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2020 sure threw us for a loop, and we were hoping 2021 would cut us some slack. When it came to completing our 2020 Gift of Beautiful Trees projects after the holidays, the weather just wasn't cooperating. At some point, it got to be so late in the spring that we decided to wait to take "after" photos so we could at least get some leaves on the trees for the full effect. We're glad we did! So, we're a little late sharing this - but better late than never! Story continues below... We were again overwhelmed with nominations for our Gift of Beautiful Trees program for 2020, and no doubt, the pandemic contributed to hard times for so many families in our community. We were both heartbroken and touched to hear about how many were struggling last year, and just how many people were looking out for their friends, families and neighbors. Even perfect strangers submitted nominations for people they'd never met, but knew they could use a helping hand.
When Jeff and I review nominations, we use a loose scoring matrix to help us narrow down the projects based on the personal story that is submitted, how dire the need is in terms of safety, and whether or not our company is well-suited for the project with the resources and equipment we have. When we came across this struggling Cottonwood, we knew immediately that we HAD to do something. This tree was full of dead limbs over the street, sidewalk, driveway and house where the nominee and her daughter frequented. The result is beautiful and the tree is now an incredible historical feature and anchor point of the neighborhood - not an eyesore or hazard. The nominee was so grateful to not have to worry anymore. Our second selected nomination was an anonymous submission, tipping us off to a family who had weathered extensive and very unexpected health challenges in 2020. The husband, Nick, showed up for his family in big ways and worked long, hard hours to provide for them during this time. When we saw just how many trees were in their backyard that needed attention, we were anxious to help. We visited a couple of months later to grab a photo after the trees had leafed-out and were so thrilled with the results of their beautiful, park-like backyard. As always, these projects are always about so much more than trimming and removing trees. We're showing up and serving our community (one of our company values!) and fulfilling our mission of Creating Connections through Trees. We're sharing our gifts however we can, and we are thankful to our community for supporting our business so that we can support our community in return.
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We're revolutionizing the tree trimming industry! Introducing Arbor Anesthetics - the new technology that allows us to humanely trim your trees. Now you can rest assured - your tree will feel absolutely no pain during the limb removal process! Isn't it time we treated our trees with more respect?  APRIL FOOLS! But all joking aside, there is a right and a wrong way to trim a tree. Every cut is a wound. Trimming a tree correctly leverages a tree's own recovery system, which walls off decay and prevents the spread of disease.
Here are FIVE ways you can prevent harm to your trees:
Don't fool around with your trees! Hire a professional, Certified Arborist, like Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service!  Tree trimming is an essential component of tree care in an urban setting. Limbs need to be removed over streets and sidewalks, away from roofs and gutters, or even in the yard if the homeowner needs to be able to walk under the tree. Removing these limbs may seem straightforward, and one might be tempted to remove them in such a way that it appears the limb never existed, by way of cutting it completely flush with the trunk. This is what we call a "flush cut" and it is an improper pruning technique that can cause serious harm to your tree. Trees have a response to wounding, coined "Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees" or "CODIT." A tree "walls" off decay in four layers of bark tissue, preventing decay from moving vertically, radially and tangentially. When a wound occurs naturally, the tree gets to work using its own defense mechanism to keep decay-causing fungi from spreading. When a wound occurs during routine tree pruning (yes - it's a still a wound!), a trained arborist can take steps to ensure the tree is given its best shot at using its CODIT system. Maintaining the branch collar is critical in tree pruning and allows the tree to form a proper callus around the wound. The illustration to the right shows a clear swelling of tissue at the branch collar as the tree is preparing to shed a dead limb naturally. Trees know what they're doing! When we prune live limbs, we can use this as a model for where to make our cut - by not cutting into the branch collar. The branch bark ridge is not always obvious, and when it is not easy to identify the collar, we consider it best practice to come away from the trunk slightly. It would be better to leave more of a stub than it would be to cut into the branch collar. In general (and certainly not in all cases), a proper pruning cut will result in a circular wound or as close to a circle as possible. In the photos, you can see the elliptical shape of the cut where the flush cut was made parallel to the trunk, but not perpendicular to the branch, resulting in a vertical ellipse where we can see the branch collar was removed. If you are unsure where you make a proper pruning cut, it's best to consult a certified arborist. You can read more about DIY Pruning in a previous blog post.
SOURCES
Arbor Aesthetics Tackles Accreditation with Virtual Audit - Tree Care Industry Association Magazine3/3/2021
Bark stripping Stripped bark from squirrels. In years when food is scarce for squirrels (such as last year when the maple trees did not produce many seeds due to a late frost), they can resort to eating bark to meet their nutritional needs. If this is happening, we recommend offering an alternative food and water source, such as nuts and seeds, to deter them from stripping the bark. Stripping bark can expose the xylem of the tree, leaving it susceptible to insects and diseases. They can also potentially girdle a tree and cause long term damage. Research indicates that bark stripping has a higher occurrence following a "mast year" where trees produce a bumper crop of fruits and seeds, which may correlate with a higher population of juvenile squirrels. Here is an excellent article from Ohio State University about bark stripping. EATING TREE BUDS
tree trimming to protect young squirrels
 Jaime making a new friend on a job site.
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AuthorAmy Grewe, Certified Arborist & Co-Owner Categories
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May 2021
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