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.

The banners feature a great shot of owner Martin Macauley hand-pruning a Seattle Heritage Tree, a majestic Black Walnut tree. Since we do boast TWO ISA Certified Arborists, we like to emphasize our prowess in pruning trees the proper way. We do also remove trees and grind stumps--we are your full-service tree care professionals!

Thank you, Maple Leaf neighbors, for supporting us. We are proud to be one of your own. Call today for a free estimate: (206) 714-9835.

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!

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!

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

A proud member of the clan MacAulay, Martin's chosen field of work truly exemplifies his clan's motto: Dulce Periculum which means "Danger is Sweet." Climbing and removing trees--sometimes over 100' tall!--certainly is dangerous. The fact that Martin likes doing it, well, he finds it sweet!

Martin's two sons, Josiah and Michael, work alonside their father in the tree business. College grad Josiah is now working on trees full-time, and he climbs trees right along with his father. Martin's brother, Ben, owns his own tree service company in Eugene, Oregon, called Highland Tree Service through which he works on residential trees when he is not falling lumber out in the woods. Dulce Periculum!

(We do want to point out that we follow safety regulations during all our tree work. So while it is dangerous work, the Blooma Tree Experts do it safely!)

Do you live in Seattle? Or in a nearby city? Does your city require tree risk assessment before you can cut down a tree? Give us a call!

Martin Macauley, owner, qualified as an ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor on June 4, 2010 (cert# CTRA 822).

What does it mean to be a tree risk assessor? Martin can assess the risks posed to people or structures by a tree or trees. For many cities now, this assessment is required before you can remove a sizable tree on your property.

What are the requirements to become a tree risk assessor? Martin took an intensive two-day course in Spokane, WA, and passed a two-an-a-half-hour exam (with flying colors!). Here are some of the areas of knowledge Martin learned:

• types and rates of decay
• mechanics of tree failure
• risk mitigation actions
• ribs, bulges, and fissures in bark
• root and soil issues

By continuing his education in tree health and safety, Martin provides full tree care service to his customers.