c/arborists

Tried leaving the root flare exposed on a maple I planted last spring

Everyone told me to plant it deep like they always do, but I dug down to the flare and left it above grade. That tree put on 3 feet of new growth this season while three others planted the old way barely moved. Has anyone else seen a big difference doing this on young maples?

Rant: I used to hate pole pruners for pruning oaks

I always thought pole pruners tore up the bark too much on oak limbs. Then a guy in Dallas showed me how to angle the cut at 45 degrees with a sharp bypass blade, and it left clean wounds every time. Anyone else switch their mind on a tool after seeing someone use it right?

That old arborist in Portland made me eat my words on topping trees

He told me the 50 year old oak I wanted to top would probably die within 10 years and showed me pictures of three he'd watched fail, so now I only recommend reduction cuts, has anyone else had a customer fight you on this?

Appreciation post: That old oak I climbed in Nashville last month

I got called to trim a massive white oak in a backyard near downtown Nashville that had been neglected for over a decade. The homeowner told me the tree was planted when her granddad bought the place in 1958, and I spent a whole afternoon working through the crown while she watched from the porch. Have any of you had a job where the tree's story made the work feel more meaningful?

Hot take: leaving big stumps to rot is lazier than proper removal and I've got the hours to back it up

I spent 7 hours grinding a 4 foot oak stump last Tuesday when the client insisted on full removal, but my coworker argued we could've just cut it low and let nature take its course, so which approach actually saves more time in the long run for you guys working residential?

Wasted $150 on pruning sealant - never again

I used to paint pruning sealant on every big cut I made on oak trees. Spent about $150 last year on that stuff. Then I took a workshop with a guy from the city arborist office in Denver, and he showed me research that trees actually heal faster without it. The sealant traps moisture and can cause rot behind the wound. I tried leaving a few cuts bare on a red oak in my backyard and six months later they looked way better than the sealed ones. Has anyone else stopped using sealant after trying it both ways?

Just blew through my 50th stump of the season and my back is screaming

Hit that milestone yesterday on a massive old oak stump in Beaverton and I honestly thought I'd feel proud, but mostly I just feel worn out and wondering if I'm pushing too hard for no reason... Anyone else hit a number that made them question their whole approach?

Old forester told me to cut dead limbs flush with the trunk... big mistake

I was working a cleanup job in Portland last month and followed this old timer's advice on a big oak. Ended up leaving a massive wound that didn't seal right and now the tree's got rot creeping in. Has anyone else been taught the wrong way to prune and had to unlearn it?

That client yesterday who asked about branch angles made me rethink everything

Had a guy point out that I was cutting a scaffold branch wrong because the angle was too steep, and he was an old horticulture professor who just walked up while I was working... now I'm second guessing all my pruning cuts from the last 5 years. Has anyone else had a random stranger drop knowledge that actually made sense?

Appreciation post: the old timer who taught me about root flare at a job in Boise

Honestly, I was digging around a big oak last summer and this retired arborist walks over and says 'you're burying the tree, son.' He showed me how to expose the root flare properly and explained why so many oaks rot out early. That one tip saved me from making the same mistake on like 10 jobs since. Has anyone else had a random stranger change the way you work?

Am I the only one who dropped $150 on a fancy pole pruner and immediately regretted it?

I bought a top of the line carbon fiber pole pruner last spring thinking it would make my life so much easier on a big oak job in Austin. First time I extended it, the locking mechanism jammed up with a bit of sap and I spent 20 minutes on the ground fighting with it. My old aluminum one never gave me that trouble, even with the extra weight. Anyone else have a high end tool that ended up being more hassle than it was worth?

Talking to a logger made me rethink how I prune oaks

I was doing a consult last month on a property near Eugene and the guy running the logging crew walked up while I was marking branches. He said I was leaving too much of the collar when I cut and that I was basically asking for rot to set in. I argued back at first but he pulled out his saw and showed me exactly where he'd cut a similar limb on a freshly felled tree and the callus was way cleaner. Now I'm trying his method on a few test trees, anyone else had a logger give them pruning advice that actually worked better than textbook stuff?

Old guy at the dump taught me how to sharpen a chainsaw in 30 seconds

Snapped my thirty year old Silky saw blade on a knot today

Was cutting a big limb off a sugar maple in back of a house near Oak Park. Hit a knot I didn't see and the blade just went. I've had that saw since I started in the trade. Now I gotta find a replacement blade that fits the old handle. Any tips on tracking down older model spare parts?

Debate: rope access vs bucket truck for crown reduction on tight residential streets

I did a big oak reduction last week in an older neighborhood where the streets are barely wide enough for a pickup. Had my bucket truck but couldn't position it right without blocking someone's driveway. A buddy swears by rope access for those spots, says it saves time on setup. But I timed myself and it took 20 minutes just to get the lines set where I wanted them. Meanwhile my bucket truck would have had the whole thing done in 45 minutes if the street was clear. So which do you guys lean toward when the access is tight, rope gear or the bucket?

That week in July when every removal turned into a nightmare

Had a stretch last summer where three straight jobs went sideways. First one was a big oak that had a cable I didn't see, nearly took my arm off. Then a pine dropped a widowmaker from 40 feet up, missed my climbing line by maybe 6 inches. By Friday I was so on edge I nearly turned down a simple limb pruning job. Anyone else have a week that made you think about quitting for a minute?

Hot take: climbers need better than a handsaw for big limbs

Last week up in Portland I watched a guy spend 20 minutes hacking through a 10-inch oak limb with a Silky Saw while his ground crew just stood there. He could have used a mini chainsaw and been done in 3 minutes with way less effort. Why do so many guys stick with handsaws when they're clearly outmatched?

The day a crane dropped a palm tree through my truck bed

Last Tuesday I was wrapping up a job in Santa Monica and a crane operator slipped his grip on a 40 foot palm. The whole trunk landed right in the back of my Ford Ranger, crushed the bed flat but somehow missed the cab. Has anyone else had equipment fail on them in a way that felt almost too lucky?

Always swore by rope and saddle over buckets for big removals...

After watching a crew knock out a 60 foot oak in 4 hours with a lift on a job in Nashville last month I finally rented one and cut my time by half on my next takedown, has anyone else switched sides on this?

That one day in Portland when everything went right for once

Had a job last Tuesday up in the West Hills, a massive old oak that needed a big limb taken off over a garage. The crane guy showed up 15 minutes early and the homeowner had already cleared the driveway like she promised. We got the whole thing done in 3 hours flat, no close calls, no gear failures, and I even found a $20 bill in the grass after we cleaned up. Has anyone else had one of those unicorn days where the stars just align?

Pro tip: picking a handsaw over a chainsaw for those tight backyard jobs

I know most guys in this trade grab a chainsaw for pretty much everything down to a 4 inch branch. But after a job in Portland last spring, I switched to a silky saw for all the pruning work under 6 inches. The homeowner had this super tight space between a fence and a big old maple, and my chainsaw just couldnt fit without risking the fence. I spent 45 minutes with that handsaw making clean cuts, and honestly, it was quieter and safer with no oil mess. The client even said, 'I've never seen an arborist work that carefully before.' Now I keep the chainsaw for the big stuff, but that handsaw stays on my belt for the close-up cuts. Has anyone else found a specific tool that changed how you handle cramped residential spots?

Finally picked a buckthorn removal method after years of just cutting

I always just cut buckthorn at ground level and hoped for the best, but last month I switched to a basal bark treatment with triclopyr on a job in Naperville and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had better luck with one approach over the other for invasive shrubs?

Back in '08 I tried to fell a leaning maple with a handsaw and a prayer

I was young and broke, figured I could save the $500 a crew would charge. Spent three hours making a bad notch, then the tree sat back on my saw. My buddy had to pull me out with his truck when the bar got pinched. Now I won't touch a leaner over 15 degrees without a winch line in a neighboring tree, and I rent a 36-inch bar if the wood looks at all stressed. The change happened after I watched a trunk barber-chair six feet from me during a storm cleanup job. Anyone have a favorite rigging setup for these sketchy back-leaners?

Showerthought: My neighbor's 'ugly' willow tree saved my whole week

A huge limb tore off in a storm and blocked their driveway, but the way it fell perfectly missed the power lines and their new shed. Anyone else had a tree seem to pick its own landing spot like that?

Tried using a ratchet strap to close a big split in a maple limb instead of just cutting it off... and it actually worked.

We were at a job in the Green Hills area, dealing with a mature silver maple that had a nasty vertical split in a major limb, about 8 feet out from the trunk. The homeowner really wanted to save the limb if possible. Instead of going straight for the removal cut, we cinched a heavy-duty 2-inch ratchet strap around the limb, right above the split, and tightened it just enough to close the gap. Then we installed a cable brace higher up. It's been two years now and the tree is fine, the callus is forming over it. I was sure it was a long shot. Has anyone else had luck with a similar quick fix for splits, or is this just asking for trouble down the line?