Tree Maintenance Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Arborwell Professional Arborists and Tree Care

Tree Trimming Accidents Can Be Prevented by Hiring Trained Tree Care Experts

Written by Jerry White on November 18, 2020.

It may be tempting to trim your own palm trees to save a few bucks. But if you talk to your local fire and rescue team, they’ll be quick to tell you to think twice. Emergency personnel respond to many tree care related incidents annually. So many accidents occur, the California Department of Public Health created a video describing the risks of trimming palm trees, highlighting proper technique. Hiring trained tree care experts is crucial to avoiding palm tree trimming incidents. What typically goes wrong in a DIY palm tree trimming scenario?

accident prevention, tree experts, tree trimming

Fire Safety Techniques for Trees and Plants in the SF Bay Area

Written by Jerry White on October 21, 2020.

With over 4 million acres burned, this year’s historic fire season has been truly terrifying, leading to 31 lives lost, countless forced evacuations and massive property losses. As smoke continues to linger in the air throughout the SF Bay area, this situation has brought the need for fire mitigation measures into stark focus. While preventing all future fires is impossible, essential tree maintenance techniques could offer your business or neighborhood grounds protection, potentially reducing the likelihood and severity of wildfire damage. What fire safety techniques for trees and plants will safeguard your commercial property against fire risk?

fire prevention, tree maintenance

Brush Removal Is More Important Than Ever

Written by Jerry White on September 24, 2020.

Wildfire season is already underway in California. Is your business doing its part to protect itself and the surrounding community? Brush removal is more important than ever. California experiences 78 more fire days today than it did 50 years ago, and statistics for 2020 are already ahead of the curve. One hundred thousand acres have already burned, 72,000 acres more than at this time last season. Proactively managing your green spaces helps reduce the incidence of these megafires, keeping people and property safe.

brush removal, defensible space, firescaping, tree removal

Palm Trees – Regular Maintenance is Crucial

Written by Jerry White on July 21, 2020.

Palm trees are an essential part of the California atmosphere, inspiring daydreams of fun in the sun. Maintaining the good looks of palm trees on your commercial property, however, is anything but a leisurely endeavor. Though routine maintenance is essential for picture-perfect palms, palm tree care is complicated.

Most Palm Tree Species are Not Native to the Area

Despite the many varieties of palm trees in California, only the California fan palm – also known as the desert palm or Washingtonia filifera – is native. All other species are imported. Other non-native species, such as the date palm introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century and other species brought here for palm gardens created by Europeans in the mid 19th century, are non-native, imported into the region as immigrants arrived in the US.

Each Palm Tree Type is Suited to a Certain Climate

There are over 2,500 palm species worldwide. Only 11 are native to North America. They thrive in a range of climates from deserts to rain forests, each requiring specific growing conditions. Imported species, such as Mexican fan palms and Canary Island date palms, often lack essential nutrients common in their native growing environments. These deficiencies make the trees more prone to stress and disease. Even Native California fan palms present unique maintenance challenges in the current California climate. Fan palms need a great deal of water in the soil to thrive, which currently drought-prone regions across the state struggle to provide.

As many native fan palms, planted during regional beautification efforts in the 1930s, reach the end of their 75 to 100-year lifespan, some local governments are no longer replacing the trees. This is partly due to climate-related water shortages, and also to the threat of pests such as the red palm weevil, which are making it difficult for palms to survive. For these reasons, there is a movement toward the re-introduction of native, drought-resistant plants and trees.

Palm Trees Present Many Maintenance Challenges

It may be tempting to tackle routine maintenance tasks yourself, until you consider the height of your trees. Palm tree maintenance is not for the faint of heart, including inexperienced property owners and uninsured lawn care services. Proper care requires a thorough knowledge of arboriculture and safety practices. With help from a trained arborist, you can avoid tree care injuries, alongside issues associated with improper pruning, such as:

Over-trimming that can weaken palms, making them more prone to storm damage
Improper landscaping around palms that can result in mechanical root damage from trimmers
Paving or using rocks around palms, which increases temperatures, burning roots, and reducing water/nutrient absorption
Delayed maintenance that increases fire risk and the risk of injury and damage from falling fronds and trunks
Suffocation by palm fronds due to improper pruning technique (pruning from below) and septic arthritis from palm tree thorn injuries
Excess germination of nuisance palm saplings on your commercial property

Prune your palms properly and safely with help from the Arborwell team. Contact us at to request an estimate for regular palm tree maintenance for your Hayward, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Livermore, Palo Alto, or Walnut Creek property today.

palm trees, tree maintenance, tree wellness

The Role of an Arborist for Commercial Landscaping

Written by Jerry White on June 15, 2020.

There are many facets to caring for the grounds of your commercial property. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with these tasks, from regular maintenance like pruning and irrigation to soil health, and pest and disease control. These areas are where the skills of our San Diego certified arborists shine. What role can an arborist take in caring for your commercial landscaping?

Site Evaluation

Our arborists can evaluate your grounds, compiling an arborist report based on current or planned uses for your property, gathering essential data on:

Tree species and condition
By identifying the type, location, number, and condition of trees on your property, our arborists can recommend a specialized care plan to support each species’ health and lifespan.
Microclimate
Identifying the unique climate of your property, and how it differs from the surrounding area, can help you address tree health issues and select the best plant species for your grounds.
Types of soils on your property
Our team has a thorough understanding of local soil types and how they impact tree health, irrigation, and fertilization needs.
Watering and irrigation
Our San Francisco Peninsula experts know you can save water, manage drought, and improve the health of your trees with proper irrigation.
Fertilizer use
Our knowledgeable arborists can identify fertilizers you’ve used in the past, how they’ve affected your soil, and the need for additional soil amendments.
Pests and diseases
With an expert eye, an arborist can quickly detect ailing trees, recommending proper treatment options.

Learn more about our San Francisco, Oakland, and East Bay area services.

Landscaping Design

Once we’ve gathered essential information on your commercial site, we will enhance your landscape design. Our experienced arborists can help you select and plant trees ideally suited to thrive in the environment on your property. We have a thorough knowledge of tree species, providing you with a variety of noninvasive, native, drought-tolerant options. We can find solutions to enhance privacy, provide shade to reduce cooling costs, serve as a windbreak to reduce heating costs, improve air quality, control erosion on your San Jose area property, and more.

Planning for Long Term Plant Health

With proper care and maintenance, your trees will remain healthy, valuable assets within your landscape. After addressing the immediate needs of your plants, the knowledgeable arborists at our Seattle office will devise a long-term strategy to support the future health and longevity of your trees. Like the healthcare of people, vibrant, flourishing landscapes are the result of small, consistent investments in preventive care, directed by a professional arborist.

Tree Safety and Maintenance

A skilled arborist can quickly identify the safety and maintenance needs of trees on your Sacramento property. Our knowledgeable arborists can help you control property liability ensuring adequate clearance surrounding trees for pedestrians, vehicles, and utilities. We perform regular trimming and pruning to remove damaged, diseased, or dead branches, clean up messy fruit that can pose trip hazards, and identify other potential risks before damage or injury can occur.

Meticulous Care, Unparalleled Services

Our professional arborists are renowned for their technical expertise, attention to detail, and superior customer service skills. We excel in providing tree care solutions that enhance the community while supporting and protecting the environment. Let us help you transform your west coast commercial or residential property, adding value and appeal with beautiful, healthy well-groomed trees.

Proper care of trees is an investment that generates considerable returns. Learn more about the complementary role an arborist can play in your commercial landscaping care program. Schedule a tree assessment, or contact your local San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area, or Seattle Arborwell office to learn more today.

arborist tree care, arborists, certified arborists, isa certified

Proper Watering of Bay Area Landscaping Trees

Written by Jerry White on May 14, 2020.

Droughts are a frequent occurrence in the Bay Area, making care for your landscaping trees a challenge. Your trees provide many benefits, delivering cool shade, improving air quality, controlling water runoff and erosion, and increasing your property value. To safeguard their health and prevent drought conditions from making them vulnerable to pests and diseases, ensuring your trees have the water they need to survive this stressful time is essential.

Large Trees Need Deep Watering At Least 1-2 Times Per Month

Any tree species accustomed to regular watering can experience stress in drought conditions. Water-loving birches, redwoods, and maples are especially at risk. During a drought, you can transition mature trees that have been surrounded by a generous layer of mulch to a regimen of deep water irrigation 1-2 times per month. However, we recommend closely monitoring your trees. When temperatures reach or surpass 95 F, more frequent watering may be necessary.

Tips for Watering Bay Area Landscaping Trees

Look to age and species to determine frequency
Our ISA certified arborists can help you determine the best watering schedule for your trees. Young, newly planted trees require more water than established trees, up to 4 times per week in the summer. Native trees, such as California oaks, need far less water than non-native species, requiring only one or two deep soaks over the summer season.
Install irrigation carefully to avoid trunk rot
Concentrating water at the base of a tree can cause trunk rot. To avoid this and get better root coverage, run your drip line in a spiral from the outer edges of the tree canopy, spiraling toward the trunk. Use a soaker hose or low-flow stream rotator heads, avoiding the use of wasteful sprinklers/sprayers.
Time your watering to minimize waste
When irrigating your commercial property or residential complex, it’s best to water in the early morning or after sunset to minimize water evaporation.
Water to the proper depth
Unlike grass, which has shallow roots, your trees require a deeper soaking. After watering, check the soil beneath trees, verifying it is moist (not soggy) to at least 18 inches deep.

Boost Your Irrigation Efforts with Mulching

Integrating wood chip mulch as part of your drought protocol can be a fantastic aid to your watering efforts, keeping moisture in the soil longer, and reducing water consumption by 10-25%. Adding a thick, 4-6 inch layer around your trees also protects roots from any extremes of cold and heat, as well as reducing the prevalence of weeds and grass that compete for water and nutrients.

Uphold the beauty and value of your property with the proper watering of your Bay Area landscaping trees. Contact Arborwell Professional Tree Management at to request an arborist consultation on your San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Livermore, or Palo Alto property today.

irrigation, mulching, tree health, water

Mature Tree Pruning

Written by Jerry White on April 17, 2020.

Mature Tree Pruning: Essentials for Proper Care

Mature landscape trees require meticulous care to remain healthy, structurally sound, and beautiful. Unfortunately, many well-meaning property owners unknowingly damage established trees, shortening their lifespan with improper tree pruning techniques. Older trees have unique needs. To ensure the optimal health of large trees and maintain the aesthetics and value of your commercial property, it is crucial to learn these mature tree pruning essentials.

Proper Pruning Requires Arborist Expertise

Our arborists perform tree pruning with a thorough understanding of tree biology. We know that each cut impacts and potentially changes the growth of a tree, so no branch should be removed without good reason. Because trees store sugar within their dense crown of leaves, we are also cautious of over-trimming that could rob a tree of nutrient reserves, causing significant stress.

Reasons to Prune Your Landscape Trees

Routine thinning does not necessarily improve tree health. Instead, landscape managers should trim trees to correct existing problems or prevent issues from occurring. When should you prune your large trees?

Aesthetics
Trimming can improve the form and enhance the beauty of your trees.
Cleaning
Removing dead, diseased, or weakly attached branches reduces cleanup on your property and prevents potential damage and injury.
Thinning
Thinning branches can increase the ability of light and air to filter through the tree canopy to the ground below.
Clearance
If your trees do not leave adequate, safe clearance around landscape features such as buildings, walkways, roadways, and electric lines, it is beneficial to trim them.

When to Prune

It is safe to prune the trees on your Sacramento, Peninsula/Los Altos, Palo Alto, Burlingame, Hillsborough, or Redwood City property at any time of the year. However, our certified arborists know that trees heal better following pruning procedures performed before the spring growth flush. We avoid the heavy pruning of trees after this growth because your trees have spent a great deal of energy producing it, and heavy pruning at this time can cause significant stress, particularly in weak trees.

Our knowledgeable team understands that mature trees do not tolerate heavy trimming as well as younger trees, taking care to remove no more than 25% of the crown, or less, depending on age. When making cuts, we are mindful of making clean cuts without damaging bark, while protecting the branch collar, and subsequently, trunk tissue, upholding the tree’s ability to heal and thrive.

When trimming diseased trees, such as those with oak wilt, we know it is best to use caution. Our arborists avoid pruning during active transmission periods when the disease spreads more easily.

Avoiding Tree Pruning Dangers

Pruning large, mature trees is not a do it yourself job. It usually requires working from tall heights using power equipment. Our licensed, insured arborists have the skills necessary to manage these physically demanding tasks safely. We believe safety is no accident, using the necessary protective equipment, proper tools, and techniques to eliminate hazards on-site.

Protect your trees with skillful mature tree pruning services from Arborwell Professional Tree Management. Contact us at , or request an arborist consultation using our online form today.

tree care, tree health, tree landscaping, tree pruning

What Does Soil Drainage Have to Do with Plant Health Care?

Written by Jerry White on December 20, 2019.

Many plants suffer or die in soil that is too wet or too dry. Knowing what type of soil you have and how it affects the greenery on your commercial property can dramatically impact your chances of successfully growing healthy, beautiful foliage. Your soil varies depending on your region and even how your property is situated. For example, hillside properties almost always drain well, while bottomland can be extremely poor in drainage. There is also diversity in soil structure that influences soil drainage and plant health care needs.

How Your Soil Type Affects Your Plants and Trees

What do soil type and drainage have to do with plant health care? As with the value of commercial real estate, the key to plant health is often “location, location, location.” Soil drainage affects the availability of water and plant nutrients. Many commercial landscaping sites lack the ideal drainage conditions. Because each plant species has different nutrient and irrigation needs, understanding the soil type on your property can help you manage issues integral to plant health.

Common Soil Types

Do you know which of these common soil types you have on your Seattle or Bay Area commercial property?

Sand
Sand particles are quite large, draining quickly. Because sand does not retain moisture or nutrients well, plants grown in this type of soil require more frequent watering and intensive plant nutrient management to ensure health.
Clay
Clay particles are extremely fine, sticking tightly together when moist. Clay is packed with nutrients and holds water well, but drains poorly, making your plants prone to fungal issues. If water displaces air, your plant’s roots, which thrive on oxygen, can suffocate, and they may die. Because of its dense composition, it can be difficult for the roots of young plants to penetrate clay.
Silty soil
Typically found along riverbeds and lakes, silt particles are between sand and clay particles in size. Silty soil is one of the most fertile soil types, because it retains nutrients and moisture well but drains more quickly than clay.
Loam
Loam is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Providing the benefits of all three types of soil, it is the ideal growing medium. Some loams possess a higher proportion of sand or clay by volume.

What Type of Soil Do You Have on Your Commercial Property?

Arborwell plant and tree health care services experts have identified these types of soil in our commercial landscape management service areas:

The Bay Area is fortunate to have soil made of clay with loam, including rocky clay loam in the hills and gravelly loam in the valley.
Seattle Area soil is primarily Tokul soil, which is quite rare. Tokul soil began as volcanic ash. It is one of the most productive soils in the world. Tokul features a surface layer of gravelly loam, rich with plant matter, a reddish middle layer infused with iron oxides, and a cemented, root limiting layer of glacial till 20-40 inches below the soil surface. Though its top layers drain well, the cemented glacial till layer has high water and precipitation storage capabilities.

Finding the Right Balance

At Arborwell, we can help you analyze your soil on your commercial property, identifying issues, and taking corrective action when necessary. Depending on the unique composition of your soil, we may need to employ solutions such as soil amendments, to correct drainage and nutrient issues impacting plant health. Because each plant species has different requirements, this can complicate the plant health care landscape. Fortunately, Arborwell experts are well-versed on the soil types in your region, expertly assessing the irrigation and nutrient needs of your plants to help you achieve the right balance.

Are drainage issues destroying the landscaping on your Seattle or Bay Area commercial property? Schedule a plant health care consultation with an arborist in your area. Contact Arborwell Professional Tree Management at today.

plant health care, soil drainage, soil types

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