Arborists are often called tree surgeons because their business bears a resemblance to how a doctor works on people. In the industry, however, the two labels would never be used interchangeably! Despite their title, tree surgeons do not have the same training or knowledge as certified arborists. The difference will show in the quality of the work.
In Ontario, the leaves begin changing colour in mid-to-late September and into October. While we often take them for granted while they’re here, the window to enjoy this seasonal foliage is pretty small. Here are some great places in the province to make the most out of this short time of year!
Sometimes a tree is beyond helping and it needs to be removed. Before tackling the job (and after determining it really is dead), a good arborist makes a plan. This is an important step in keeping everyone safe and preventing property damage.
The work of an arborist takes them high in the branches, and they get up there with rigs and ladders while carrying sharp tools. How a tree is removed depends on the tree’s location, size, and type!
Trees are major parts of landscaping, and they provide much-needed ornamentation to your property. Some trees give shade, some have a great colour to accent the flowers you’ve planted, and some provide the perfect amount of flow to your landscaping plans. But have you thought about which species are edible trees?
You can easily have trees that are both beautiful and tasty, making your landscape an edible one!
In the construction world, trees are often thought of as building material at best, a nuisance to be cut down at worst. But necessity is the mother of invention, and when a tree is too beautiful to remove (or it’s protected by law, depending on where you are), there are ways builders and arborists can help the two sides come together. Trees and buildings can coexist!
Pruning is an important part of tree maintenance. When done correctly, you can control the shape of the tree, keep its growth at a healthy rate, and reduce the dead weigh caused by broken or diseased branches (among many other things). But pruning can’t just be done whenever the mood strikes. Once you’ve figured out why you have to prune, it’s very important that you prune at the right time!
Despite what you might think, leaves don’t change colour and fall off just so you have an extra chore in the fall. The changes in the amount of sunlight, due to both shorter days and a lower sun, combined with colder temperatures to tell the trees that it’s time to go dormant. As they begin their long winter’s nap, one of the first things to slow down is the chlorophyll-making process that gives leaves their green colour. But there’s a lot more science to this story!
Gardeners and arborists are usually pretty patient people, but there can be some disagreement as to whether or not pruning and planting can be done in summer. It’s tricky, because the growing season is in full-swing, and a lot of home gardeners worry about harming their trees long-term by pruning and planting when the trees are using the most energy.
Like so many other questions in life, it’s a pretty grey area! Under certain circumstances, trees can be pruned and planted at any time of the year, but it’s not the same as pruning and planting in the other seasons. How should you act in summer?
Removing a tree doesn’t end when you’ve cut it down. In fact, that’s often the easy part! The tree stump is something that gives a lot of homeowners headaches, as getting it out of the ground can be a real pain. To avoid removing a tree stump, some people will try and plant around it, others will try and ignore it.
However, the question isn’t how you should live with a tree stump, but rather should you live with a tree stump in the first place? Our answer is no! You shouldn’t leave a stump. The presence of one on your property could attract pests, repel potential home buyers, and tick off neighbours. Here’s why!
It won’t be long until the trees begin to come out of their dormancy and start to bud with leaves, blossoms, and new growth. However, coming out of this long winter’s nap leaves them (no pun intended) very susceptible to fungal infections, many of which start in the bark. These infections can spread to the entire body, and without proper care these trees can lose their leaves, fruit, and limbs as they slowly die.
Fungal diseases in the bark are fairly easy for trained arborists to deal with, but the sooner they are caught, the better! Here are the big five fungal diseases we cope with in Ontario and what you should do to prevent them from harming your tree.