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 Protecting Your Investment by Hiring a Professional

   

       

 

Part of our "Tree Care Basics" series, this educational video  discusses what to look for when hiring a professional tree care company.
 
Avoid liabilities, accidents, shoddy tree care work using the tips provided in this video. Click here to watch!

 

Quick Tip

Want to redesign your landscape this spring? Before you dive into that project, read up on the plants you're planning to include in your design.

 

Click here to learn how soil conditions, differing climates, and more can affect the quality of your spring landscaping project.

 

 
Spring Floods Can Drown Trees

 Above: A forest in Oxbow Lake, adjacent to the Blue Nile at flood stage. Photo Credit: William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Bugwood.org.

 

By now, you're probably ready for a spring thaw, and the warmer weather that comes with it. But did you know that your trees can actually "drown" during this process?

 

While you probably aren't going to experience a flood as bad as the one pictured above, over-saturation is still a very real risk for any homeowner with trees.

 

A wetter-than-normal spring can leave trees sitting in soil saturated with water, which can cause a host of problems for your tree canopy, manifested as "flood injuries."

 

Your trees may be suffering from this ailment if they exhibit signs of chlorosis (yellowed leaves), leaf scorch (browned leaves), or root dieback. A professional arborist can make an accurate diagnosis.

 

Think your trees may be at risk? Read more about flood risk here, or search our database  to find quality tree care in your area!

 Spring Health Care Tips for Your Trees and Shrubs
Tips from certified arborist Tom Tyler of Bartlett Tree Experts

 

After the winter we had, who isn't itching to get out and do some gardening and yard work? Certified arborist Tom Tyler of Bartlett Tree Experts provides tips for tending to your trees and shrubs during the spring, in this article published on TribLocal.com.

Photo credit: Bartlett Tree Experts

 

Tyler's tips include:

  • Don't prune spring-flowering shrubs before they bloom - you may kill bulbs!
  • Slow plant growth may indicate a pH imbalance in the soil.
  • Strategic mulching and watering can aid plant growth during dry spells.
  • Monitor and treat your plants for pests regularly.

Click here to read more tips!

Ask the Arborist


Do you have a question about your trees, shrubs, or landscape? Email us!
 

  

Above: An ice dam forms on a homeowner's roof. Photo Credit: Tchukki Andersen, TCIA Staff Arborist

 

Question: Now that spring is around the corner, I've started cleaning out my house - starting with my gutters. The warmer weather should melt the snow, and allow it to drain off my roof, but I've noticed that chunks of ice are keeping this from happening. I've heard arborists may have the training to deal with this issue. Should I be concerned enough to hire one?

  

Ask the Arborist: Aren't they stunning? Those long, clear icicles that are decorating your roof gutters are a two-faced beauty. Yes, they reflect the lengthening daylight at a time of year when the winter darkness is beginning to get on everyone's nerves. But if the icicles are part of an ice dam they also can be extremely dangerous.

 An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents water from draining. Accumulated snow on roof tops will melt during winter months - sometimes from warming outside temperatures, but more often from heat lost through the roof.

Warm portions of the upper roof allow water to drain down to the cold portions of the lower roof. The melted snow from the warmer areas will re-freeze when it flows down to the colder portions, forming an ice dam.  This prevents the snow melt from draining into the gutter and allows it to back-flow between the shingles and through the roof. This will cause water damage on the interior ceiling and walls.

 At the least, the damage from melting snow might ruin parts of your house. At the worst, the enormous weight of concentrated ice from an ice dam can cause parts of the house to actually tear away unexpectedly and come crashing to the ground. You don't want to be standing nearby taking pictures if this happens.

 

What Actions Should You Not Take?

  • Do not climb a ladder to access a large accumulation of ice. Ladder placement would have to be directly in the path of the ice you are removing. If the dam suddenly gives way, it could avalanche onto the ladder you are standing.
  • Do not use rock salt to melt the ice. Rock salt will damage house paint.
  • Do not stand on a frozen roof without proper fall protection.
  • Do not use an ax or shovel to chop at the ice dam. Damage to the roof is likely.

 

What Actions Can You Take?

 

Early in the snow season, use a long handled roof rake to remove the snow after each snow storm. It might be too late for you to safely remove it yourself if your roof already has a significant snow/ice accumulation this winter.  

 

Call a qualified tree care company to help remove the ice dams for you. They have training and experience walking over slippery rooftops, and will be using appropriate safety gear to prevent accidents.

 

Looking for a local tree care company? 

Use our zip code search to find a professional in your area.

 

Thanks for subscribing to TCIA's Tree Care Tips Consumer Newsletter, which seeks to provide you with information about caring for your  trees and protecting your landscapes. We want  this quarterly newsletter to be interesting and relevant for you, so please feel free to submit ideas, questions, photos, comments and anecdotes to treehelp@tcia.org.