Category: Tree care

Got Chips? We Do

· July 12, 2010 · 4:44 pm · Lawn care, Tree care

GOT CHIPS? WE DO ~ And we deliver for FREE!  How about some chips?  They make greatmulch for play areas, paths through gardens, or even heavilyshaded areas where grass won’t grow. Some of our customerslet them set for a year or so and use the compost for enrichingthe soil of their plantings and vegetable gardens. It’s a greatproduct that we deliver for free. All you need is a place for thissize truck to back in and unload.

ASK ABOUT FREE LOGS FOR FIREWOOD!

Old Soldiers and their Memorials

· July 12, 2010 · 4:21 pm · Misc., Tree care

Old Soldiers and their Memorials Jason Kenney
Have 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 living
conditions 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. My
children 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.■

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.■

Pest Alert

· July 12, 2010 · 4:13 pm · Lawn care, Pests, Tree care

Did you experience a clear sticky substance or black mold on your deck, lawn furniture or car last summer? If so, you may have been experiencing the symptoms of the Asian woolly hackberry aphid, Shivaphis celti. UT’s Insect and Disease Diagnostic Lab first re-ported this aphid in the southern counties of our state in the Summer of 2001. It has since moved into the middle TN area and was re-ported during the summer of 2002.
Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis and sugarberry, Celtis laevigata are the host plants for this aphid. The aphids are small, about 2-2.5 mm long and are conspicuous due to the large amount of bluish white wax secretion from their abdomen. See photo. The adults are winged and give the appearance of small pieces of cotton on the undersides of leaves.
Overwintering eggs hatch into females that, without fertilization, give birth to living fe-males. The ability of females to reproduce without mating is termed parthe-nogenesis. This ability allows young to be brought forth throughout the summer, account-ing for rapid increases in popula-tion. The largest populations usu-ally occur in late July or early Au-gust in our area. In late fall, sexual males and females are born. After mating, the female deposits over-wintering eggs, and the cycle con-tinues the following year.
During severe infestation the aphids excrete large amounts of honeydew, which coats the lower leaves and drips onto objects below the tree. The honeydew attracts ants, bees and other insects and serves as a medium for the growth of sooty mold fungus. In most cases little in-jury occurs to the trees; however, staining of wood, painted surfaces or fabric may occur from prolonged exposure to sooty mold.
Treatment is usually only warranted for trees in areas where staining of decks, lawn furni-ture or other valuable items may occur due to sooty mold colonizing honeydew. Prevention can be obtained by soil treatment or microin-jection from April to mid-June with a sys-temic insecticide such as imidicloprid. Reduc-tion of populations can be obtained by spray-ing small trees with a contact insecticide or microinjection of larger trees in August or September.
Kim Cross

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· June 21, 2010 · 9:52 pm · Discounts/Coupons, Lawn care, Tree care, , , ,

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Are Your Flowering Dogwoods Bored?

· December 19, 2009 · 11:02 am · Pests, Tree care, , , ,

No, Dogwoods don‟t get tired of looking at other trees and shrubs in your land-scape! I‟m talking about dogwood „borers,‟ Synanthedon scitula. These are the most destructive insect pests that attack flowering dogwood, Cornus florida in Ten-nessee. Wounded trees are the most vul-nerable since the larva gain access through wounds or scars. The adult is a clearwing moth that looks like a wasp. An early symptom is sloughing of loose bark from areas that have been attacked. More ad-vanced symptoms are crown dieback and adventitious shoot growth along the trunk and scaffold branches.
The adult moth is about 1/2” long and has a blue-black body with yellow bands and clear wings. It generally begins to emerge in late April to early May. The females lay eggs on or near wounds or in the crotches of scaffold branches. The larva feed on the cambium and remain in their tunnels throughout their develop-ment. The larva overwinters in the feed-ing tunnel and begins feeding again for a short time in the spring before pupating. There is usually only one generation per year.
The following measures can be taken to manage this pest:
1) Prune out and destroy infected branches.
2) Avoid unnecessary wounding, i.e., string trimmer damage to the base of the tree.
3) Preventive spray applications of per-metherin should be applied to the trunk, root collar and main branches during late April and mid-July.
4) Promote the vitality of the tree by maintaining soil fertility and applying water during dry periods.
Following this plant health care regime should give you many years of enjoyment from your flowering dogwoods.■

dogwood borerNo, Dogwoods don‟t get tired of looking at other trees and shrubs in your land-scape! I‟m talking about dogwood „borers,‟ Synanthedon scitula. These are the most destructive insect pests that attack flowering dogwood, Cornus florida in Ten-nessee. Wounded trees are the most vul-nerable since the larva gain access through wounds or scars. The adult is a clearwing moth that looks like a wasp. An early symptom is sloughing of loose bark from areas that have been attacked. More ad-vanced symptoms are crown dieback and adventitious shoot growth along the trunk and scaffold branches.

The adult moth is about 1/2” long and has a blue-black body with yellow bands and clear wings. It generally begins to emerge in late April to early May. The females lay eggs on or near wounds or in the crotches of scaffold branches. The larva feed on the cambium and remain in their tunnels throughout their develop-ment. The larva overwinters in the feed-ing tunnel and begins feeding again for a short time in the spring before pupating. There is usually only one generation per year.

dogwood borer2

The following measures can be taken to manage this pest:

1) Prune out and destroy infected branches.

2) Avoid unnecessary wounding, i.e., string trimmer damage to the base of the tree.

3) Preventive spray applications of per-metherin should be applied to the trunk, root collar and main branches during late April and mid-July.

4) Promote the vitality of the tree by maintaining soil fertility and applying water during dry periods.

Following this plant health care regime should give you many years of enjoyment from your flowering dogwoods.■

Kim Cross

dogwood borer1

Why Healthy Trees Fall

· December 14, 2009 · 7:37 pm · Misc., Tree care, , , ,

Ruels Pictures 2009 032In 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

· December 11, 2009 · 7:24 pm · Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, ,

  • 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.

Want A Fast Tree?

· December 8, 2009 · 7:18 pm · Tree care, , ,

image003

Want A Fast Tree?

In the fall of 2004 I was called to the site of a customer in Franklin whose home had tragically burned. The fire had been so hot that many of the surrounding trees were severely damaged by heat. One of which was a large Pawlonia tree, an introduced Asian tree species whose seedling were sprouting up all over  the footprint of the soon to be rebuilt home. I used what I could to wrestle a small one from the earth and took it home and planted it near the street by my

driveway.  It sent up a shoot the

following spring which my wife broke off thinking it was a weed. Fearing the worst, I waited and watched until in early June a new shoot emerged.

That year this Pawlonia tree grew 12 feet tall with leaves larger than a lunch room tray! The freeze of 2007 was a set back but it soon picked up growing again.

In 2010 it promises to bloom for the first time. You can see the flower buds it has set for the coming spring. They have a

beautiful light purple color. As you look at it, remember it has only been growing in this place since June of 2005…So if you want a fast growing beautiful flowering tree, a Pawlonia may be an option to look for you!

image002

By: Larry Loiseau

Get Outside!

· December 2, 2009 · 8:05 pm · Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, , , , , , , , ,

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.

rock island

By: Joe Giansante

How A tree Works

· October 21, 2009 · 9:54 pm · Tree care, , , , , , , , , ,

Trees are much like a Company, each leaf is an employee of the company and each one makes money by means of photosynthesis, in short its making starches and sugars and sending them down to the company. The company in turn directs this energy we’ll call Money to where it’s needed most. There is also another group of employees under ground, these are the roots. Roots cannot live without support of the upper employees and the upper employees can’t live without the roots. These two groups work in a symbiotic relationship with each other. As the leaves are manufacturing sugars and starches and sweating like a horse they call for water and countless other nutrients from the roots. As the roots work profusely gathering up all these nutrients and water for their fellow companions they are calling for starches and sugars.The company (tree) is dealing with all kinds of other issues such as the chemical supply it uses to compartmentalize a wound or cavity. These wound areas harbor the most deadly enemy a tree has other than us humans, (funguses) a fungus will steadily eat away at the tree unless it is walled off by a chemical compound and the healthier a tree the more of this chemical it can make. Also the company is in charge of how much growth it puts on for the season and this is determined by how well the two groups of employees are doing making money. Not much money means not much growth, not to mention the fact that its defenses are low as well, making it more vulnerable for attack, not just by fungus but by insects as well. It’s not hard to see that by removing large numbers of employees on either side of the company can affect a tree dramatically. As in any large company there are slackers (I bet you have worked with a few) and branches that are not operating or growing in the best direction for the long term future of the company. This is one way large companies stay strong, they hire consultants to come in and evaluate the company and its employees and prune out the branches of employees that are slackers and hurting the overall long term growth.
Trees are extremely resilient and are able to tolerate unbelievable living conditions in most cases, although when we see a dead tree, basically what has happened, for what ever the reason, the company has gone bankrupt. Its savings account went empty and trees don’t operate on the welfare program, if you’re a tree you are all on your own.

Ruel Jones, President

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc.

What is my Landscape Worth?

· October 21, 2009 · 9:51 pm · Lawn care, Tree care, , , , ,

Most people are aware that trees and other living plants are valuable. They provide beauty to our properties, manufacture oxygen, reduce rainfall runoff, provide sound barriers, and help us save energy by providing 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 terrain appraiser to insure that you are properly compensated for the dollar value of your landscape.

Should you use tree wound dressing?

· October 21, 2009 · 9:41 pm · Tree care, , ,

It has long been believed that tree paint or tree wound dressing applied to the open wound of a tree will help keep insects out and prevent decay by fungi. This method of treatment for helping trees is far from correct. Studies have found that tree wound dressings are of no benefit to the tree and in many cases harmful to the natural defense system. Save money and help your trees – leave wound dressings on the shelf!

Before Looking Any further

· January 12, 2005 · 8:30 pm · Misc., Tree care

Before looking any further into this information package, I ask that we all take a moment in thought for the horrible tidal wave that recently devastated 11 nations and affected so many human lives in our world we all share together. Please be a part in helping and give thanks that we are here and able to offer for those in need.
For the mean time, we can also tend to our homeland. Taking good care of our selves, our finances, and our property is what allows us to be in a position for helping others.
On the property side of things, this is one of the best times of year to address vegetation management whether it concerns maintaining the health of mature plants and trees or the invasion of unwanted growth taking over the back forty so to speak. Did you know that well managed landscapes have as much as 25% impact on a property value? In some cases it’s greater.
I love buying houses and fixing them up and one of the first things I look for is a property that is all over grown. It usually has brush and trees growing in the yard, on the sides, and across the back making the yard look small. The shrubs are over grown and have trees, weeds and vines growing threw them, up on the gutters, all over the sidewalks and into the drive. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about because there’s usually one in every neighborhood. There’s always the goof balls down the street who won’t clean up their yard, hopefully they aren’t next door, for heavens sake. Usually these houses can be bought for a song, well maybe a little dance, too. What I’m saying is, for sure, all buyers know that this property will sell for a discount just because it looks so lifeless and blah!
We have several realtors that use our services to come in and give the property a face-lift prior to putting them on the market. It helps if you can see the place, you know? This, alone, really pays off for the seller. Winter is the best time to get rid of over-growth and dress up the landscape beds. There’s no leaves falling to mess the beds back up, the plants aren’t growing on the top side so the trimming last several months, and it shows that someone is actu-ally home. There is no wrong time to cleanup and dress out a property although January, February and March are the best.
Have a great winter and we’ll be here for you or “that neighbor”!

Ruel Jones