When I go out to a customers home to give them a free estimate, I tend to listen to the owner and try to figure out what it is that they want done and what is the reason that they called me out to look at their trees. Sometimes I think they are just calling me out there because someone has told them they need to get more than one estimate, and sometimes they just want to have someone reassure them that their trees are okay because they have been told absolute lies about their trees and they are afraid they are going to have to get a costly removal. 
      And then there are people that call you out because they think that they can get a better deal with you and save money. These are the type of people that if you are a tree service provider that you will run into occasionally. They start out by telling you that its going to be an easy job, or that they would do it themselves but they don't have the time. Then there are  the ones that try to tell you how to do the job, how many cuts its going to take , or tell you that they want their palms Hurricane cut. A terrible way to trim palms. When i tell them that I am a certified arborist and i have been taught that hurricane cutting palms is a bad practice they actually say " I don't care that's how I want them trimmed". 
        I went on an estimate last week. I no sooner then drove up to the house and the lady came out of her home and up to my car, before i even got out of my car she was telling me how she wanted the tree trimmed and telling me she was going to be out there watching me because the last guy that came out to trim it " hacked it up" Well the tree looked alright to me and i did not see anywhere that the tree was hacked up. And after giving her a price then she started adding more she wanted done and after telling her that the extra trimming would be more she turned and said to me " You just don't want the job do you?" and walked back to her house and went in. I was speechless! 
          Shortly after this incident I had a lady call about a broken limb over a home. she told me that everyone she called would not come out. She sounded pretty desperate so i told he that I would be able to stop by the next day. So the next day came and I proceeded to drive the 19 miles to the mobile home park to look at this tree limb. When I got there I had to stop at the gate to get in. I called her and got no answer, now people are starting to back up behind me to get in. Well to make a long story short i had to get everyone to back up so i could turn around. What a nightmare! On my way back i get a message from her telling me that she had gotten someone to do it. Now either she was lying to me in the beginning or she had someone already and was just looking for a better price. 
         This is how 15% of my estimates go these days, I don't mind going to look at a job but it just seems to me that people do not have any respect anymore for people trying to help them out. 
         As late as yesterday i was supposed to trim two palms for a lady in land o lakes. She said that when i was on my way to page her so she could bring the dogs in. I said okay and i paged he before i left my home , well when i got to her gated community i could not get in so i paged her , then i called her . No answer . After driving home got a message that her phone was dead and was being charged, and something about her husbands phone? 
          I don't know how long i am going to be able to give free estimates. free advice , This is not working out to good. I spend time and money to provide a service and a lot of time all i get is disrespected by people. 
          And i could go on and on about being bitten by peoples dogs and they just laugh about it like its no big deal. Well that's enough of my ranting for one blog post . Leave a message and tell me what you think. Have a nice day.

     The average person knows very little about Included Bark. In fact even the professional tree person sees it every day but does not think to much about it until it becomes a problem. Lets examine this included bark so that when we see it, we can do something that can litigate the problem before it becomes one.  You see Included bark is to put it simply two stems of the tree that grow beside each other. As these two stems grow and get bigger, they start rubbing up against each other and pretty soon are pressed up against each other and start pushing against each other until the pressure gets to great and one of them split.
       There are a lot of ways to fix this problem without taking the tree down. One way is to start Removing one of  the stems from the top down. You can do this over a period of time and this way the tree is not thrown into a state of shock. This is the way we do it here at Beechnut tree service . We start from the top and take about one third of the top out of one side of the tree most time that is the smaller of the two leads. Then a few months later we take it down half way and so on until we are able to very carefully cut it down close to the trunk being careful not to cut the other trunk. Some people prefer to get it out in one shot.
         The important thing is to spot this problem and  remove one side of this tree before it splits and causes damage to your home or something else. I don't know how many times I've went out to a estimate where this has happened only to hear the homeowner say "I don't know why it broke or split it looked green and real healthy" And I tell them that yes the tree was healthy but it also had a bad structure and that it the reason it has split. It is always easier to correct this problem when the tree is small but it can still be fixed when it is a large tree. It just takes a little longer for the tree to heal and adapt. If you would like to know more about this problem with tree's contact us at 727-967-8733 Beechnut tree service. We will be happy to advise you on the steps you can take to prevent this type of thing happening to you or some one near you. Remember that not every tree with included bark is going to split. But a lot of them do and do you want to take that chance?  I wouldn't! There are many tree services out there that will tell you that the tree should be removed. We aren't one of them We will only tell you that as a last resort. We try to trim trees properly and so that it will benefit the trees health and not just wack it down. Sometimes all it takes is a little patience and a love for nature. Thank you for listening and I hope this little bit of advice and knowledge will help you make the best decision for your trees.


 

When i go out to someone's home to give them a free estimate which is pretty standard in my business, I am a Certified Arborist and i pretty much know what is wrong with the tree or tree's after inspecting them. I have spent 20 yrs of my life studying them and know how to treat them and how to trim them to make them strong and healthy. So its no wonder when i go out to the customers home that they come out and start telling me how to trim the tree. Or how long it will take me to do it, that i am taken aback at some of their arrogance and disrespect they show me when i go there not charging them anything and try to give them advice for the health and safety of their trees. I have had people ask me to Hurricane cut their palm trees which means that they only want 2 to 3  palm fronds left on the palm after i am threw trimming it. When i ask them why they want it cut that way and i tell them that it is not good for the tree to be trimmed like that, all they ever say is i don't care that's the way I want them trimmed. Can you imagine an electrician or a plumber coming to your home to do some work and you start telling them how to do their job. I recently had one lady tell me over the phone that it would only take me one half hour to do what she wanted done. When i got over to look at the job she wanted to know where my equipment was? I told her that i have to look at the job to see what i need to do it. Well she didn't like that and started telling me that she wanted it trimmed right because the last guy that trimmed it hacked it up. Well it certainly didn't looked hacked up to me but i kept listening to her complain about that and that she was going to stand out there and watch every cut i made. When i asked her about the dead branches that were up in the tree she said no. Then she started talking about trimming over her roof and i advised her that i would cost more if i had to trim over the roof and she lost it and said " Well i guess you just don't want the Job"  and walking back in her house leaving me standing there. This kind of thing makes me want to charge for the estimates i give. Had another HOA group wanted estimates on 90 palms that they wanted trimmed on their property's after spending 5 hrs. looking at trees and giving advice on how to trim them and giving them an estimate was told by one of the gentleman that would i consider lowering my price to get the job. Here at Beechnut tree service we do the best for your trees at the lowest possible price. We are not going to lower our prices to get the job and we are not going to do bad things to tree's or palms just so the owners can save a few bucks. If that means that we don't get the job then that's fine. We want to be known as the professional tree company that actually helped the tree's and not the company that other company's make fun of the work that looks like crap and is not good for the tree's health and life of the tree. So if you would like your tree's pruned correctly and for a reasonable price by a Certified arborist call us today .   

    A lot of people ask me when is the best time to fertilize my tree's and shrubs? Well I usually like to fertilize when I see that its likely to rain that day or when it is going to rain for a few days that would be even better. That way the fertilizer can leach into the soil better and it can get down to the root system faster. Another way is to fertilize and then water down the soil everyday or so to keep the soil wet so it can break down and reach the roots that way.
     The problem I see is when people use a lot of fertilizer and do not water it well enough then you start running into the problem of Reverse Osmosis. This is where the fertilizer actually absorbs water from the soil and the plants or trees. You might know this process as  (Fertilizer burn). When this occurs then the fertilizer pulls water from the tree's , shrubs and surrounding soil. 
       Trees require certain essential elements to function and grow. An essential element is a chemical element that is involved in the metabolism of the tree, In the forest these elements are usually present in sufficient quantities in the soil . Urban trees however may be growing in soils that do not contain sufficient available nutrients. Fertilizing can increase growth , reduce susceptibility to certain diseases and pests and can help reverse declining health. 
        I have personally seen here in New port richey and witnessed the transformation on some of the palms that I have treated with fertilizer after being called out to look at a declining palm that was dying or starting to decline and treating it and teaching the customer about the importance of fertilization of Palms The Palms that I have treated have made miraculous recovery's. Palm decline occurs a lot here in Pasco where everybody wants their palm Hurricane Cut, or a good percentage of the fronds removed which often causes nutrient deficiencies in the palm. Here at Beechnut Tree Service.   we recommend keeping as many green fronds on the palm that is possible and use a slow release fertilizer. This will help prevent fertilizer burn and break down into the soil slowly. Beechnut tree service can provide and assist you in your quest to increase your tree and shrubs health. Fertilizers are also good for fruit tree's if your fruit is not sweet or not growing to the size you think it should be. 
     Besides being good for Palms, Fruit trees, and all plants Fertilizer is good for the health, growth, it is also good for the soil by replacing valuable nutrients that They lack in this urban environment. If we have not answered all of your questions about this subject feel free to contact me and if I can't answer them or  I can connect you with someone who will be able to help you. Beechnut Tree service can make your tree's and shrubs happy again! Also remember to apply the fertilizer around the dripline of the tree or shrub. This is where the absorbing roots live not next to the trunk..... Thanks for stopping by! 

  There is a competition around this time every year. It is known in the tree world and in numerous countries as Legend of the Geezer competition . It was started in 2003 by a friend of mine named Bruce Smith. Bruce at that time was the President of the Florida chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. He was based out of Sarasota Fl. I was and still am based here in New Port Richey, just a few miles north of him. Any way he came up with the idea i believe after Me and my girlfriend at the time were competing in the 2003 Florida ISA tree climbing competition. We were the oldest Man and Woman competing and i think we impressed a lot of the other competitors any way we had a good time. So the Geezers Competition is where Older Ladies and Gentleman Climb tree's in a competition that is meant for much younger people. Beechnut tree service is a proud competitor and a volunteer at this Competition The Picture above is me in the 2013 Comp. Beechnut tree service is and will always give to this worthy cause that has blossomed into a international event that helps bring people and trees together for the better good of both species. If you would like any information on this event don't hesitate to contact me 727-967-8733 or maybe you would just like to learn to climb trees safely feel free to ask us about our Tree Climbing Classes here in New Port Richey starting next spring.

When considering pruning your palms, You may think you need to " Hurricane prune " your palm tree. Hold that thought before you do more harm then good. There is a misunderstanding that by removing almost all palm fronds, leaving only the youngest few, you can create a more wind resistant palm. However, evidence suggests that it is not correct and "hurricane pruning" actually weakens palm trees and they could become more vulnerable to damage.

 Proper pruning techniques

So what are some better p0runing techniques when it comes to Palms? 
First. Only completely dead fronds should be removed. While yellow leaves may be unsightly, They are an indication of something going on. These leaves should be left on as they are still helping to support the palm through mobile nutrients, such as potassium (K)

 A healthy palm tree should actually have a 360 degree canopy of leaves. 
However , often they are over pruned due to nutrient deficiency symptoms. 
Never remove any leaves above the horizon of Three to Nine ( on a clock)

One other thing to consider when pruning palms are the flowers and fruit. It is fine to leave the fruit or to prune it out of the palm if you do not want your yard littered with the fruit . 

In closing I know you think that Hurricane cutting will help you not to have to trim so often but it is just the opposite. The more fronds you take off the faster the tree will grow to try to replace the fronds it has just lost. it is a vicious cycle that will end up making your tree so tall that no one will be able to trim it . And if you happen to live in one of these gated community's where they come around and tell you that you have to have your palms Overpruned You tell them that Beechnut tree service says you only should trim the dead ones and the fruit.   

    Having been in the tree care business now for over 20 yrs and having trimmed thousands of palm trees here in Florida, I have seen just about every type of Palm Disease, Deficiency, insect, and pruning techniques that can affect your palm. 
      The number one thing you can do for your palm trees is to not overprune them, or what is called in the industry as Hurricane pruning. Palm trees need a certain amount of fronds or leaves to keep the palm tree healthy. When you Over prune or take off more fronds then necessary, In time this will cause the palm to start having deficiencies and not only that but the tree will start having rapid growth to try to replace the fronds that it has lost due to improper pruning. This is a vicious cycle that will cause the health of the palm to decline over a period of time .             
        Beechnut Tree Care uses proper pruning methods prescribed by The University of Florida when pruning palms.  
          
          Another misconception about Palms is that they must have fertilizer on a regular basis. Though Palms do like fertilizer and it does seem to help in the health and vigor of the palm it is not really necessary unless you believe that your palm has a deficiency. Then it is a good idea to call Beechnut tree and have a Certified Arborist come out to look at it so that the best methods of treatment can be applied. 

                                              Bugs and Insects : 
       There are many different types of bugs and insects that affect palms. If your trees are infected then you might want to call Beechnut tree for a plan of action against these little critters.  
           One of the bugs I see a lot of here in Central Florida That is affecting Sago Palms really bad is what is called Asian Scale , it is also affecting other types like Pigmy Date palms and Others. It is a little white bug that will latch on to the underside of the palm frond it almost looks like white powder. These bugs can be combatted by using Dawn dishwashing soap and water . for more info on this bug contact me and I will explain the process. 
            There are other little bugs that affect Palms, there are leaf skeletonizers that suck on the juices of the leaf or frond and cause parts of the frond to turn brown. 
            There are a lot of bugs that use the palm also for shelter or to make nests in the Palm, So if you see bugs or ants or bees or squirrels in your Palms don't get alarmed, " They are not hurting the palm by being there"  
            There are a number of funguses and bacteria that affect palms. Some Bacteria and Fungus causing what looks like a mushrooms at the base of the Palm. This fungus called Ganoderma can greatly affect the health of Palms.  
                  There is also a bacteria that is affecting The Phoenix class of Palm trees Throughout Central Florida right now like the Date Palms and others Called (TPPD) This is a bacteria caused by Phytoplasma and is sometimes called Lethal Bronzing.

                     In Closing i would like to note that it is Important to properly prune your palms and not to allow yourself to be fooled into believing that if you get your palms stripped up or Hurricane cut, That it is not only bad for your palms but it is unsightly and will cause rapid growth in the tree to which you will have to trim them faster then you normally would.  Call Beechnut Tree Care today for your free evaluation of your palms and trust that we will give you the correct information and will not sell you something that you do not need and always keep your palm trees health our number one priority.