Fun fact: trees hibernate

Trees go into hibernation the way bears do. This is known as tree dormancy. With winter here, the tree on your property is likely in dormancy right now. We’ll explain this annual process and some tree maintenance you can do to assist in the tree’s health while it’s “asleep.”

How Tree Dormancy Works

Some animals survive in the winter by being more physically active and consuming more food. Others, such as bears, skunks, and snakes, go into a season-long hibernation to conserve energy and slow their metabolism. Trees hibernate for the same reason. This explains why some trees (mainly deciduous species) shed their leaves—leaves need energy to remain green and vibrant. Continue Reading →

Do you know if a tree on your property is dead or on the verge of death? If you verified the tree is beyond salvaging, then you need to start the dead tree removal process ASAP. We’ll explain why a fast removal is required and why a dead tree is a safety risk.

Why Dead Tree Removal in Marysville Is Necessary

An adult mature oak tree weighs around 4,400 pounds. If it were to fall over, it could do significant damage to property and even cause bodily injury. It should be noted that most homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover damage from toppled trees. Such a scenario is considered negligence on the homeowner’s end for failing to remove the tree.

It’s a fact that dead trees are more susceptible to collapsing. This is because the roots stop transporting nutrients to the trunk, vastly weakening the wood. Dead trees may give way during a storm or even collapse from being unable to support its own weight.

Continue Reading →

As a tree removal company, we’re confident that we know a thing or two about Christmas tree care. Since it’s December, we felt it appropriate to share with you some ideas on keeping the tree healthy. This ensures a robust tree that maintains its vitality all December long.

Christmas Tree Care Tips from the Experts

Fir Trees Require a LOT of Water

The tree stand’s basin should be filled with freshwater that’s replenished every 24 hours. The basin should contain one quart of water for every inch of tree diameter. You can improve the tree’s water absorption by drilling a few half-inch holes on the side of the trunk below the water level.

Some tree maintenance services suggest placing some sugar in the water. This will act as a form of artificial sap for the tree to feed on. From our experience, adding sugar doesn’t make a significant difference, though it doesn’t hurt either. Feel free to try it, though plain water works just fine. Continue Reading →

Nutrient beds are a fairly novel concept that’s getting tons of traction in the landscaping community. They are an organic method for immensely improving tree health. We like to think of nutrient beds as mulching 2.0. You’ll know why after reading this post.

Nutrient Beds Explained

Nutrient beds are an organic form of tree maintenance. The beds are comprised of mulching that closely mimics the material found in a natural forest floor. This helps trees survive by holding onto vital nutrients and improving moisture retention.

Often, when we remove a tree, we find it to be in dying health. This is partly due to malnourishment from inadequate mulching. Continue Reading →

Some homeowners like the look of moss. They believe it adds a natural and “outdoorsy” appearance to the lawn. Moss also grows on trees. Is this harmless or a liability for the tree? We’ll give our professional opinion about tree moss dangers and outline whether moss growth is a cause for concern.

Moss Impacts Tree Growth

The Pacific Northwest is quite humid, providing the ideal environment for moss proliferation. Moss in itself is rather harmless. When it grows on a tree, though, it places undue stress on the branches. Moss also absorbs water like a sponge, adding excess weight.

With the added stress, branches are more prone to snapping during heavy storms or high winds. When our emergency tree service tends to broken branches, it’s not unusual for us to find moss covering the branch surface. Continue Reading →

Trees can become ill just like people and animals. Bleeding cankers is one common disease that inflicts Pacific Northwestern trees. Every now and then, our tree removal service spots bleeding cankers on a dead or decaying tree. We inform you about the disease and how to spot the symptoms.

What Are Bleeding Cankers?

Bleeding cankers are a type of tree disease that manifests as lesions that ooze fluid through the bark. The disease is caused by a number of factors, such as bacterial and fungal growth, or tree wounds from burrowing pests or improper pruning. Chestnut trees are especially prone to bleeding cankers, with the lesion usually appearing around the trunk’s base. Willow, beech, maple, and oak trees are also vulnerable to cankers. Continue Reading →

Have a fruit tree on your lawn? The summer is the season to give it extra care to keep disease, insects, and extreme heat at bay. Fruit tree care in the summer isn’t hard; It just requires some adjustments on the homeowner’s end. All too frequently, our tree removal service hauls away decayed fruit trees due to improper summer maintenance.

Water Your Tree

Water your fruit trees deeply and infrequently. This approach is more effective than watering frequently but shallowly. If the tree rests on sandy soil, then water once every one to two weeks. Give enough water for the H2O to sink at least two-feet into the soil. Water every two to three weeks if the tree is planted in clay-based soil. Continue Reading →

Trees can get sunburn much the same way people can. This is known as tree sunscald, and it can be quite harmful. Our tree service recommends protecting your tree from excessive heat rays now that summer is in full swing.

What Is Tree Sunscald?

Sunlight is crucial for tree growth. Too much sun, however, is counterproductive. Also, excessive heat can cause premature damage. Our tree removal service has actually removed dead and dying trees that decayed due to too much sunlight. Vegetable crops, such as tomato and pepper plants, are also prone to sunscald.

Why Sunscald Is Detrimental

Sunscald can damage the bark and cause aesthetic defects. Even worse, it can destroy the bark to the point where the tree’s outermost tissue is exposed. This outermost tissue is known as the cambium layer and is responsible for bark growth. The cambium layer will lose its ability to produce bark if it becomes damaged from exposure. Continue Reading →

Should you be concerned when mushrooms grow on the base of your tree? Well, it depends on the type. Most mushrooms are harmless and are not a cause for alarm. However, we wanted to discuss one species called the honey fungus mushroom. This type is bad news, and you must take remediate action if you spot them on your tree.

The Honey Fungus Mushroom

The honey fungus is known for targeting tree roots and eating away at the wood and bark. This gradually weakens the tree’s base, eventually causing it to give way and topple over. When our emergency tree service removes decaying trees, they often spot signs of honey mushroom growth.

The fungus often grows on oak and birch trees, both of which are typical here in the Lake Stevens region. They also grow around fruit trees and hedge plants. Continue Reading →

You may be tempted to trim the tree in your yard. This seems like a fairly straightforward DIY task. It doesn’t seem overly complex as long as you have a sturdy saw, sheers, and decent upper body strength. However, tree trimming isn’t as simple as you may think. If you trim your own tree, you may be making these three tree pruning mistakes without even realizing it.

1. Incorrect Timing

You shouldn’t prune most tree species in the fall since this is when fungi spread their spores. Improper pruning can leave “wounds” that create an opening for fungus to enter and cause decay and disease.

There are other factors that dictate the timing, such as tree species and reason for pruning. If you want the tree to grow new branches for spring, for instance, then it wouldn’t be advisable to prune in the summer or in the middle of spring. Continue Reading →