Tag: tree pruning

Tags: tree pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, tree service, Blooma, Yelp, Blooma tree experts, customer reviews, reviews, yelp ads, yelp small business, yelp algorithm

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

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!

It's very tempting to do tree work yourself. After all, you have a saw and a ladder--why not climb the ladder and cut down that limb? Well, here's a comic from today's Sunday Seattle Times that gives you an answer:

One thing we Seattleites have plenty of is water. Many of the homes in this area have stunning water views--or would have stunning water views if the trees and bushes didn't grow so rapidly (another by-product of having so much water!).

The Blooma tree service men are often called upon to help homeowners re-gain the water view that caused them to love their homes in the first place. The two photos shown here illustrate how dramatic a difference we can make with some judicious pruning, called crown reduction. This home is in Ballard (a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

When we see the front yards, we always notice the trees. Sometimes the trees are just right--they are shaped nicely, they're healthy, and they're the right size for the house and yard. In this case, the tree is an asset.

Sometimes, though, the trees really detract from the house, really bringing down the curb appeal. Trees that are unhealthy, or badly pruned, or too big or too small, or just plain ugly are not an asset to a home. They are an eyesore.

I offer you my first photos of Seattle area houses. Are the trees an asset? Or are they an eyesore?

The following photos were taken in the same Mukilteo cul-de-sac.

House #1

Beautifully landscaped yard with a lovely variety of trees and bushes . . . except for . . .

this cherry tree by the front door. What an unattractive pruning job!

House #2

This house is quite beautiful and large. But what is the centerpiece of the yard?

What is that? An umbrella tree? I don't know, but it's far too small for the house. Plus it in unnatural, misshapen, and unhealthy. Time to remove this sad little tree and re-plant.

House #3

What do you think of these three trees? Asset? or Eyesore?

We get out, we walk around, and sometimes we are saddened by what we see. Here is a photo of a prime example of poor pruning. Let me explain.

As you can see, this tree is still alive--or at least part of it is. The pink blooms are lovely, but we can't appreciate their beauty because of the ugly stumps. We're not sure what the goal was with this pruning job, but each of those cuts left a stump. None of those stumps will callus over and heal, thus keeping the tree stressed and inviting fungi and pests.

In addition, the canopy has been obliterated, leaving a lopsided tree. This is very unattractive. The amount of the canopy removed is too much for the tree to bear, and it will now descend into its death spiral.

In this case, the best suggestion is to remove the tree entirely and plant a new one. This tree diminishes the value of the house and the aesthetics of the street. Put the tree out of its misery and begin again. Next time, though, call in a professional to prune your tree!

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?

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?"