Timely Tree Tips–Which Side of Root Barriers Are You On?

Root barriers are continuous or interlocking sheets of plastic, metal, rubber, or other resilient-yet-flexible materials that are vertically installed from the just above the surface of the ground downward. The intent of a root barrier is to redirect trees’ lateral root growth away from streets, sidewalks, foundations, and other similar infrastructure. There are several different …

Timely Tree Tips: How to Spot a Reputable Tree Company

If you own a home in Washington, chances are you will require professional tree care services at some point. Tree work can be a risky endeavor, so all the more reason to be informed about who you hire. Risks to your trees, your property, and the individuals who perform the work can be minimized by …

Focus on: Drought (Timely Tree Tips)

Drought, or the more generic term water stress, has been a big issue for trees in our area, resulting in tree decline and mortality in forests, natural areas, and yards across the region. Starting in 2012, we have had a series of record-setting summers in terms of heat and days without rain. This is taking …

Timely Tree Tips: Summer Limb Drop

Any arborist worth their sawdust will tell you that trees have a greater tendency to break where structural defects are present, or during storms with high winds and precipitation. …but then there is summer limb drop (SLD) -- also known as ‘sudden’ limb drop which is equally appropriate. This poorly-understood phenomenon defies conventional thinking about …

Timely Tree Tips – Live Crown Ratio and the Value of Low Branches

Live Crown Ratio (LCR) is a simple yet important concept to be aware of when assessing or working with trees. The LCR for any given tree is derived by dividing the vertical length of the tree’s live crown by the total height of the tree. We then multiply that result by 100 to convert the …

Timely Tree Tips–Tree Canopy Enhancement

Thanks to research demonstrating the many benefits of trees in cities, your community’s percentage of tree canopy cover can be considered a measure of community health, vitality, and quality. Each of Washington’s largest cities has assessed their tree canopy percentage in recent years: Seattle (28%) Spokane (22%) Tacoma (19%) Vancouver (18%) Many smaller cities in …

Timely Tree Tips — Climate, Carbon, and Community Trees

There is much discussion in Washington state these days about carbon and climate change. In 2014 Governor Jay Inslee proposed a cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions; last year he introduced a carbon tax proposal and this year he’s brought a similar plan forward. These efforts are aimed at the problem of atmospheric carbon emissions, primarily …