Three Davey arborists share some of their most unique on-the-job stories they've experienced as an arborist. In this episode we cover: Wendy Austin's story (0:38) Connor Clark's story (7:43) Miles Stephen's story (15:48) To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code. To learn about career opportunities at Davey, visit jobs.davey.com . Connect with Davey Tree on social media: Twitter: @DaveyTree Facebook: @DaveyTree Instagram: @daveytree YouTube: Th...
Dec 30, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Chris Heim from Davey's Atlanta office talks about the importance of recycling your Christmas tree after the holidays, the different ways you can do this and a program in Georgia he's been involved with that turns recycled Christmas trees into mulch for the community. Chris also talks about how he's cared for historical trees in Georgia and what his favorite one is. In this episode we cover: Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation - Bring One for the Chipper (0:50) Tree recylcing options (2:08) What k...
Dec 23, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Joe Oszust from Davey's Albany, New York, office shares what signs arborists look for on trees to avoid damage from winter storms and help make sure they stay healthy all winter long. He also shares some of favorite and least favorite trees for the landscape. In this episode we cover: What does a sales arborist do? (0:47) Safety and tree health (1:16) Time of year (2:16) Deadwood (2:53) Cracks (3:54) Freezing rain and snow (4:29) Decay (5:26) Mushrooms (6:11) Prevent trees from falling (8:17) Be...
Dec 16, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Jason Gaskill from Davey's Wilmington, Delaware, office talks about the benefits of planning your garden in the winter and what you should be doing now to help your trees be happy and healthy come spring. In this episode we cover: Planting season (0:53) Discounted trees (1:48) Planting smaller trees (3:32) Underrated trees Jason loves (3:49) Pruning (6:06) Fruiting bodies (8:38) Looking for a planting spot - right tree, right place (10:08) Planning early gives you more time (11:38) Stewartia (13...
Dec 09, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Lou Meyer, business developer for Davey's mid-Atlantic region, shares all of his advice on how to correctly and safely hang outdoor lights on your trees this holiday season, as well as some gift ideas for a special tree lover in your life. In this episode we cover: Putting lights on trees safely (0:50) Outdoor safe lights (1:35) Extension cord and electric tape (3:15) Can you keep lights on all year? 4:33) How to correctly put lights on the tree (6:04) Staple gun? (7:35) Formula for how many lig...
Dec 02, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Tom Beshoar from Davey's St. Louis office talks about all the reasons to be thankful for trees this Thanksgiving season. You'll learn about some underappreciated tree species, tree benefits and the reasons Tom is thankful for trees in his own life. In this episode we cover: How Tom got started in arboriculture (1:09) Beauty (2:27) Underappreciated tree species (2:55) Oxygen & water run off (5:45) Spending time in the forest (7:22) Fall color (8:05) Ginkgo (10:44) Sweetgum (12:42) Creating sh...
Nov 25, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 46
R.J. Laverne, Manager of Education and Training at the Davey Institute, talks about the difference between caring for a live Christmas tree versus a cut one, as well as how to care for them once they are in your homes. In this episode we cover: Live Christmas trees - what to consider (1:08) Cut trees from a nursery (7:21) Christmas tree industry (9:12) Benefits trees offer while they are growing (11:03) Tree recycling (11:50) Keeping the tree fresh inside (12:14) Trees that lose their needles qu...
Nov 18, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Luke Werner from Davey's North Pittsburgh shares his top favorite trees and shrubs that provide great winter interest, such as exfoliating bark, fruit color and unique branch structures. In this episode we cover: Saluting Branches podcast episode (0:42) Winter interest (1:24) Exfoliating bark (2:23) Stewartia tree (3:04) Kousa dogwood (5:33) Paperbark maple and paper birch (6:27) Persistent fruit on trees (6:52) Winter king hawthorn (7:01) Crabapple (8:22) Affection homeowners have for their tre...
Nov 11, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Jay Maize from Davey's Northwest Seattle office talks about what should be on your tree care checklist this winter to make sure your landscape is ready to take on the cold! In this episode we cover: Winter in Seattle (0:40) Checking the canopy (1:17) Fertilization (2:45) Raking leaves (4:49) Watering (5:11) Rain in Seattle (5:50) Pruning, cabling and bracing (7:13) How Jay started his job and why he enjoys it (7:51) Benefit of catching a problem early on (8:55) Norfolk pine (9:48) Pruning trees ...
Nov 04, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Brian Sieber from Davey's Cincinnati office talks about the dreaded zombie trees! What are they, what kind of damage can they cause and how can you cure and avoid them? In this episode we cover: What are zombie trees (1:00) Root problems (2:33) Construction damage (3:04) Poor tree architecture (3:40) Can a zombie tree be cured? (4:19) Free consultations (5:34) Satisfaction of helping a tree (6:01) Cabling (7:22) How Brian started his job (8:15) Fertilizing (9:06) Raking leaves (10:44) Hemlock wo...
Oct 28, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Chelsi Abbott, technical advisor for the Davey Institute, talks about the scientific benefits nature has on our health, how to create these healing spaces on your own properties and how to gain the benefits of nature from public spaces. In this episode we cover: What being a technical advisor means (1:00) What is a healing garden? (1:37) How to make your own and what to incorporate (2:30) Forest bathing - what is it? (5:35) Ecotherapy certification (6:33) Taking time outside (8:08) Grey weather ...
Oct 21, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Chuck Leavell, keyboardist and musical director for The Rolling Stones, is also an environmentalist focused on sustainable forestry, and he sits down to talk about how he came to love trees and why they're important. Listen to learn about a fellow tree steward who loves trees as much as us! In this episode we cover: How Chuck found his way to forestry (1:03) Feeling a connection to the woods (4:58) Why he started the "The Tree Man" documentary (5:54) Gardening (7:09) Visiting Paris, The City of ...
Oct 14, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Chris Plante from Davey's Portland, Maine, office shares some of his tree planting secrets so you'll be prepared to plant trees properly this fall! In this episode we cover: Think about where you want to plant (0:49) Planting too deep and trees from a nursery (1:28) (2:49) Why you shouldn't plant where a stump was (2:10) Should you plant a smaller tree or larger one? (4:48) Planting season in Maine (5:15) Chris' favorite trees to plant in Maine's climate (5:52) How to spot hemlock woolly adelgid...
Oct 07, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Dan Blazer from Davey's Southwest Milwaukee office shares six salt tolerant trees that are a good idea to plant near roadways, as well as which trees he does not recommended planting near roadways where there is heavy salt traffic. Dan talks about how you can start preparing for winter now by getting these trees planted this fall. In this episode we cover: Trees and salt (0:51) Salt tolerant trees - plant these near roadways (2:00) Hybrid elms - princeton and triumph (2:09) Kentucky coffeetree (...
Sep 30, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Amanda Pipes from Davey's Calgary, Alberta, office talks about the benefits of our forests, how you can help keep them healthy and the benefits of teaching others about trees. In this episode we cover: Benefits of trees (1:28) How forests benefit wildlife (2:09) Wildfires (3:02) Drought and what you can do (3:50) Flood control (6:44) Cleaning the soil (7:13) Amanda's favorite trees for Calgary's climate (7:31) Weather changes and what trees to plant (9:13) Chinook (10:18) How Amanda started her ...
Sep 23, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Travis Vickerson from Chippers, Inc., a Davey company, talks about his favorite trees with beautiful fall colors, why your trees might not be losing their leaves and much more to help you learn something new about fall and the trees on your property. In this episode we cover: Why do leaves change color? (0:59) Sugar maples and syrup (2:55) Fall foliage this year (3:56) Trees with great fall color (4:43) Tree structure (6:06) Why is your tree not dropping its leaves? (7:01) Trees with unique bark...
Sep 16, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Eric Foley from Maier Tree & Lawn, a Davey company, in Rochester, Minnesota, talks about the volunteer work he and other arborists across the country do for Saluting Branches, a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring our veterans by doing tree work on veteran cemeteries. In this episode we cover: What is Saluting Branches ? (0:44) Work arborists do on the properties (2:36) Pausing during work (3:23) Why this work is important to Eric (4:12) How Eric started his job in ...
Sep 09, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Nick St. Sauveur from Cortese Tree Specialists in Knoxville, Tennessee, shares his top favorite trees for Eastern U.S. climates just in time to help you prepare for planting season this fall! In this episode we cover: #1 Favorite tree - Katsura (0:54) #2 Favorite tree - Sourwood (4:12) Natives (6:16) #3 Favorite tree - American smoke tree (7:39) Right tree, right place (8:48) Trees for full sun (10:18) #4 Favorite tree - Black tupelo (10:51) Nick's advice on planting (13:52) To find your local D...
Sep 02, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Michael Sundberg from Davey's South Denver office shares his top favorite trees for Western U.S. climates just in time to help you prepare for planting season this fall! In this episode we cover: Planting season in Western U.S. (0:54) How Michael started working in arboriculture (1:25) What has this summer been link in Denver? (2:07) #1 Favorite tree - Bristlecone pine (2:43) #2 Favorite tree - Sugar maple (3:52) Fall planting (5:32) Biggest mistakes when planting a tree (6:32) #3 Favorite tree ...
Aug 26, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Dick Till from Davey's South Pittsburgh office is joined with Ann Talarek, horticulturalist at the historic Fallingwater house, as they discuss the important work arborists do on historic properties. The Fallingwater house was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s and is considered a National Historical Landmark. In this episode we cover: Ann's job at Fallingwater (1:02) Dick's job working with Fallingwater (2:57) (15:06) Hemlock woolly adelaide (3:55) Famous plants at Fallingwat...
Aug 19, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Jake MacDougall from Davey's South Minneapolis office talks about how to care for your trees during and after a drought, as well as how to prepare them for another one to ensure your trees stay healthy and strong after the hot, dry summer. Jake also talks about his job as an arborist and how the team stays safe while on the job. In this episode we cover: Drought tolerant trees (1:00) Ideal time to plant a tree to prepare for a drought (1:41) Watering your tree properly (2:31) (7:24) Knowing when...
Aug 12, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Adam Baker, technical advisor for the Davey Institute, talks all about pollinators, such as how trees support them, why it's beneficial to plant trees and plants for pollinators and which trees and plants he recommends based off his scientific research. In this episode we cover: How do trees help pollinators? (1:21) Trees Adam would recommend (2:46) Adam's research (4:08) (9:00) End of the season and what monarch butterflies need (7:04) Bees (11:23) The importance of attracting pollinators (14:0...
Aug 05, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Josh Lapacz, former Davey intern and now crew leader at Davey's North Minneapolis office, and Sierra McCoy, intern at the same office, talk about how they found their way to jobs in arboriculture and what internships are like at Davey. In this episode we cover: How Josh became interested in arboriculture (0:55) How Sierra became interested in arboriculture (2:02) What internships in arboriculture are like at Davey (2:38) Learning how to climb (4:16) How do you decide which area of arboriculture ...
Jul 29, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Josh Van Kemp from Davey's Toronto East office shares his tree tips when buying a new house or selling your current one. Josh shares his list of trees to not plant on your property, trees he recommends planting, best trees for privacy and some potential red flags to keep an eye out for. In this episode we cover: Positives and negatives of having mature trees (0:40) Free consultations (3:51) Pesticide and fungicide (5:07) Knowing if a big tree is too close to the foundation (6:24) Planting a new,...
Jul 22, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Dan Herms, vice president of research and development for the Davey Institute, talks about how climate change will affect your property, such as the trees you plan to plant, what pests you may start or stop seeing, and how hardiness zones are being affected across the country. In this episode we cover: When Dan realized something was changing (0:49) Changes Dan has seen (2:30) Hardiness zones (3:16) Increased forest productivity (4:01) Winners and losers (4:37) Affects on pests (6:05) Mitigating...
Jul 15, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, talks all about how to get the best lawn to celebrate Smart Irrigation month this July. In part two, Zane talks about what the proper height your lawn should be depending on where you live, fertilization and aeration, and how to use the right lawn tools the right way. In this episode we cover: Soil (0:53) Top dressing (2:21) Proper height (4:17) Using the right tools the right way (7:48) Sharpening your blades (9:53) Fert...
Jul 08, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, talks all about how to get the best lawn to celebrate Smart Irrigation month this July. In part one, Zane talks about species of grass, irrigation mistakes and best practices, and more. In this episode we cover: Knowing your expectations? (1:46) Species of grass (4:06) Creating a sustainable landscape (10:23) Most common problem - no top soil (11:18) Best time of day to water (13:51) How often and how much? (17:36) Using ...
Jul 01, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Ben Wasielewski from Davey's Orlando office talks all about tree dangers you should be careful of, such as how trimmers and lawn mowers can be dangerous to tree bark. In this episode we cover: String trimmers (0:36) Mulch rings and proper way to mulch (2:12) Lawn mowers (3:50) How to let a tree heal from mower and trimmer damage (4:17) Bark tracing (5:05) Pruning damage and tree topping (6:25) Pruning during hurricane season (9:25) Tree inspection (10:46) Fertilizer and products to watch (12:24)...
Jun 24, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Gail Nozal from Davey Resource Group talks about how to identify trees on your property, as well as how to identify trees that are stressed and on the decline. In this episode we cover: Arborists identifying trees and Dichotomous Key (0:40) Many apps to use (1:57) (read our tree identification blog for specific apps) What is the Davey Resource Group? (2:48) Tree diversity (3:22) Signs of a tree on the decline (6:03) Turning brown from the bottom up (7:58) How Gail started her job and what her fa...
Jun 17, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Dash Schenck from Davey's Portland, Oregon, office continues sharing some of the top 10 mistakes he has seen homeowners make with their trees. Be sure you don't repeat these same mistakes on your own properties! In this episode we cover: Cutting roots (0:42) Annual pruning (3:29) Starting projects you can't finish (6:14) Construction damage (11:02) Volcano mulch (13:23) Fertilizer (15:29) How Dash started his job (16:54) To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to ...
Jun 10, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 22
