Jon Schmidt from Davey's safety team shares how he is emphasizing the importance of new, innovative safety measures throughout all of Davey's service lines. 

In this episode we cover:  

• What does Jon do in his role as program manager for human and organizational performance? (:36) (4:57)
• How did Jon's research influence safety practices at Davey? (2:30) (11:26) 
• Who does Jon work closely with in his role? (4:27) 
• Satisfying work (5:27)
• Getting people to share thoughts on safety? (6:00)
• How does Jon build trust with crewmembers about safety measures? (6:55) (7:41)
• How Jon got to his current role (8:53)
• What is human performance training? (12:08)
• What does Jon get out of his job? (14:20)

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

To learn more about Davey's culture of safety, visit this webpage, Safety Culture | 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!

Nick Bates from Davey's Long Island office shares the importance of winter pruning and how to do so correctly and efficiently. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Why is it important to prune trees this time of year? (:41) (15:11)
• How does weather affect pruning? (2:07)
• Is there a correct way to explain pruning? (2:57)
• Why you should let professionals prune your trees (4:29)
• Using the right tools and preventing diseases (6:17) 
• The proper way to prune a branch (7:48)
• Can black knot disease be cut out? (9:28)
• How Nick got to Davey (12:48)
• Are there certain species that are easier to prune? (14:13)

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

To learn more about winter pruning, read our blog, Winter Tree Pruning: Young Trees, Fruit Trees, Spring Flowering 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!

Michael Spaulding from Davey's Portland, OR office talks about what post winter storm tree work looks like for arborists, including how Michael and his team handled Portland's January 2024 winter storm. 

In this episode we cover:  

• What post storm work looks like for an arborist (0:39)
• Setting up priority (3:11)
• Powerlines (4:49)
• Being a counselor to clients (6:11)
• Insurance (8:41)
• Task priority management (9:54)
• Wrapping up the storm work (15:55)
• How it feels to help clients with storm cleanup work (17:07)

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

To learn about how to prepare your trees for winter storm season, read our blog, Your Backyard Tree Checklist for the Winter Storm Season.

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!

Michael Spaulding from Davey's Portland, OR office talks about what an arborist does to prepare for winter storms and what homeowners can do to help, as well as how Portland's January 2024 storm affected Davey's office, clients and trees in the area. 

In this episode we cover:  

• What does an arborist do to prepare for a winter storm? (0:40) (5:33)
• How long can storm work take? (2:09)
• Portland's January 2024 storm (3:22) (7:48)
• What homeowners can do before a storm (6:37)
• Annual visits with an arborist (8:33)
• How Michael became an arborist (10:53)
• What Michael loves about his job (12:35)
• Portland's season (13:36)
• Lasting effects from Portland's January 2024 storm (15:05)

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

To learn more about preparing for winter storms, read our blog, Your Backyard Tree Checklist for the Winter Storm Season.

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!

Ben Cuddeback from Davey's Northwest Detroit office shares signs that your tree's roots are being affected by freezing temperatures and how to protect them this winter, as well as what you can do in the spring to set them up for the next winter. 

In this episode we cover:  

• Is snow a good insulator for roots? (0:41)
• Roots freezing (1:26)
• Mulching in the winter (2:24)
• Watering in the winter (2:43)
• Droughts and floods (3:17)
• Signs of tree root damage (4:34)
• Are young trees more susceptible? (5:33)
• Can older trees recover better than young trees? (6:01)
• Declining trees in Detroit (6:32)
• Diverse trees to plant (8:23)
• Windbreaks (9:37)
• Ben's way to keep deer out (11:40)
• How to protect tree roots in the winter (12:40)
• Fertilizing after a tough winter (14:13)

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

To learn more about tree roots freezing, read our blog, What Happens If Tree Roots Freeze?

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!

David Horvath from Davey's Lake Bluff office shares how you should be caring for your evergreens and shrubs in the winter to help ensure they'll thrive once spring comes back around!

In this episode we cover:  

• First thing that comes to mind for evergreen and shrub care in the winter (0:39)
• Anti-desiccants (1:11)
• Importance of reading the labels (3:55)
• What was Chicago's season like this year? (4:58)
• Should you be watering in the winter? (6:28)
• Snow loading (7:30)
• Mulching and fertilizing this time of year (8:59)
• What other work is done in the winter? (10:01)
• Shrub pruning advice (10:57)
• Right pruning tools (12:32)
• Inspecting the landscape in the winter (14:07)
• "Arbor Lane" (14:43)
• Why David enjoys his job (15:32)

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

To learn more about evergreen care in the winter, read our blogs, Winter Watering for Evergreens: What You Need to Know, When to Fertilize Evergreens: Should You Fertilize Evergreens in the Winter and Should I Wrap Trees for Winter Protection?

To learn about salt tolerant evergreens, read our blog, Salt Tolerant Evergreen Trees (By Zone).

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 all things black gum trees, including the different names the tree goes by and the numerous benefits the species provides to a homeowner's landscape.

In this episode we cover:  

• Black gum vs Sweetgum trees (1:03) 
• Why do people love black gums? (2:45) (10:30)
• Black gum's seasonal colors (3:49)
• Are black gums historically underused in landscapes? (6:03)
• Ways to protect smaller black gum trees (8:56) (10:10)
• Black gum's name origin (11:56)
• Why should you plant a black gum tree? (19:08)

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

To learn about black gum pests, read our blog, Tree Pest (Insect): Black Twig Borer.

Check out our recent tree-specific episodes here, Black Walnut: Is it True You Can't Grow Underneath Them? and Blue Spruce: Why it's Struggling & How to Help.

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!

Gail Nozal from Davey Resource Group and Mike Dye from Davey's Twin Cities Wood Products office discuss how emerald ash borer (EAB) has caused a significant increase in wood waste in the area.

In this episode we cover:  

• EAB in Minnesota (:46)
• What happens with affected ash trees? (1:30) (2:32)
• What should you do with your tree if it is affected? (3:17)
• Are there concerns of EAB spreading once infected trees are cut down? (4:05)
• What is a biomass plant? (5:01)
• Are facilities being overrun with material as a result of trees dying? (5:43)
• What species are being planted to replace ash trees? (7:29)
• Does invasive jumping worm affect mulch processing? (9:00) 
• Are ash tree populations reviving? (10:23)
• How do you treat EAB? (11:45) (12:06)
• What other changes has Mike seen as a result of EAB? (12:46)
• Are there any positives we can take away from EAB? (13:54)

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

To learn more about EAB and EAB treatment, read our blogs, The 101 on Emerald Ash Borer and How To Dispose Of Dead Ash Trees (Even If They Have EAB).

Visit Davey's Twin Cities Wood Products website to learn more about their services here. 

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!

Jay Judd from Davey's East Denver office shares information about the blue spruce tree, including how factors such as climate change and native pests are impacting these trees. 

In this episode we cover:  

• What is the blue spruce? (:43)
• How is Colorado's climate affecting the blue spruce? (1:25)
• Is the blue spruce still being planted? (4:55)
• What other issues is the blue spruce dealing with? (6:46) (8:43) (10:19)
• Should you cut down a blue spruce if it is infected? (7:50)
• What other trees can you plant in Colorado? (11:19)
• How Jay got into his job and how he works with clients (12:44) (13:08)

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

To learn more about the blue spruce, read our blog, Do I Have a Blue Spruce Tree?

Watch this Talking Trees video to learn how you can effectively take care of your trees in Colorado here, How To Care For Trees In Colorado.

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!

Eric Countryman from Davey's East Pittsburgh office discusses best practices for winterizing your landscape to help ensure it will thrive in spring and summer.

In this episode we cover:  

• How have drought conditions impacted trees on the East Coast? (:52) (1:38)
• How to winterize maple trees (2:34) (4:11)
• What material does Eric use to winterize trees? (4:54) 
• How to prepare evergreens for the winter (5:48) (6:42)
• How to water trees and plants during the winter (8:34)
• Winter tree prep tips (9:11)
• What should you do with your perennial gardens during the winter? (10:20)
• Can you plant trees during the winter? (13:05)
• Top planting mistakes people make (14:58) (16:37)
• Is it too late to fertilize your trees? (17:19)

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

To learn more winter landscape prep tips, read our blogs, Tree Care Checklist: How to Keep Trees Healthy This Winter and 5 Smart Steps for a Winter-Ready Landscape.

Check out a past Talking Trees episode about winter landscape prep here, Why It's Important to Prepare Your Trees and Gardens for Winter and Should You be Watering in the Winter?

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!