Should I be DOING anything for my trees during winter? I get this question a lot from homeowners. The answer is “Yes”. Fertilization is an important tool. Although trees appear to be asleep in winter, they are active growing new roots and taking up nutrients for next year. Fertilization is an important step which ensures that trees and shrubs have what they need to continue growth and have a healthy look next year. We use the finest slow release fertilizer formulated just for trees and shrubs. In addition to this, we add other key ingredients: Biostimulants to feed the colonies of microbes in the soil (which greatly helps the tree do its work), beneficial bacteria, and Mycorrhizae spores, a beneficial fungus for the root system. Just remember, the next time you are looking out the window at that lonely tree out there, he is working hard to get ready for next years growth.

Featured in the pictures to your left is one of the few Douglas Fir trees you will find growing in the Brentwood area. It was probably planted as a Christmas tree 40 to 50 years ago.

Most people are aware that trees and other living plants are valuable. They provide beauty to our properties, manufacture oxygen, reduce rain-fall runoff, provide sound barriers, and help us save energy by provid-ing cool shade in the summer and reducing the harsh winds in the winter. However, trees and other landscape plants are a part of your property and have a dollar value that can be measured by competent plant appraisers.

A U.S. Forest study conducted in Amherst, Massachusetts shows that real-estate appraisers estimated that trees contributed as much as 27 % increase in dollars for two thirds wooded compared to open land with no plants. Another study by Arbor National Mortgage, Inc., revealed that “ 84 % of the real estate agents feel a house on a lot with trees would be as much as 20 % more saleable than a house on a lot with no trees.” (Arbor National Mortgage 1993).

If you have trees or shrubs that have been damaged or destroyed, you may be able to recapture your loss through insurance claims, litigation, or as a deduction from your income tax. The extent of damage and how the damage occurred will determine which avenues are available to you to compensate for the lost value. If you have a portion of your property condemned for right of ways, utility easements or other condemnation proceedings, the value of any trees and shrubs on that portion of your property should be considered in determining your compensation for the loss of that property. In the event of a loss or damage to your landscape, you should obtain a written appraisal by a qualified plant appraiser to insure that you are properly compensated for the dollar value of your landscape.

Kim Cross

Saves Water – far less watering needed, and more rain absorption.

Saves Labor – no weeding, less time watering.

Stimulates growth – mulched trees grow faster than unmulched trees.

Keeps soil and roots from overheating in hot summers.

Eliminates injury to trunk from mower collisions.

Reduces soil compaction over roots.

Nourishes the soil by adding nutrients as it decomposes.

Reduces erosion under heavily shaded areas.

Reduces bruising of fallen fruit under fruit trees.

Myth #1 – “Lots of Mulch is Good.”

TRUTH: Mulch is too thick when roots start growing into it. When this occurs, several continuous hot dry days can lead to root death. Start by applying 3 to 4 inches and inspect several times a year for root growth. Keep mulch at least 6 inches away from the trunk to reduce chances of rodent injury and infec-tion by pathogens. Excessive amounts may disrupt soil moisture and aeration.

Myth #2 – “Professionals Know Not to Plant Large-Maturing Trees Close to Buildings.”

TRUTH: They may know this is wrong, but it is done often. Blue spruce, paper birch, and many species of pines are used often for foundation plantings. The mature size of the tree seems to be forgotten at the time of planting. Too often the annuals are in the middle of the yard and the trees are against the house.

Myth #3 – “Fill Holes With Concrete, or Fill With Wound Dressing.”

TRUTH: Concrete or wound dressings lead to greater internal injury.

Myth #4 – “Ants Speed Up the Decay Process.”

TRUTH: Ants keep their galleries very clean and in doing so they slow the decay process. Ants live in the tree and eat elsewhere. Termites ―eat‖ in the tree and live elsewhere.

Myth #5 – “Topping Does Not Injure Trees.”

TRUTH: Topping not only injures wood in the crown, but roots are injured. And, topping leads to haz-ardous trees. Topping is a money wasting treatment illegal in some counties in some states because once started, it must be continued. Some species of trees can survive the treatment, while others quickly de-cline. Topping destroys a trees dignity.■

I‘ve worked for some of Nashville‘s tree companies over the years. I‘ve never been involved with a clientele cut from the same cloth as the patrons of Quality Tree Surgery. I‘m almost always greeted with a smile. I hear friendly voices on the phone even at such odd hours as seven in the morning when I‘m calling to let you know that I‘m on the way to make an unscrupulous amount of noise outside your windows with my chipper and my crew‘s chainsaws. It makes all the difference in the world to my crew when they are treated with respect. Let‘s face it, tree climbers aren‘t usually thought of as the most intelligent group of people on the planet. We‘re used to getting dirty for a living and being treated like ditch diggers when we come into contact with the general public. There‘s absolutely nothing ―general‖ about you people. I‘m not just saying this to stay within your good graces. I truly mean it. Some of you have gotten to know me quite well. Some of you even actually read my articles in our quarterly. So, this time, I take great pleasure in taking the time to sit and write a short note to all of you. Ruel Jones told me once: ―This is a people business Jason. The trees aren‘t ever going to pick up the phone and call us.‖ Thank you for caring about your trees. More importantly, thank you for caring about us. No act of kindness goes unnoticed. No kind word is left unheard. You are all the finest people a man could hope to work with. May this new year be the best one you‘ve ever experienced.

-One of your ―Tree Men‖■

It‘s the clashing of hot and cold air that cause allthe problems; that‘s why it‘s the spring and summerwe should look out for, with only the occasional‗winter storm.‘ Speaking of which, therehave only been a few in the last 20 years I‘ve beenin business, with only one being worth mentioning—the ice storm of 1994—what a nightmare!It‘s the spring and summer months that 95% ofour calls related to damaged trees and propertycome in— and four out of five trees that we goclean up and remove off a house, car, driveand/or yard were really not the storms fault anyway,they were problems waiting to happen.That‘s right. I go out and look at that beautifultree split in half and think how sad it is that I didn‘t get to see it before it fell apart. Given the opportunity,I could have informed the owner thatwith some cable bracing and/or proper pruningthis tree would have been fine and the homeownerwould still have a shade tree and themoney; now they have neither.A large portion of these lost trees are simpleproblems like a multi-stem trunk with sharplyangled forks and most are reasonably easy to protect.In other cases, I see uprooted trees withmushrooms around the base and others withconks and/or cavities up the main frame and sayto myself, ―how did it make it this long?‖What I‘m encouraging is that you take a few minutesand walk through the yard and look at yourtrees; they don‘t have to have leaves to determinethese most common problems. As a matter offact, a fully foliated tree has no reflection on howsafe it is.Look for the following: Sharp angled forks in the low and mid-areatrunk section. This is our number one problem. Mushrooms on the ground within 6 ft. of thebase or on the trunk and stems. Old injuries anywhere on the tree – and ofcourse if it hasn‘t had any leaves on it in thelast few growing seasons – this could be aproblem too.The structure is what counts. Buttress rot, crotchrot, and sharp angled forks are always bad news.There are many other factors that play a role ininspections although these are the biggies.Still yet, remember: ―anything that stands has theability to fall.‖ There‘s no way to truly state that atree will not fail under some unforeseen condition,although with an understanding of why theyfail, it allows us to prevent many tree casualties.No need to wait until you get spring fever. Dothe ounce of prevention now during winter– it‘sbetter for you, the trees, and us.■