Blooma proudly announces its new trailer wrapped with a beautiful ad created by Graffix Inc. of Seattle. The trailer contains our powerful stump grinder, ready to roll out and eat up those unwanted stumps.

The beautiful photo used on the ad shows Blooma owner, Martin Macauley, climbing a Seattle Heritage Tree on Queen Anne in the summer of '09. We were honored then to be asked to prune this beautiful Black Walnut tree, and we are honored to use the image for our ad.

The Blooma Tree Experts: Josiah, Martin, Drew, and Chris.

Most people think of cupid, roses, and flowers when they think of Valentine's Day. But Jackie and Bender, the morning DJ team at Seattle's KISSFM, had a different idea this year. What if people had old mementoes from their exes? What could they do with those old cards, old teddy bears, and old pictures? The answer: feed them to the powerful wood chipper of Blooma Tree Experts!

This morning, from 7 - 9:00 a.m., the Blooma Tree Experts were down in Tukwila for the "Vindictive Valentine's" promotion. One man fed the chipper with his ex-girlfriend's t-shirt, a woman tossed a menu from her ex-boyfriend's restaurant into the steel teeth, and another man threw in a baseball bat (?).

Our favorite was the man who showed up with a wood side table that his ex had left in his apartment. Before he could feed it into the chipper, he took our axe and busted it with all his agression. Then he tossed in the pieces, and soon memories of his ex were obliterated.

He's sizing up the side table . . .

He swings his axe . . .

Gone!

Our man, Andrew Cheney, just passed his rigorous ISA Certification test--on his very first try! This is quite an accomplishment since only 6% pass it the first time.

Drew has been with Blooma Tree Experts LLC since February 2008, learning the ropes, literally! Drew had years of experience as a landscaper, so tree and shrub identification was a breeze, but he had not worked in the tree care industry before. Blooma owner Martin Macauley saw potential in Drew immediately,  and he began to encourage Drew to prepare himself for the ISA exam.

ISA Certification means that Drew is now a highly trained professional in all areas of tree care. He knows the biology of trees, he knows which diseases and pests attack trees, and he knows proper pruning techniques, among many other areas of essential tree care knowledge.

ISA Certification is valid for three years; Certified Arborists must continue their education by earning 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the end of each three-year period.

We are proud of Drew and his great accomplishment.

Spotted in a Seattle neighborhood--this man is risking his life and limb to cut branches.

Well, we couldn't quite believe our eyes when we spotted this landscaper attempting to prun a tree, and I had to run to the fence to take a picture. Let's count the ways in which this tree pruning is dangerous:

1. The man is on a ladder. He is not tied in to anything. Ladders are dangerous.
2. He has no safety equipment on. No hard hat (what's with the shower cap?) and no protective eyewear. Limbs fall downward (gravity), and bits fly toward your face.
3. He is cutting above his head, which means he does not have much control over that chainsaw. Now sometimes, even trained professionals will perform a quick cut above their head, but they've got the muscles to hold the saw steady.
4. He is swinging a huge axe at the tree to cut the limb (photo below). This will definitely lead to being off-balance, and again, he isn't tied into the tree for safety. Also, how sharp is the axe? A dull axe is much more dangerous than a sharp one.
5. A swinging limb can knock the ladder out from under him, causing injury.

We have to wonder if this man has L & I. If he gets hurt, the homeowner will be responsible for his injuries.

The moral of the story is if you choose to save money by hiring untrained workers to do dangerous tree work on your property, you should be prepared for the financial and moral consequences. Ask yourself: Is it worth it? Or shouldn't you just go ahead and hire trained, professional certified arborists with proper training and L & I coverage?

"I have a stand of Douglas Firs in my backyard," our client said. "I'm afraid some limbs, or even whole trees, will fall on our house this winter. Can you help?"

The Seattle area is blessed with beautiful, tall trees, isn't it? Stands of Douglas Firs, Cypresses, Redwoods, Spruces, and Cedars dot our landscape, reminding us why this is the Evergreen State. But what do you do when that lovely stand of trees is perched above your home and property? Here's some of what we do (this list is not exhaustive):

1. Assess the trees' health.
   The first step is to look at each tree and see just how healthy—or unhealthy—it is. Some of the questions we ask ourselves are:
   Are there signs of decay, such as loose bark, insect frass, or a sap stream flowing down the bark?
2. Assess the state of the limbs.
   Is there a lot of deadwood? Limbs die naturally but don't always fall right away. Often they hang on for quite awhile, just waiting for a strong wind to blow them to the ground.
   
   Are there broken limbs hanging onto other limbs? Broken branches can get caught by other branches, hanging there until they decide to come crashing down.
3. Assess the degree and direction of lean.
   What is the lean of the tree? Does it lean toward or away from structures? If it does fail, what will it hit?
4. Assess the ground around the tree.
   Has the ground been disturbed in the recent past? Construction and landscaping can cause destruction of a tree's root system and/or add material on top of the ground. This is dangerous because most of a tree's nutrients come from arteries near the surface of the ground. The surface roots also anchor the tree. Disturb them, and the tree might fall.

Once the trees have been properly assessed, we can help the homeowner make the best decision to create a safe environment. This might involve pruning, windsailing, or removing a tree. It makes sense to be proactive and address the issue BEFORE our next storm.

If you live in the Seattle area, call Martin Macauley, ISA Certified Arborist, for a free assessment: (206) 714-9835.

If a limb falls on your house, or, heaven forbid, a tree, you need help and fast. How do you make sure your job is handled in a responsible way? What to look out for:

1. NEVER, EVER DO THE WORK YOURSELF! Sometimes homeowners look at a limb fallen on their house, or a tree leaning on their house or fence and think, "Gee, I can climb up there and cut that down." Don't do it! If you think it's safe, look on YouTube for videos of people cutting down their own trees. (Sometimes it's even companies doing it.) People get killed every year trying to take down a tree--two men in the Seattle area were recently killed, and both were experienced. Here are links to the Seattle Times articles: DOT worker killed. Man killed by falling tree. Be safe. Stay on the ground.

2. Ask if the company is insured. This is MOST important. Licenses are easy to get--you just send your money to the state every year. A license tells you nothing. But insurance is essential. If someone gets hurt on the job, or if your property gets damaged (more likely in an emergency situation), you want the company insured.

3. Check to make sure the company is insured. Go to the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries and find the company. (We have a link directly on our website so our customers can see we have a $1 million insurance policy through Penn Star, and a $6,000 bond through RLI Insurance Co.) Do your research before putting your home at risk.

4. Find out how much experience the workers have with emergency situations. All tree work is dangerous, but none is as dangerous as an emergency situation. Uprooted trees, especially, are unpredictable and deadly. Do the workers have emergency experience? How much experience does the crew boss have? Do they all follow safety procedures?

5. Never give a deposit until after you have met with the company representative. In our experience, most tree service companies do not require a deposit (we don't), so we were floored when a potential client called to say she had made a non-refundable $200 deposit over the phone with a company--just to get the rep to her house to bid on the job. That's ridiculous! If you sign a contract with a company, then it is reasonable to place a deposit with them, but certainly not before meeting with them and getting a bid.

Blooma Tree Experts do emergency tree work, and we are very experienced (remember the Dec. 14 storm of 2006? We were there!). Call us 24 hours a day: 206.714.9835. Our estimates are free.

Rolling through downtown Seattle are two Metro buses replete with brand new 15-foot ads for Blooma Tree Experts LLC. "We wanted to try something new, something different," said Martin Macauley, the owner of Blooma. "We aimed for an ad that was clean and simple, and hopefully memorable."

The two new ads feature an actual Heritage Tree of Seattle with Martin partially hidden in the branches, hand-pruning to maintain the tree's beauty. "I wanted a real tree that we've actually worked on," said Martin, "rather than some random picture from the internet. That picture shows that the homeowner trusted us to prune his precious Heritage Tree, and that's really special to me."

The rest of the ad includes a soft green background with Blooma's motto: We Make Your Trees Living Works of Art. "Having ISA Certified Arborists in charge of each job is one of the ways we set ourselves apart from the other tree companies around," said Martin.

"Passing the ISA certification test is very difficult, very demanding," Martin continued. "Then we have to maintain it with 30 education units every three years, and that's tough to do. The ISA Certification means we are well-trained in the very latest research about tree health, tree removals, and safety. When we prune a tree, we follow all ISA guidelines, ensuring a healthy, aesthetically pleasing tree."

The tree experts at Blooma are excited about this new move for the growing company. Even Martin's grandson is keeping an eye out for the new buses, asking, "Is Grandpa going to let other people ride his bus?"

So you've got a tree stump in your yard. Grind it? Or leave it? Here are three reasons to get it gone:

#1. Aesthetics!                  Fun but tacky.

Tree stumps are, at best, unattractive. At worst, they detract from your yard and property value. We've all seen people try to turn them into stands, placing a bird bath basin on top or perhaps a sculpture, but that really doesn't disguise the fact that it's a tree stump. It's much more beautiful to remove the stump and replace it with a beautiful shrub, tree, or flowers.

#2 Tree Shoots!

Some trees just keep sending up shoots, even after the tree itself has been removed. These shoots or suckers grow out of the stump, ending in an unsightly mess. If you didn't want the tree there in the first place, you aren't going to like scrawny suckers.

#3. Destructive Bugs!                       Carpenter Ants

It's just a short walk from a stump to your foundation. Stumps attract carpenter ants and termites. These hungry insects can move quickly to your house and move in. Most carpenters we know always remove stumps in their yards--they've seen the damage of these insects firsthand. In addition, wasps and bees like stumps. These insects will not destroy your house, of course, but you may not want to invite them into your yard!

Stump grinding is the answer to these problems. A stump grinder wielded by a professional can reduce your ugly stump into a nice pile of mulch, perfect for your garden. If there are large roots that have disrupted your lawn or raised the sidewalk, those can be "chased down" with a stump grinder, too. We've yet to run into a customer unhappy with their stump gone!

Call Blooma Tree Experts LLC for a price on stump grinding: (206) 714-9835

Many of our customers find themselves scratching their heads to figure out the best tree to plant in their yard. Often, they have a huge Douglas Fir or Cedar that must be removed because it has outgrown its urban setting, and they want to replace the too-large tree with one that is the right size for their yard.

Our recommendation? A Japanese Maple!

The Japanese Maples grow beautifully in the Seattle area, and there is sure to be one (or more!) that fits your garden and color scheme. Take a look at just a few of the many varieties available to us:

The 'Crimson Queen' laceleaf maple is very popular in the Seattle area. This is a slow-growing cultivar that, in 30 to 50 years, may reach 6'. Most we see around here are around 4' tall. This cultivar holds its color well into the hot weather, with burgundy most of the year and crimson in the fall. There are other cultivars that look similar but grow faster, such as the 'Tamukeyama' and 'Garnet.'

This cultivar grows to about 5' to 8' and is excellent for container growing. Leaves tend to hang down, giving a cascadiing look. Red, yellow, and gold in the fall, this is a sun-tolerant plant.

The Emperor grows to about 25' tall, at a rate of one foot per year. The stem is nearly black, with a translucent red leaf that is small and delicate, giving the tree an open, airy appearance. This beauty can tolerate hot sun and wind without wilting.

The Katsura has year-round color and good vigor. There are two different varieties: one is a dwarf shrub that grows to 5; - 6', and the other is a full-grown tree or about 25'. New growth is orange in the spring, then it becomes a golden yellow, then a rich green with lighter tones in summer, and finally a fine yellow with orange tones in the fall.

This is known as the weeping willow of Japanese maples. This tree may reach 15' - 25' in many years, and the crown may be nearly as wide. In summer, it is bright green, and in the fall it is a beautiful gold and crimson mix. The photo shows a young example; a mature tree's branches "weep" to form a curtain around the tree.

Another group of cultivars offer variegated leaves. This beni shishihenge is a smallish shrub that grows to 6' - 12'. It's not as vigorous as some others, but it is a real eyecatcher. This tree is still fairly rare, and it has various spellings. Some other, more common variegated cultivars are readily available at our local nurseries.

The Seiryu is a vigorous, vase-shaped, often multi-trunked, green laceleaf. It's a relatively fast grower, and it will reach 10' to 15' in ten years. The new growth is a light, bright, gold-green; the medium-green summer foliage is lacy and delicate; and the red and gold fall color is dramatic.

All Japanese maple photos and information come from the following website:  www.worldplants.com/mapleintro.htm

Removing a large tree is a tricky job best left to the professionals. Here is how the experts at Blooma Tree Experts LLC removed a large Port Orford Cedar that was right next to a house.

Before and After:

The large Port Orford Cedar had grown too large for its space; the final cut.

Martin cuts this large limb on his way up the tree, after removing much of its foliage. Note the rope in the upper left side of the photo. It is tied onto the limb and put on a pulley which is higher in the tree. This way, the men on the ground can direct its downward movement.
Removing a large limb requires patience, strength, and know-how.

	Martin repeats this procedure all the way up the tree to its top, using ropes and pulleys to let each limb descend slowly to a specific spot. This customer has a formal landscape that must not be damaged, along with a balcony that is in harm's way. Lowering each limb is the only way to ensure no damage to the yard and property.
Limbing a tree the safe way.

Once the tree is fully limbed, Martin works his way down from the top, removing chunks as he descends. As you can see, this becomes quite challenging as the size of the trunk increases. Note how the large piece has ropes tied on so the men below can pull it onto a safe landing site, out of the way of the customer's precious plants.

The trunk is nearly as tall as Aaron.          Definitely the largest spider we've seen.

As you can see from these photos, removing a large tree is challenging, dangerous work best left to professionals. So much can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing. That's why the Blooma Tree Experts always have an ISA certified arborist in charge on every job, ensuring the safety of our crew and the safety of our customers.

Notice how the limbs abruptly end in a blunt cut: improper pruning.

While out and about making bids on tree service jobs, Martin and I often see evidence of poor pruning practices. These trees not only look bad, but the indiscriminate hacking done to them leaves them vulnerable to rot, fungi, and insects (see previous blog on "How to Prune a Tree Part I).

The only way to fix these limbs and preserve the health of the trees, is to remove the remaining stub entirely. To do this properly, you can see our instructions in blog "How to Prune a Tree Part I," or go to www.treesaregood.org, the educational website of the International Society of Arboriculture. There you will find all sorts of helpful tips and information for maintaining and improving your trees' health and safety.

   Tent Caterpillars in their silky tent.

Our customers are reporting that the tent caterpillar has returned. Remember a few years ago when whole trees in Seattle and the surrounding areas were covered in the tent caterpillar's distinctive silk?

Ways to control the populaton of this caterpillar:

The University of Wisconsin has an on-line publication that describes various methods for removing the eastern tent caterpillar. They include cultural and mechanical means, biological means, and chemical means. Here is the link: http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A2933.pdf

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service has a publication that explains the habitat and habits of the forest tent caterpillar, along with means of removal. Here is that link: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/ftc/tentcat.htm

As you'll see in these publications, if you catch the tent caterpillars early, you can remove them by hand (wear gloves). Otherwise, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products provide a biological way to control this pest. A last resort, for many, is pesticides.

Whatever you decide to do, best wishes for healthy trees!

Martin Macauley, ISA Certified Arborist, spotted this Hemlock in Lynnwood, WA while giving an estimate. Martin was chagrined to see that a tree service employee—from another company—had used spurs to climb the tree. Spurs should NEVER be used on a living, healthy tree for pruning.

What are spurs?

Spurs are steel shanks that attach to a climber's boot and calf to allow him to easily ascend a tree. Essentially, he climbs by jabbing the spikes into the tree as he climbs.

What do spurs do to the tree?

Spurs make holes through the bark, the tree's protective layer, into the cambium. The cambium is the living tissue of a tree. The way it works is water and elements flow up through the root system through the cambium, which then distributes the sugars (food) from the leaves throughout the tree. It is essentially a pumping system. When the cambium is compromised, the tree is compromised. Spurs compromise a tree.

How does spurring harm the tree?

The holes left by the spurs allow an avenue for pathogens (disease-producing agents). If the spurs were used previously on a diseased tree, those diseases will be passed into the next living tree. This is equivalent to someone inserting a dirty needle into your body. Chances are, you will get the disease, too. Yikes!

When can spurs be used?

For tree removal only! Any other use of spurs is harmful and negligent.

ISA Certified Arborists are trained to understand the circulatory system of trees and the harmful effects of spurring a tree. Be smart: hire a tree service who has ISA Certified climber on the job (like Blooma Tree Experts). You will be happy you did, and so will your trees.

You want your trees--and all of your garden--to look their best, don't you? All plants could use a good mulching, and here's why:

1. Mulch reduces water evaporation

Our water bills are high enough without letting water go to waste in the garden. A good layer of mulch around your trees and plantings will help keep the moisture where you want it--in the soil. Without mulch, much of the water evaporates into the air. You will especially appreciate this water retention during those hot summer days.

2. Mulch reduces weeds

This is my personal favorite reason to mulch because I HATE weeding. Who wants to spend time pulling out those pesky intruders, knowing full well they will just reappear in a few weeks? Not me! Mulch helps keep those weeds away. Even better than mulch by itself, try this trick to defeat weeds: lay down at least five layers of newspapers, then cover with 3 - 5 inches of mulch. Trust me. Those weeds will never again rear their ugly heads.

3. Mulch moderates the soil temperature

With mulch, the soil stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. This will help keep your water bill down in the summer, and it will help keep your plants' roots alive in the winter.

Other benefits: mulch reduces soil erosion, helps trees develop a more extensive root system, helps potect trees from lawn mower damage, and add organic matter to the soil as it decomposes.

What is the best mulch? Organic! This includes wood chips, bark, pine needles, or other plant waste materials.

How much mulch should you use? Two to four inches is best. As it decomposes, more should be added. Be sure to keep the mulch a couple of inches away from the trunk of your trees. If it touches, it could cause rot.

If you have any questions or comments, please write!

This is a newly planted garden area before and after adding mulch. These rhodies and azaleas are going to love this organic material.

Our dog, Rex, loves the mulch, too. Lots of new smells!

Everyone knows that trees need pruning; the question is, how do we prune correctly? That's what we're setting out to help you discover. Since there are so many different aspects of pruning, today we'll just talk about removing dead stubs.

We often see stubs when someone has simply cut tree limbs indiscriminately. That's pretty common, and besides looking bad, it's bad for the tree (more about that below). Sometimes a limb simply breaks because of wind, snow, or too much weight. Either way, the stub needs to be removed correctly.

Why are stubs so bad? If they aren't dead yet, they soon will be. And the stub will endanger the tree's health because it provides an opening for insects and fungi that will cause decay. You want to close that opening, and that's where pruning comes in.

Imagine that you have a cut on your arm. If a bone is sticking out (yuck!), then the cut will never heal. It will get infected, and who knows how bad it will get? But if the cut is clean, it will scab over, heal, and maybe not even leave a scar. It is very similar with trees. A clean cut will allow the bark to "scab" over and heal (see last photo below). But a stub is like an open wound. The tree will send resources to try to heal it, but it will never heal. Bad news for the tree.

So now that I've convinced you that stubs are bad, how exactly do you fix it? It's important to make your cut correctly. I've included an illustration here from the ISA website, TreesAreGood.com, to show you two different situations and two correct cuts:

To show you an actual ISA certified arborist in action, cutting a dead stub off an actual tree, I asked Martin Macauley (owner, Blooma Tree Experts LLC) to fix our neighbor's tree. Our neighbor was happy to oblige.

The first cut is made below (to prevent bark tearing), and the second cut is made above. The finished cut is close to the tree, and will allow the tree to heal the wound, as the last photo shows.

WARNING: If the stubs are higher than you can reach, please call a professional. Ladders are dangerous and climbing is dangerous--we want you safe! Call us at (206) 714-9835 for a free estimate on removing those stubs and any other tree work you need. We service the greater Seattle area.