What Can a Tree Service Professional Tell You About Witch Hazel?

Did you know that Connecticut is the world capital of witch hazel? Popular skincare products are made from a shrub native to New England. The first commercial astringent products were made by T.N. Dickinson in the nineteenth century. He was inspired to create this versatile product — which can clean and protect the body — by watching how Native Americans would treat skin irritations and wounds with success.

Witch hazel also does something that most Connecticut homeowners don’t hope to have: clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers in the bleak winter months. This plant will bloom in late fall or early spring, depending on the species.

Tree Service Advice: Plant Witch Hazel

You don’t have to set up your own distillery to convert this plant to the clear liquid that can be used to clean skin. Your arborist will tell you it makes for a great addition to your yard because it is a native plant in Connecticut.

Native plants have adapted to this area and don’t need any special care to survive and thrive here. Once established (and your favorite tree service professional can help here), native plants are almost self-sufficient, without need for additional watering or fertilizer. They also support native animals and beneficial insects such as birds and bees.

Tree Service Advice: Enjoy Witch Hazel

A witch hazel plant can grow 10 to 20 feet tall and grows well in sun or part shade. You can use this plant to screen your home for privacy as you enjoy its beauty. A little pruning can give you the exact look you want and here is where a professional arborist can quickly shape your witch hazel and keep it healthy and strong.

Witch hazel also needs little fertilizer and can thrive in a Connecticut yard, which makes this plant very attractive for many homeowners. If you’re thinking of enhancing your home with something attractive but low maintenance, then witch hazel might be just the ticket.

Of course, it’s quite the conversation starter for proud Connecticut residents!

Christmas Trees: Legend and Reality

Arborists work hard to keep trees healthy.  We don’t like to cut a tree unless the specimen is dying or will not grow strong because of competing trees but we do recognize sustainable Christmas tree farms where anyone can purchase a beautiful tree for the holidays.  So, we want to offer tips on how to keep that tree looking good as long as possible and what you might want to do with it after the holidays end.

Taking Care of Your Christmas Tree

Water the tree.  We know the holidays are busy and a new chore is easy to forget.  There are two good reasons for remembering this task: the tree will look better and your home will be safer.  LED lights are considerably cooler than the bulbs of the past but a dry tree is kindling.  Be safe and enjoy this time of the year.

Turn off your Christmas tree lights when you’re not around to enjoy them.  You’ll save energy and help the tree retain moisture.

Keep an eye on pets.  Your furry family members might want to chew the boughs and might become ill.  Slobber won’t necessarily hurt the tree but a good tug can topple the whole thing.  If you’re at work or out visiting friends, the tree might rest on the floor, with no water for hours.

Appreciate the Very Old History of Christmas Trees

For many of us, the annual practice of putting up a Christmas tree can be a very important piece of our family and personal histories.  We hang ornaments that remind us of holidays past.  We marvel at how the kids have grown compared to the height of the tree.  We remember the smell that we enjoy and that pine needles require lots and lots of vacuuming.

As a larger community, the tradition we share is very old, dating back to 723 AD.  Legend has it that Saint Boniface came upon a pagan celebration as he was spreading the word of God in Germany.  People had decorated an oak tree and were preparing to sacrifice a baby.  Boniface felled the oak with one blow of an ax, stopping the proceedings and getting everyone’s attention.

In the shadow of that oak stood a small fir tree.  Boniface declared the little tree to be a symbol of God, comparing the evergreen color to everlasting life and noting that the needles pointed to Heaven.  Finally, he declared the triangular needles to represent the Holy Trinity.

Know the More Recent History of Christmas Trees

Records indicate that there was a Christmas tree in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539 and, thanks to recent television dramas, we’re more likely to know how Prince Albert brought the tradition of a tree to Queen Victoria and their family at Buckingham Palace.

Stars atop a tree symbolize the star that led the three wisemen to Bethlehem.  Angels on the highest bough also refer to the birth of Jesus and the angels present at the manger.  Despite the association of Christmas trees with Jesus Christ, the first tree didn’t appear in the Vatican until 1982 and it wasn’t until 2004 that Pope John Paul called the Christmas tree a symbol of Christ.

What to Do with a Christmas Tree After Christmas

Getting a tree is romanticized with images of snowy car trips and cocoa.  Disposing of a tree often leaves people at a loss.  Call your local town officials if you’re really stuck.  Towns often help collect trees and some organizations, such as local fire departments, will hold a public bonfire with fellowship and hot chocolate.

If you have a good-sized yard, you can set up a tree to help offer food and shelter to little critters.  Small animals can hide from predators and you can make new ornaments for the tree, including popcorn strands or pinecones slathered with peanut butter.  Make sure you remove all non-organic decorations before you put the tree outside.  Tinsel is no good for wildlife.

Regardless of whether you put up a tree or not, we wish you a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Did you know there is a word for carving words and symbols into a tree?  Arborglyph is derived from arbor meaning tree and glyphein referring to carve.  Lots of couples have carved their initials in a tree, warmly encased in a heart, to signify their love.  Since this blog is hitting on Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d take a quick look at this and other romantic notions about trees.

Carving initials into a tree probably won’t hurt it because you’re not likely to dig deep enough into the bark to do real damage.  However, it’s not exactly a good thing for the tree and you want to take care of that tree since it’s yours.  (Don’t even think about it otherwise.  Carving is illegal in national forests and your neighbor isn’t going to like it much either.)

Create a Lasting Symbol of Love: Plant a Tree

If you’re going to impress the one you love, you want something that’ll last.  A lightly carved bark will grow over in time, much as a scratch on your skin heals.  Since the faint remnant of a scar doesn’t exactly say “romance,” then consider actually planting a tree.  Wisteria trees represent romance. Redwood trees symbolize forever.  Elm stands for inner strength and love.  Willows symbolize inner wisdom, dreams, harmony, and freedom.

A tree is also referenced in a deceptively shocking speech that can be made at a wedding while toasting the happy couple.  “We drink to your coffins.  May they be built from a one-hundred-year-old oak tree... that I shall plant tomorrow.”  That one works well if you pull an acorn from a pocket and those gathered have a sense of humor.

Call your favorite arborist and ask for ideas.  Sure, a box of long-stemmed roses is nice but a healthy tree is something that can grow with your relationship and be a special part of your history together.  Spring wedding anniversaries can be remembered with a tree that flowers in the same month as the wedding date.  Wedding vows can be renewed under the limbs of a tree planted at the same time as the wedding.  A daughter or daughter-in-law’s wedding bouquet can include flowers and leaves from that tree, carrying on a family’s symbol of love.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from your favorite guys in the tree service, Brian and Gerry.

Do Trees Talk to Each Other? Yes.

The recent warm weather is being replaced by something more autumnal but we still have the chance to enjoy a few walks in the woods before winter sets in. There’s plenty of good news with this kind of activity: exercise, fresh air, and companionship that is perfect for the restrictions on our social experiences in 2020.

As it turns out, trees are very social and will talk to each other. Now, maybe you won’t be able to understand their language but check out this informative video from National Geographic to learn how they are part of an intricate communications network that you can appreciate the next time you go outside.

Take a moment to step away from the craziness around us and appreciate a good conversation that you can’t hear but maybe can feel. We’re sure you’ll feel better after some quality time with them.

How Tall Can A Tree Be?

Have you done the tourist thing and tipped your neck way back to look up at the skyscrapers in New York? Have you looked up the trunk of a tree? They’re pretty impressive, too, but it seems they can only grow so high.

Trees are like us: we’re both systems. Blood in our bodies moves nutrients to our cells and removes waste. Sap does this in trees. Phloem sap contains sugars that the tree produces in its leaves as its converts sunlight during photosynthesis. This flows down the tree. Xylem sap contains nutrients that the tree needs to grow, again like our bodies (both of us need calcium but for different reasons). Xylem sap moves up a tree to make sure it has what it needs to live and grow.

Gravity only works in one direction. So, Xylem sap has to rely on forces to make it journey, including the fact that leaves take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. As they breathe, they give off water (transpiration), which creates enough negative pressure to pull xylem sap up the trunk. A little something called capillary action helps the vertical journey as does root pressure, or the pressure created at the tree’s base where phloem sap and xylem sap meet and exchange water through something called osmosis.

We’ve found a cool video that describes the process here.

Still, gravity is a law and laws must be obeyed. So, trees can only reach certain heights because this really cool system can only bring water and nutrients so far. The name for this is the hydraulic limitation hypothesis. Kind of amazing when you stop to look at some of the trees in Connecticut, which were around well before a lot of landmarks we take for granted like I-84, the beautiful Saville Dam, or even the whaling concerns showcased in Mystic, which used tall trees to build ships strong enough to weather the long ocean voyages.

Naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor measured what they believe is the tallest tree in Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California, claiming it stands at 380 feet. (They climbed it to take the measurement. People who love trees often love climbing, too.) The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is recorded as the world’s largest by volume and 275 feet in height.

OK, the Empire State Building does dwarf that, standing 1,454 feet at the tip. But, as far as living things goes, a tree is pretty cool and you don’t have to be a professional arborist providing tree services to think that.

Connecticut's Arborist Law

Were you aware that there is a law, enacted in 1922, to ensure that trees and homeowners get the best care from those who would sell tree services? Or, that there are about 1,000 licensed arborists in Connecticut?

Thanks to the Town Times for printing an article that highlights this important law and the tree planting ceremony that will honor the passage of this legislation. If you don’t have a subscription, click here to open a PDF copy of the article.

Arborists Make the News

Time flies.  Hard to believe it’s been almost two years since we sat down with Voices Newspaper to talk about our lives as arborists and how we provide services to care for trees.  If you have a subscription to the paper, click here or download the full article here.

The paper captured our interest in making sure trees receive the best care possible and we hope to go into more detail about the benefits of using techniques like pruning to ensure the health and beauty of your trees.  Stay tuned!