Urban Tree News & Events

Tree and Shrub Pruning by Tony Wendland

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:44:00 -0500

There are many reasons to prune trees. Trees in an urban setting may have low hanging branches obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic. They may be too close to power lines, obstruct views or daylight, or may be damaged by wind or ice storms. Many times they have poor branch attachments, co-dominant stems, or are too close to structures on the property. These are the most common reasons pruning is performed.

It is best to begin pruning trees for proper structure at a young age, many nursery grown trees are pruned for shape, not structure, which may cause structural problems, if not resolved at planting or soon after. Trees in an urban setting require much more attention than those in a forest, which have developed naturally. Most urban trees have a target, meaning they could damage property or people. If they fail, failures can occur over time or suddenly depending on the type of problem at the root of the failure. As trees with structural defects mature, the likelihood of failure increases without corrective measures, such as single stem development or reduction or removal of poorly attached branches.

Trees should be evaluated on an individual basis by an ISA Certified Arborist to determine if any pruning needs to be performed and if so, what. Pruning should only be performed by a certified arborist, trained in developing proper structure and removing hazards. Proper pruning cuts are very important. Determining where cuts should be made to reduce branches plays an important role in the future health and beauty of your trees.

In contrast to trees, shrubs are pruned for shape, not structure, but there are still considerations that must be addressed when pruning. Timing is generally more critical because shrubs are highly valued for their flower and fruit production. Many times they are pruned too early or too late, removing buds which would have produced flowers and/or fruit. There is seldom a good time to prune, but for shrubs which bloom on old wood, pruning after flowering is appropriate. For shrubs which bloom on new wood, pruning can be done before or after flowering. Most shrubs flower on old wood, but it is very important to know what type and variety of shrub you are dealing with to take full advantage of their natural beauty.

For more information about tree pruning or finding a certified arborist in your area, go to or or

Indian Hills Country Club

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:11:00 -0600

The Urban Tree Specialists Team is appreciative Indian Hills Country Club has kept us working away maintaining all their large trees, throughout the golf course, in the cold months of January and February!!

CPR Training

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:11:00 -0600

Congratulations to Tony, Bret, Ben, Jeremy and Evan for getting their Adult CPR and First Aid Certification!!!

Tree Care Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:13:00 -0600

Tip: Now is the best time to PRUNE your FRUIT TREES!!! Between January and March these trees become dormant and most receptive to pruning. Dormant oils may be applied, after pruning, to help protect against insects.

Urban Tree Specialists, 2009 At-A-Glance

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:40:00 -0600

A glimpse of the tree work....

Over 500 Customers Served!
10 Golf Courses, 1 City (Parkville), 75 Commercial Clients and 450 Residential Clients
1600+ Trees Trimmed
550+ Trees Removed
400+ Stumps Removed
100 + Shrubs Trimmed
40+ Cables and Braces Installed
200+ Trees and Shrubs Sprayed or Injected for Plant Care Concerns

A glimpse of the company.....

11 People represented UTS over the course of the year - 2 Partners, 4 Full-Time, and 5 Seasonal/Part-Time employees
20 Gift certificates donated to various charities and fund-raisers
2 Booths exhibiting Urban Tree Specialists services
4 Conferences attended, with over 100 Continuing Education Hours for ISA Certifications
Over 60 vendors played a part in our success this year, with everything from equipment repairs to marketing, banking and accounting

We specialize in whole property evaluation and are looking forward to serving your tree care needs in 2010!!!

Thanks to everyone for helping make 2009 a great year,

The Urban Tree Specialists Team

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:44:00 -0600

The UTS team is wrapping up their 3 day TCIA conference in Baltimore!

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:39:00 -0600

Tis the Season for "pruning"! Many of you may not know.... but this is the perfect time of year for pruning your trees! Prevention is key for our winter ice storms!

HAGCSA - Safety First!

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:51:00 -0600

Published in the “Heartbeat” Volume 40, No. 9 November 2008 – The Official Publication of the Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association

When it comes to “down-time” projects this winter, I strongly encourage everyone to prepare and think Safety First before tackling tree care projects! You spend all year training employees; the last thing you want is to lose them during the slower winter months, so you find special projects to keep everyone busy. General tree work around the course usually fits into this description. With proper planning and training, your course can perform many of the routine maintenance and general tree care projects safely and efficiently.

Tree workers, if separated from the classification of landscaping, would be in the top 3 most dangerous jobs in the world. This statistic shows how important it is not to skimp on the continued training for this special project. Please don’t take it lightly just because you’ve used a chainsaw your whole life.

1) First and foremost, review your insurance policy and coverage. For instance, most insurance policies will not cover anyone on a ladder (one of the most dangerous situations when pruning or removing), so you need to be sure if you are putting someone up there, you have the coverage if there were an accident. The same goes for aerial lifts. If the lift were to fail or if someone was injured while operating it, would you, the course, and the employee be covered?

2) There are too many safety precautions to list, but here are few things to think about before proceeding with the work at hand:
a. Chain Saw Safety: Personal protective equipment, kickbacks and proper positioning behind saw, both hands on saw with proper grip and thumb wrapped around top handle, proper starting procedures including NO drop starting, proper chain tension and sharpening, no cutting over your shoulders, always engaging the chain brake when moving, and choosing the right size and kind of saw for the job.
b. Proper PPE – Personal Protective Equipment: sturdy boots, hearing protection, eye protection, hard hat, chaps and gloves. All these should be a minimum if you’re the one using the chainsaw. You can be completely prepared to safely use a chainsaw for under $150.00 and every person using one needs to have the safety basics. Refer to ANSI Z133.1 for specifics on Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations or The American OSHA Regulation 1910.266 requiring employed chainsaw operators to wear the above protective equipment.
c. First Aid and Emergency Procedures: Review and keep phone and first aid kit close at hand.
d. Proper Lifting Techniques: for the heavy logs you’re moving.
e. Chipper Operation: If you’re renting a chipper, be sure everyone is trained on how to safely operate.

A must read article to review: http://www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/chainsaw.pdf

3) Preparing and performing the work:
a. Pruning: Structural development, effects of pruning and proper 3 cut method for removing limbs such as in raising trees
b. Felling/Removing trees
i. Factors/Conditions that affect removals: Wind, tree lean, canopy weight, rot/decay, notches/face cuts, wedges, holding wood, pull ropes, targets – (consider the worst case scenario and ask yourself if attempting it is worth the risk?)
ii. Safety and hazards associated with the person felling the tree: Watch for dead limbs over the person making the notch, have a clear path and secondary route of retreat, make sure you have safe footing and if there is any doubt, DON’T DO IT!
c. Debris Removal: Learn the most efficient way to stack brush and debris according to how it will be processed, chipper or grapple truck. Utilize it for heating or sell for firewood? Chip and use on-site for wet/troubled areas, general paths or construction concerns? Rarely is it cost effective to rent a dumpster, so get some advice and plan ahead for the most efficient way to dispose of the debris.

Good articles to review: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/FORST2/mf2103.pdf and http://www.na.fs.fed.us/Spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_prune/cuts.htm

While much more detailed information is available, there are some of the basics. Visit your state extension office, local chain saw dealer, review the sites listed above or get someone in for hands-on training before you start the work. If you don’t feel comfortable on a project, follow your instincts and let a professional certified arborist perform the work.

Bret Cleveland
ISA Certified Arborist – MW 4393A

Are all of the pine trees on our courses doomed?

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:47:00 -0600

Published in the “Heartbeat” Volume 40, No. 3 May 2008 – The Official Publication of the Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association

Are all of the pine trees on our courses doomed? Not quite, but we are loosing them very rapidly, the eventual culprit, pine wilt. Pine trees in our region are most susceptible to pine wilt because they are NOT native to our region. Drought and reoccurring storms continually stress trees, leaving them vulnerable to this devastating disease.

Pine wilt mainly affects Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris); the short (1”-3”) firm needled pine, but has also been found in Austrian (Pinus nigra), white (Pinus strobus) and a few other pine species rarely found on our courses. Pine wilt symptoms typically appear from August through December. The progression is rapid, the tree first wilting, and then rapidly dying. The needles turn yellow/brown, but remain attached to the tree. Progression may be uniform or move branch-by-branch through a tree, making it very difficult to diagnose. The main contrast to other pine diseases is the rapid decline and death of the tree, as compared to the gradual decline of trees such as those infected by tip blight.

Pine wilt is caused by the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) and is spread tree-to-tree through the wood boring pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus carolinensis). Pine sawyer beetles emerge in late May and fly to stressed trees to feed under the bark and lay eggs. If the beetles are carrying nematodes, they enter the tree through the feeding wounds of the beetles and the decline process begins. Once inside the tree, the nematodes reproduce rapidly, clogging the water conduction system and quickly leading to the rapid decline and death of the infected tree.

Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed preventative or curative treatment for this disease. There is research being performed and some manufactures are starting to sell preventative treatments, but none are more than 70% effective. The best known prevention is to ensure your pine trees are healthy through proper watering, pruning and disease/insect control. If pine wilt is suspected and/or diagnosed, the trees and stumps need to be removed and wood disposed of immediately by burning, chipping or burying. This should be done before May to help reduce the risk of infecting surrounding trees.

What do we do when they’re gone? Start planting conifer varieties resistant to pine wilt. Some alternative are spruce, fir, juniper, arborvitae, bald cypress and eastern red cedar. More information on this disease can be found on the Kansas State University website (www.oznet.ksu.edu).

Bret Cleveland
ISA Certified Arborist MW-4393A

Urban Tree Specialists Launches A New Website!

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Tree Specialists) — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 14:02:00 -0500

Welcome to the new Urban Tree Specialists website. Take a look around and learn more more about our company and tree care services. Check back here for more news, events, tree maintenance tips, and more.

Feel free to email us with any comments or suggestions for our new site. We look forward to working with you.

info@urbantreekc.com