Month: January 2015

It’s a new year, and many of us are thinking about how to take better care of our families and ourselves. But what about our trees? As Portland certified arborists, and tree lovers at heart, we’re here to suggest ways to take exceptional care of your trees in 2015.

Taking Care of Your Own Trees

Whether or not you consider yourself a tree-hugger, there’s no denying that trees are beneficial additions to any property. Like all mature landscaping, trees drive up property value. According to the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, a mature tree can be worth $1,000 to $10,000. Likewise, the USDA Forest service reports that property value is driven up by an average of 10% when healthy, mature trees are present. Moreover, the US Department of Agriculture has determined that a young, healthy tree provides cooling power that “equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours per day.” The visual beauty of trees also helps families de-stress.

Considering how much trees do for your family, it’s natural to want to take care of them in turn. Here are a few resolutions for taking care of trees on your property in 2015.

Portland Certified Arborists on How to Care for Your Trees in 2015

1. Create an Annual Tree Care Plan. Master gardeners appreciate the importance of planning. During the soggy moths of late winter, they relish putting together a landscape plan for the entire year. Start brainstorming about which tree care tasks you will tackle during each season. Oregon State University’s Extension Service has an excellent online resource for gardening tasks to do during each month of the year.

If it’s been a while since you tackled landscaping tasks, consider a design consultation. Urban Forest Pro’s founder has an exceptional eye for design, and positive, enduring relationships with dozens of local landscaping professionals. He is happy to put his talents to work designing a stunning landscape for your yard.

2. Sign up for Professional Winter Tree Care.

While trees are dormant in the winter months, this is an important time for tree care. As we covered in last month’s blog post, winter tree care tasks include assessing for winter damage, discovering rot and other tree health problems, and checking soil quality. Our winter Portland tree service includes all of these tasks. Our certified arborists can give you a big-picture understanding of your trees’ health, so that you can arrange for their continued wellbeing throughout the year.

3. Sign up for Professional Pruning. Because poorly done pruning can harm or even kill trees, we recommend that homeowners arrange for professional tree pruning services. Our Portland tree service experts can visit your home several times throughout the year, as various species are most ready to be pruned. For instance, spring-blooming trees and shrubs should be pruned once spring blossoms have faded.

4. Plant a New Tree. A new tree will add value to your property while bringing enjoyment to the whole family. Particularly if you’ve recently lost a mature tree, 2015 is a great year for planting new trees. Our arborists are happy to provide suggestions for your yard based on soil condition, sunlight and water patterns, and characteristics of mature species. Friends of Trees is one of our favorite local non-profit organizations; they source and plant affordable trees for Portland residents. Since 1989, Friends of Trees has planted 450,000 trees in Portland, Vancouver, and Eugene.

5. Be Picky About Pesticides.
Tree pesticide sprays have been blamed for poisoning cases across Oregon. Some tree pesticide sprays have been linked to bee colony collapse. While tree health sometimes demands the use of pesticides, responsible homeowners go organic as often as possible. Call our expert arborists for insight into which pesticide will best treat your trees while causing the least amount of harm to the surrounding ecosystem.

Taking Care of Trees Across the State

We couldn’t survive without trees. They breathe out the oxygen that we breathe in. They provide shelter and dozens of resources that we use daily. And they beautify our world. This year, show Oregon’s trees some love by working toward these resolutions:

1. Take Advantage of Hoyt Arboretum.
Portlanders are fortunate to have access to a world-class arboretum within city limits. Hoyt Arboretum is spread across 189 acres in the West Hills. The arboretum offers educational classes and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. This year, make a point to take at least one class, or volunteer at least once at Hoyt Arboretum. As an example, the Saturday Crew volunteer program works to remove invasive species, maintain trails, and more.

2. Volunteer with Friends of Trees.

Friends of Trees could not do their important work without the assistance of hundreds of volunteers. You can sign up to help with tree plantings on Saturdays or Wednesdays. Alternatively, you can assist with driving or biking trees and materials on tree planting days.

3. Volunteer with the Portland Fruit Tree Project.
The Portland Fruit Tree Project harvests fruit from urban trees, and redistributes city-grown fruit to those in need. In 2013, the Portland Fruit Tree Project harvested 32,700 pounds of fruit for more than 4,112 families in need. Sound like a neat volunteer opportunity? It is. You can volunteer as a Tree Scout, finding fruit trees that are not currently being harvested. Alternatively, you can help harvest fruit, teach workshops, or assist with tree care.

4. Sign up for Oregon Wild’s 50 Hikes Challenge.
Oregon’s trees are truly phenomenal. To fully appreciate our state’s trees this year, we recommend signing up for Oregon Wild’s 50 Hikes Challenge. The goal is to hike in as many of the fifty Oregon wilderness areas listed on Oregon Wild’s website. Oregon Wild Members can earn loot for completing as few as ten hikes. Plus, you’ll have incentive to take in some amazing trees across our great state.

With these tree care resolutions on your horizon, 2015 will be a great year!

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com

As Portland certified arborists, we start looking for signs of spring after the winter holidays have passed. Even in January, smack

dab in the middle of winter, you can find clues that spring is on its way. Buds on many deciduous plants are swelling, storing energy for upcoming blossoms. Witch hazel is blooming, as are some plum trees. And dry days allow gardeners to get outside and plan for the approaching growing season. January is also the perfect time to check for tree damage. Read on to learn tasks Portland homeowners can do to keep their trees healthy this month.

In January, the lack of leaves facilitates tree checkups. Checking the health of your trees during the winter is extremely important. To assess tree health, choose a dry day to walk around and examine trees from every angle. Winter conditions can lead to tree damage. Frost cracking damage can occur on the trees’ southwest side, where winter sunlight causes wide temperature swings. Early winter frosts can kill autumn growth; frost ice crystals burst cell walls at the tips of branches. Dry, cold conditions can cause winter drought, in which the tree cannot pull enough moisture from the frozen ground. Rodents desperate for food at this time of year may chew on bark or cones. And of course, branches may break in high winds, ice storms, and snow. Protecting your fruit trees is also important. Winter tree spraying in Portland is a great way to protect your fruit trees from being vulnerable to insects and diseases.

How to Protect Trees From Winter

Here’s how homeowners can protect their trees in winter, they can start with having a tree assessment done by an Urban Forest certified arborist. Also, homeowners can conduct a preliminary appraisal of tree health by walking their properties and checking for:

1. Consistent Bark texture and coloration. Bumps, growths, dark spots, sap trails, and white or yellow tinges can all signify tree sickness. Peeling bark may indicate an underlying dead layer of tissue, and is a sign that you should contact a certified arborist for assistance.
2. Decay fungus. Have you noticed circular fungi growing outward on your trees? This formation is called a conch; it is a woody mushroom that signifies that there is decay inside the tree. You may also find decay fungi growing on the ground immediately below a tree. In either case, call us. Our arborists can track down the decay and suggest appropriate responses.
3. Strong Joints. A tree joint is the place where a branch meets the trunk. Keep an eye out for cracks in the joints; weakness in joints often precipitates falling limbs. This is especially key for multiple-stem trees with more than one leader. A narrow angle of connection between adjacent branches, with a crack extending below the joint, is especially indicative of a weak joint. It’s better to take care of any joint weaknesses early, so that you still have the option to thin the tree or add a support cable (rather than cut the whole tree down because it is so unstable and likely to fall in a storm).
4. Sprouts. If a tree is in distress, it will often put out new sprouts at the trunk base, or from wounds. An arborist should be called in to detect what is stressing a sprouting tree.
5. Cracks and Splits anywhere in a tree suggest weakness. Moreover, these indentations allow moisture into the tree, which can eventually lead to rot.
6. Dead branches, which could come crashing down in high winds and otherwise stormy conditions.

Once your assessment is done, consider adding mulch as protection. Create a ring of wood chips, at a depth of 2-4 inches, extending in a two foot radius away from the base of the tree, leaving a slight mulch-free gap around the trunk. Mulch helps prevent soil compaction and root suffocation.

We do not recommend that homeowners attempt to prune trees at this time of year. While we understand your desire to clean up after storms, improper pruning can cause significant damage. As Paul Ries, Oregon Department of Forestry urban forester explains, “It’s often the case that more trees become damaged as a result of improper post-storm activities, than were damaged directly by a storm.” Correct pruning can improve tree health; incorrect pruning breeds tree disease. Contact a professional for any pruning concerns you may have. As trees are dormant in the winter month, pruning can be accomplished effectively, and with minimal damage to surrounding plants (which are also dormant).

January is also part of planting season, although most gardeners will be spending this time planning for the spring. Before tree planting, Portland residents should:

• Consider space availability. Ensure enough room for the mature tree’s crown and root system.
• Check for overhead hazards, such as utility lines. Also double check that the tree won’t be growing downward into underground obstructions.
• Note surrounding soil conditions. Different tree species will prefer sandy, clay-heavy, or well-drained soils.
• Think about Water Availability. Will there be enough water to keep the tree healthy? Think about how you will water the tree if the spot you’ve chosen doesn’t stay moist naturally.
• Select Species According to your Goals. What functions should the tree provide? Are you looking for shade, wind protection, or an enchanting scent? Your preferences will be the main factors in tree selection.

Contact the Experts of Winter Tree Care in Portland

If you’re considering planting a new tree, or you’re concerned that your tree may be sick, contact your local Portland arborists for expert advice. Look for experienced, established professionals. Oftentimes, “doorknockers,” who go from door to door peddling tree services, lack knowledge on proper tree care. Such inexperienced, unlicensed, and uninsured Portland tree services may actually cause serious damage to your trees, through “topping” and other careless pruning approaches. At Urban Forest Pro, our arborists are fully certified and insured. We know that your trees are important to you, and also checking the health of your trees during the winter. We use the best equipment and materials in order to ensure that our job is professional and reliable. At Urban Forest Pro, you can be positive that you are truly in the hands of a qualified expert. Call us today for Portland tree services.

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com

Happy New Year and best of luck to you in 2015 from Urban Forest Pros! Each ISA-certified arborist within our ranks is thrilled to help create a greener urban environment. To show our gratitude to the Portland community, we wrapped up 2014 with a donation of 100 native trees to Friends of Trees. This is our way of saying thank you to our Portland tree service customers.

For those who aren’t familiar with Friends of Trees, we’d like to introduce this exceptional organization. The mission of this Portland- and Eugene-based non-profit is to bring people together to plant new trees and care for the green spaces that we all share. Friends of Trees was founded in 1989 and since them they have planted nearly a half million trees and native plants as a 501C3 nonprofit.

Through Friends of Trees’ Neighborhood Trees program, homeowners can purchase discounted trees to plant in their neighborhoods. Friends of Trees also maintains a Green Space Initiative, in which crew leaders guide volunteers at weekend planting events. The aim of these weekend planting events is to restore urban green spaces. Every Portland arborist we know lights up when Friends of Trees is mentioned. Their Portland tree planting signs are well known to Rose City residents.

The 100 native trees we donated are planted at the Collins Sanctuary. Located next to Forest Park, the Collins Sanctuary is owned by Metro and maintained by the Audubon Society of Portland. Friends of Trees as planted more than 5,600 native shrubs and trees in the sanctuary over the last five years.

Donate and Help. Once again, happy holidays from all of us at Urban Forest Pros! We wish you and yours a peaceful and productive 2015. If you are interested in learning more about Friends of Trees, or helping them with a donation of money or time, you can visit them online at FriendsOfTrees.org. You may also purchase tree planting gifts through Friends of Trees’ gift tree dedication program.

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com

When to Do It & What to Do With Extra Fruit

In this article we discuss why December and January are the ideal months for fruit tree pruning. Read on for fruit tree-pruning tips, including whom to contact for tree pruning services. We also discuss a common conundrum for fruit tree owners: What to do with extra fruit.

Why Prune Fruit Trees in the Winter? Annual pruning is important for all fruit trees. Winter is the best season for pruning fruit trees, because this is when they are dormant. During the cold months, the plant is in an inactive state, storing up energy for the following growth cycle. Energy gathered from summer sunlight is stored in the tree’s roots. At the end of the branches, new buds are starting to form for the next growth and fruiting cycle. Winter is well suited for training branches to grow into the shape of your choice; removing water sprouts (branches growing straight up); and eliminating crossed branches.

DIY Fruit Tree Pruning Tips. You may have heard that tree trimming is best left to professionals. This is generally true, but as Portland tree pruning experts, we consider fruit tree pruning accessible for most homeowners.

Safety First. Of course, you should always prioritize safety first when pruning. Working at height is rife with fall hazards. Assuming you’re following safety precautions, it’s empowering to learn how to properly prune and train your fruit trees.

Here are some useful fruit tree pruning tips for those in the DIY crowd:

1. Use the Right Tools. Of course, pruning requires a set of decent pruning shears, as well as a sharpening stone to keep the blade sharp. You may also want a quality pair of two-handed loppers (AKA brush cutters), and a pruning saw. Expect to pay between $100 and $250 in total for these three items. Additionally, you might need to purchase a pruning ladder to access upper branches.
2. Understand the Basics of Pruning. Hormones dictate plant growth, so understanding the flow and cycle of these hormones is paramount to understanding how your cuts will affect plant growth down the road. With experience, you’ll get a feel for the art and science of pruning, as you anticipate how the tree reacts to your cuts. This is the expertise that our certified arborists have spent decades honing. The basics, for beginners to keep in mind, follow.

You’ll definitely want to prune away diseased and dying branches. Crossed limbs should also be removed. Next, cut away water sprouts and suckers, which grow near the base of the trunk, from the roots, or at the top of the tree. Finally, imagine throwing a cat through the tree. It may sound crazy, but this visual is a good rule of thumb to remember how much to prune away. You can also visualize where you want the tree to look like in five years, and remove branches that don’t fit that vision. Such pruning will help to open the center of the tree to improve air circulation and sunlight absorption.

Proper Portland tree pruning is all about cutting into the branch in a purposeful way. Avoid cutting into the branch collar, a swollen, wrinkled area that forms where the branch and trunk meet. This is where the tree heals from a cut. To prevent heavy branches from breaking (and inviting disease) use three cuts: 
a) Place the blade about an inch above the branch collar on the underside of the branch you wish to remove.
b) Cut all the way across the branch, cutting from the topside of the branch down, with the blade just beyond the first cut you made.
c) Finally, cut away the nub, slicing off the section remaining above the branch collar.

3. Know your limits. Even with a good pruning ladder (the three-legged variety), pruning at the top of the ladder can be scary, risky, and downright dangerous. Don’t exceed your limits. If the situation feels unsafe, than it’s probably best to call a licensed and bonded professional who carries their own insurance.

What to do with Extra Fruit. Excess fruit can be a hassle to deal with. If you simply cannot use or harvest all the fruit your tree produces, there is a solution: the Portland Fruit Tree Project. This inspirational non-profit group registers Portland nut and fruit trees, harvests their crops, and distributes the proceeds to those in need. We are happy to help the Portland Fruit Tree Project harvest thousands of pounds of fruits and nuts per year. The Portland Fruit Tree Project also hosts hands-on workshops to teach homeowners about tree care and preservation.

How Urban Forest Pro can Help. We wish you the best of luck as you learn more about winter pruning and fruit tree care in general. If you have any questions, or would like a check up for your fruit trees, we would love to help. Contact us today to schedule a visit from a one of our certified arborists.

This post first appeared on https://www.urbanforestprofessionals.com