12 Lessons Learned From Trees This Year

1. Give a tree a chance...

You just might be surprised at what it gives back.

 

2.  If you have to top a tree...

It is best if you just cut the whole thing down.

3.  Critical Roots...

Are called "Critical Roots" for a reason.

4.  Your neighbours trees have roots too.

 

If you cut them they may fall on stuff.



5.  Very many trees pruned badly...

Create many problems and wind up costing much more to maintain.

6.  Illegal land clearing...

 

Is not something that only happens in less developed countries.



7.  If a bird shits on your car...

Don't cut your tree down. The neighbours will be upset.

8.  If the crown is raised too much...

The tree will not look right.

 9.  When looking for a good place to dump soil...

Over the roots and stems of trees is not a good choice.

 

10.  Weeping Willows

Can be fascinating trees when looked after properly.

11.  All the trees will die...

If the understory is cleared, topsoil is brought in and lawn is planted.

12.   Treat the young ones with respect.

If you want them to be there for you when you get old.

5 Facts about Fungus and Trees

Definition of fungus:

any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter. These include moulds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.

They are not plants, they are not animals. Fungi are something else altogether.

Fungi feed on other organisms.

They decompose trees and recycle their matter back into the soil.

For a lot of people a discussing fungus is like taking about what lies at the bottom sea. They just don't know.

 When we consider trees, fungus is a big issue. This is the kind of stuff arborists sit around and think about. 

To understand the way that trees and fungi interact is to understand how trees live and die.

  The world of fungus is fascinating, beautiful and under appreciated.

 

5 Facts about the relationship between

Fungus and trees

1. Fungi are neither good, nor bad. They just are.
2. Fungi are everywhere.
3. Fungi enter trees through wounds to bark and roots.
4. Trees act to prevent decline caused by fungus.
5. The process of fungal decay can take a very long time.

1. Fungi are neither good nor bad. They just are.

• The process of fungal decay is the essence of the life and death cycle of trees. This is the heart of the forest ecosystem. Countless species rely on decaying plant material. These species in turn are essential to the next layer of beings. Fungi cause decay of trees. Fungi help trees receive nutrition from the soil. They rely on each other for life and death. 

2. Fungi are everywhere.

• At least everywhere that other living things are. Fungi are in the soil. Their spores are in the air. They are the decomposers of dead matter.

3. Fungi enter trees through wounds to bark and roots.

• Fungi don't go through intact bark. They enter through a wound. A wound as small as a broken twig. Or perhaps a tree climbers' spur puncture. In general, fewer, smaller, cleaner wounds mean less fungal decay.

4. Trees fight to prevent fungus.

• The process of fightback that trees employ is called Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees. The acronym CODIT was coined by Dr. Alex Shigo. I strongly recommend further study of the man and his work.  Dr. Shigo taught that trees respond to decay by creating a series of walls. The tree acts to isolated the infected area to prevent the fungus from taking over.

5. The process of fungal decay can take a long time.

• The discovery of a mushroom on a tree does not mean that the tree needs to be condemned. Trees coexist with fungi over a course of time that is beyond human understanding. Every situation is unique. Different species of trees react with different species of fungi. Each are adapted to their unique situation of place, time and purpose.
• In urban settings, where valuable targets exist, decaying trees should be monitored often. The public like to avoid decayed tree related damages whenever possible. The public are funny that way.

 The importance of understanding the fungus and tree relationship

This is what arboricultural is all about. This is the reason why correct tree care performed under the guidance of an arborist is so importants. When trees are damaged they get inhabited by decay causing fungi. Types of damage that enable fungal entry can be both natural and man caused.

Storm damage

Branch drop

Insect and animal wounds

Pruning

Topping

Root excavation

Root compaction

Bark peel

 

 The more that a tree is damaged, the more decay causing fungus it will get.

 

The sooner the tree will die.

 Consult an arborist to discuss how to best manage the cycle of life and death of your trees. Help prevent unnecessary damage to trees.

Dead Trees For Sale

" Fresh cut, perfect size, perfect form, ready for decorating. Tie it to the roof of your car, take it home, haul it inside the house then dress it up. The family will love you for it."

"How long will it last?"

"It won't matter, once the big day is done you will get rid of it"

"Are you sure it's dead?"

"Absolutely, completely 100%. It is as dead as can be."

"How much?"

"Just $39.95"

"I'll take it. "

The Great Christmas Tree Debate

Now I've done it. I'm wading into the ongoing, unsolvable Christmas tree debate. It's sort of like the grocery bag debate. Paper or plastic? Real tree, or fake? When you go to the store these days they ask if you even want to have a bag at all.

Let me be clear, I want to avoid to the fullest degree this becoming a discussion of religious or cultural significance. I just want to bring up the point. It seems strange that a dead tree is worth $39.95 one day, then becomes totally worthless the next. 

I don't get it.

I wonder if future generations will look back at us like we now look back at bygone things. A few come to mind:

• horse drawn carriages
• cigarette smoking newsreaders
• 8 track cassettes
• telephones with cords attached

Parents will one day be tell their children "When I was young we used to go out every year on the first day of winter and bring home a dead tree.".

The kids will say "Why Dad? That doesn't make sense. We are struggling with so few trees".

I realize that the situation is not as simple as it seems. While there are many who will point out the absurdity of sacrificing a young tree per household, per year, others will bring up the downside of producing and transporting the fake plastic non recyclable, non biodegradable variety. I'm not picking sides but I will say; my children are happy, and our cat is quite happy sleeping underneath our fake plastic dead Christmas tree.

There has to be a better way.

Why do good people do bad things to trees?



Oh, by the way, I will be donating time early January to raise funds for my daughters gymnastics club. We'll be doing a Christmas tree chipping event. Date, time and location yet to be determined. So bring your dead trees on down and for a small fee we'll chop them up into a million pieces.

Happy Holidays Everybody
Terry Thrale

3 Essential Qualities of a Good Arborist

The urban forest suffers because any "dude" with a chainsaw thinks he can do the job. He can't. When things go wrong, he is nowhere to be found.

It takes plenty of skill to top a tree

Especially a big tree. It is a fact that not that many people have the skill or the experience to do it. Never mind the fitness to get up there. It can be a scary trip for a beginner.

       The climber straps on belt and spurs, throws a flip line around the trunk, hooks the chainsaw onto his belt and up he goes. Climb, stretch and pull up, over and through the branches until he reaches just the right spot. Then the owner of the tree yells up " Cut the sonofabitch right there.".

       So he finds his balance, gets hold of the saw and starts pulling on the pull cord until she's running. Slashing away some upper branches, he takes a good look around to make sure the lean is going to cooperate. 

The climber takes aim and makes his undercut, then screams out.... "Heads up". He takes one last look, readjusts his position, tightens his flip line and gets a straight arm on the top piece. With his other hand on the chainsaw it's time to tear in. Down goes the top. CRASH, right on target.

     Hands raise up in the air... "WooHoo".......

Living in Fear of Trees

If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear?.... If a tree falls on your house the neighbourhood is certainly going to know about it.

 

If the tree falls it might crush the house 

The trouble with big urban trees is quite simply that they are, well, BIG. And as we have all been told "The bigger they are the harder they fall". Can't argue with that logic, yet this situation poses some hard questions.

The hard questions

1. Is there such a thing as a tree that is too big?
2. If there is, then just how big is too big?
3. Who decides?
4. If we remove one tree because it's too big then shouldn't we then go and remove all trees of equal or greater size because they must also be too big?

Are you living in fear of a tree?

Without a doubt the most common reason why people may want to have large trees removed from their property is fear. Fear of this enormous tree one day crashing through the living room while the family is watching reruns of Seinfeld. The thought is always at the back of the mind just gnawing away.

The Role of the Tree Risk Assessor

Yes I am an arborist, and Yes I am an ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor and Yes I perform tree risk assessments almost every day. I have spent the better part of my working life observing, dissecting, moving and forecasting the actions of large trees. Have I ever seen large trees behave in a way that could not have been predicted? Absolutely. S#%t  happens, this is nature. We cannot predict the totality of forces and factors presented. Occasionally trees fall unexpectedly, occasionally they land on things that people hold in high regard. But not often.

To answer the hard questions

1. There is no such thing as a tree that is too big.
2. I'll say it again, there is no such thing as a tree that is too big. There are however many situations when a tree is quite legitimately hazardous. These situations need to be addressed.
3. The Arborist. The only person who should address the hard questions pertaining to tree risk should be educated, experienced, certified and informed arborists. The best scenario for these decisions would be a team of arborists representing different points of view.
4. Removing a tree because it's too big is like killing your grandfather because he's old. Large trees, when healthy, provide the most benefits.

Terry Thrale, Woodridgetree.com

Beware of Bad Landscapers

Soil over the base of a tree is a good way to torture a tree to death. Good to know if torturing trees is your thing.

Tree Death By Bad Landscaping

Sometimes a person really has to go out of their way to ignorantly kill a tree. Everyday people unknowingly cause tree harm. Landscapers, by virtue of their working outside "scaping the land" need to understand the basics about what it takes to keep a tree alive. Wouldn't it be great if they could also keep them healthy. I'm not saying all landscapers are causing harm to trees. In fact for a time I proudly considered myself to be a landscaper. I studied Horticulture in one of Australia's finest Horticulture Institutions where the topics of arboriculture are an integral component of the curriculum. My peers and I learned the basics of trees before we went into the world armed and dangerous. The problem is that not many "landscapers" have training.

 

Here's the problem in a nutshell

Good landscapers tend to charge higher rates. Bad landscapers are cheap and easy to find, and they'll do anything their employer asks them to.

5 ways that bad landscapers kill trees

1. Burying of lower portions of stem with too much soil--- This is torture for a tree. It's a bit like suffocation. The tree will struggle to receive its natural air and water intake. At the same time moisture will be held against the trunk which will cause rotting and restrict the flow of water and nutrients up and down the tree.
2. Bad pruning--- Bad pruning causes decline in trees leading to death. A very slow and ugly death. Bad pruning is a big problem that has to stop.
3. Cutting of roots--- Common when construction is involved. Healthy roots are essential to a healthy tree. Not to mention a tree that has support to remain standing upright.
4. Incorrect planting of trees--- Many people think its so easy to plant a tree. It is if you know what you're doing. Those that don't almost always do something wrong that leads to failure.
5. Mower and line trimmer damage--- We've all seen it, the missing patches of bark where the mower ploughs into the tree. Week after week, year after year. Imagine how your own ankle would feel if it took a gas powered whipping every weekend. Your wound would get infected, you would be weak, your life would be miserable. It's the same thing for the tree.

All of this damage can easily be avoided

This is what is so frustrating about all this. It is easier to not damage your tree than it is to do damage. Don't bury the stem in soil. Don't lop the branches and don't top the top. Plan for a construction with the tree roots in mind. Learn how to correctly plant a tree. Don't whip the trunk with a line trimmer or bash into it with a mower.

 If you're not trained to work on trees then don't work on trees.

 

Arborists are the answer

Dealing with ignorantly damaged trees is a common problem. Arborists are the specialists that can provide the best advice when considering what to do with damages trees. What makes a good arborist, you ask? That's a topic for another day.

Tree Topping Brutality

Tree topping, the brutal epidemic

You probably don't have to look very far to find trees that have been topped, lopped or brutally deformed in one way or another. Ignorant, negligent, horrible acts of tree mutilation are a rampant scourge on our local environments. The topping problem is everywhere.  Homeowners, strata,  municipalities, governments of all levels, golf courses, shopping centres, and 5 star hotels, it really is everywhere. You can  witness tree topping  in every city, in every country on every continent in the world. Give any tree ignorant person a saw, instruct him to prune a tree and he will almost certainly mess it up once and for all.

 

Why trees should not be topped

1. The topped tree is ruined. It will never fulfill its full potential and it will die sooner.
   
   
2. The topping point will  sprout multiple new shoots. These shoots will grow quickly to replace the old top. The new shoots will be poorly attached.
   
   
3. Decay will start from the top down.  The multiple new tops will fail.
 
4. The topped tree will require more maintenance and will provide less benefit.



Take action. How you can help stop tree topping

• The first step to action is awareness. Look around your neighbourhood, look at the trees, you will soon realize the massive scale of the problem.

 

• Get informed. Learn about proper pruning, check out resources like International Society of Arboriculture. Talk to some local arborists and get their take on the situation

 

• Make some noise. Make a fuss. If you see it happening tell them it's wrong. Tell the authorities. Topping is illegal in some places. It should be illegal in others. Let them know.  

The health of the urban forest is important. Tree topping is a serious problem. It has to end.

Help stop the topping

 

 

The Tree House

Kids connecting with trees

I remember the tree house we built in my backyard when I was a kid. It was a multiyear summer project. My friends and I were the general contactors. We built it using scraps we could find. It included used lumber of  and pieces of plywood. When we ran out of manufactured wood we searched the forest for useful pieces of material. It was held together with rusty bent nails. As time went on our creation became better.

The picture above looks nothing like our tree house. A dad built this one.

Do kids still build their own tree houses?

When we think about the benefits of trees our mind tends toward a usual list.

• tree clean the air.
• filter the water
• cool our climate
• shelter for wildlife
• raise property values
• they are pretty

While the points are all very true, the list doesn't resonate. The real benefits of trees come from the experiences shared with them.

Some of the real benefits of trees, from a kid's perspective

• explore reality
• a chance to climb
• freedom and imagination

Does your neighbourhood have enough tree houses?

Do your kids climb trees?

Trees Need Space to Grow

Planting trees is important

This Nootka Cypress is doomed.

Planting trees in new development sites

I've rarely heard anyone dispute the fact that trees are good. Yet when it comes to new development sites often the installation of trees and green space is only an afterthought. With increased population density comes decreased available land for trees. Planning for the installation of new trees is another aspect of tree care that will require better planning more attention in the future. 

The Nootka Cypress

Here we have a species of tree that is said to have potential to grow up to 40 meters tall. It possesses proud branches with foliage that swoops gracefully, giving a distinct Pacific Northwest Coast feel. It has become a widely used species in gardens, parks and estates due to its unique characteristics. 

The young tree shown in the image above will most certainly die long before reaching maturity. I would suggest it is unlikely that it would survive a single year. Trees need space to grow.

Conditions required for optimal tree growth

Of course trees need more than just space. Every species has unique needs. The needs are generally a reflection of its climatic, hydrological and geographic origins. Here is a list of the basic requirements for fostering tree health.

• Sunlight
• Water
• Air
• Nutrients
• Support

If any of the basic requirements are not present a tree will not survive. With the exception of sunlight all of these come from the soil. Understanding the importance of soil is the key.  To grow trees we must have ample, living, breathing, nutrient rich soil.

Protect Trees During Construction

Tree Neglect During Construction Kills

This large diameter Western Red Cedar is getting a raw deal.

Common damage to trees during construction

• Mechanical trauma to roots
• Mechanical trauma to trunk and canopy
• Compaction of soil
• Soil grade alteration
• Suffering due to hydrological changes
• Chemical damage

This type of abuse is far too common. The frustrating part about this is that with a little planning damages to trees during construction can easily be avoided. As increasingly more people begin to understand the enormous value that urban trees provide more municipalities are making tree protection planning for construction a priority in the building process. 

Implement a tree protection plan

Step 1 Hire an arborist 

At the design planning stage hire a consulting arborist. Have them compile an arborist report.  This will include an inventory and assessment of all trees on your property. It should also include neighbouring trees that could be impacted. Work with the arborist to determine which trees should be saved and which should be removed. They will figure out the specific needs for protecting each tree and develop a plan to implement when construction begins.

Step 2 Install tree protection

Implement the recommendations of the arborist report. This will include installing tree protection fencing, or barriers. It may also include specific details about activities that may require special attention from the arborist during points of construction. Make sure that you the homeowner, and all site contractors understand that the tree protection areas are not to be disturbed. 

Step 3 Arborist follow up

Connect with your arborist at various points during and after construction. Monitoring your site over time you will discover if the tree protection plan was effective. Very often trees don't show the effects of construction trauma until some years have passed. It's important for the arborist to know if the efforts were successful or not. This will benefit your tree management and it will also provide more depth of experience for the arborist to apply to future jobs. 

Is This a Hazardous Tree

Basic Tree Risk Assessment

Here is a Douglas Fir or Pseudostuga menziesii leaning towards a child's play set and a family home.

Every Tree Is Hazardous

Every tree has the potential to cause harm. It's true, in fact just the other day I was walking down the street minding my own business when bam!@#$!. The side of my head glanced off the stem of a Magnolia stellata. I walked into it knocking my head. Stupid hazardous pretty little tree.

Every tree has the potential to cause harm to a degree. To avoid all chance of harm  we would need to remove all trees. I don't hear anybody supporting that idea. This is where the ISA, Certified Tree Risk Assessor comes in. Every tree is hazardous, but exactly how hazardous is it? 

Tree Risk Assessment Basics

3 basic questions to consider when determining if a tree is hazardous. 

1. Target    What will be smashed if a failure occurs?

2. Size of Part    How big is it?

3. Probability   How likely is this failure?

Consider the leaning Douglas Fir...

1. Target: The tree is leaning over a child's backyard play swing set. If it falls we can be pretty sure about the location it will smash. The swing set would be obliterated and the Doug's top will strike the family's house

2. Size: Big enough. Based on the lean lets consider the possibility of full tree failure. This guy is about 65 cm diameter at breast height, and pretty tall. Full marks for size.

 That takes care of points 1 and 2. Now comes the tricky part.

3. Probability: Keep in mind that determining probability of failure must be based on fact. Though the picture doesn't show it there had not been any recent digging near the roots, nor was there sign of root heaving. We can see the lean. We can see the dead stunted branch pointing upwards. No other defects are visible. Looking up the stem the lean actually self corrects, the tree straightens up.

Should We Cut Leaning Doug Down?

Put yourself in the shoes of the arborist whose job is to determine whether this tree remains or is destroyed. What would you do?