Tree Cabling

Not all trees that have a lean need to be removed.  In fact the Certified Arborists at Goodfellers Tree and Excavating would rather save a tree than remove it.  One strategy that can be used at times is called Cabling.  Cabling can be used where a tree with two or more main trunks has weakened and is beginning to split.  It is a process that involves attaching a cable to each trunk to increase the strength of both.  Roger Cook, a landscaping contractor who writes for This Old House Magazine recommends only hiring a Certified Arborists to do the work, "this is not a do-it-yourself project".

So what is cabling?  Roger Cook writes:

 "Once an arborist determines the right height for one or two cables, he'll climb the tree and drill a hole through each main branch and insert a threaded, galvanized eyebolt that is held in place with a large washer and two nuts. The two eyes are connected using steel cable. To keep the trunk from splitting, he may also drill crisscrossing holes through the trunk for threaded rods. The tree will eventually grow over and hide the rods, but it can't be allowed to cover the eyebolts, which have to be inspected, and perhaps adjusted, every year or two as the trunks grow. An overgrown cable-eye connection may lose its ability to move with the tree and cause the cable to snap."

If you have any trees you are concerned about, please give Goodfellers Tree and Excavating a call at 540-710-9665 or visit our web site goodfellertreeco.com and we will be more than happy to inspect your trees for free and offer a comprehensive plan to protect and improve the beauty of your property.

Tree Dangers

Nick Gromicko from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors has written an interesting and informative article called "Tree Dangers", it can be found at http://www.nachi.org/tree-dangers.htm.  The following is from that article:

Regarding the roots of trees, the author states that roots of trees that are too close to structures can cause damage to foundations, however they cannot normally punch through foundations but cause damage by working their way into preexisting cracks, or large roots that grow under a foundation can cause foundation uplift and finally roots can leech water from the soil under the foundation which can cause structures to settle and sink unevenly.

Nick Gromicko listed other dangers:

• Trees that are too close to buildings may be fire hazards. Soffit vents provide easy access for flames to enter a house.

• Leaves and broken branches can clog gutters, potentially causing ice dams or water penetration into the building.

• Old, damaged or otherwise weak trees may fall and endanger lives and property. Large, weak branches, too, are a hazard, especially if weighed down by ice. 

• Tree roots can potentially penetrate underground drainage pipes, especially when they leak. Water that leaks from a drainage or sanitary pipe can encourage root growth in the direction of the leak, where the roots may eventually enter the pipe and obstruct its flow.

• Trees may be used by insects and rodents to gain access to the building. 

• Falling trees and branches can topple power lines and communication lines.

Some trees have structural defects which can be dangerous to surrounding structures.  Tree can develop cankers.  Cankers are caused by wounds that the tree has sustained or a disease.  These areas are evident where the tree bark is sunken or missing.  Cankers that encompass more than half of the trees diameter can be dangerous even if the exposed wood appears healthy. Tree that are close to structures that have been hollowed out by insects or disease, or those trees that are experiencing advanced decay, or trees with deep cracks or fissures in the bark can create a serious hazard to nearby structures. 

What can home owners do?  Walk around the structures on your property and look for any of the signs listed above.  If you suspect you may have trees that are potential hazards give Goodfellers Tree and Excavating a call to have a Certified Arborist and Tree Care Safety Professional do a free inspection and if needed create a plan to remove or treat any hazardous trees.  Or you could visit http://www.goodfellertreeco.com/ and complete the "I need an Estimate!" section.  You can take comfort in our experience. 

Problem-Free Trees For Virginia Landscapes

Have you ever wondered what trees you should plant on your property?

Mary Ann Hansen, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Tech; Alex Niemiera, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech; and Eric Day, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech (May 1 2009)

Many of the tree species commonly planted in Virginia landscapes suffer from disease problems. Although some diseases can be cured, most must be controlled on a preventative basis. The best option for new plantings is to choose species that have a low risk of developing disease.

The following trees are suggested at problem-free for Virginia Landscapes.  These species are recommended both for their desirable horticultural characteristics, as well as their reduced susceptibility to diseases and insect pests. Although some of the trees listed may suffer sporadic damage from Japanese beetles or defoliating caterpillars, the trees generally recover from damage by these pests. No tree species is completely immune from disease or insect feeding, and the trees listed in this fact sheet are no exception. Minor problems are noted for individual species. Many of the species listed are available in a variety of cultivars. Check for cultivars that vary in flower or leaf color, growth habit, or cold hardiness.

- Paperbark Maple

- Fringe Tree

- American Yellowwood

- Kousa Dogwood

- American Beech

- European Beech

- Ginkgo

- Golden Rain Tree

- Sweet Gum

- Tulip Poplar

- Star Magnolia

- Saucer Magnolia

- Sweetbay Magnolia

- Dawn Redwood

- Black Gum

- Sourwood

- Persian Parrotia

- Lacebark Pine

- London Planetree

- Willow Oak

- White Oak

- Scarlet Oak

- Southern Red Oak

- Japanese Pogoda 

- Japanese Snowbell

- Bald Cypress

- American Linden

- Lacebark Elm

- American Elm

- Japanese Zelcova 

These trees are still susceptible to disease and insects however they tend to recover well.  For a full description of each of these trees along with pictures of each can be found at http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-237/450-237.html along with a list of problem trees and additional information.

Zero Impact Tree Removal

If you are considering the removal of trees on your property it is best to have a Certified Arborist do the work.  The removal of trees can be extremely dangerous and needs to be left up to trained professionals, particularly if the property has structures near the tree to be removed.  Additional considerations need to be made if the property has well maintained landscaping and/or a manicured lawn.  Done incorrectly by untrained individuals tree removal can lead to damage to structures near by and to the area around the tree as well as the possibility of bodily harm.

Only tree companies with the expertise and experience can offer Zero Impact Tree Removal, so selecting the right tree care company is a very important decision for home owners and property owners.  Many state do not have licensing laws that regulate or monitor the safety practices of tree companies.  As an educated consumer you must be careful when choosing a tree company to insure that company values the health of trees, the safety of its employees and customers, and the protection of the property they are working on.  Be wary of companies who offer prices that are too good to be true!  

Goodfellers Tree and Excavating offers zero-impact tree removal. We take pride in leaving a property in better shape that we found it in many cases.  There are many factors to consider when a tree must be removed such as the location of power lines, rigging systems, traffic issues, location of structures, the use of specialty equipment, and the clean up.

Matt would enjoy meeting with you to discuss how Goodfellers Tree and Excavation can meet your needs and create a removal plan that will have the lowest impact on your property, your life, and your wallet.

Please visit the Goodfellers Tree and Excavating web site at goodfellertreeco.com or you can call 540-710-9665.

What do you do with your live Christmas Tree after Christmas?

Ok, so all of the gifts have been opened the company has left and the Christmas Season is coming to a close and 2015 is brand new.  The house lights need have come down and all of the decorations put away.  Now what do you do with that wonderful Christmas Tree that played a central role in your families celebration of the birth of Christ?  Whether you cut it down yourself or purchased your tree from the many local tree lots, it's time to say goodbye to your tree.

The National Christmas Tree Association suggests recycling your tree.  Some trash services offer curbside pickup, or if you can drop it off at a recycling center in your area.  Other suggestions include using your prize tree for a soil erosion barrier; or if you have a pond near by old Christmas trees can be used to feed fish by sinking it into private fish pond, they make an excellent refuge and feeding area; or the branches can be used as a bird feeder by simply liberally applying peanut butter to the branches and covering with bird seed; or if you have access to a chipper/shredder, pine trees make excellent mulch.   However, NEVER EVER burn your old tree in the fireplace or wood stove!

Thisoldhouse.com suggest using the tree bows to insulate your perennials and you can cut the trunk into small sections 1-2 inches thick and use them as a border for mulch beds or the trunk could  be cut into thin slabs, sanded smooth and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to make coaster and/or trivets.

For all of your tree service needs Goodfellers Tree and Excavating is here to serve you!  Please visit our website at  http://www.goodfellertreeco.com/ also you can like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter.

Advantages of pruning oak trees in during the winter.

According to David L. Roberts Ph.D. a Senior Academic Specialist at Michigan State University there are many positive reasons for pruning oak trees during the winter while they are dormant.  Dormant pruning enables an arborist to "correct disease problems which would be more risky during the summer season" (Roberts, 2002).  Additionally "bacterial populations in cankered branches are lower and dormant, and hence, less likely to be transmitted via our pruning utensils" (Roberts, 2002). Oak Wilt can be become a major concern for trees that have been pruned in the summer and have open wounds which will attract insects that often carry the deadly fungal spores.  

Oak Wilt Management Through Winter Pruning:
   While many professional plant health care providers are aware of Oak Wilt and its potentially lethal effects on oaks in our landscapes, some are either unfamiliar with or ignore the potential for oak wilt. Pruning during the summer months can actually promote disease transmission and the development of disease epicenters which can then devastate stands of oaks. The mechanism of disease transmission is that insect vectors (primarily sap beetles, including picnic beetles) are attracted to wound sites, and they carry fungal spores from infected trees or dead logs to recently pruned trees.
   When I first proposed that we need to cease pruning during the warm season, my comments were met with mixed reviews and even some controversial remarks. The fact is, we need to make sure our industry is providing services aimed at improving the health of plants and not aimed at their destruction. Luckily, some companies have instituted a winter pruning program, sometimes advertised through various ingenious avenues, aimed at oak wilt management as well as management of other diseases. I think these efforts are very worthwhile, and I have even been thanked on occasion with comments about how winter pruning has actually expanded their businesses.

What is the best time for pruning oaks?   From my perspective the safest and most appropriate time to prune oaks is dormantly, from late October to early March. Obviously, this time will vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. During early March in 2000, experts in Minnesota reported picnic beetle activity on March 1st. During most years, we would not expect much if any picnic beetle activity during the first week of March or perhaps even through the entire month of March. It is wise to keep in mind that during freezing or near freezing conditions, transmission of oak wilt is almost impossible. Unusually warm climatic periods during dormancy may be conducive for oak wilt spread.
   I have often been asked why my recommendations are different from some others’ recommendations which suggest only the cessation of pruning during April, May and June. Many of the oak trees being pruned are large, at least 100 years old and are in very prominent locations. They are simply irreplaceable. Although I am certain that the likelihood of oak wilt transmission declines sharply after the three primary months, most scientists admit that we do not understand all of the mechanisms or vectors of oak wilt. No one will admit that the transmission of oak wilt is impossible, for example, during the month of August. In a recently new USDA bulletin, the authors suggested that oak bark beetles may also transmit oak wilt. I believe it is smart to avoid any possibility of oak wilt by limiting our pruning period.
Sanitization and Pruning:
   The oak wilt fungus could potentially be transmitted via pruning utensils because of the transfer of fungal material residing in saw dust or chips.  This is especially true during the warm season when fungal growth is at its maximum.  However, there is probably little chance of spreading oak wilt during the dormant season but I'd still recommend sanitizing equipment between trees.  There is probably no need to sanitize utensils between cuts on the same tree because the tree is either infected or its not, and the transfer of the fungus between branches of the same tree will probably not greatly impact a tree already infected.
The Benefits of Pruning Oaks During the Dormant Season:
   The occurrence of dead wood is a common reason to prune oaks. Unfortunately, I think in most instances it is not possible to prune dead wood without the exposure of live tissue - the reason why dead wood should be done dormantly and not during the spring and summer months on oaks. Proper pruning of trees can make them more storm resistant as well, whether the storm threat is from ice damage or from high winds. Pruning is often regarded as a proactive, health maintenance insurance plan to guard against potentially serious problems, analogous to the ever more popular and wise preventative care in human health plans. 

Retrieved from: http://treedoctor.anr.msu.edu/pruning/
David L. Roberts, Ph.D. 
Senior Academic Specialist 
Michigan State University 

A Christmas Tree History

As many of us celebrate Christmas this week I thought it appropriate to give a bit of a history lesson on the Christmas tree, since trees are what Goodfellers Tree and Excavating knows.  I found the following on realChristmastrees.org

• 1510 – The first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia. Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. The rose was used for many year and is considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary.
• 1530 – There is record from Alsace, France (then Germany territory) that trees were sold in the marketplace and brought home and set up undecorated. Laws limited the size to “8 shoe lengths” (slightly over 4 feet).
• 1600s – By the 17th century, it was common in Germany to decorate Christmas Trees with apples. This practice was a holdover from the 14th and 15th centuries when evergreen boughs hung with apples were the only prop used in the “miracle plays” that were performed at the churches on December 24. December 24 was Adam & Eve’s Day in the early Christian calendar, and the plays were used as ways of teaching the Bible to a largely illiterate population.
• 1700s – In parts of Austria and Germany, evergreen tips were brought into the home and hung top down from the ceiling. They were often decorated with apples, gilded nuts and red paper strips. Edible ornaments became so popular on Christmas Trees that they were often called “sugartrees.” The first accounts of using lighted candles as decorations on Christmas Trees come from France in the 18th century.
• 1800s – The Christmas Tree was introduced in the United States by German settlers. It rapidly grew from tabletop size to floor-to-ceiling.
• 1851 – Christmas Trees began to be sold commercially in the United States. They were taken at random from the forests.
• 1853 – Franklin Pierce is credited with bringing the first Christmas Tree to the White House.
• Late 1800s – The first glass ornaments were introduced into the United States, again from Germany. The first ones were mostly balls, but later chains of balls, toys and figures became more common.
• Around 1883 – Sears, Roebuck & Company began offering the first artificial Christmas trees – 33 limbs for $.50 and 55 limbs for $1.00.
• 1900s – Due to overharvesting, the natural supply of evergreens began to be decimated. Conservationists became alarmed, and many magazines began to encourage people to substitute an artificial “snow” covered tree, consisting of a branch of a deciduous tree wrapped in cotton.
• 1901 – The first Christmas Tree farm was started in 1901 when W.V. McGalliard planted 25,000 Norway spruce on his farm in New Jersey. Also in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt tried to stop the practice of having Christmas Trees out of concern about the destruction of forests. His two sons didn’t agree and enlisted the help of conservationist Gifford Pinchot to persuade the president that, done properly, the practice was not harmful to the forests.
• 1930s – President Franklin D. Roosevelt started a Christmas Tree farm on his estate in Hyde Park, New York.
• 1966 – The National Christmas Tree Association began its time-honored tradition of having the Grand Champion grower present a Christmas Tree to the First Lady for display in the Blue Room of the White House. That year, Howard Pierce of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, presented a tree to President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson.
• Today – Approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees are sold each year in the United States. Almost all of these come from Christmas Tree plantations.

Looking for more Christmas facts and history? Visit History.com's Christmas Section.

Timeline provided by The Rocks Christmas Tree Farm, Bethlehem, NH.

http://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/education/historyofchristmastrees.aspx

Why is it important to hire a Certified Arborist to care for your trees?

Through research, technology, and education, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) promotes the professional practice of arboriculture and fosters a greater worldwide awareness of the benefits of trees.

According to the ISA, an arborist, by definition, is an individual trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. Arborists are knowledgeable about the needs of trees and are trained and equipped to provide proper care. Hiring an arborist is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Proper tree care is an investment that can lead to substantial returns. Well-cared-for trees are attractive and can add considerable value to your property. Poorly maintained trees can be a significant liability. Pruning or removing trees, especially large trees, can be dangerous work. Tree work should be done only by those trained and equipped to work safely in trees.

WHAT IS A CERTIFIED ARBORIST?

Certified Arborists are individuals who have achieved a level of knowledge in the art and science of tree care through experience and by passing a comprehensive examination developed by some of the nation’s leading experts on tree care. Certified Arborists must also continue their education to maintain their certification and adhere to a Code of Ethics. Therefore, they are more likely to be up to date on the latest techniques in arboriculture.

Becoming an ISA Certified Arborist is a voluntary process through which individuals can measure their knowledge and competence required to provide proper tree care. ISA Certification is not government-sponsored or government-endorsed; it is administered by the International Society of Arboriculture as a way for tree care professionals to demonstrate their commitment to the profession and the industry.

http://www.isa-arbor.com/publicOutreach/whyHireCertifiedArborist/index.aspx

Goodfellers Tree and Excavating uses ISA Certified Arborist (MA-4663A) and is a proud member of the ISA.  For more information or to schedule an appointment with Matt visit www.goodfellertreeco.com or call (540) 710-9665.

Why is it important to thin the canopy of trees on your property?

Edward Gilman and Nathan Eisner a Professor and Research Assistant at the University of Florida‘s Environmental and Horticulture Department wrote:

1. Thinning the canopy of trees allows more light to penetrate to interior foliage which will keep interior branches alive; this will increase the strength of main branches near the trunk of the tree. 

2. Thinning the canopy of trees can also reduce the incidence of foliage disease by increasing air flow and sunlight to reach the ground under the tree. 

3. Thinning the canopy of trees allows more air to go through the tree instead of pushing against it which may help trees resist storm damage.

4. Thinning the canopy of trees give them a pleasing lacy appearance that adds a certain elegance to your landscape.

To read the full article go to  http://hort.ufl.edu/woody/documents/thinning.pdf

About Goodfellers Tree and Excavating Inc.

Goodfellers Tree and Excavating (goodfellertreeco.com) is a full service tree company in Historic Fredericksburg Virginia serving Fredericksburg City, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline Counties.  Goodfellers Tree and Excavating is owned and operated by Matt Denson who proudly served as a United States Marine.  Additionally Matt is a certified Arborist and is a member of the TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association), and the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture).  Goodfellers Tree and Excavating is licensed and insured and all of its employees are CPR/First Aid Certified.

What does a full service tree company like Goodfellers Tree and Excavating offer to its clients? 

• Stump Grinding or Removal;
• Tree Removal, Pruning, Diagnosis, Treatment, Cabling, Bracing;
• Crane Service;
• Excavating, Grading & Clearing;
• Demolition;
• Erosion Control & Drainage Solutions;
• Topsoil, Fill Dirt & Gravel;
• Dump Truck Hauling;
• Gravel Driveways;
• Excavator, Backhoe & Skid Steer Work;
• And Commercial Snow Removal.

To schedule a free, same day estimate consumers can call Goodfellers Tree and Excavating (540) 710-9665 or visit http://www.goodfellertreeco.com and complete the “I need an Estimate!“ section.