Don't Use Climbing Spikes When Pruning Trees

Is your tree care provider using spikes to climb while pruning your trees? Ouch! Climbing spikes are sharpened steel spikes attached to the climber's leg by leather straps and padded supports. These spikes are traumatizing to your living tree and create unnecessary damage. Each puncture from a climbing spike produces a certain amount of tree tissue death around it to some extent, varying from tree to tree. In most cases isolated wounds will seal, but over time, groupings of spike holes can cause the entire area on the trunk to die back with no chance of recovery. The likelihood of piercing the cambium (living tissue beneath the bark) is high, even with larger trees and thick bark. If soon after the work is performed with spikes there is sap oozing from the wounds, the tree is responding to spike damage. Repeated damage of this type is harmful to the tree. So why would climbers use spikes? The use of tree climbing spikes (spurs, hooks, gaff, irons, etc.) is a once-practiced method of climbing trees that has proven to be harmful to long-term tree health. The climber, using one leg at a time, will kick these spikes into the tree tissue and take alternate steps to ascend the tree - similar to climbing a ladder.  There are certain exceptions, when spikes are allowed, such as: when the tree is being removed. when the tree is dead. to reach an injured climber. Professional tree care companies are aware of the dangers of spikes and use proper tree equipment such as ropes and climbing harnesses to climb (or aerial lift devices and cranes if accessible). This, coupled with their training and experience, contributes to the future health of the tree. Homeowners searching for qualified tree care companies should look for the following:   Good References: Ask for references, and check on the quality of their work. Don't be rushed by a bargain and don't pay in advance. Solid Reputation: Verify professional affiliations the company might have. Up-to-Date Knowledge: Ask if they follow ANSI Standards. A professional arborist will be aware of the current safety, pruning, fertilizing, and cabling standards.  Contract: Insist on a signed contract as to cost, dates when work is to be performed, and exactly what is to be done. Insist that climbing spikes are used only if the tree is to be cut down.  Find a Professional A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best trees and shrubs to plant for your existing landscape. From  www.tcia.org.

Preparing for Future Storms

Major storms can inflict severe damage to tree canopy in a short period of time. But in every storm, some trees survive with minimal damage. With proper care, much of the worst damage to trees and property can be prevented.

Here are five suggestions for pruning and care:

·         Encourage good branch angles. For most deciduous trees, narrow angles between two branches signal a point of future weakness. A good rule of thumb for many deciduous trees is to keep the angles at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock.

·         Encourage strong branch/trunk size relationship. Ideally, lateral branches should be no more than 1/2 to 1/4 the diameter of the trunk.

·         Maintain a stable center of gravity. The center of gravity for a tree should be over the trunk. Remove branches on the leaning side and encourage branch growth on the opposite side.

·         Remove temporary branches. This includes rubbing branches, suckers and watersprouts.

·         Don't cut branches back to stubs. Long, natural limbs on a tree are strong and can withstand storm-like conditions. If a branch needs to be removed, cut it back to the main branch or to the tree's trunk.

From http://www.arborday.org.