Category Archives: Tree Trimming Springfield MO

Crown Restoration Pruning

Crown restoration is pruning conducted on topped or damaged trees over time. Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice.

Topping can lead to unacceptable risk. New sprouts readily grow to replace lost foliage. Sprouts provide the means to restore energy reserves in the living wood inside the tree and to grow a new crown. However, sprouts can become weakly attached and can break if not managed correctly. Crown restoration pruning helps prevent this by guiding growth and selectively pruning sprouts and branches to produce structurally strong architecture.

Pruning a tree is not the same as “cutting limbs”. An educated, experienced tree pruner only removes limbs for specific reasons. Some reasons to prune a tree might include dead limbs, broken limbs, crossing/interfering limbs, or limbs that are encroaching on structures or wires. Most trees do not need to be “shaped”, or cut to a symmetrical shape. Tree “topping” is an antiquated practice, that involves tree cutting the canopy back to a small size, and forcing the tree to re-sprout to survive, and is generally a bad idea. Deciding which limbs to prune off is only half the battle. It is very important that each limb is pruned at the appropriate place, with the appropriate tool, using the right technique, and at the proper time of year. An ISA Certified Arborist has been trained in pruning trees the right way, and All About Trees has Certified Arborists on the crews, actually doing the work.

All About Trees is a locally owned, full-service tree care company in Springfield MO serving a 20-mile radius around the Springfield area. We offer many services, including tree pruning and trimming, tree removal, planting, stump grinding, cabling and bracing, shrub trimming, and consultation.

Our owner, Noel Boyer, is an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Board Certified Master Arborist, the highest credential awarded to a tree care specialist. Noel calls himself “the tree hugging owner” of All About Trees because he loves your trees as much as you do. Noel is also a tree climbing champion, winning the Midwestern Tree Climbing Championship 7 times!

All About Trees is a different kind of tree service. We prune to ANSI A300 pruning standards, and our crews are run by ISA Certified Arborists. We spend a lot of time and money on education and training for our crew, so we can stay at the leading edge of today’s standards for caring for your valuable trees. Our uniformed crews are completely covered by property damage and liability insurance, as well as worker’s compensation to protect our customers from potential liabilities or litigation. Our office is staffed by helpful and friendly managers ready to assist in scheduling your estimates and tree work.

All About Trees is caring for Springfield’s urban forest, one tree at a time.

Spring Tree Planting Selection and Placement

Punxsutawney Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter. However, that hasn’t stopped us from getting excited thinking about Spring Planting! In order to have a happy healthy tree it is best to put plenty of thought into tree selection and placement. Our friends over at Tree are Good provide detailed educational brochures to help tree owners understand best management practices and to promote a greater awareness of the benefits that trees provide in our communities. The following article was taken from their tree selection pamplet. You can find it at: http://treesaregood.org/treecare/resources/TreeSelection.pdf

Tree Selection and Placement

Understand important issues in selecting a tree for planting, such as the tree’s intended function, location, common pests, geographic regions and hardiness zones, and considerations for best placement alternatives.

Tree selection and placement are two of the most important decisions a homeowner makes when landscaping a new home or replacing a tree. Many trees have the potential to outlive those who plant them, so the impact of this decision can last a lifetime. Matching the tree to the site benefits both the tree and the homeowner.

One of the most common tree care questions is: “Which kind of tree should I plant?” Before this question can be answered, a number of factors need to be considered:

• Why is the tree being planted? What functions will it serve?
• Is a small, medium, or large tree best suited for the location and available space? Do overhead or belowground utilities preclude planting a large, growing tree — or any tree at all? What clearance is needed for sidewalks, patios, or driveways?
• What are the soil conditions? Is enough soil available of sufficient quality to support mature tree growth?
• How will necessary maintenance be provided? Will someone water, fertilize, and prune the tree as needed after planting?

Answering these and other questions can help you choose the “right tree for the right place.”

Tree Function

Large, healthy trees increase property values and make outdoor surroundings more pleasant. A deciduous shade tree that loses leaves in fall provides cooling relief from summer’s heat while allowing the winter sun to warm a home. An ornamental tree displays beautiful flowers, leaves, bark, or fruit. Evergreens with dense, persistent foliage can provide a windbreak or a screen for privacy. A tree or shrub that produces fruit can provide food for the owner or wildlife. Street trees decrease the glare from pavement, reduce runoff, filter out pollutants, and add oxygen to the air we breathe. Street trees also improve the overall appearance and quality of life in a city or neighborhood.

Form and Size

A basic principle of modern architecture is “form follows function.” Selecting the right form (shape) to complement the desired function (what you want the tree to do) can significantly reduce maintenance costs and increase the tree’s value in the landscape. In addition, mature tree size determines the level of benefits received. Larger trees typically provide the greatest economic and environmental returns.

Depending on site restrictions, you can choose from hundreds of form and size combinations. A low, spreading tree may be planted under overhead utility lines. A narrow, columnar evergreen may provide a screen between two buildings. Large, vase-shaped trees can create an arbor over a driveway or city street.

Site Conditions

Selecting a tree that will thrive in a given set of site conditions is the key to long-term tree survival and reduced maintenance. Consider the following when selecting a tree:

• soil conditions
• exposure (sun and wind)
• drainage
• space constraints
• hardiness zone
• human activity
• insect and disease susceptibility

Soil Conditions

In dense urban areas and new subdivisions, soil is often disturbed, shallow, compacted, and subject to drought. Most trees will suffer in these conditions without additional care. An arborist can take soil samples from your yard to test for texture, fertility, salinity, and pH (alkalinity or acidity). These tests can be used to determine which trees are suited for your property and may include recommendations for improving poor soil conditions

Exposure

The amount of sunlight available will affect tree and shrub species selection for a particular location. Most woody plants require full sunlight for proper growth and flowering. Some do well in, or even prefer, light shade; however, few species perform well in dense shade. Wind exposure is also a consideration. Wind can dry out soils, damage tree crowns, and uproot newly planted trees. Special maintenance, such as staking or more frequent watering, may be necessary to establish young trees on windy sites

Drainage

Tree roots require oxygen to develop and thrive. Poor drainage limits oxygen availability to the roots and may ultimately kill the tree. If drainage is an issue on your property, ask a local arborist about what can be done to correct the problem.

Hardiness

Hardiness is the plant’s ability to survive in the extreme temperatures of the particular geographic region in which you are planting the tree. Plants can be cold hardy, heat tolerant, or both. Most plant reference books provide a map of hardiness zone ranges. Check with your local garden center for the hardiness information for your region.

Space Constraints

Many different factors can limit the planting space available to the tree: overhead or underground utilities, pavement, buildings, other trees, visibility. The list goes on and on. Make sure there is adequate room for the tree you select to grow to maturity, both above and below ground.

Human Activity

Often an overlooked aspect of tree selection, the reality is that the top five causes of tree death result from things people do. Soil compaction, underwatering, overwatering, vandalism, and the number one cause — planting the wrong tree — account for more tree deaths than all insect- and disease-related tree deaths combined.

Pest Problems

Every plant has its particular pest problems, and the severity varies geographically. These pests may or may not be life threatening to the plant, but selecting trees resistant to pest problems specific to your area is the best choice. Your local ISA Certified Arborist, tree consultant, or extension agent can direct you to information relevant to problem species for your location.

Species Selection

Personal preferences and site constraints play major roles in the selection process. Taking into consideration the factors listed above, you can help ensure the tree you plant grows and functions as desired. Remember, the beautiful, mature specimen trees you see in historic neighborhoods and in landscape photography would never have reached their full potential if planted in improperly matched sites.

©2011 (1998, 2004) International Society of Arboriculture. Developed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a non-profit organization supporting tree care research around the world and dedicated to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees. For further information, contact: ISA, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129, USA. E-mail inquiries: isa@isa-arbor.com

Wood Recycling – Springfield, MO

Wood Recycling in Springfield MO

Wood is one of the most valuable recyclable materials because it can be transformed into a wide variety of secondary products. All About Trees has a 100% recycle policy on our wood waste from tree removal and tree trimming. We are happy to give away our wood chips to people who can use them, if they have a convenient place to dump a truck full of them. Many of our chips are donated and used in the local tree nurseries.

Many tree services dump their wood and brush into a pile and burn it to dispose of it. At All About Trees, our logs and brush from tree pruning and tree removals are hauled to a site where they are ground into mulch or compost.

This practice costs more in transportation and disposal fees, but we feel the satisfaction of knowing that our wood waste will continue to be used in a practical and environmentally friendly way, and will eventually break down into biological matter.

Recently, we started an exciting new way to recycle wood. We cut down a bunch of old Oak trees and used our new mill to turn those Oak logs into something useful. When we got done we left our customers with a large pile of freshly milled Oak lumber.

Reuse and Recycle!

Structural Pruning Young Trees

Structural pruning is a type of pruning typically performed on young to middle-aged trees. The objective is to create a strong and healthy structure so that trees are sturdier under wind and less prone to failures. Structural pruning helps trees live full and useful lives.

https://www.facebook.com/allabouttreesmo/videos/10154517304268509/

Earlier this week, Noel lead a crew at Drury University and decided to use the job site as a chance to teach us all some tree knowledge and give us a view from the sky! Thank you, Noel!

As you can see in the video above, the crew’s work for the day consisted of hazard pruning some big older trees and structural pruning some younger trees. Jacob, one of our arborists, climbed a Maple tree to reduce co-dominate leads. He also worked out a Willow Oak. The Willow Oak had 3 leads competing for the top. Structural pruning helps eliminate this issue. Noel climbed a Willow Oak as well. He structurally pruned the tree to create one dominant leader. There used to be 6 leads! In order to make the remaining lead boss, Noel reduced the other 5 leads. These co-dominate issues should have been taken care of years ago. Noel also climbed an old Sweet Gum tree that was encroaching into the Willow Oak. The goal was to make a little more room for the next generation of trees.

There are three basic steps to developing and maintaining a dominant leader. The first step is to identify the stem that will make the best dominant trunk. It should be in the center of the crown, and free of cracks, openings, mechanical damage, large pruning wounds, cankers, or other defects that could compromise its strength. The second step is to identify the stems and branches that are competing with this stem. The last step is to remove competing stems and branches back to the trunk, or subordinate by shortening them with a reduction cut. Be sure to remove branches that are clustered together and growing from the same point on the trunk. Ideally, only one large branch grows from one position on the trunk.

Our arborists have years of experience and can help determine if any of your young trees need structural pruning. Call us at (417)863-6214 for a free estimate!

NEVER Pre-Pay for Tree Work!

NEVER pre-pay for tree work of any kind! I just can’t believe that this is the 4th or 5th story to make the news this year on people getting ripped off by fly-by-night tree service companies in Springfield. At All About Trees, we strongly recommend to never pre-pay for tree work. With nearly all of our jobs, we require payment upon completion of the work. Be wary of any tree care company that requires pre-payment.

Click here to read an example:
http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Cut-and-Run-Tree-trim-service-leaves-Springfield-homeowners-with-brush-piles-407674365.html

Why Hire an Arborist:
An arborist is an individual trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. Arborists are knowledgeable about the needs of trees and are trained and equipped to provide proper care. Hiring a tree doctor is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Proper tree care is an investment that can lead to substantial returns. Well-cared-for trees are attractive and can add considerable value to your property. Poorly maintained trees can be a significant liability, as they are prone to breakage, disease, and failure. This can lead to significant property damage in the event of a storm. Pruning or removing trees, especially large trees, can be dangerous work. Tree work should be done only by those trained and equipped to work safely in trees!

We have two ISA Board Certified Master Arborists, as well as seven Certified Arborists. We will be able to get your tree work done safely and efficiently, to improve the quality of your yard.

To view a full list of our services, please go to https://allabouttrees.com/tree-services-tree-trimmers-springfield-mo/

If you would like to schedule an estimate, please give the office a call at 417-863-6214. If you miss us, please leave us a detailed voicemail message with your name, address, phone number, email, and tree concerns. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Bradford Pear Removal

Field of invasive Bradford pears

When people ask me what to do about their overgrown Bradford pears, I always say, “Cut it down and put a better tree here!”. Here are some of the reasons why:

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/life/2016/12/12/bradford-pear-next-worst-thing-since-kudzu/95344290/http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/regional/bradford-pear-the-next-worst-thing-since-kudzu/37045711

Bradford pears, also called Callery pears, are an invasive species within the United States. They were introduced from China and Vietnam in 1964 as a fast-growing ornamental species. Due to this, they were quickly adopted by landscapers and gardeners. However, what they did not know at the time is that Bradford pears are incredibly invasive. After decades of widespread planting of this tree, we are still feeling the effects. The pears strangle out native trees and plant life, which is devastating to the ecosystem.

This is why we recommend removal of Bradford pear trees if at all possible.

If you would like to know more about our tree removal services, click here.

Phone:
417-863-6214
Hours
Mon – Fri: 8am – 4pm

Selecting Native Trees for Missouri

Many homeowners are discovering the benefits of planting native trees and plants. Native plants include all kinds of plants from mosses and ferns to wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. Native plants occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without direct or indirect human intervention. Restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. There are also many other reasons to embrace the use of Missouri’s wonderful native plants.

A Few Examples of Native Plant Benefits:

Supports native animals: birds, bats, possums, bees and snails and other wildlife!
Improves water quality.
Prevents soil erosion.
Provides clean fresh air.
Secures our food resources: around one-third of our food comes from plants that rely on native pollinators such as insects!
Native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions, they require far less water, saving time, money, and perhaps the most valuable natural resource, water.

Local native plants have adapted over a long period of time to the specific conditions here in Missouri. They are best adapted to grow in these local conditions and will be more likely to thrive than plants from a different region.

Native Trees for Missouri Landscapes:

Red Cedar
Short-leaf Pine
Boxelder
Red Maple
Silver Maple
Sugar Maple
Ohio Buckeye
Pawpaw
River Birch
American Hornbeam
Hardy Pecan
Shellbark Hickory
American Chestnut
Catalpa
Sugarberry
Hackberry
Fringe Tree
Yellowwood
Flowering Dogwood
Cockspur Thorn
Washington Hawthorn
Green Hawthorn
Persimmon
Honey Locust
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Black Walnut
Sweet Gum
Tulip Tree
Osage Orange
Cucumber Magnolia Tree
Red Mulberry
Black Gum
Eastern Hop Hornbeam
American Sycamore
Eastern Cottonwood
Wild Plum
Black Cherry
White Oak
Swamp White Oak
Shingle Oak
Bur Oak
Pin Oak
Willow Oak
Red Oak
Post Oak
Black Locust
Sassafras
Bald Cypress
American Linden
American Elm

For more information on native trees visit www.missouribotanicalgarden.org or www.grownative.org

All About Trees is caring for Springfield’s urban forest, one tree at a time.

Tree Planting – How To Care For Your New Tree

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR NEW TREE:

Water the tree, slowly, and deeply. It’s best to let water trickle very slowly onto the tree roots, so it doesn’t create a puddle. Let a hose drip at the lowest setting for an hour, or use a 5-gallon bucket with small nail holes in the bottom. Make sure the soil is moist, but not saturated. Once a week is plenty in the winter, but you may have to water more in the summer or periods of drought.
Keep the tree pit or tree lawn tidy. Ongoing: remove weeds, grass, and debris from the base of the tree. Annually: Gently loosen the soil to allow more water and oxygen to penetrate through the top three inches of soil. This is where most of the tree’s root hairs are and how the tree absorbs water and nutrients.
Mulch your tree. Newly planted trees need to be mulched. If it washes or blows away, add mulch. Cover the tree planting area with a couple inches of mulch, as wide as the outer dripline, if possible. Remember not to pile mulch against the trunk; expose the trunk root flare. This prevents moisture and insects from accumulating around the bark.
Keep dogs and cats from relieving themselves in the tree pit, if possible. Dog and cat urine and feces are very alkaline and can harm roots.
DON’T feed your newly planted tree or fertilize during a drought. Forcing a water-stressed tree to grow will only cause further stress. Also, granular chemical fertilizer is a salt that could dehydrate the tree.
DON’T prune heavily except to remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches. Removing more than one third of healthy branches will substantially weaken the tree. Never “top” your tree!
Protect the tree. You may want to install tree pit guards, bollards, or other obstacles to keep your tree from being damaged by car doors, bicycles, dogs, etc. Trunk wounds can invite disease and weaken the tree.

Now that you know how to care for your new tree, you’ll be able to enjoy your tree for years to come! If you are having difficulty with your new tree, please give us a call at 417-863-6214 to set up an estimate. We would be more than happy to help you take proper care of your trees! We are a tree service, after all. To view a full list of our services, please visit https://allabouttrees.com/tree-services-tree-trimmers-springfield-mo/

For even more information on how to care for your new tree, please visit https://www.arborday.org/trees/tips/

Our Most Valuable Asset

We were recently asked what our most valuable asset is as a tree service company. This was meant to be a trick question. Our mind first went to our physical assets: trucks and equipment. But we knew that wasn’t the right answer. Our next thought was our reputation, that we have worked hard and fought for, for so many years. But that wasn’t the right answer, either.

The biggest asset in our tree service company, and many other successful companies, is our people. Our team. Our work family.

We are proud to have nine Certified Arborists in our company. Men and women who love trees and really care about making the best decisions for our customers’ trees. We are proud to spend many of our weekends together as a work family, going to tree climbing competitions, or just hanging out at the river.

When All About Trees is caring for your part of Springfield’s urban forest, we hope you will take the time to meet our most valuable asset.

To view a list of our certified arborists on staff, please visit https://allabouttrees.com/about-arborist-springfield-mo/certified-arborists-springfield-mo/

Leave us a review! http://goo.gl/9trWh6

To schedule an estimate, please give the office a call at 417-863-6214. If you miss us, please leave us a detailed voicemail message with your name, address, phone number, email, and tree concerns. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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.