Being smack in the middle of January, you are probably not going to be using your pool anytime soon. However, enhancing your home is a common New Year’s Resolution. One way to boost function and curb appeal is with a poolside tree.

Should You Plant a Poolside Tree?

Beyond the visual aesthetics, a tree adjacent to a pool can be quite beneficial. It provides natural shade on a cloudless sunny day. However, with the benefit also comes some concerns. First, there is the risk of falling debris that may include individual leaves, twigs, and even whole branches. An even bigger concern are the roots. Tree species with an extensive root system can extend far below the soil and damage the pool liner or concrete. Tree removal may be necessary if you have a tree known for growing deep roots.

Best Poolside Trees

1. Spruce: these trees grow fairly quickly and produce thick foliage that nicely blocks out the view of prying eyes. Despite producing a lot of needles, they remain effectively intact, so no need to worry that one might shed needles into the pool.
2. Acacias: This species require little water. The roots, therefore, won’t gravitate towards a water source and damage the pool lining and surrounding concrete. Plus, they seldom shed their leaves.
3. Windmill Palms: Windmill palms can grow in containers, making them easily transportable. They are a favorite for poolside landscaping and can be moved indoors come winter. Like spruces and acacias, they seldom shed their leaves. 

We Care for Poolside Trees

Our tree service includes maintenance of trees located near residential pools. Furthermore, our emergency tree service can respond to incidences, such as the tree collapsing into the pool. Call Pro-Cut Tree Service for routine maintenance of your poolside tree.

Poolside Tree Maintenance

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Proper tree pruning is integral for long-term tree health. Most homeowners schedule tree maintenance in spring or summer as part of their general lawn care efforts. However, winter tree pruning is actually recommended. Here’s why this season is best.

Tree Dormancy

Most tree species go dormant during winter. During this time there is no new growth. This is beneficial because growth is hampered by cold temperatures. With winter pruning, the tree will have ample time to heal and be ready for vibrant growth by spring. 

Prevent Diseases

Most insect species are inactive during winter, thus reducing the risk of damage from pests and diseases. The area where the tree was cut is especially prone to bug and mold intrusion. The primary cause of tree removal is often due to premature death from pest and disease. 

Common tree diseases active during the previous summer and following spring include oak wilt, Dutch elm, and cedar hawthorn rust. The bacteria and parasites that spread these diseases are dead or dormant during winter.

More Efficient Assessment

Most tree species haver fewer leaves during when they’re dormant. This makes it easier for an arborist to identify the tree’s existing structure and diseased branches. Dying branches are prone to giving way especially if weighed down by accumulating frost and snow.

A tree full of twigs and leaves is more difficult to assess even for a trained tree care provider.

More Efficient Pruning

The soil freezes in winter, providing a solid surface for heavy equipment, which may be necessary when handling heavier branches. Heavy equipment resting on soft soil during the warmer seasons can cause compaction and damage your landscape.

We Perform Winter Pruning

Winter pruning may offset situations that may warrant emergency tree service. Contact Pro-Cut Tree Service while winter is still young. Winter pruning readies the tree for new growth while offsetting infection and disease.

Wintertime Tree Pruning

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Storms are not uncommon in the Lake Stevens area. Wind gusts can be powerful enough to knock down weakened trees. If a tree falls on my property, what is the correct course of action? What do I do in the aftermath?

Call Tree Removal Service

If a tree has fallen on your property, you are responsible for calling emergency tree services. This applies even if the tree was on your neighbor’s property and fell over to your side. Basically, the owner of the property where the fallen tree now lies is responsible, not the original tree owner. In other words, if a neighbor’s tree falls on your house or car, they have zero liability.

Call Your Insurance

If a tree has fallen on your property and caused damage, call your home insurance provider and open a claim. Damage from a falling tree is considered an act of God and is usually covered by insurance. The city may also bear some of the costs for property damage if the tree was in a public space. 

In any case, the rules regarding who pays for what can be complex. Next, call a tree removal service; let the insurance sort out the costs and other logistics.

Get a Permit

Most homeowners are unaware that most cities require a permit for removing a tree and/or replanting a new one. We handle the permits if one is required. Be absolutely sure you understand the permit requirements to avoid hefty fines from the city.

When a Tree Falls on Your Property, Give Us a Call

Call Pro-Cut Tree Service if a tree comes down and is now resting on your property. Our tree service handles all aspects, from physical removal to the logistics with the city. If a tree falls on your property, focus first on the removal.

Speedy Emergency Tree Removal

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Homeowners often call for emergency tree service after a storm to remove a fallen tree. However, depending on the extent of damage, not every damaged tree needs to be removed. You may be able to salvage it via a tree crown restoration.

The Truth About Tree Removal

Many homeowners elect to remove a tree after a storm if it sustained minimal damage. The reason is that they fear a future storm could completely knock the tree down and cause significant property damage. However, an assessment from a tree care service usually reveals that removal is unnecessary. 

What Is a Tree Crown Restoration?

In a tree crown restoration, the damaged tree is pruned of loose and partially broken branches. This restores the crown to a more robust and solid structure. Proper pruning helps the tree recover and fosters new growth. The main goal of a crown restoration is to reduce the number of exposed branches because these leave a tree vulnerable to infection or stunted growth. 

With proper pruning, branches can regrow and be less susceptible to breakage in the future. Crown restoration is also done in cases where a tree was previously damaged by improper pruning.

When Is a Crown Restoration Possible?

An inspection can determine when a tree is salvageable and when tree removal is the only recourse. An arborist will examine the following factors to determine a tree’s viability for a restoration:

• Existing defects that may influence future limb failure
• The tree’s vigor in relation to its age
• The species of the tree. Some species are more easily damaged by extreme weather. Soft maple trees, for example, are especially prone to storm damage.

We Restore and Remove Trees

Did a storm just pass by your city? Call Pro-Cut Tree Service to arrange for a professional to examine your tree and its post-storm condition. We will assess the tree’s health and determine whether a tree crown restoration is a realistic option.

Tree Crown Restoration and Removal

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

The Lake Stevens area receives a fair amount of rain. Sometimes, this results in flooding and puddling water. This can be detrimental for a tree if you happen to have one on your property. The effects of flooding on a tree are serious and can lead to a plethora of problems.

How Floods Harm Trees

When soil is flooded, its nitrogen levels diminish drastically. Contrary to belief, this isn’t because the nitrogen gets washed out. What really happens is that in a flood, the tree roots can’t take in oxygen. When this occurs, the tree turns to a survival mechanism where it begins taking in nitrogen from the soil. A tree in survival mode can consume all of the nitrogen in the soil around it within an hour or two.

What Does This Mean Long-Term?

Since the tree sucked up all the nitrogen, it has none left for later use. A lack of nitrogen can lead to discolored leaves, low chlorophyll production, stunted growth, and eventually death. In fact, we often find ourselves removing trees—both residential and public—not long after a flood. For trees that produce fruit and/or flowers, expect poor production.

Prevention Measures

You can’t stop a flood, but you can protect your tree from one. We recommend hiring professional tree care because the work requires commercial equipment. An arborist can pump nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil at high pressure using a spray rig. This method is known as deep root fertilization. This method also expands the soil, thereby allowing it to absorb more oxygen after a flood.

We Reverse the Effects of Flooding on Trees

Our emergency tree care can respond after harsh weather that results in flash flooding. Call Pro-Cut Tree Service if water is pooling around your tree. The effects of flooding on a tree can be devastating; take action to keep the tree healthy.

Tree Preservation and Preventive Care

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Arbor Day is at the end of April. This is a vastly overlooked holiday that flies under most people’s radar. To celebrate this day, we suggest that homeowners, schools, and landowners plant a tree on their property. Not only will you boost curb appeal this way, but you’ll also help out the environment.

How Trees Help the Environment

Let’s look at the ways that trees contribute to mother nature. First, the soil absorbs water and reduces severity of floods during heavy rainfall. They also cool the earth by filtering carbon dioxide from the air. CO2 and other greenhouse gas removal is especially beneficial in urban areas like Snohomish County.

Here are some other fun facts. A single adult canopy tree can produce enough oxygen to sustain two human adults. An entire forest of trees can store three times the amount of CO2 contained in the planet’s atmosphere.

Sad but True Facts

The planet needs more trees. Since the dawn of civilization, humans have already decimated roughly half of the tree population. Every year, humans cut down about 50,000 square miles of trees. For reference, that is enough trees to cover the entire state of Alabama.

Also Be Sure to Remove Trees

Instances do exist, though, when a tree needs to be cut down. Just because a tree is beneficial doesn’t mean you should keep a tree that’s no longer structurally sound. A dead tree has none of the aforementioned environmental benefits. Remove the tree and prepare the way for a new sapling in its spot. Our emergency tree service can remove trees that are dead, dying, or damaged from a storm.

We Can Help You Plant a Tree

Contact Pro-Cut Tree Service this Arbor Day to plant a tree. Our tree care service can help you maintain the tree from sapling to adult. Plant a tree and contribute to our one and only planet, Earth.

Tree Planting and Maintenance

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Kick off spring with some beautiful new shrubbery. Some homeowners go a step further by planting a tree or by removing a tree to clear room for a new one. You should, however, be careful about your choice. We outline some trees not to select or plant due to maintenance difficulties.

1. Black Walnut

Black walnuts are extremely problematic. Their roots produce a chemical that prevents vegetation growth in the surrounding soil. On top of that, the tree also produces tennis ball-sized fruit shells. Discarding these is a nuisance.

2. Bradford Pear

The Bradford Pear is renowned for its beautiful white flowers in spring. However, the flowers are also notorious for producing an unpleasant fish-like odor. The flowers also release rapidly and leave a mess all over your yard. In addition, the tree is known to split at the trunk for no reason. Continue Reading →

We bet you didn’t know that salt is hazardous for tree health. With winter here, the roads are lined with road salt to improve road traction. Unfortunately, some of it can make its way into your yard. In this article you’ll find out how salt damages a tree and what you can do to minimize the effect.

How Does Salt Damage Trees?

Salt can leach into the soil, which negatively impacts the root’s ability to absorb water, minerals, and other nutrients. Our emergency tree care often goes to trees that show signs of dehydration and malnutrition. We suspect a number of these cases are due in part to salt exposure.

Signs of Salt Damage

• Browning of leaves and needles
• Diminished leaf growth the following spring
• The leaves begin dropping well before fall
• Twig and leaf dieback, or deterioration starting from the tips
• All aforementioned signs appear on the side of the tree facing the road

Some or all of these signs are apparent when we remove dead trees. This is evidence that salt exposure has negative consequences.

Trees Vulnerable to Salt Damage

Some tree species are more susceptible than others. These species are especially prone to salt damage:

• Douglas fir
• Red and sugar maple
• Eastern hemlock
• Boxwood
• Black walnut

By contrast, the species below exhibit far better tolerance:

• Mugo pine
• Juniper
• Blue spruce
• Paper birch
• Northern red oak

Keep this in mind if you’re planning to plant a tree and your property happens to be adjacent to a city street.

For existing trees, apply mulch, which acts as a barrier and prevents the salt from leaching into the soil.

We Safeguard Trees from Salt

Our tree care service takes measures to mitigate the accumulative effects of salt exposure. Give Pro-Cut Tree Service a call if your tree is close to a road. Tree damage from salt is all too commonplace in winter.

Tree Protection from Harsh Natural Elements

Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area

Most trees are resilient enough to withstand natural elements, including harsh winters. Nevertheless, some trees may experience signs of wear or injury. One common problem during the cold season is frost cracks. Learn what these are and how to recognize them.

What Are Frost Cracks?

Despite its name, a frost crack isn’t actually due to frost. It’s due to exposure to sudden temperature fluctuations. In this sense, winter frost plays a role, though it’s not the sole cause.

Frost cracks are common during cold sunny days. The afternoon sun causes the bark, and the wood underneath it, to expand. When the temperature drops at night, the bark cools and shrinks back down faster than the wood. This causes a vertical crack as the bark splits over the wood that remains expanded.

Implications of Frost Cracks

Frost cracks are rarely detrimental. In most cases, the tree self-heals by forming a scab over the crack. However, larger cracks may expose an opening for boring insects and fungus. While emergency tree service is usually not necessary, homeowners should err on the side of caution and enlist a tree care specialist. An arborist can determine whether remediation is necessary. Continue Reading →

The fir tree is what most people commonly refer to as a Christmas tree. Some homeowners also plant these trees on their property. This gives the home’s exterior a nice alpine look. If you go this route, it’s helpful to know the ins and outs of fir tree care and maintenance.

When to Plant Fir Trees

If planting a bare-root or balled fir tree, start in fall or winter. Before planting, rehydrate the tree for several hours by soaking the base of the trunk in a bucket of water.

If planting a container-grown fir tree, then you can plant anytime of the year. However, we advise against doing so during periods of excessive heat or drought. Unsurprisingly, we remove dead trees a lot more often during dry spells. Also, choose to plant in an area with adequate shade and away from direct sunlight. Continue Reading →