean up and no delicate flowers growing up under the trees to work around, of course, there is less of a work load which means no over time hours.
Fact is, winter months are hands down the best time of year to have tree work performed regardless of what kind of maintenance it is, and, of course, above all other reasons, the best time to have any kind of work done is when you are ready. It’s not necessary to wait until spring or summer. If you have tree work to do and you are in a position to have it done, do it now; by doing so, you will probably save money, as well.
Ruel Jones
Nashville Scene 2010 Best of the Best
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. February 4, 2011 6:20 pm Misc.

I want to thank you all for making Quality Tree Surgery the best tree company in Nashville through the Nashville Scene. In a typical election or voting-based awards program, the competitors will use advertising and marketing as tools to keep themselves remembered at the voting booths; we did none of that. That is what truly makes this so gratifying. Knowing that you, the customer, took time out of your day and remembered us when voting for “Best of Nashville” without being coerced or reminded is truly special. Believe me, there was much chatter around the office when the results came in. We hugged each other, shook hands, high-fived, and generally celebrated. I believe every employee stopped on their way home that day and picked up a copy of the Nashville Scene and its proclamations. We showed our spouses, children and anyone else who we thought may care. We purchased a large banner proclaiming us the “BEST TREE COMPANY OF NASHVILLE 2010” and put it up outside of the office. We drive by that banner every day when coming and going from work, and we are reminded of the thoughtfulness of you, the customer, each time we see it.
To be the best tree company you must have the best employees. We do, and 2010 proved it.
On Sunday, May 2nd, I was sitting at home watching the news and weather about our current crisis-the flood- when I received a phone call. A co-worker had driven by the office and had seen the results of some high wind damage. A large oak had broken and was completely blocking our parking area. Shingles were missing off the roof, and there was general damage to surrounding properties. After a short discussion, we agreed to meet there and clean up the oak so that on Monday we would be able to park. From there, things got real serious real quick. Upon arrival, we checked the answering machine and realized that damages were far from a localized problem. The machine was nearly full. We contacted Ruel, salesman and owner, and he came in. While we worked to clear the parking lot, he was busy returning calls and driving to properties with damages. As the rain continued to come down and the flooding got worse, we were out there clearing drives and supporting trees that would otherwise have fallen over due to saturated ground. I was in communication with my then girlfriend now wife as she updated me on road conditions so I could route myself to these properties. We volunteered for this. It wasn’t mandatory, we simply just wanted to help.
Later on in the summer, we continually had pop-ups of severe thunderstorms all over the mid-state; it seemed to happen weekly. A crew of men could always be found at the office, waiting in case of a call. True, some of this is mandatory, but, oftentimes, you would see others waiting, just in case they too could help. We would work until after dark on Friday nights and come in early on Saturday to take care of damages if that’s what it took. And though we were working overtime and coming in on our days off, no one complained or tried to take short-cuts. We never had a hard time getting a crew together for emergencies; everyone here takes pride in what they do and are constantly looking to help. Just last week we had a tree pruning job that we had to complete by the end of the day, and we had guys volunteering from the turf division and landscape division, and even our secretary said she’d go and work, dragging brush or anything that could help. To have this kind of work environment is great. But to be recognized for it by you, the customer, is phenomenal. Once again, thank you Nashville, for making us the best tree company around. By: Joe Giansante
Icky, sticky, gooey stuff…
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. August 18, 2010 11:14 pm Lawn care, Misc., Pests, aphids, brown spots, cletis, hackberry, Lawn care, nashville, Pests, sugarberry, summer, tn, Tree care
Icky, sticky, gooey stuff...
Did you experience a clear sticky substance or black mold on your deck, lawn furniture or car last summer? If you did, you may be experienc-ing the symptoms of the Asian woolly hackberry aphid, Shivaphis celti. Middle Tennessee hackberry trees experienced severe infestations during the summers of 2003 through 2006.
The aphids mysteriously vanished during the summers of 2006 and 2007 and reappeared again in 2008.
The Long Race of Summer!
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. August 5, 2010 3:16 pm Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, By Joe Giansante, Lawn care, quality tree surgery, summer, Tree care
Imagine if you will, a group of racehorses
pacing in a field. They look eager for the
run; it has been a long off-season. You
can see the restlessness in their eyes, the
anxiousness in their body movements.
You can almost see them speaking with
one another, conversing about the challenges
to come and the obstacles to hurdle
over. As they gallop in the field and
spring around the practice track, you can
tell that they are driven beyond something
of duty, they are driven by a passion. Isn’t
this what makes them great and why they
are so quick and efficient on the track?
That love of the race?
They are no different than us, the workers of Quality Tree, Turf
and Landscape. When the long season ended last year and the
days became shorter and cooler we were relieved and enjoyed the
lighter, shorter work weeks! But not anymore. With spring comes
that anxiousness, that drive to once again put our skills and performance
to work. Yes, you can see it in our eyes; that push. Yes,
like an eager racehorse we have begun to pace. And why not?
This is what we love, this is our passion. You may see us during
our race in your yard, looking tired and exhausted, but also you will
see a deep satisfaction. You will see smiling faces streaked with
dirt and sweat and maybe even a thankfulness to do a job so rewarding.
For once again we are in our element – going the distance.
We are now beating our hooves on the ground waiting for the gunshot
to ring out so we may once more run the long race of spring
and summer.
By Joe Giansante
The Healthy Sweet
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. July 12, 2010 8:18 pm Misc.
Ruel Jones
On the Lighter Side
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. July 12, 2010 8:10 pm Misc.
You Make it All Worthwhile
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. July 12, 2010 8:02 pm Lawn care, Misc., Tree care
Jason Kenney
The Meaning behind the Phrase
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. July 12, 2010 4:41 pm Misc.
The Meaning Behind the Phrase . . . . .Rule of Thumb:Way back when before there were thermometers, brewers would use their thumb or finger to check the heat. If it was too cold, the yeast wouldn’t grow; if it was too hot, the yeast would die. The thumb in the brew is where we get the phrase, “rule of thumb.”The Whole 9 Yards:Comes from World War II fighter pilots in the Pacific. When loading their planes with ammo, the .50 caliber machine gun belts were 27 ft. long before loading them in the fuselage. If the pilot fired all their ammo at one target, it got “the whole nine yards.”
Old Soldiers and their Memorials
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. July 12, 2010 4:21 pm Misc., Tree care
Old Soldiers and their Memorials Jason KenneyLearnfrom themistakes of others,You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.-AnonymousRuel Jones / President Mark Smith / Crew LeaderKim Cross / Consulting Arborist Jason Kenney / Crew LeaderISA Certified Arborists on StaffHave you ever listened to a tree guy talk? Ever notice how they refer to trees with statements like “Look at that big guy!” or “Wow, she’s a beauty!” or even one of my favorites “Look at that old soldier?” Once you’ve spent enough time in the trees, you begin to realize that they have their own unique “personality” traits. Trees have a story to tell us, if we’re just willing to listen to them.Trees are living fossils, living history. Ever looked at a tree stump to count the rings? Those rings are the trees biog-raphy as well as a history of weather patterns the trees has endured. Scientists are cur-rently using satellite imagery to find the remaining virgin forests and taking core sam-ples of the trees in these re-gions to tell the history of our weather patterns. You can tell by the width of a tree’s growth ring whether or not there was adequate rainfall or a drought. The wider the ring, the greater the livingconditions were for that tree. The smaller the ring, the more harsh the living conditions were for that tree. These cen-turies old trees are providing us with a more complete his-tory about rainfall cycles and what we may expect from our weather in the future.So, how does this pertain to you? You can use trees to commemorate things in your life. Plant a tree with your children or grandchildren. Watch the tree grow as they grow. It’s a great way to teach children the benefits of stewardship. As a father of three, I’ve planted a tree with each of my children and thor-oughly enjoy watching them experience the pride of having a permanent effect on their world. I smile when I find them smelling blossoms, plac-ing G.I. Joe in the branches like their crazy father or see-ing a bird nest for the first time in their tree.Trees also make a great me-morial for loved ones. Mychildren play and swing be-neath the outstretched arms of a large Oak that carries the same looming shadow as did my Great Uncle Tommy who fought for his country during World War II. As an arborist and an American, I am plant-ing a Sawtooth Oak in honor of our brave soldiers who fought and are still fighting in the current war with Iraq. I’m looking into having some signs made to mark them so that one day, long after I’m gone, someone gazes up through their canopy and re-members what some great men and women endured. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll think about what they can do to honor their world in the same manner that these living giants and the people they were planted in remembrance of have done. I for one can only hope that I’ve made an impact on people’s life as large as the trees have made on mine.■
Why Healthy Trees Fall
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. December 14, 2009 7:37 pm Misc., Tree care, how a tree works, quality tree surgery, ruel jones, Tree care
In most cases tree failure is directly linked to some kind of decay, either in the root system or above ground in the frame of the tree. Losing a tree to these problems is more acceptable but to lose a
perfectly healthy tree due to a structural weakness is saddening. Not only do you lose a tree, the clean air it provides and the money or time to clean it up, you also lose all the years it takes to get another tree that size. And to add salt to the wound in most cases these trees could have been protected by bracing with cables and or bolts.
Structural weaknesses are usually easily spotted, it just takes a few minutes to walk the property and visually inspect the trees for sharp angled crotches. Look at the picture, if your trees have crotches that look similar to this you might need to have us come out and take a second look. There is no charge for doing a walk through inspection and even if you can’t take care of the problem immediately at least you have information to address it when you can.
By: Ruel Jones
Gotta Know This
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. December 11, 2009 7:24 pm Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, tips, tricks
-
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
-
The average person will spend two weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change.
-
Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.
-
No piece of normal size paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
-
You will weigh less if you weigh yourself when the moon is full.
-
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
-
A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.
-
Roosters cannot crow if they cannot extend their necks.
-
A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.
Get Outside!
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. December 2, 2009 8:05 pm Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, canoeing, fall creek falls, harpeth river, nashville, parks, rock island, state parks, tennessee, tn
Been to any of our wonderful state parks recently? If not you are missing out on a great opportunity. Did you know that Tennessee recently won the “Best Parks in the Nation” award? Imagine that, the best and cleanest parks in the nation right here in your own backyards. With fall almost here, it is the perfect time to enjoy a day out in the wilderness.
There are currently 53 parks in this state, each with something different and unique to offer. This means that everyone young and old can enjoy a visit. Canoeing the Narrows of the Harpeth River is a great family
adventure that is close to residents in the Nashville area. Or, if breathtaking views and great hikes are your thing, then Fall Creek Falls state park is a great choice. It offers over 34 miles of hiking trails, two of which are long distance overnight trails. There is also a scenic route, which can be driven, showing many gorgeous mountaintop vistas. The most popular stop on the scenic route is Buzzard’s Roost, which also has a place for rock climbing and rappelling. It should be noted that to rock climb or rappel, a ranger must be notified.
Unfortunately, there is not enough room in this article to highlight all of Tennessee’s state parks, but you can research different parks and find out what they offer at www.tennessee.gov/parks. There you can
reserve cabins, campsites, and get directions to whatever park you choose.
Author’s note: Though not mentioned above, my personal favorite place to go is Rock Island State Park. Here is a picture; it is
about two hours southeast of Nashville.
By: Joe Giansante
Before Looking Any further
Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. January 12, 2005 8:30 pm Misc., Tree care
Ruel Jones























































