How to Feed and Grow Lilacs: Lilacs are low maintenance and versatile. They don't like to sit in a wet place, so be sure to plant them on either flat ground with good dranage or on a hill. They like mulch, about 4 inches' worth. Compost and humus, worked into the soil, help feed the Lilacs and keep them happy. They like a ph of 6 or 7--too much nitrogen results in poor blooms. For more info, go here.

Interesting Facts: A Lilac can live for hundreds of years! Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew Lilacs in their gardens. And there are over 1,000 varieties of Lilacs. A great place to enjoy hundreds of varieties is in Spokane, Washington in the Manito Park Lilac Garden. For info, go here.

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Stand of Trees Ruined by Incompetent Local Tree Company

We know who they are, but we will not name names. Just know that one local Seattle tree service company routinely harms its customers' trees in shameful ways.

Martin was recently called by a homeowner who had hired a nefarious local tree service company to prune her trees. What Martin saw appalled him. Here are photos of the actual trees and four ways in which this company harmed the trees:

      1.They used SPURS to prune. Spurs impales the bark, leaving wounds into the phloem. The trees now have holes that pathogens and fungi can enter. Spurs are appropriate for removing trees, not pruning them. If you want your trees to live, NEVER LET A TREE SERVICE USE SPURS. (Spur marks circled)

The ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) says: "Avoid using the services of any tree company that uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned; climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed" Read more here.

2.   EXCESSIVE PRUNING. The ignorant workers of this company removed 75 % of the trees' scaffolds, far exceeding the 25% maximum suggested by the ISA. Since a tree is fed through its leaves, removing too much means the tree will not be fed. Here's what the ISA website says:

"Generally, no more than 25% of the crown should be removed at once, and less for mature trees. Removing even a single, large-diameter limb can result in significant canopy loss and can create a wound that the tree may not be able to close. Care should be taken to achieve pruning objectives while minimizing live branch loss and wound size." See here for more info.

      3.   LION-TAILING, a dangerous technique, was performed on the remaining limbs. Some companies will scare homeowners into thinking their trees are going to fall on their homes unless Wind-Sailing is performed. Lion-tailing is NOT the proper way to wind-sail because all the inner branches are stripped from the limb, leaving a heavy bunch at the tips, like a lion's tail. In a strong wind, the limb will begin whipping around, lacking the inner branches which serve to distribute the wind evenly. A Lion-Tailed branch is much more likely to fall than one left alone. Here's one source of info about lion-tailing from Colorado State University's Master Gardening program.

4.   IMPROPER AND HARMFUL CUTS. This company not only butchered these two trees, but the men did not cut the limbs off the right way! The cuts were made too close to the tree, beyond the branch collar, and into the tree's anatomy. This means the wounds will not heal properly, leaving openings for insects and disease. Here is a handy illustration from TreesAreGood.org:

Camellias and Rhodies Create a Stunning Display

I spotted this beautiful bloom display while walking in a Seattle neighborhood this week. The deep pink Camellias, each in full bloom, provide a remarkable backdrop to the pale pink Rhododendron in front of it. This sweet surprise is one reason I love Seattle gardens so much. (And do you know there is a winter blooming Camellia? I'm determined to put one in my own garden this fall.)

Camellia tips: "It may be best to apply nutrition in small to moderate quantities of three or more periods from March to September. Higher nitrogen rates are best applied in spring, then changing to moderate nitrogen and phosphate, and to higher potassium in September." Prune over winter or by early spring. Information from American Camellia Society.

Rhody tips: Rhodies and Azaleas love acidic soil best. They don't need fertilizer; however, "if plants are mulched with something like fresh sawdust or wood chips, there will be a nitrogen demand caused by the decomposition of these materials, and unless nitrogen is added, the plants are likely to show yellowish foliage and poor growth." Rhodies do not need pruning. Information is from American Rhododendron Society.

Walking around various Seattle neighborhoods, we've seen houses with landscaping that encourages crime and homes that discourage crime. Here are some photos. See what you think.

All the overgrown bushes on the corner and side of this house provides a great hiding place for a burglar. According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and CPTED experts, you want to keep a clearance around your home to prevent hiding spots.

In contrast to the house above, the tree, bushes, and latticework of this home provide privacy to the homeowners while making it unattractive to criminals. There is nowhere for them to hide. Notice how the tree is pruned so the leaves will appear above the windows. If someone were to try to break into this house, he would be seen.

The fence and overgrown trees on this Seattle property give plenty of coverage for a burglar. To make it safer, the owner needs to trim trees away from the house and prune for crown raising (removing lowest branches).

Notice how the landscaping at this home lets us see the beauty of the house while making it very visible. This deters crime. Also, everything is kept up nicely, which also deters criminals.

Stand across the street and look at YOUR house. Are there hiding places for criminals? Can a good pruning of trees and bushes remove the hiding places and make your home shine? Give Blooma a call! 206-714-9835.

Three Ways to Deter Crime in Your Neighborhood

About two years ago, we attended a crime prevention-focused community meeting in our Maple Leaf neighborhood. The police officers there mentioned three specific ways we can help to reduce crime on our streets:

1) watch who enters your neighborhood and make eye contact with them,

2) keep your driveway and entryways well-lit at night, and

3) cut back the trees and shrubs to prevent hiding places for criminals.

As we walk through our streets, we see quite a few houses with huge Rhody bushes in front of windows, tall street hedges that hide the property, and low-hanging tree limbs that obscure the front door. These landscape elements may actually encourage crime because the perpetrator will feel he won't be caught.

There is an actual philosophy (if that's the right word) that focuses on how to make public and private buildings less vulnerable to crime. Two men, working independently, created this concept in the 1970's—one was a criminologist, and the other was an architect. The result is called CPTED: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Here are some tips specific to our homes:

·         Keep your home and yard well-maintained. The Broken Windows Theory says that when property is neglected, criminals view it as safer for them because it is ignored. Broken windows in one house encourage vandals to break more windows in other houses.

·         Plant low, thorny bushes under ground level windows. This provides a clear view and discourages break-ins. Barberry and Rosa Rugosa are two good choices.

·         Use rambling or climbing thorny plants next to fences to discourage intrusion. Roses come to mind.

·         Remove design features that give people access to your roof or upper stories. This would include some trees with easily-climbed limbs. Those limbs that make it easy to jump onto a balcony should be removed and the tree cut back from the house.

·         Plant and maintain trees in your neighborhood. More trees are seen as significantly more attractive, safer, and more likely to be used by the general public than similar spaces without trees. Criminals seek out places where they won't be seen.

• Other important tips relating to your fencing, property boundaries, entries, and so on, can be found here: Crime prevention through environmental design.
• Learn more about CPTED in Seattle, including neighborhood surveys through Seattle Neighborhood Group here: CPTED in Seattle.
• Learn what the Seattle PD is doing to help make public spaces safer here: Seattle PD and CPTED

If you'd like some help in making your property safer through landscape maintenance and pruning, give us a call for a free estimate: (206) 714-9835 or write to us here: Contact Blooma.

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.

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.

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.

Truthfully, I don't know that compost tea is this man's secret, but I do know that using compost tea in your garden produces excellent results.

Here are the top 4 reasons to use compost tea:

1. Increase in plant growth

Using compost tea helps your trees and plants grow bigger. You will get greener leaves, bigger and brighter blooms, and bigger and more vegetables with compost tea.

2. Provide helpful organisms

Compost tea has live microbes which improve the soil and the immune system of plants. This gives you healthier, more stress0tolerant plants.

3. Help suppress diseases

When you use compost tea, you create a healthy balance between soil and plant, which means your plants can ward off pests, diseases, and fungus. Kind of what green tea does for humans!

4. Replace toxic chemicals

If you have toxins in your garden, compost tea will help remove them from the soil. It replaces chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. And it's a heck of a lot cheaper, so you save money, too.

To find out how to brew your own compost tea, please read Easy to Make Compost Tea.

I found it. Walking around in the Magnolia section of Seattle the other day, I saw some brilliant purple berries that just POPPED in the otherwise drab landscape. According to our trusted Google, these belong to the Beautyberry family.

Here are three choices:

1. Bodinier's Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri) is native to China and thrives in colder weather. This is most likely the variety I saw in Seattle, and it is beautiful. For more info, click here.

2. American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) - native to the southern U.S., the berries are edible but astringent. They do make lovely jellies, though. I think our weather in the Seattle area is a bit too cold for this variety. For more info on this shrub, click here.

3. Japanese Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) is native to Japan and grows 4' - 8'. You can see these at Bellevue Botanical Garden, or here.

Planting season is right around the corner, so plan now to bring color to your garden next winter. As for me, I'm going to pick up several Bodinier's Beautyberry plants and put them right outside the window where I can enjoy them next year.

This is all good, but if you research recipes for compost tea, they seem a bit complicated, requiring an aquarium filter and tubing . . . too much for me. But I've found a truly easy compost tea recipe that requires NO special equipment.

Easy-To-Make Compost Tea

Supplies:

• two buckets
• compost (enough to fill the bucket 1/3 full)
• water, unchlorinated
• cheesecloth, burlap, or an old shirt
• Optional: molasses, fish emulsion, powdered seaweed

Instructions:

1. Fill a bucket 1/3 full of quality compost.

2. Add water to the top of the bucket. Use unchlorinated water or well water. (To get the chlorine out of water, let it sit for 24 hours or put in a couple of tablets found with aquarium supplies.)

3. Let the mixture steep for 3-4 days. Stir it periodically to let in the oxygen.

4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or other porous fabric (such as burlap, an old shirt, etc.) into the second bucket. Put the leftover solids into your garden or compost bin.

5. Dilute the remaining liquid with water so it looks like weak tea. Use a 10.1 ratio.

6. Use the tea immediately in your garden. You can apply it to the soil around trees and plants, and/or spray it onto the leaves.--in this case, add 1/8 tsp. vegetable oil or mild dish-washing liquid so it sticks to the leaves. You can add ingredients, such as molasses or fish emulsion, to create an even better tea.

That truly is simple! For more tips, see Home Composting Made Easy!, which is where I found this fabulous information.

Your trees and plants will thank you.

For a free quote on quality, professional tree work by ISA Certified Arborists, call Martin today at (206)714-9835 or fill out our on-line website inquiry form.

While walking in Edmonds, WA, I spied a row of beautiful young Hawthorn trees bursting with clusters of red berries. They were a welcome, cheerful site on this cold autumn day.

The habit of these Hawthorns was quite lovely, with a pleasing, oval shape. The leaves are green and glossy, and the berries pop in contrast.

Copied straight from Wikipedia: Crataegus ( /krəˈtiːɡəs/),^[1] commonly called hawthorn or thornapple,^[2] is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae,

You can see the similarities to the rose family in the thorns, of course (it is called hawthorn), and the berries remind me of the large round bulbs of the Rosa Rugosa plant.

Maybe the typical Seattle street Hawthorn tree is unattractive because it has been neglected, standing unpruned for decades. Or maybe the Hawthorn just looks better when it's young (hmmm, I feel the same way!). In any case, these specimens clearly show that this is a great tree to plant for lovely fall color.

And one more look at those gorgeous berries:

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

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). **

Mr. Sims has been the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for President Obama, just recently resigning. Prior to this appointment, he served as King County Executive for twelve years.

Hired to prune several trees on Mr. Sims' property recently, the Blooma crew enjoyed chatting with this personable politician. Josiah Macauley spent some time chatting with Mr. Sims about his work  in Washington, DC and his long weekly commute. The entire crew said Mr. Sims is a personable, friendly man whom they enjoyed meeting.