RECAP - CW 12/2025

Talking Trees with Lillian Jadd . Welcome to this week's recap . On Monday we presented a profile of Dr Andrew Hirons , an expert in arboriculture . Tuesday's study examined the forces acting on anchor points during SRT ascents . Wednesday , we explored the use and optimization of compost tea in agriculture .

Welcome back everyone to the Deep Dive . You know , this week we're trying something a little different . We're going to be diving into last week's Talking Trees episodes , yeah , and we're going to be focusing on those really choice nuggets of information that we think are really relevant for you as professional arborists .

Okay , love it so like a deep dive within a deep dive . Exactly , yeah , a deep dive , deep dive . Yeah , all right , I'm ready when you are .

Okay , so why don't we just jump right in and start with Monday's episode

Oh yeah , I know , dr Hirons .

He is a senior lecturer in arboriculture .

He's great , great A senior lecturer , but he also has a ton of practical experience , like he's not just an academic , you know .

Right .

He's out there in the field doing the work and he's publishing a lot of research on urban forest resilience .

Yeah , he even wrote like a whole guide for choosing trees for green infrastructure projects .

Oh , wow , that's impressive .

It is yeah .

That's a big deal .

It is , you know and I was thinking about that like one of the biggest challenges that that I face as an arborist is choosing the right tree , you know , for a tricky urban spot .

Right . So it's almost like mashing the trees , like inherent resilience to the challenges of the site . Exactly , that's fascinating to me . I like that Like a matchmaking service for trees and cities , right .

Okay , what's next ? Okay , so Tuesday's episode got a little bit more technical . They were talking about the forces that are at play when you're climbing with single rope technique . Single rope technique SRT .

Oh yeah , okay , SRT . Yeah , that can be tricky , for sure .

Yeah , and they actually did an analysis of how different factors like pulleys and rope friction can affect the load distribution on your anchors .

Wow , and that's important when you're talking about safety right , yeah , it is . When you're up there , you're literally hanging in the balance .

Right , and what they found was that the rope friction actually reduces the load on the upper anchor . Huh , Interesting . Yeah , but using a pulley can increase it .

Oh , wow , so it really makes you think about your gear choices .

It does yeah .

And the rope itself . You know they were saying that , like the elasticity of the rope or the lack of it can have a huge impact on the forces you experience during a fall .

Yeah , that's something to consider .

Definitely OK . So what about Wednesday ? What did they talk about on Wednesday

Wednesday , they were talking about compost tea .

Compost tea . Now , is that something that arborists should care about ? I thought that was more of a home gardening kind of thing .

Yeah , I know what you're thinking , but they actually presented some research that's really relevant to what we do .

Interesting Okay , like what ?

So the first study that they looked at was how compost tea can actually help potatoes grow stronger and be more resistant to disease , and they were testing different doses and brewing methods to figure out like what works best . And then the second study that they look at was focused on making compost tea even more potent .

Oh wow , Even better .

Yeah , in terms of the essential nutrients that it provides , you know , like nitrogen , phosphorus and potassium .

Right , and that's where I see the connection for arborists . We're always trying to improve soil health .

Exactly .

So imagine using compost tea to give a boost to some of those struggling street trees that we see , you know , or even to help new plantings get established .

Yeah , it's like giving the soil a probiotic smoothie .

I love that analogy . I'm going to use that .

Yeah .

Okay , so compost tea is on my radar . Now . What else ? What else did they talk

Thursday . They tackled a problem that I think keeps a lot of .

Tell me about it . I feel like I'm always getting calls about that . It's a big issue .

Yeah , and they actually did a deep dive into this classic resource . It's a book called Tree Roots and Buildings .

Okay , I think I've heard of that one .

Yeah , it's packed with information on different tree species and how their root systems can impact structures . And what they emphasized was that a lot of the insights from this book come from actual real world data , from a massive tree root survey .

Oh wow , so it's not just theory . It's actually based on real observations . Exactly . That's good to know . That makes it way more valuable .

Right , and the other thing that I really liked about this book was that it goes beyond just identifying the problem . It actually offers some practical recommendations for prevention and management .

Okay , so it's useful for arborists who are dealing with those kinds of situations .

Yeah , you're dealing with trees in tight urban spaces .

Yeah .

You know which ? Let's face it , we all are Pretty much all of us are these days Then this book sounds like a must read .

Definitely added to my reading list . Okay , so we've got matchmaking trees , compost tea and a book recommendation . I'm liking this deep dive .

All right , so Friday was International Day of Forests .

Oh yeah .

And Talking Trees , celebrated by exploring the Singapore Biodiversity Index .

Okay , I'm not familiar with that one .

Yeah , so this is a tool that cities can use to track their progress on conserving biodiversity , serving Biodiversity . And it looks at everything from native species to ecosystem services and how biodiversity is actually managed .

So it's like a comprehensive assessment tool .

It is , and it includes 28 different indicators 28 .

Wow . They really went all out with this . They did , and they even provide detailed instructions on how to calculate each indicator and where to find the data .

So it's not just a theoretical framework , it's actually a practical guide for cities , right , that's really cool . I mean it's like a roadmap for building a more biodiverse and resilient urban environment .

It is , and it makes you wonder if something like this could be adapted , for you know other cities . Absolutely , maybe even your own city , you know it could be a powerful tool for advocating for the value of trees .

Right and making sure that they're included in any urban planning strategy .

Exactly .

Okay , I'm sold . I have to check out that . Singapore Biodiversity Index .

All right . So , last but not least , saturday's episode took us into the world of tree diseases

Oh scary .

I know , and specifically , they were looking at Pseudomonas syringae . Okay , Pseudomonas syringae .

I've heard of that one . Yeah , it can be a real problem . It can , and they focused on bleeding canker disease in horse chestnut trees Right , which is caused by a particularly nasty strain of Pseudomonas syringae .

Okay , which ones ?

So the first one reported the bacterium's first occurrence in the Czech Republic .

Oh , wow , so it's spreading .

Yeah , the second article reported its first occurrence in Germany .

So it's moving across Europe .

Yeah .

Interesting .

And then the third article was from the UK and it really dug deep into the infectious biology of the disease and how it spreads .

Wow , so they're really getting down to the nitty gritty of this thing .

They are , and they were using some pretty high tech methods to identify the pathogen , like gene sequencing .

Gene sequencing Wow .

I know that's serious stuff .

It is . It's not your grandfather's tree diagnosis anymore Definitely not . So this isn't just about horse chestnuts , then right . This is about staying ahead of the curve on all these emerging tree diseases .

Right . We need to be able to identify them quickly and effectively to protect our urban forests .

Absolutely . I mean early detection is key to preventing outbreaks .

Exactly .

Okay . Well , that was a whirlwind tour of just the first six episodes of Talking Trees .

I know ? Can you believe how much they covered in just one week ?

It's amazing .

Well , that brings us to the end of our Talking Trees marathon

It's been a truly holistic exploration of the world of arboriculture .

It has . So , to all you arborists out there , keep learning , keep exploring and keep sharing your passion for trees with the world .

We'll be back next week with another deep dive into a fascinating topic . Until then , happy tree care . Everyone to a fascinating topic .

Until then , happy tree care everyone . Thank you for joining this week's recap . Today we reviewed profiles and studies spanning arboriculture and urban forestry , from Dr Andrew Hirons' insights and SRT anchoring forces to compost tea optimization , tree root impacts on buildings , the Singapore City Biodiversity Index and bacterial disease in horse chestnut trees .