gtc-blog

2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:52:12 +0100

Well, I have been busy and this a good thing! as I type this out on my mac, I think back to the 2011 season and how successful it was, mostly due to you, my customers!

2012 plans on being a great year, I'm excited about new advertising , some new products and techniques I'm learning, new training courses and becoming ISA certified.

there is a possibility of being part of a reality TV show based on professionals who work at height, this is very cool.

I want to continue to learn and grow and to provide Leeds and Grenville with the epitome of professional tree care, I do not want to be known as the cheapest ( because I'm not) , or a removal specialist ( which I do, but only when needed and in tight areas where boom trucks can't work). I want to be known as the tree-guy who cares about you the client and your trees.

Trees are sacred to me and I love to provide the best care for them possible.

I look forward to working with new clients and old ones in 2012, have a healthy, safe and prosperous New Year!

Cary Gibson, sole proprietor of Gibson Tree Care.

Gear Junkie?

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:25:41 +0100

It seems to me that my pile of climbing gear is ever-growing...we as arborists on a whole, have an affinity for collecting mountains of toys!

I say toys, but actually they are tools, although we get paid to work in and about your trees; for us it is fun as well as work.

Let's see, I don't think at any point in the last 2 years that I did not have some new gadget either on the way, or recently arrived.
But, this is okay, we have to figure out what works for us, making us safer, more efficient and ultimately, better at our job.

We may spend the time and money in new equipment, but in the end, the savings and experience get's passed on to you, the client.

I know there are companies out there who do not have this obsession with new gear, and that is okay' providing they are still working safely and expediently.

It is the "companies" about that rely on a ladder, a beat up old linesman harness and a chainsaw that worry me.

and they should worry you too.

It takes more than fancy gear to make a good climbing arborist though, it takes experience and a thorough knowledge of techniques and the trees you are working in/on to be effective.

I think there is a correlation between the arborists who invest in up to date gear and the quality of work they do.

It shows that they have an interest in performing to their utmost for the clients, and that they take great pride in knowing how to use all the fancy bells and whistles to do the job at hand to the best of their ability.

What we do is not for anybody, it takes a certain amount of raw athletic ability and guts to be a climber.
This is why you the client will search out the most qualified arborists to do the job.

don't be afraid to ask questions, after all, it is you money and your trees on the line right?

okay, so what do I have on the way this week? hmmmm....some new spider legs, a new loopie sling, and a new Treemotion arborist saddle, perhaps the best in the world right now? we'll see ;)

cheers and climb safe!

Bald is Beautiful!

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:45:59 +0100

Bald Eagles that is....
I have the distinction of being the climber allowed to erect the nesting platforms to entice more nesting pairs to return to the 1000 islands region this spring.

The Bald Eagle was once native to this area, but hunting, human population, loss of habitat and the use of DDT pesticides decimated the population here.

But, they have since 1999 been making a slow recovery here.

Thanks in a large part to a small group of volunteers headed by Bud Andress of Hill Island, and Martin Streight of the Leeds and Grenville Land Stewardship Council.

I climb the trees that are chosen and erect the large nesting platforms that the eagles will hopefully find, and subsequently come back to each year, adding to the nest.

some of these nests measure over 9 feet in diameter!

I'm about to install my 3rd platform north of Kingston, hopefully all of them will host a pair of these magnificent icons of the avian world.

I'm truly blessed to be a part of this.

continued topping....

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:15:09 +0100

I see it all over Brockville and the surrounding area. I have seen it being done by other "tree service" companies.

Why they continue to practice this harmful practice is beyond me, do they not read up on the latest in aboriculture practices?

It does nothing except do irreparable damage to the trees structure and form; the tree becomes a management nightmare.

Please! do NOT go with any company that touts this practice and talks willingly about it as if it is common; it is not anymore...

While we are on the topic of pruning, remember, winter is the PRIME time to work on your beloved trees.

We can prepare them for the upcoming winter storms, and if the weather accounts are right, it is going to be a La Nina' winter.

this is the same system that brought us the harsh winter of 3 years ago.

we can do any deadwooding and potentially hazardous limb removal with zero chance of harming the tree and lawn.

No insect or airborne fungus is present to infect the tree.

Call us today and get a free estimate!

We also install holiday lighting in hard to reach trees, don't risk a ladder-fall, call us and have it done professionally.

Late season pruning and the EAB threat.

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:06:53 +0100

Late season, fall and winter is the very best time to do work on your trees.

1) The trees are dormant

2) Zero chance of insect infestation or attacks from fungus

3) less clean up due to the leaves having dropped.

4) It allows the arborist to see the structure of the tree and to provide the best possible corrective pruning.

5) the frozen ground is more conducive to having loads possibly hit it and the lawn damage is minimal.

6) deadwood/rot is much easier to see and to remove without a dense canopy cover.

So, late fall and winter is the BEST time to prune your trees, but it is the ONLY time you should prune Oak or Elm to prevent insect attack.

EAB, or the "emerald ash borer", brought over in wooden packing crates from Asia in the late 90's, has made it's way to Leeds and Grenville through transporting of infected ash wood.

this is a very serious threat, once a tree is infected, the kill rate is 99.9% within 4-5 years of being infected.

There is no cure.

Sign to watch for are

1) D-shaped exit holes on the trunk and branches up to six feet off the ground

2) a sudden die- off of branches in the canopy

It kills by burrowing under the bark and feeding on the phloem and sapwood of the tree, this disrupts the flow of nutrients from the roots to the canopy, effectively killing the tree in a short time ( depending on degree of infestation).

Insecticide treatments could work, but are not guaranteed.

If you think your tree may be infected, please call us at Gibson Tree Care for an assessment.

Removing the tree if infected is easier before the tree becomes too brittle to climb, also if it is in a spot where if it falls, could do damage to property, call ASAP.

If you have doubts, I suggest doing a google search on EAB, and to call Geoff McVey at the United Counties of Leed and Grenville at 613 342 3840 ext. 2416

Old Habits die hard...

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:59:15 +0100

Went on an estimate last week, it was for an older gentleman on the river, he had been there since '64.

the first thing he asked was that he wanted me to top his trees, I explained to him why i would not top them.

I went into great detail on the reasons why a tree should never be topped, and how with a regime of proper care, i could bring them back to a somewhat healthy state.

He listened very interestedly, told me he would call me .

Well he did, and it seems he got the same hack company that topped them last time.

Sometimes logic and reasoning will not work.

We need to educate the general public as to the proper methods of tree care and health.

I'm sure the trees were spiked AND topped, both of which will harm the trees, possibly killing them.

But I happily refused to top the trees, and you know what?

I'm not losing sleep over it!

remember, TOPPING is BAD!!!

Summertime pruning

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:02:03 +0100

Pruning in the summer can be beneficial to a tree, but we need to follow the 20-25% rule; NEVER prune more than that, it stresses the tree too much.

Also, if pruning an elm in Dutch Elm disease areas like ours, make sure special precautions are taken to prevent spread of the disease from a diseased tree to a healthy tree.
We clean our handsaws and chainsaw chains thoroughly with a special cleaner that removes any trace of the fungus.

Another thing to do in the summer when it is very easy to see it, is to dead-wood a tree, Deadwooding is beneficial at any time of the year, but summer when the tree is in full foliage is a good time to identify the deadwood and remove it.

Call us for a free estimate and consultation on the needs and care of your trees!
enjoy the summer folks!

Improper tree care practices

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:32:24 +0100

As I am around doing estimates and jobs, I notice that there are still "professional" tree companies using outdated , harmful practices to complete their work, but they are "established" and most people in this area are unaware that there is a right way and a wrong way...the 3 major big rollers in my hometown? they are the worst offenders around.

Topping trees??? ridiculous! I have walked away from easy money by refusing to butcher a tree in this manner. The reason i get most of the time when i ask why the customer wants a tree topped is this" It is too tall"...There is no such thing a healthy tree that is too tall, take a look out west, there are 300+ footers doing just fine!

Let's get something straight right now, topping trees is HARMFUL to the tree, if it doesn't kill it by taking 50% or more of the food away from the tree, it creates a maintenance headache down the road. the skinny, weak epicormic growth that results from the little watersprouts can grow to 20 feet plus and still only be the size of your wrist.
These can easily fail under load from ice, snow or wind.

Also, I see some companies still climbing in an unsafe manner; no lifeline, old, outdated or damaged safety gear, and the use of spurs to climb trees to prune them.

Spurs could very well kill the tree over time, especially thin- barked species such as beech, soft maples, and poplars.

With the vast degree of knowledge available to anybody who takes the time to learn and practice; ANY tree can be safely climbed and worked in without ever donning a set of spikes.

Removals? sure, then it is a moot point, but to spur it for pruning, ludicrous!
So if you are getting estimates to improve your tree's health, ask the arborist "how" he will work in the tree and how he will get up and down it; if he replies" with spurs"??? keep looking or call Gibson Tree Care!

I am also noticing more and more "fly by night" companies popping up, or basically, a guy with a ladder, pick-up and a chainsaw...I will bet you 100% that they are not carrying insurance and are not even arborists.

They can, and have done severe damage to trees and property, I know this because I have been called in to try to "fix" mistakes and improperly done work.

Save your money, call a pro.
Trees are a valuable resource and we need to give them top notch work by trained arborists who do it for the love of the trees!