Tree King Tree Services, Inc

Tree Care Tools

2011-03-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Caring for trees requires appropriate tools to make the job easier and avoid damaging the trees. Invest in good quality tools and keep them in good repair. Clean tools after use to prevent the spread of disease from one plant to another.

Types
1.A basic tree care kit should include pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears and a pruning saw. Other options include snippers, a pole saw and a chain saw. A garden caddy or tool box will keep the tools clean and organized.

Function
2.Pruning shears are small, short-handled shears capable of cutting through branches up to 3/4-inch thick. Lopping shears are pruners with long handles that afford more leverage to cut through branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter. Use a pruning saw for larger branches, or a chain saw if necessary. Hedge shears are designed to trim and shape hedges.

Tool Care
3.Clean tools with soap and water, drying them thoroughly to prevent rust. If working on diseased trees, sanitize the tools after use by immersing them for two minutes in 70 percent denatured alcohol or in a diluted bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly after sanitizing to prevent corrosion from the bleach.

Or better yet - Hire a Professional Arborist to properly care for your Living Investments!

Source: Tree Care Tools | eHow.com

Planting a Tree Correctly

2011-02-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Many organizations worldwide are telling people to plant trees. But, can anybody plant a tree?

Incorrect planting procedures, and planting the wrong tree in the wrong place have caused a multitude of tree problems worldwide. It is not only bad that money is wasted for the purchase of the tree, but it is sad when the dignity of the tree is destroyed as it wanes and dies standing in place.

How do you avoid these mistakes? Well, if correct planting procedures are not known, then they should be planted under the supervision of a tree care professional who understands how to plant correctly and proper placement. And, after planting, a continuing health care schedule should be maintained.

Source: 100 Tree Myths, by alex L. Shigo

Pruning Techniques

2011-01-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

There are specific types of pruning that help trees stay healthy, safe, and beautiful.

•Cleaning removes dead, dying, diseased, crowded, weakly-attached, and low-vigor branches from the crown of a tree.

•Thinning selectively removes branches to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown and reduces weight on heavy limbs to retain the tree's natural shape.

•Raising removes lower branches from a tree to clear space for buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, and views.

•Reduction trims the height or spread of a tree by pruning back the leaders and branch terminals to lateral branches that are large enough to assume the terminal roles (at least one-third the diameter of the cut stem). Compared to topping, this helps maintain the form and structural integrity of the tree.

SOURCE: www.treesaregood.com

Remember - Pruning large trees can be dangerous. It usually involves working above the ground and using power equipment. Ensure your safety, and that of your trees, by hiring a Professional. Call us today for a FREE ESTIMATE at (877) 243-KING.

Pruning Mistakes

2011-01-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Don't let this happen to you!

Think about this unpleasant scenario: You are trying to save money by pruning your own trees. Dangling from an extension ladder with a running chain saw, you're about to fall and break your leg and then cut the other one off with the saw. What could be more dangerous?

Our advice to homeowners is that if they can reach the branch that they want to remove without using a ladder, then it’s probably acceptable to snip or trim a little here and there. For pruning needs other than that, it's best to hire a professional. Most homeowners simply don’t have the equipment, knowledge or experience to perform pruning or other structural repairs by themselves.

(excerpted from Tree Services magazine)

Call us today for a FREE Estimate for all your Pruning Needs at (877)243-KING.

A Day in our Life - LIVE VIDEO Coverage

2010-08-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Fox News will be spending the day with Shadowland Foundation on Tuesday, August 3rd. starting at 7am PST. They'll be covering us off and on all day so check it out - Tivo it - DVR it - or just sit back and watch us live all day!

http://media.myfoxla.com/live/

Choosing a Tree

2010-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/TreePtg.html

Choosing a tree should be a well thought-out decision. Tree planting can be a significant investment in money and time. Proper selection can provide you with years of enjoyment as well as significantly increase the value of your property.

An inappropriate tree for your property can be a constant maintenance problem or even a hazard. Before you buy, take advantage of the abundant references on gardening at local libraries, universities, arboretums, parks where trees are identified, native plant and gardening clubs, and nurseries.

As always, use a Professional Arborist to correctly and safely plant the appropriate trees for optimal results. Call us Today for a FREE Estimate.

Greener Environment

2010-02-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

“Healthy, growing landscape plants can offset some of the carbon being generated by individual homeowners. Here is a hypothetical example: A typical gas-powered automobile driven 12,500 miles annually might be expected to release about 2500 pounds of carbon a year, according to Environmental Protection Agency Emission Facts. A half-acre residence with roughly 50 percent covered in trees could store about 800 pounds of carbon a year. If the remainder of the landscape were turfgrass, it would store another 200 pounds. So, this hypothetical homeowner could offset 1000 pounds of carbon – 40 percent of their automobile footprint-just by maintaining a healthy landscape”.

From “Putting Green Spaces to Work” by Thomas Rufty and Nick Hamon (Oct. 09 issue of Lawn and Landscape)

So keep your trees healthy by aerating and root fertilizing, trimming away dead and broken branches and overgrown foliage. Call Tree King for a free estimate on the condition of your trees and what can be done to maintain the value and health of your landscape.

Wounded Trees

2010-01-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Source: The Classic How-To On Tree Care - United States Forest Service AIB-387

A tree is considered to be wounded when its bark is broken so that either its inner bark or wood is exposed to the air. Tree wounds are caused by various agents, including birds, animals, insects, fire, mechanical equipment, lightning, or man and his activities. Tree wounds are classified into three types, depending on their locations: branch wounds, trunk wounds, and root wounds.

A good tree-care program includes looking for hints of trouble. There are a number of signs and symptoms that indicate the development of decay in a tree. All too often they go unrecognized until it is too late. However, early recognition of these signs and symptoms, followed by proper treatment, can do much to proven or minimize the damage caused by decay and the subsequent waste of so many good trees and so much valuable wood. Before deciding on a plan of action, it is wise to consider basic points about trees.

Winter Preparation Checklist

2009-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Winter officially starts next Monday. Here are some tips to prepare your trees.

Source: TreeHelp.com

1. When adding new trees, purchase only those species native to your area's hardiness zone. Trees native to areas even one zone milder than yours might experience significant stresses during your region's winters.

2. Maintain good tree upkeep throughout the year. Strong healthy trees will always have an easier time than weak and damaged ones.

3. Do a post spring inspection of your trees every year. Promptly treat any damage that you find.

4. In preparing for winter, remember to prune only after your trees have entered dormancy after the risk of new growth.

5. Apply a good fall fertilizer that promotes root growth over leaf growth.

6. Lay a layer of mulch down around the bases of your trees to moderate temperature fluctuations and moisture loss. Don't forget to leave a space between the mulch and the trunk of the tree to discourage mice.

7. Check occasionally during the cold season for signs of rodent damage. Use bait, enclosures or repellents as necessary.

Call us to schedule your Tree Care Maintenance today at (877)243-5464

Why We Plant Trees

2009-12-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Source: Backyard Gardener

We plant trees because we love them. Some trees linger in our memories as old friends, from whose branches we have swung and "skinned-the-cat"; under whose cool shade we have rested from play or work. Some trees seem to have moods, changing from day to day, season to season, and from youth to old age.

We plant trees for their beauty of leaf, whether green in Summer or red in the Autumn; for their bark which becomes particularly fascinating in Winter; for the delicate tracery of the branches which frame our view of the eternal blue or star-scattered heavens; for their flowers which seem like giant nosegays.

We plant trees to shelter our homes from the Summer sun and from the cold sweeping winds of Winter.

We enjoy a touch of Nature to form a background and a frame for our architecture.

We plant trees to furnish leaf cloisters for the birds which awaken us from our too-late slumbers when all the world of Nature, except ourselves, is awake.

We plant trees because, where they expand their verdant branches the air is purer and less dusty. The medical societies are constantly advocating the planting of city trees to temper the heat of Summer on the torrid pavements.

We plant forests that floods may be prevented; that fertile soil shall not be carried to the valleys below; that rainfall may be regulated.

We plant trees for their economic use-lumber, furniture, turpentine, rubber, quinine, nuts, cork, paper, windbreaks and one thousand and one uses for which we have as yet found no substitute.

We plant avenues of trees in cities and along the roadsides because we believe that no road or street is dressed or finished until it has been planted to furnish shade, frame vistas of outlying beauty, and prevent snowdrifts.

Aside from this aesthetic and civic value, the realtor knows that trees increase the value of property. Business on a tree-bordered avenue is likely to be brisker than on a sun-parched thoroughfare.

Some of us plant trees that we may be silent witnesses to the life processes of the tree.

We enjoy pruning a tree to our whims, improving its fruits by breeding, and its vigor by supplying plant food.

We are interested in a tree for pure botanical and horticultural reasons. The strength of its woody fibers, the incomparable complexity of its flowers, the abundance of its fruit, and the growth processes fascinate us.

We take joy in supplying a fit environment for a growth that approaches perfection.

- Horicultural Trade World

Global Warming

2009-11-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

Source: www.tcia.org

Global warming poses potential significant problems for landscapes. Predictions related to extreme and unpredictable weather include coastal flooding, regional droughts, species extinctions, ecosystem disruptions and reduced plant pollination. These issues are serious – and many land use managers around the world believe they are already witnessing such effects.

Trees and shrubs are unique among plants in that they have woody stems and roots that get bigger every year for decades or even centuries, making them excellent long-term storage sites for carbon. Since wood is composed primarily of carbon derived from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, trees are actually solidified, long-lasting lumps (beautiful nonetheless) of carbon.

A planting of 50 million trees in urban areas next year could result in the sequestration of approximately 170 million tons of carbon dioxide after 50 years. Tree care professionals recognize that growing trees in the suburban and urban landscape presents a vast opportunity to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Trees can also play other indirect roles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the heat of summer, about half of U.S. electrical production powers air conditioners, resulting in annual power plant emissions of 100 million tons of carbon. Trees planted to shade buildings, cooling the air through transpiration, can reduce this energy use by up to 70 percent. Conversely, well-placed trees blocking frigid winter winds can reduce heating energy use by 30 percent. These are just a few examples of how trees can collaterally offset carbon dioxide emissions.

The simple act of mulching around a tree can help conserve water, moderate soil temperatures and add significant amounts of carbon to the soil. As the mulch breaks down, it contributes nutrients for the tree, reducing the need for polluting, energy-intensive fertilizers.

Trees play an important part in reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas reduction. Few tools in the global warming fight provide such diverse, long-term benefits at such a low cost.

But it’s not too late to turn things around. The green industry can make a palpable and substantial difference. The perception is that reducing global warming requires sacrifice and extra work, but when it comes to landscape management, the reverse is often true.

The use of organic fertilizers, appropriate biological inoculants, compost and mulch are among the easy and effective methods these industries can embrace to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store significant amounts of carbon. Not only are these practices ecologically sound, they are often more efficient, productive and healthy than conventional approaches.

For example, our culture’s obsession with perfectly green and manicured lawns notwithstanding, replacing large expanses of intensively managed turf with environmental-friendly native grasses and plants can be safe, sustainable, less pest and disease-prone and equally beautiful, while reducing the time and expense of mowing, fertilizing and watering.

Interesting Tree Facts

2009-11-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

The oldest tree in the in the world is a Bristlecone Pine tree in California. It’s been alive for more than 4700 years.

The tallest tree in the country is a Coast Redwood growing in northern California’s Redwood National Park. It is 369 feet tall and over 2000 years old.

There are about 20,000 different species of trees in the world. More than 1000 of these different species can be found in North America (not counting Mexico)

Some types of trees can warn other trees of danger. When their leaves are chewed on by caterpillars and other insects, they give off chemicals that nearby trees can detect. Those nearby trees then produce a kind of acid that makes their leaves hard to digest for insects.

Who Knew?!

Fire Resistant Trees for Southern California

2009-11-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Metropolitan Water District recommends these shrubs as fire-resistant and suited to Southern California conditions:

California Redbud
Ceanothus ‘concha’
California Lilac
Sage
French Lavender
Yarro
Wild Strawberry ground cover
Monkey Flower

Oak Trees

2009-11-11T23:35:00.000-08:00

Oak trees can live 200 years or more! All the more reason to take good care of them!

Oaks can start producing acorns when they are 20 years old but sometimes can go all the way to 50 years before the first production. By the time the tree is 70 – 80 years old, it will produce thousands of acorns.
The chances of one acorn making it to become an Oak tree are 1/10,000. that means that for every 10,000 acorns, only one becomes a tree.

Source: www.arcytech.org

Hazardous Vegetation Removal and Fire Prevention

2009-05-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Beginning May 1st, Fire Inspectors will evaluate properties in need of landscape vegetation management. These inspections will determine whether your trees and/or vegetation could be considered a fire risk.

If you receive a notice, or before you do, be fire safe and compliant by calling Tree King Tree Services, Inc. at (877) 243-KING (5464) or by contacting us at estimates@treekingtrees.com to clear your property of any potential problem areas. We have been involved in brush clearance for over 30 years and we know what to do to save you fines and additional costs.

All dead trees must be removed.

Living trees must be appropriately trimmed.

Landscape foliage must comply with 5 feet vertical clearance above roofs.

10 feet away from chimney outlets.

If a neighbor’s trees cross your property boundaries and you have been cited to abate the hazard, you are held responsible to eliminate that hazard.

If they determine that your property requires work, a Non-Compliance notice will be given to the property owner, with specific instructions as to managing and maintaining your property landscaping.

You will then have 15 days to get the work completed.

If, after the 15 days, the work is not done, you will be subject to a $300 fine.

If the property continues to be hazardous, the Fire Department is able to hire a private contractor to clear your property, at your expense, in addition to a $1026 administrative fee.

Save money and costly fines by calling us for a free estimate to trim your trees and foliage, clear your brush and manage your landscape.

Tree King Tree Services, Inc, arborists and crew are all dedicated to preserving and protecting your growing investment.

Tree King Tree Services, Inc. (877) 243-KING (5464)

SANTA ANA CONDITIONS

2009-01-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

The recent fires are evidence of the strength and destructiveness of the Santa winds. Protect your property from falling branches and downed trees primarily caused by improper pruning and overgrowth. Call Tree King for a free estimate. 877-243-5464