Talking Trees with Davey Tree

Michael Spaulding from Davey's Portland, OR office talks about what an arborist does to prepare for winter storms and what homeowners can do to help, as well as how Portland's January 2024 storm affected Davey's office, clients and trees in the area.  In this episode we cover:   What does an arborist do to prepare for a winter storm? (0:40) (5:33) How long can storm work take? (2:09...

Ben Cuddeback from Davey's Northwest Detroit office shares signs that your tree's roots are being affected by freezing temperatures and how to protect them this winter, as well as what you can do in the spring to set them up for the next winter.  In this episode we cover:   Is snow a good insulator for roots? (0:41) Roots freezing (1:26) Mulching in the winter (2:24) Watering in the wint...

David Horvath from Davey's Lake Bluff office shares how you should be caring for your evergreens and shrubs in the winter to help ensure they'll thrive once spring comes back around! In this episode we cover:   First thing that comes to mind for evergreen and shrub care in the winter (0:39) Anti-desiccants (1:11) Importance of reading the labels (3:55) What was Chicago's season like...

Lou Meyer from Davey's mid-Atlantic region talks all things black gum trees, including the different names the tree goes by and the numerous benefits the species provides to a homeowner's landscape. In this episode we cover:   Black gum vs Sweetgum trees (1:03)  Why do people love black gums? (2:45) (10:30) Black gum's seasonal colors (3:49) Are black gums historically underused in...

Jay Judd from Davey's East Denver office shares information about the blue spruce tree, including how factors such as climate change and native pests are impacting these trees.  In this episode we cover:   What is the blue spruce? (:43) How is Colorado's climate affecting the blue spruce? (1:25) Is the blue spruce still being planted? (4:55) What other issues is the blue spruce dealing w...

Eric Countryman from Davey's East Pittsburgh office discusses best practices for winterizing your landscape to help ensure it will thrive in spring and summer. In this episode we cover:   How have drought conditions impacted trees on the East Coast? (:52) (1:38) How to winterize maple trees (2:34) (4:11) What material does Eric use to winterize trees? (4:54)  How to prepare evergreens for the...

Dan Joy, executive vice president and assistant to the president, gives a tour of Davey's Science, Employee Education and Development (SEED) Campus that will open in 2025. Dan takes us through the campus and shares information about each area, emphasizing how it will strengthen safety, training and research in the green industry. You can watch this podcast in video form to see the property co...

Dennis Zerwas Jr., Commercial Landscape Services (CLS) advertising and promotions manager from Mickman Brothers, a Davey company, shares the inside scoop on the company's holiday wreath-making process and how you can buy your own!    In this episode we cover:   How did Mickman's Brothers begin making wreaths? (:43) Is right now a busy time for wreath-making? (1:57) How big are the wreath...

In this episode, Lou Meyer from Davey's mid-Atlantic region shares information about black walnut trees, including if black walnuts are edible and what specific plants you can grow under these trees.   In this episode we cover:   What are black walnut trees? (1:18) What is black walnut dye? (2:45) Do people eat black walnuts? (4:09) (6:10) How big do black walnut trees get? (7:25) Do black wa...

In this episode, Natascha Batchelor from Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, in Cape Cod, shares advice on what homeowners should do with their leaves when they begin to fall on their landscapes.      In this episode we cover:   What should you do with leaves on your landscape? (1:30) (2:49) (15:24) What do leaves become when they are broken down? (4:03) What leaves are easy and difficult to deal w...

In this episode, Mike Cassidy from Davey's West Columbus office talks all about deer damage and how we can try to safely protect our trees.  In this episode we cover:   Why are we seeing more deer? (1:06) Plants that deer might not eat (2:12) What size trees do deer typically rub on? (4:20) What can you do to protect trees? (4:56) Most eaten plants? (7:46) Motion sprinklers (9:32) Sonic deer...

In this episode, Madison Law, sales and service coordinator from Davey's South Houston office, discusses how fall fertilization and planting can help cultivate and preserve your landscape throughout the year. In this episode we cover:   Why do you need to fertilize your trees? (:48) What is the best fertilization method for trees? (1:33) (2:10) When is Madison's favorite time of the year...

In part two of this two-part episode, Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, shares fall lawn care tips to help homeowners maintain and prep their yards for cooler weather.  In this episode we cover:   Why is it important for homeowners to take care of their lawns in the fall? (:33) What can homeowners first do to take care of their lawns for the fall? (1:59) Do...

In part one of this two-part episode, Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, discusses the five common mistakes homeowners may be making with their lawns and what they can do instead. In this episode we cover:   Overview of common lawn mistakes (:58) How summer weather has impacted lawns (1:59) Improper mowing techniques (2:23) Frequency of cutting a lawn (5:04)...

Joe Berg, district manager of Davey's East Bay office, discusses the differences between two of California's most recognized species, the Sequoia and the Redwood trees. Berg also touches on how the East Bay Davey office has worked with both species.    In this episode we cover:   Sequoias vs Redwoods (:40) How can you tell the difference between Sequoias and Redwoods? (1:48) Do both tree...

As National Tree Check Month comes to a close, Jason Hayes, district manager of Davey's Southeast Seattle office, shares tips on how you can properly inspect trees affected by pests and changes in the weather.    In this episode we cover:   What invasive species are in the Seattle region? (:41) How do we stop invasive species? (1:26) How does having a diverse landscape combat invasive species...

Lou Meyer, business development manager for Davey's Mid-Atlantic region, explains the practice of growing trees in containers and how you can ensure these trees thrive in your small landscape.  In this episode we cover:   Why do we use containers to grow some trees? (1:26) What trees can you grow in containers? (2:35) (7:04) (9:04) What are some of the planters made out of? (3:38) What do you...

James Steffel, plant health care coordinator for Davey's North Minneapolis office, discusses how rapidly changing temperature and precipitation patterns can impact your trees. In this episode we cover:   Shifts in the weather in Minneapolis (:38) How long has Minneapolis been in a drought? (2:03) Heavy rainfall periods in Minneapolis (2:52) Minneapolis temperature patterns (4:13) How are tree...

In honor of Davey's Stewardship Week, Noah Pechatsko, environmental program specialist at the Davey Institute, discusses the long-term benefits of using battery-powered tools and how Davey is making this switch.  In this episode we cover:   Battery-powered tools vs gas-powered tools (:47)  Do Davey arborists carry gas-powered tools? (2:22) Charging battery-powered tools and having backups (2:...

Lou Meyer, business development manager for Davey's Mid-Atlantic region, joins Talking Trees to discuss why sugar maple trees are loved by arborists and tree lovers alike. Meyer also touches on sugar maple pests, different sugar maple variables and how sugar maples produce maple syrup.  In this episode we cover:   Why do arborists love the sugar maple? (:49) Making space for a sugar maple in...

Scott Gardner, district manager at Davey's Vancouver, British Columbia, office joins Talking Trees to discuss the recent emerald ash borer (EAB) sightings that have plagued multiple Canadian municipalities and parts of the United States.  In this episode we cover:   Vancouver's climate (:48) Has emerald ash borer (EAB) reached Vancouver? (1:38) Scott's first experience with EAB (3:0...

Nick St. Sauveur, district manager of Cortese Tree Experts, a Davey company, in Knoxville, TN, discusses the practice of air spading and how it can help improve soil quality and health. In this episode we cover:   What is air spading? (:41) Can a tree of any size be air spaded? (1:12) Air spading and volcano mulching (2:40) What does an air spade look like? (3:14) How much soil comes out of air sp...

Dan Hager, district manager of Concord's Hartney Greymont office, a Davey company, discusses the origins of Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) and how it is infecting beech trees in the Eastern United States. Hager also discusses treatment options for BLD and research that is being done to understand the disease in more detail.  In this episode we cover:   When did Dan first hear about BLD? (:40) How d...

Josh Leo, manager of business development for Davey's Detroit market, discusses how the recent extreme heat can affect trees and what can be done to help them stay healthy during the rising summer temperatures. In this episode we cover:   How is the summer heat impacting Josh? (:37) How is the heat impacting trees? (:53) How do you know how much water to put on your trees? (1:48) Climate chan...

Alec Hall, sales arborist from Davey's St. Louis West office, discusses the impact of this year's historical dual cicada emergence and how you can protect your trees if they were damaged.  In this episode we cover:   St. Louis' cicada problem (0:33) 2024 dual cicada emergence (0:56)  The impact of the dual cicada emergence (1:47) (2:02) How do cicadas impact trees? (2:43) When do ci...