Category Archives: Tree Timmers Springfield MO

Avoid Removing Healthy Trees

One of the most frustrating things that we see in the tree business is when we hear about trees that have been declared “rotten” by someone who does not know what they are talking about. Even worse is when it is proclaimed to be a hazard by a tree removal guy with a vested interest in selling a job. Removing healthy trees does a disservice to your yard and your pocketbook.

We’ve seen our competitors cut down some of the nicest young pin oaks in the area. Pin oaks often develop with very round canopies, sort of an “O” shape, although they should be more of an upright “A” shape for most of their life. We’ve seen trees with a strong central leader, or main trunk, with branches that were clearly branches, as opposed to multiple competing scaffolds and stems just as large as the main trunk. Trees that were 70 feet tall with a two foot thick trunk with a very pronounced flare at the interface between the ground and the tree. In other words, trees that are very nicely structured and very healthy.

To make matters worse, the companies that are removing these perfectly healthy trees are nowhere near compliant with current safety standards. Even the most basic things like wearing hard hats. One time, we finally decided to stop by after the fact to ask the homeowner about their former tree. And we found out that their landscaper and the tree guy they recommended declared the tree to be possibly rotten, because one of them saw an ant walking around on the tree last year. The mere presence of an ant is in no way indicative of a rotten tree. Also, the tree owner liked the tree. She almost called them to cancel the job the night before. It’s too bad she didn’t. The trunk was perfectly sound. No decay, or rot to be seen.

It’s OK though, the job was done really cheap. Although it was still money that the homeowner would probably had rather kept.

The moral to the story is that it pays in so many ways to call a consulting arborist before having work done on your tree. In this case the savings would have amounted to hundreds of dollars and the tree could have been preserved.

Real Customer Service at All About Trees

Where has the customer service gone in tree service nowadays?

Watch the video below on our customer service abilities.

We have noticed a common theme when we have answered the phones in our office. In today’s world of technology and instant email responses, we have found that customers are excited to actually talk to real people. Not just a computer or voicemail system.

Now we are a busy company and sometimes both of the lines in our office are busy, but the difference with our company is that if you leave us a voicemail, you’ll actually hear back from us in a timely manner. And, in addition, you will always be greeted with a friendly voice. That is real customer service.

Our tree service company looks forward to talking to you about your trees and will schedule one of our real live certified arborists to come and meet with you face to face. You can view a list of our certified arborists at the following page: https://allabouttrees.com/about-arborist-springfield-mo/certified-arborists-springfield-mo/

However, All About Trees is flexible. If you want someone to swing by and look at your trees and email you an estimate, we can do that. We can even print you a physical copy of your estimate in our truck if you wish. If you want us to make recommendations for the most appropriate plan of action for your trees, we would love to do that.

Let All About Trees show you our brand of great service as we care for Springfield’s Urban Forest, one tree at a time.

Is Tree Removal Right For You?

The decision surrounding tree removal can be a difficult one. Sometimes a tree can be saved, but unfortunately other times it needs to be removed. This can depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to tree vitality, tree location in the yard, possible damage to the tree, and/or tree type. Here at All About Trees, we pride ourselves on being able to accurately help the customer make an informed decision for their trees.

Crane assisted silver maple removal

Watch the video for more information on tree removal.

Transcript for video:

When is it time to cut down a tree? If you know Noel, then you know he hates to be the undertaker when it comes to cutting down trees.

Yet, you also know that he hates to see someone waste time and money on a tree that’s become more of a liability than an asset.

The biggest reason we have tree removal is that it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place. Every week we are called to remove what could have been a marvelous tree, except it was planted too close to the house, or the power lines or the driveway or other structures.

So let’s always think about the future when we talk about your trees and address the questions that matter in the long run.

“Will this tree work in this spot?”

“Will it be likely to cause damage to my property?”

“Can we direct the growth away from the house now while it’s young or would we be better off to just remove it and plant the tree that really belongs here?”

Answering these questions before prescribing tree work will lead us to a healthier, safer, and more beautiful urban forest.

[End of Transcript]

If you are interested in removing a Bradford pear from your yard, you can learn more here.

Trees Can Grow Around Obstacles

Trees Grow Around Objects

You need to be careful about where you decide to plant a tree. As it grows, it can even grow around obstacles over time. Thankfully, however, a tree cannot crack a house foundation unless a crack was already present.

Trees are often planted close to fences and other solid objects. This will be fine for many years until the tree trunk gets increasingly larger. Because a tree can’t move its roots other than by growing new ones, it has no choice but to grow around solid objects. And a tree cannot avoid adding more wood to its stem; it needs to do so to grow taller and older. The trees’ cell division and growth are always ongoing, similar to nearly every organism on Earth. Plant tissue can flow around, engulf and bind to foreign objects, with an end result that is quite strong. Trees on unstable slopes can even curve in order to continue growing straight and optimize access to sunlight.

It is essentially stress avoidance as the plant grows in directions that avoid deficits of moisture or light, temperature extremes, going around mechanical obstructions, and areas of low porosity. Trees will take the path of least resistance available to them. The tree roots are covered in small hairs that are able to detect whether or not a tree can continue growing in a direction. According to ScienceDaily, “A protein at the tip of root hairs called RHD2 produces free radicals that stimulate the uptake of calcium from the soil. Calcium then stimulates the activity of RHD2, producing more free radicals and further uptake of calcium. When an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another location and direction.” In this way, tree roots are able to detect obstacles and maneuver around them.

tree growing around golf ball

The wrong species in the wrong place can damage human-built structures by forcing them aside, rather than moving around them.

We occasionally come across some unusual items when performing a tree service for one of our customers. The power of nature over time is pretty incredible.

bicycle in tree

References:

Norwich BioScience Institutes. “How Roots Find A Route Around Obstacles In The Soil.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 March 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228143543.htm>.