Advice from A Year Round Tree Expert

A Year Round Tree Expert Company Inc. (License #000197) wishes you a safe Memorial Day!

You can locate A Year Round Tree Expert Company on The Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/tree_expert_search.asp.

DNR Tips on Choosing a Licensed Tree Expert:

1. Ask to see the Tree Expert License. All licensed Tree Experts have a three-digit card that verifies their status.

2. Ask for proof of insurance, both personal and property damage insurance, as well as workmen’s compensation insurance.

3. Ask for references. As with any good business, they should be able to provide references on similar work to what you are requesting.

4. Get an estimate in writing.

5. Be wary of individuals who solicit business door-to-door. A licensed Tree Expert must have a address of record and other contact information filed with the Department of Natural Resources. If something were to go wrong with an individual appearing to offer lower costs for tree care services, it might be dificult to find them after the fact.

Earth Day is a very special holiday to us because it celebrates the life of trees, along with all of the other wonders that Mother Nature has created. Millions of people recognize and celebrate the day by planting new trees or making pledges to live more environmentally conscious lives! Now that is a great holiday!!

Happy Arbor Day Marylanders! It’s interesting that each state is slightly different, as they each celebrate this special day on a date of their own choosing (although the majority will celebrate their Arbor Day within the month of April). Maryland is always the first Wednesday in April and we celebrate our state tree, which is the White Oak!

Despite its name, it is not common to find a White Oak with white bark; it is usually gray in color. They are a very broad tree and are often as wide as they are tall. They are one the the first hardwoods of eastern North America and are known to have lived over 600 years. The oldest and largest white oak in the United States stood for more than 460 years in Wye Mills, Maryland and was called the Wye Oak. The Wye Oak was the honaray state tree of Maryland but was destroyed by a thunderstorm in 2002.

Trees that are positioned too closely to your house or other structures, or are high in maintenance due to growth may be candidates for a plant hormone called Growth Regulator.

Growth Regulator is designed to gently slow the growth of trees while improving their health. Application is done through a soil injection when the ground is not frozen or saturated. The treatment is absorbed by the tree roots and uses redirection of the tree’s energy to regulate growth.

I have tried this product on my own Leyland Cyprus and received positive results. If you want to slow the growth of your trees yet maintain their natural shape this is the answer. It reduces the speed of growth by about 30% and even more so for other species. The cost is about the same as pruning but has additional health benefits for the trees. Give me a call if you would like more information about the effect on different tree species and a price quote!

- Steve Martin, owner of A Year Round Tree Expert Company
410-335-8675

Source: A Year Round Tree Expert Company

Like many of you, we were excited to hear about the “Super Moon”. Scientists say that because the moon’s orbit was closer to the Earth than normal that it appeared bigger and brighter… giving it it’s super name! We stayed up to look for it last night, and yes it looked brighter and bigger but maybe all the hype made us a little disapointed with what we actually saw. Luckily  our local TV station WBAL had a good view and captured this spectacular image of the moon through the trees!

Meet Steve Martin (no, not the actor!), but the professional arborist and owner of A Year Round Tree Expert Company, located in Baltimore, MD!

Steve holds a Forestry Degree from Penn State University and has been licensed and in business in Maryland since 1980.  The company is fully insured, which means it does not only carry general liability insurance to protect your property (AYRTE has an excellent safety record!) but it also carries workers compensation insurance for all of its employees. The crew are proud employees of AYRTE and not subcontractors, which translates to happy clients as well! And one of the biggest things that the company has to brag about itself is its great and long-standing clients!

In order to maintain the status of Tree Expert you must provide proper training and certification and be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources. You can locate A Year Round Tree Expert Company on The Department of Natural Resources website at:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/tree_expert_search.asp .

A Year Round Tree Expert Company, Inc. Credentials

Maryland Tree Expert License# 000197

Pesticide Business License# 908

Pest Control Applicator Certificate# 908-7327

Maryland Arborist Association Member

Tree Care Industry Association Member

The National Christmas tree, a 42-foot Colorado Blue Spruce that was planted in 1978, fell because of strong winds today. The winds reached a reported 50 miles an hour and snapped the trunk of the tree in half.

The tree came from a farm in Pennslvania during the Carter administration.

The tree came from the Myers family farm outside of York, Pennsylvania, the Park Service said. “The tree had been planted and watered by the Myers’ grandchildren. When the tree was 6 years old it had been planted in the Myers’ front yard as a Mother’s Day gift for Mrs. Myers. After discussions with the NPS horticulturists, the Myers agreed to let the tree go to become the nation’s Christmas tree.”

Just this past Christmas the Obama adminstration made an environmentally-friendly change and used LED lights that  that were had a green tinge.

It’ll be interesting to us in the tree-biz to see what is planted or goes up next year to take the place of this special tree.

Sources:

http://www.tinygreenbubble.com/eco/environmental/item/1572-national-christmas-tree-falls-in-wind

A Year Round Tree Expert Company Inc. (License #000197) has been licensed since 1980, in addition Owner and Professional Arborist Steve Martin holds a Forestry Degree from Penn State University. We are fully insured, which means that we not only carry general liability insurance to protect your property (we have an excellent safety record!) but we also carry workers compensation insurance on all of our employees. Our crews are proud employees of A Year Round Tree Expert Company and not subcontractors. You can locate A Year Round Tree Expert Company on The Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/tree_expert_search.asp.

DNR Tips on Choosing a Licensed Tree Expert:

1. Ask to see their Tree Expert license. Any Licensed Tree Expert will carry a card that contains their three-digit Expert number and verifies their status as being licensed. Call DNR if you are not satisfied with the answer you receive, the Department maintains a complete list of Licensed Tree Experts.

2. Ask for proof of insurance. A Licensed Tree Expert will have personal and property damage insurance, as well as worker’s compensation insurance.

3. Ask for references. Find out where the company or person has done work similar to work you are requesting. Don’t hesitate to check references or visit other sites where the company or individual has done tree work.

4. Get an estimate in writing. Licensed Tree Experts are required to enter into a written contract with a client. Be sure to read the contract carefully and make sure it includes information on when the work will be started and completed, who is responsible for clean-up, the total price and an hourly rate if more work needs to be done.

5. Be wary of individuals who solicit business door-to-door. While these individuals may appear to be offering lower costs for tree care services, be assured it’s no bargain. A person soliciting business door-to-door will often give a cell phone number and no other means of contact, thereby making it difficult to find them should a problem arise. Licensed Tree Experts must have an address of record and other contact info on file with the Department.

We have talked about pruning and fertilizing during the fall to prepare trees for winter. Now that it is here, here are a few more tips to help your trees make it through the season!

Don’t forget to water your trees. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? All trees benefit getting through the extreme cold and high winds with moist roots as opposed to dry ones. Also, when the temperatures drop there is little water in the air and Evergreen trees will loose the moisture in their needles quickly.

Get rid of yard debris and deadwood. Leaves and branches lying on the ground can have insects and diseases that will infect your trees when the weather warms in the spring. Wood that is dead is brittle and breaks easily under high wind and snow conditions. Check if your trees are leaning or have broken and cracked branches and have them removed by a professional tree service before they fall on something or someone during a winter storm.

Have a small or thin-barked tree? Wrap  its trunk because it is more susceptible to frost damage.  Common thin-barked trees are Ash, Maple and Linden. Remove the trunk wrap with the start of spring so that moisture is not trapped.

Sources:

http://www.truecaretreeservice.com/tree-service-blog/?p=396

http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/5432

Local: The Maryland Festival of Trees for the Kennedy Krieger Institute broke its attendance record. The event, which began in 1990, had more than 45,000 people in attendance (5,000 more than last year) and showcased more than 600 Christmas trees.

Regional: A 40-foot Colorado Blue Spruce brought in from PA will be the National Christmas Tree in DC this year. The lighting will be this Thursday, Dec. 9th at 5 p.m.

National: The festive Mistletoe, another holiday symbol, is really a parasitic plant that grows on the branches and trunks of trees.

National: Now we can be environmentally conscious after death too! Here’s a link to a “sustainable coffin“.

Sources:

http://timonium.patch.com/articles/festival-of-trees-breaks-attendance-record

http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-baltimore/the-national-christmas-tree-lighting-is-just-one-week-away

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_3d74993a-259b-5236-b86e-e8ba86898fb4.html

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/rest-with-peace-of-mind-in-an-eco-friendly-coffin.php