My Blog

Hedge Trimming Tips

05/14/2012 16:29:00

Well I haven't had any responses to my tree identification series, so I assume it's not helping anyone. Ok, so, how about some tips on trimming hedges. It's about that time of year. All the green has bloomed out and everything is starting to need some kind of trimming. I'm sure you have mowed your lawn four or five times this year already, and weed eating is an art all to itself. So lets begin with choosing the right tools.

#1 - You want to make sure you have the right tools. I've made a list of some you will want to keep on hand.

- Scissors

- Pruning Shears

- Hedge Shears

- Rake

- Hammer

- Steel or Wooden Stakes

- String

- String Level or Carpenters Level

#2 - Make sure all your cutting tools are sharp each time you use them. Sap can build up on the blades and act like "glue" which will hinder the tool's operation.

#3 - Cut the sides first. You want to make them straight, but if you are going to have an angle you want the bottom to be wider than the top. This helps the entire side get sun. If the top is wider than the bottom, it can shade the bottom and it will take longer for the bottom to fill back in.

#4 - When you are ready to cut the top, drive two stakes into the ground at either end of the hedge and run a string between them. Use the level(s) to make sure the string is straight and at the height you want your hedge to be, and then trim the hedge level with the string.

#5 - Clean up the clippings using a rake to pull any loose clippings out of the hedge. If you have a compost pile, throw them in.

I know some of these tips seem pretty common sense, but you might be surprised how often those are the things we forget the most. If you have a large job and don't want to do it yourself, call us at Custom Cuts Tree Care. No job is too big. If I have helped you in any way, please let me know. If you think, "well, duh!", let me know that too, and I will try to come up with some more useful tips for around your yard. Thanks.

Tree Series: Episode 4 -- The Oak

04/23/2012 14:57:00

Well, spring has officially arrived. Almost all the trees have put on their leaves and look healthy and alive again. In my neighborhood I notice that the Cottonwoods have lost their cottony tufts which were blowing all around this weekend. My daughter thought it was snowing.

As I mentioned at the end of my last entry, this time we will be discussing the Oak tree. The name Oak is actually just a common name for about 400 species of trees. The 2 most common in the Oklahoma area can be labeled as the White Oaks, which include the Post Oak, and the Red Oaks, which include the Pin Oaks. Both categories generally grow to be anywhere from 80 to 100 feet tall and can live up to 100 years old.

In the spring, some Oaks will produce flowers called Catkins. Oaks are also the favorite homes of squirrels as they produce their favorite treat, the acorn. The acorn is a fruit nut that contains the seed of the Oak. Each acorn can contain from 1 to 3 seeds, and they can take anywhere from 6 months to one and a half years to mature. Finding these, or at least the shell or "hat", is a sure identifier of an Oak tree. However, they can also easily be identified by their leaves.

The leaves of the Oak are spirally arranged and have a 7 to 9 lobed margin, or body. The lobes of the White Oak leaves have rounded lobes. While the Red Oak leaves have pointed and serrated lobes. As you can see from the pictures, the leaves of each are very distinctive.

The Red Oak leaf.

The White Oak Leaf

Unfortunately the bark is not a useful tool when identifying an Oak tree. Below you will see examples from a White Oak and a Red Oak. When using the bark to identify a tree, in most cases, experience is the best tool.

White Oak Bark

Red Oak Bark

Oaks can fall victim to many problems. A couple of the most common include insects and fungi. Aphids, cicadas, and caterpillars love to chew on the leaves. If you find your Oak infested with insects, it might be a good idea to get an insecticide from your local agriculture store. Aphids have a waste product called honeydew. Honeydew can lead to a black mold fungus.

A root fungus is another fungi that is usually caused by over watering or shallow water tables. And the much beloved Christmas tradition and state flower of Oklahoma is Mistletoe. However mistletoe is also a fungus and if not removed or treated quickly will soon kill the tree.

A healthy Oak tree needs to be maintained in order for it to flourish. We at Custom Cuts Tree Care recommend giving your Oaks a clean out and manicure about every 3 to 5 years. This will remove any succor growth and open up the canopy and allow more light to filter through. This will also beautify your tree, allow grass to grow underneath, and add many years to its life. Please give us a call if you have an Oak you need help maintaining. Next time we will examine the Hackberry Tree. A favorite wood for fireplace owners everywhere.

Tree Series: Episode 3 -- The Elm

04/05/2012 12:16:00

Hello, it's time for another installment of tips for identifying trees. You will notice as I continue with this series, that I am discussing the identification of the species of trees most commonly found in Oklahoma. This is because Custom Cuts Tree Care is primarily based in Oklahoma. This time we are going to discuss the American Elm. It is the most common Elm in Oklahoma. The Elm tree has a distinctive umbrella-like silhouette due to the fact that its branches tend to droop downward. It can grow to be as tall as 125 feet tall, and can live for as long as 300 years. However, in areas that have been affected by severe cases of Dutch Elm Disease, those trees typically only live about 30 years.

Speaking of Dutch Elm Disease, it is the most common killer of Elms in America. The acronym for Dutch Elm Disease is DED. This is ironic because DED has a high fatality rate. DED is a fungus that effects the tree's ability to conduct water through its vascular system, basically cutting off its water supply. It can be treated with a variety of chemicals, but if caught early the most effective treatment is pruning. Pruning can created a different vulnerability, however, if it is done during the active season for the Elm Bark Beetle, which lasts from early April to late July.

When trying to identify an Elm, the easiest way is to examine the leaves. The leaves alternate along the shoots and are oval shaped tapering to a point. The edges are ragged and saw-toothed (see picture) having a distinctively uneven base. The Elm is a deciduous tree, so during the winter time identifying it by the bark is the next best way. The bark has a deeply furrowed surface with broad obliquely intersecting ridges.

Once you have identified your tree as an elm, you will want to make sure that it is well taken care. Elms usually require a manicure about every three to five years in order to reduce the weight of the branches, improve the flow of water to more important areas of the tree, and to open up the canopy to let more sun light through. Custom Cuts Tree Care can help you with this. Please call us at 918-279-0137. We can help you keep your trees healthy and beautiful. Next time we will discuss identification of the Oak.

Tree Series Episode 2 - The Maple

03/26/2012 10:21:00

Hello, we are back. We apologize for the delay, but with the weather and our recent Groupon we have been extremely busy. This time I will be examining the Maple tree. This time of year the maple is beginning to leaf out, but its most distinguishing feature is the helicopter seed pods that weigh down its branches. Some of them are beginning to drop off the tree and litter our yards, but some time in the next two weeks they will drop them all and the air will be filled with little flying helicopters, and they won't only be around the tree. That is why they were aerodynamically designed, so they would be picked up by the wind and carried as far as possible.

The four most common type of maples are the Black, Sugar, Red, and Silver. The two most common in the Oklahoma area are the Red and Silver. Maples are deciduous trees, which means that they lose all their leaves every year as opposed to coniferous trees which are evergreens. The leaves of the Maple grow in two different configurations. They either have either 3 or 5 lobs. The Red Maple leaves typically only have 3 lobs but, have been known to occasionally have 5. Its seed pods however are recognizable by the fact that the seeds, which always grow in pairs, have the actual seed portion pointing outward which gives the pair a "V" formation. The seed pair of the Silver Maple has the seeds orientated to the inside which gives them a "U" formation. Though the Silver Maple always has the 5 lobbed leaves, and they are readily identifiable by the silver sheen on the back.

Both the Red and the Silver will grow in a variety of soil conditions and generally live anywhere from 130 to 150 years. The Silver Maple is generally the quickest growing of all the maples, and both of the Red and the Silver can reach anywhere between 60 and 90 feet tall. Under ideal conditions the Silver Maple can grow up to 1/2 an inch a year.

Of all the distinguishing characteristics of the Maple, I feel that the bark is the hardest one to identify a tree by. I looked at several different descriptions of the bark and the best I found was that the Red Maple has scales and the Silver Maple is shaggy. Well, I guess identification by the bark is just going to take time and experience. In my research I found many other distinguishable characteristics, but they were only distinguishable in the fact that they are characteristics of maples in general and not characteristics of individual types of Maples, so I am not going to mention they here.

I think I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Maples, and I hope that I have helped you identify the Maples in your yard. If your Maple needs a trim, or you still have damage from the ice storm, give us a call at Custom Cuts Tree Care and we will come out and give you an estimate. Next time we will examine Elm trees. I can't wait to tell you all I found out.

Tree Series: Episode 1 -- The Bradford Pear Tree

03/07/2012 18:20:00

Hello. My name is Dale Baughman. I have recently started here at Custom Cuts Tree Care. I am the new business development director. I will be taking over the blog and have decided that I want to do a series on different types of trees. Like most people, I can not name a type of tree just by looking at it. so i decided to teach myself, and in doing so perhaps I can teach you as well. As I drive across town, the tree that jumps right out at me at this time of year is the Bradford Pear.

The Bradford Pear is an ornimental hardwood that is native to China and Korea. Its life span is typically between 30 and 40 years, which is coincidentally about how tall they grow as well. It is a hardy tree that can withstand short periods of drought, but which would prefer being watered at least once a week if planted in an area of good drainage. If you plant them in dry areas or they go through long periods of drought, putting mulch around the base of the trunk equal to about half the diameter of the canapy will help keep the moisture in the ground.

Twice a year the Bradford Pear puts on a beautifully colorful display. In the spring it is covered in white blossoms, and in the fall, like most other trees, it has incredible displays of orange and red. In addition to the colors it also produces edible fruit. Another benifit of the Bradford Pear is that, for the most part, the tree grows naturally in a gum drop type shape.

Left to its own devices, however, it will begin to expand and grow in strange and gnarly shapes. That is just one of the reasons it is very important to prune your Bradford Pear trees. The experts recommend that only a professional prune your Bradford, and this is because they tend to have structuraly issues. Bradford Pear trees are especially susceptible to wind and ice damage and have a tendency to split out at weak joints created by unchecked growth or improper pruning. Custom Cuts Tree Care can professionally prune or top your Bradford Pear, and now is the perfect time of year to do it.

You want to make sure that they are pruned shortly after it has begun to blossom. If done this time of year, it will allow plenty of time for the tree to recover to display its beautiful fall colors.

LEAP DAY!!!

02/29/2012 10:06:00

Well today is leap day. Leap day is an extra day added every four years in order to keep our seasons in line. It's not actually a federal holiday, but many traditions have sprung up around it. It is a day of good will. Ladies, today is your day to ask your man to marry you. Babies born on leap day are considered special.

The parents of leap babies are often asked to pick either Feb. 28th or March 1st for their babies birthday for purposes of the birth certificate. Otherwise legally they would have coming of age issues. It would take 116 years for a leap baby to turn 29 on the 29th. So Happy Birthday to all the babies born today.

Because this day only rolls around once every four years, try to do something special for someone today. Be extra nice that person you can't stand, take someone to lunch, or offer to help someone clean their house. Be creative. Let's continue the tradition, and next time you might find yourself as a recipient of good will.

Sum, Sum, Summertime Rolls

02/22/2012 10:57:00

Its pretty funny, the best time to trim trees as mentioned above is in the winter time. Of course, removals can be done anytime. Trimming (up to 30%) can be done in summertime, but overall we encourage winter trimming.

When the weather is nice our phone rings, as it also does when weather is quite severe. Most people wait until summer to tend to their yard and trees, but it is true that the end of winter is time to begin creating that perfect yard.

Tree trimming, pre-emergents, and other indesirable control should be applied during the last part of winter. Monthly applications will lead to that beatiful turf.

Just my thought for the day. Call us at (918) 279-0137.

Winter is best!!

01/19/2012 10:33:00

Its amazing. When the weather is nice and people are outside our phone rings. When its cold and people are indoors the phone is quiet. Many people do not realize that wintertime is the best time to have your trees professionally trimmed and pruned. The sap is down in the trees and they are dormant making surgery much less harmful than when the trees are in bloom.

The professional arborist can still recognize deadwood even when all the leaves are down. Having your trees professionally cleaned out during the wintertime will help insure minimal damage during severe weather, greatly increase the appeal of the tree, and will have the least negative impact upon the tree.

Consider having your trees pruned this winter; its still not too late. Call Custom Cuts for a free consultation and estimate today!

My view on tree service pricing

01/17/2012 23:48:00

Almost all the tree companies I know charge by "what the job is worth." What does that mean? Do they charge by the pound? Or is it by the linear foot? I actually saw a craigslist ad that had price by how tall the tree was. For a twenty footer it was so much. Thirty footer add $50. This is insane. I have to see the tree to state the rate. Its that simple. Location is everything.

Everything is time based in this world it seems. So it makes sense to price tree work based upon time. I know how much my costs are per hour (at least the variable ones) and I know my fixed costs. I then figure my break even cost and add in profit. The only thing I have to estimate at the jobsite is how long will it take. I certainly don't think about how much I can get the customer to pay.

Dad always taught me you have to be able to lay your head on your bed at night and be able to sleep with a clear head. "If you do honest work at a reasonable price and strive your best to make your customer smile then you'll succeed."

Words to live by.