Steve Cooley

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · February 14, 2011 · 8:49 pm · Employees, Lawn care, Tree care, certified, horticultural, PLANET, Professional Landcare Network, quality tree surgery, steve cooley, Tree care

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY CERTIFIED

Steve Cooley

The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) announces that Steve Cooley of Quality Tree Surgery, Inc., in Nashville, Tennessee, has earned the Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician and is now nationally certified.

Candidates pass two extensive exams covering the care of trees and shrubs in residential and commercial landscapes. Those achieving this certification have expertise in a wide selection of plants used in area landscapes and can recognize pest problems and other factors that stress ornamental foliage. Successful candidates understand the need to carefully observe foliage for the subtle signs that signal a situation to be controlled before it becomes overwhelming or uncontrollable.

Certification enhances an individual’s professionalism, demonstrates a sense of personal achievement, and increases respect and recognition in the profession.

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.

Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis and sugarberry, Celtis laevigata are the host plants for this aphid. The aphids are small, about 2—2.5 millimeters 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 females. The ability of females to reproduce without mating is termed parthenogensis. This ability allows young to be brought forth throughout the summer, accounting for rapid increases in population. The largest populations usually occur in late July or early August in our area. In late fall, males and females are born. After mating, the female deposits overwintering eggs, and the cycle contin-ues 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 injury occurs to the trees; however, staining of wood, painted surfaces or fabric may occur from prolonged exposure to sooty mold.

If you are experiencing staining of decks, lawn furniture or other valuable items, you may want to consider treatment for this pest.

Prevention can be obtained by soil treatment in April or May with a systemic insecticide, such as imidicloprid. Reduction of populations can be obtained by spraying small trees with a contact insecticide or microinjection of larger trees in July through September.

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 Quality Tree Surgery, Inc.
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

Winter Tree Care

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · July 12, 2010 · 8:50 pm · Tree care, fall, root, Tree care, winter

Winter Tree Care

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.

Larry Loiseau/Certified Arborist

What is my Landscape Worth?

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · July 12, 2010 · 8:48 pm · Lawn care, Tree care, property value, quality tree surgery, ruel jones, Tree care

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

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

Want A Fast Tree?

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · December 8, 2009 · 7:18 pm · Tree care, property value, quality tree surgery, Tree care

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!

By: Larry Loiseau

How A tree Works

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · October 21, 2009 · 9:54 pm · Tree care, how a tree works, jones, Lawn care, leadership, middle tn, nashville, quality tree surgery, ruel, ruel jones, 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?

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · October 21, 2009 · 9:51 pm · Lawn care, Tree care, property value, quality tree surgery, ruel jones, tn, 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?

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc. · October 21, 2009 · 9:41 pm · Tree care, quality tree surgery, Tree care, tree wound dressing

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!