Category: Tree Safety

Blooma Tree Experts LLC congratulates Zoran "Vuka" Vukusic on his achievement of becoming an ISA Certified Arborist. A native of Croatia, Vuka has been with Blooma Tree Experts since its beginnings, working alongside owner Martin Macauley way back when it was just the two of them and a run-down old dump truck.

Last year, Vuka decided to study for this challenging exam, and on Dec. 6, 2011 he achieved his goal. The ISA exam tests students' knowledge of tree biology, tree identification, diseases and fungi, pruning techniques, removal techniques, and safety procedures.

We are very proud of Vuka's achievement.

Major Stem on Tree Falls: The Blooma Crew Removes the Stem and Tree Safely.

The Seattle Winter Storm 2012 isn't through with us yet! We were awakened at 5:20 am by a client whose front tree had dropped a major stem right at his house (see photo). Martin assembled his crew, rushed to Ravenna, and began safely removing the stem and the tree itself. We were very happy for the customer--this was a narrow call.

Martin used rigging and a climbing saddle to climb the dangerous tree.

Soon, the limb was removed and all the debris was chipped up in our chipper. Firewood was saved and stacked neatly.

Congratulations to Josiah Macauley for passing the rigorous ISA Arborist Certification!

Josiah graduated in March, 2010 from the University of Washington, Bothell, with a degree in business administration, and began working as a salesperson for a telephone technology company. Six months later, he returned to Blooma Tree Experts, LLC, where he has worked off and on since his senior year in high school. Within a few months, he was studying for the ISA exam.

This certification verifies Josiah's superb knowledge of proper tree pruning, tree health, tree species identification, proper removal techniques, safety requirements, and tree health assessment.

We are proud of Josiah's accomplishment and dedication to the tree care industry.

If you live in the City of Shoreline and need a tree professional, call Blooma Tree Experts! We are now on the City of Shoreline's Qualified Professional list for tree removals.

What does this means?

Martin Macauley is now listed "as a qualified professional arborist for the City of Shoreline, property owners or their authorized agents may contract with [us] to  prepare reports related to tree removal and rentention."

In order to qualify for this list, we had to submit proof of Martin's qualifications, including proof he is a Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessor; proof of insurance, bond, and license; and examples of tree evaluations already performed.

Here is the link:

City of Shoreline Qualified Professionals List: Arborists

Do you have a dead or dying tree in your yard? You know you need to do SOMETHING, and you suspect you should have it removed, but you're waiting because you know it's going to cost money, right? Well, wait no more. Here's what you DON'T KNOW about dead and dying trees and why you should act NOW.

Top 3 Reasons to Remove that Tree NOW:

1) The limbs may fall! Whether the tree is fully dead or in its mortality spiral, its limbs fall whenever they feel like it, without warning. These limbs can kill a grown man, easily. Two weeks ago, Martin examined a Locust tree in a man's yard. He advised the homeowner to remove the tree. The night before we showed up to do the work, a HUGE tree limb crashed right across the homeowner's driveway. If the cars had been parked in the driveway, they would have been crushed.

2) The trunk may fall! A dead tree in a forest may pose a danger to a squirrel or deer, but a dead tree in your own yard poses a severe risk to you, your family, your house, and maybe even the neighbors' house, neighbors' kids, and perhaps, passers-by. Note which way the tree is leaning, and from which direction winds normally blow. This will tell you the most likely direction a tree will fall. What will it hit?

3) The cost increases the longer you wait! Here's what happens**:

a. A dying tree can usually be climbed and removed by a tree professional. The danger to the climber is low (in most cases), so the removal cost is reasonable.

b. A dead tree cannot be safely climbed. This means a climber will need to climb a nearby healthy tree and carefully use that as his homebase for the removal. This takes longer and is more dangerous. That costs you money.

c. If there is no nearby healthy tree, the dead tree must be removed by crane. The location of the tree can make this very difficult to accomplish. Obviously, this type of removal will cost the most to you, the homeowner.

If you see your tree is dying, or even THINK it may be dying, call in an ISA Certified Arborist for an assessment. Perhaps the tree can be saved. But if not, plan to have it removed NOW--before the fall and winter weather hits.

Free estimates in the Greater Seattle Area: Martin Macauley, ISA Certified Arborist and PNW-ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor (206) 714-9835

** This information applies to most trees, but there are many contingencies, of course, depending on the tree species, root health, angle of tree, level of decay, and so on. To be on the safe side, call in a professional to assess your particular tree(s). **

If your Hemlock tree in or near the Seattle area is looking a little bit stressed, faded, and, well, sick, then it probably has fallen victim to the dreaded Hemlock Wooly Adelgid.

Look for little white blobs (like mini-Qtips) on the underside of the needles and branches. If you want a scientific explanation of this insect, go here: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/woollyadelgid/index.aspx.

To Save Your Tree or Remove It?

If the infestation has gone untreated for awhile, your Hemlock may already be dead or dying. In that case, removal is your only option, and the sooner, the better (a dead tree is a real safety hazard in your landscape).

If your tree CAN be saved, the best method is to apply a special insecticide to the tree trunk or to the soil around the tree roots. This way the tree actually moves the chemicals up to the twigs and needles where the adelgids are feeding.

We recommend Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed, which we have found at Lowe's Hardward Store (although it's sure to be available elsewhere). You do have to read the instructions carefully and re-apply every year.

When Is the Best Time to Treat My Hemlock?

According to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (who care about this problem deeply since the Hemlock tree is the Pennsylvania State Tree), you should treat your trees in spring, early summer, or fall "when adults break dormancy."

They do have some important tips of what NOT to do, too, so check out their website and get Woolly Adelgid-savvy. Let's save our Hemlocks!

Watch this breaking King 5 news story featuring Martin Macauley, owner of Blooma Tree Experts. It appeared Jan. 31, 2011 on the 5:30 news with Linda Brill: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Tree-Cutting-Permit-114981954.html

	Winter storms have arrived! And so has the King 5 news crew. Yesterday, King 5 news reporter Meg Coyle and her film crew spent three hours filming the Blooma Tree Experts pruning a Douglas Fir tree on Mercer Island. They were making the tree safe for our winter storms. Watch our crew in action: "How to prepare your tree for a big storm," by Meg Coyle, King 5 news.

Ivy is one of those plants we have a love-hate relationship with. When it covers the brick walls of a university, ivy looks stately and dignified. But when it climbs a tree, determined to choke out its life, well then we must eradicate it.

Ivy WILL kill your tree, make no mistake about that. Once it starts climbing, the tree is in trouble. The best prevention is to remove the ivy entirely, before it has a chance to climb. Once it has climbed, though, you must call in the experts to remove it. Blooma Tree Experts can--and will--carefully climb your tree and entirely remove the ivy. Here are some before and after photos of a tree our crew saved. Remarkable, yes?

Seattle tree being killed by ivy.                                         Seattle tree after Blooma crew removed the ivy.

If you live in the greater Seattle area and have a tree being smothered by ivy, give the Blooma Tree Experts a call at (206) 714-9835. We'll take care of it!

We do a lot of tree removals at Blooma Tree Experts, so we know the dangers inherent in that process. When we came across this photo of a tree removal gone awry, we were torn between feeling empathy and ridiculing their lack of foresight. In any event, careful planning and experience are definitely required for tree removals! Enjoy the photo:

The irony is, of course, that the crane caused more damage than the tree would have had it fallen on the house.