In part one of this two-part episode, Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, shares his tips to set your lawn up for success this spring.

In this episode we cover:  

• Cool weather impacting spring lawn care (1:02)
• First thing to do in your lawn this spring (2:44)
• Garden weasels and biochar (4:08) (5:06)
• Soil temperatures (6:55)
• Dry, clay soil invigoration (8:24)
• Lawn fertilizers (11:37) (16:17)
• Bio stimulates fertilizers (14:21) (15:29)
• Soil testing (18:16)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

Listen to our Talking Trees with Davey Tree podcast episode about biochar and how it benefits landscapes, Why Biochar is Important & How it Can Be Used in the Landscape.

To learn helpful fertilizing tips, read our blog, Grass Yellow After Fertilizing? Here’s How to Repair. 

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Mike Holleran from Davey's Wilmington, Delaware, office discusses how to make spring-flowering trees thrive, what diseases threaten them and some of his favorites. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Flowering tree diseases (:45) 
• Disease resilience (2:39)
• Treating flowering tree diseases (4:00)
• Fertilizing (5:20)
• Inspection from an arborist (8:27)
• Pruning (11:51)
• Mike's favorite spring-flowering plants (15:21)
  • Witch hazel (15:37)
  • Serviceberry (17:41)
  • Redwood and dogwood (20:35)
  • Okame cherry (26:04)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about caring for flowering trees, read our blogs, How To Care for Flowering Trees & Shrubs Year Round and Why You Should Fertilize Flowering Trees.

To learn more about when your flowering tree will bloom, read out blog, When Do Flowering Trees Bloom in Spring, Including Fruit Trees. 

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Lou Meyer from Davey's mid-Atlantic region talks about all things white oak trees, including its acorn production, role in wildlife protection and significance to pop culture. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Knowing the difference between different oak trees (:53)
• Growing differences between white and red oaks (2:01)
• Oak decline (3:29)
• The white oak's significance to Lou (4:19)
• Oak acorn production (6:22)
• White oak fast facts (8:45)
• White oaks in different parts of the United States (10:10)
• White oaks and wildlife (11:14)
• Do clients want to plant white oaks? (14:17)
• Storm damage impacting trees (15:57)
• White oaks in pop culture (17:41)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about the different types of oak trees, read our blog, Oak Tree Identification Guide.

For more information on helping your trees recover from spring storm damage, read our blog, What to Do if a Storm Damaged My Tree?

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Chrissy Balk, technical advisor with the Davey Institute, talks about fungal issues trees can experience in the spring, such as wood decay fungus and leaf diseases. Learn how to spot them as well as when they pose a threat to the tree versus when they are helpful to the tree.

In this episode we cover:  

• How do you know if a mushroom is good or bad? (0:51)
• Locations where fungus can grow (2:05)
• What happens if you see fungus on your tree? (4:25)
• Fungus growing on a wound (5:57)
• When should you call an arborist? (7:25)
• How to prevent wood decay fungus on trees (10:20)
• Mulching the wrong way (11:41)
• Leaf diseases (12:47)
• What does Chrissy do as a technical advisor with the Davey Institute? (16:32)
• How did Chrissy get involved in this career? (17:18)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about what to do about fungus growing near your tree, read our blog, What to do about Mushrooms Growing at the Base of Trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Izzy Christmann from Davey's Portland, Oregon, office talks about the western red cedar tree, including essential planting tips, the variety of sizes it can grow into and how it interacts with weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode we cover:  

• Western red cedar fast facts (:42-2:02)
• Current weather in Portland, OR (2:42)
• What to do with trees under stress (3:52) 
• Deep root watering best practices (4:41)
• Seasonal weather patterns in the Pacific Northwest (5:46)
• Western red cedar sizes (6:42)
• Mulching trees in the Pacific Northwest (7:42)
• Fertilizing western red cedars (8:33)
• Planting schedule in Oregon (9:18) 
• What size of western red cedars to plant (10:33) (12:15)
• Western red cedar pests (13:47)
• Izzy's journey to the green industry and Davey (14:48) (15:06)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more watering and mulching tips, read our blogs, What is Slow Watering of a Tree? and The Proper Way To Mulch Your Trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Aaron Hoot from Davey's Dallas office shares spring planting tips to help kick off the spring, including the best native species to plant in his region as well as fertilization and watering tips.

In this episode we cover:  

• How to become successful at spring tree planting (:44)
• Aaron's favorite native species to plant (1:25)
• Planting season in Dallas (3:47)
• Watering during droughts (5:44)
• Mistletoe on trees (6:55)
• Hackberry trees (9:14)
• Spring fertilization (12:13)
• Wrapping newly planted trees (15:37)
• Planting mature or younger trees (16:49)
• Soils used in North Texas (18:51)
• Cutting container tree roots (21:49)
• Best tree watering practices (26:07)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more spring planting tips, read our blogs, Spring Ahead and Most Common Questions about Tree Care in Spring.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Mike Cassidy from Davey's West Columbus office shares a list of tree appearances in pop culture, such as movies, comics, songs and more, which reminds us of the huge benefit trees play in our world. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Trees have a larger space in our mind (1:17)
• Trees as creatures (2:44)
  • Lord of the Rings (3:26)
  • Maleficent (3:47)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (4:50)
  • The Wizard of Oz (5:46)
  • The Trees by Rush (6:40)
• Trees as obstacles (7:43)
  • Harry Potter (7:52)
  • Poltergeist (8:54)
  • The Happening (10:04)
• Forests as a setting (11:52)
  • Star Wars (11:58)
  • Tarzan (14:15) (16:26)
  • The Ritual (15:46)
• Trees used as allegory (17:36)
  • The Giving Tree (17:41)
  • Sleepy Hollow (18:48)
  • Pan's Labyrinth (19:09)
• Trees as homes (20:05)
  • Trolls (20:11)
  • Keebler elf (21:15)
• Trees as a spiritual focus (21:35)
  • Avatar (21:41)
• Swamp Thing (21:54)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Dan Hager from Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, in Concord, shares his top spring pruning tips as well as different pruning tools and common pruning mistakes homeowners make. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Pruning consultation and goals for plants (1:17)
• Not everything needs to be pruned (1:50)
• What a homeowner can prune vs what a professional should prune (3:00)
• Different pruning tools (3:56)
• The right saw to use for pruning (4:50)
• Biggest pruning mistakes homeowners make (6:30)
• What should not be pruned in the late winter/early spring (8:18)
• What's the best way for someone to learn how to prune? (11:10)
• Educating master gardeners about pruning apple trees (12:54)
• Importance of keeping tools clean (14:42)
• Other spring landscape pruning (16:30)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more spring pruning tips, read our blogs, Trimming Trees in Spring: Is It Okay to Trim Trees in Spring? and Fruit Tree Care in Early Spring.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Tyson Geldseth from Davey's Tacoma office shares information about bronze birch borer, including its fatal impact on trees and the steps you can take to minimize its effects on your landscape. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Bronze birch borer (:43)
• The severity of bronze birch borer (2:44)
• Is it too late to treat a tree infected by bronze birch borer? (4:12)
• Preventative measures for bronze birch borer (7:15)
• The size of birch trees in the Northwest (9:10)
• The expense of tree permitting and regulations in Tyson's area (10:57)
• The expense of cutting down older trees (12:56)
• Calling a certified arborist to examine your property (15:17)
• How Tyson got into the tree industry (17:15)
• Emerald ash borer (21:38)
• EAB's estimated arrival in Washington state (23:10)
• Preparation for EAB (24:14)
• The feeling of providing client-focused solutions (25:50)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about bronze birch borer, visit our Insect & Disease Resource Center, Bronze Birch Borer Damage & Treatments | Davey Tree.

To learn more about boring pests, read our blog, Tree Borers: Signs of Tree Boring Insects | Davey Tree. 

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Hear from three students attending the Davey Institute of Trees Sciences (D.I.T.S.) program, Davey’s flagship training program in biological sciences, safety, tree and plant care and management techniques. Brandon Ponciano from Davey's Dallas office, Carl Myers from Davey's Loganville, GA office and Georges Bois from Davey's Burnaby, British Columbia office share their experience in the four-week program, including their key takeaways, being away from home for 30 days and the experience bonding with other employees and tree care professionals from all over North America.

In this episode we cover:  

• What has Brandon learned at D.I.T.S.? (:57)
• What has Carl learned at D.I.T.S.? (2:10)
• What has George learned at D.I.T.S.? (3:18)
• How is it being away from home for 30 days? (4:30)
• How does George plan on using his D.I.T.S. takeaways back home? (5:33)
• What was Brandon's reaction to being chosen from D.I.T.S.? (6:53)
• What is Brandon's favorite part about D.I.T.S.? (7:38)
• What are Carl's highlights from D.I.T.S.? (8:29)
• What is the importance of comradery and bonding at D.I.T.S.? (10:14)
• What has been challenging about D.I.T.S.? (10:53)
• R.J. Laverne (12:46)
• What are everyone's biggest takeaways from D.I.T.S.? (13:51)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about careers at Davey, visit Davey.com/Careers.
To learn more about training at Davey, visit Davey.com/Training.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!