Bill, Andover

“I don’t usually take the time to review a product or service, but I made exception in this case because I was so impressed with the quality of service provided by Scott Swearinger and his crew. My wife and I needed three large maple trees and one large locust tree trimmed at our residence in Andover, IL. One of the maple trees had a great deal of deadwood in it, but the tree was worth salvaging. We also needed an old, nonproductive apple tree removed. Scott is a very knowledgeable certified arborist. He and his crew did an excellent job (for a fair price) with our trees. They really look nice and we can’t wait for spring to see how they look once they leaf out! Some of these trees were near our house and electric service line and were a potential risk. After the work that Scott and his crew performed, I’m now more at ease about any potential damage risk these trees present to our property. I am extremely pleased with the tree service and cleanup Scott and his crew performed.”

Elizabeth, Bettendorf

“Scott came to meet with us and give us our estimate.  He told us about the process and how it was going to work.  The first morning they arrived right when they said they would be there.  Worked all day got all the branches down from the tree (working between all the power lines).  Next working day, they took down the rest of tree.  About a week later, they came back and removed the stump and filled it. I really appreciated how polite Scott and his crew were from start to finish.  They did a wonderful job.  The price was right and the only ones that bid on it that were able to do this without taking out my power and my neighbors’ power while doing this big project.”

Brain, Davenport

“I obtained several bids prior to deciding on Economy Tree.  The owner, Scott Swearinger, impressed me as being straightforward, honest, and professional; he didn’t try any scare tactics, unlike two other contractors, but laid out the possible courses of action and answered all of my questions.  His military background and website suggested he would get the job done, and he lived up to it.  I was most impressed by him (out of four bidders), so I was pretty happy that his bid was also the lowest by a significant amount.  He arranged the work quickly, showed up on site with his work crew, gave specific instructions, and introduced me.  

I would absolutely use this group again, and recommend them to my friends and neighbors.  They did a great job of taking my interests into account and accomplishing their task.  I am completely satisfied with their work.”

Rod, Davenport

“Called back right away with an estimate. Had 3 trees close to the house and phone lines removed. Quick service. They cleaned up all of the limbs and mess. Will use this company again in the future to trim up the other trees.”

Guest at SuperPages.com

“Great job! Recently had them cut down 3 large trees and trim 1. Very nice guys. Cleaned up very nice and blew all the leafs off my roof. I wanted the wood, so they cut and stacked it for me. The tree they trimmed was really ugly. Now its very pretty”

Something about climbing has always excited me! I grew up across the street from Johnson Elementary in Davenport Iowa. Out front they had several very large sugar maple and a few big pin oaks. During the summer, the school yard was my play ground. I lived in those trees, on the fire escape, and on the gym roof! I had a spot in the maple directly across the street from my school, wasn’t very high, say 20ft, but I could get up and sit back on the big broad leader that slowly swooped up into the sky, it had perfect branches for climbing, I could go anywhere I wanted in that tree, most people didn’t even know I was there, creepy to think about, I know! I just didn’t want to be the weird kid in the tree!

When I was older, I and my cousin and our mob squad of kids would build endless amount of forts and tree houses down in the woods by the “creek” in Bettendorf. I always was the one climbing up to nail this or hang that. We learned that trees made good shade spots when we had wiffle ball tournaments at Lb Stadium, aka the sandlot!  I look back and realize that I have always found myself drawn to the trees. So, I guess that’s why, when running a tree service fell into my lap, I decided to run with it.

I’m glad I did, because there are a lot of things that trees do, that I never even considered. I’m not going to go real deep, but just a few tidbits for you to think about.

Like, trees can save us, from ourselves! They shelter us, keep us warm. They clean the water we drink, the air we breathe; they provide food and keep us cool! And that is just the start.

Let’s talk about air, we all know that trees provide oxygen, but do we ever think about Carbon Dioxide? A mature tree can sequester (trap) over 3 tons of it! Think about that, if each of you planted a tree a year…………

Trees clean our water, they slow the rain, allowing it to soak into the ground, slowing down storm runoff, reducing erosion and they help maintain creek and river banks. Trees can filter out many elements out of the water by absorbing them though their root system.

They feed us! When we lived in Fallbrook, California, our house had 4 orange trees, 5 avocado trees, a pear, apple, peach, lime, lemon, mandarin, 2 grapefruit trees, and a black berry bush! We never bought fruit! My guys would come in on the weekend and maintained my yard in exchange for picking the trees each week, ensuring they always had fresh fruit on the table for their families.

Trees provide habitats for some edible wild life such as squirrels and birds.

Trees protect us from the wind, ever notice that most of the farms are surrounded by trees? I have been told that proper placing a wind break on a farm it can reduce heating cost by 30% They stop snow drifts from accumulating around the rural homes, making the fear of being snowed in during a emergency go away. Not to mention they screen dust, noise and maintain a natural privacy fence that looks a lot better than sea of metal or green treated wood!

They provide so much material for the products that we depend every day that I can’t even begin to list them all. STOP! Look around right now, how much stuff can you see that was made from a tree! Pretty crazy right! How many books have you read, or for that matter, seen! It’s everywhere you look!

What about that cork in your wine bottles…..Trees!

Did you know that if you heat wood, not burn, but heat it, it will emit a gas that can run small engines!

There are many more benefits of trees, and I could go on, but I think you get the idea! We need them, they sure don’t need us. The number one pathogen to the tree is us. It’s sad, but it’s true. We, humans are more responsible for the lost of our trees than all other ailments combined. We can fix this. It starts with you. Next time you look at a tree think about all this. Its looks as if it’s just standing there taking up space, while in reality, it is doing more for the earth, as it stands in front of you, than we are!

Will it come here you ask? It already is. Although we have not had a confirmed case here in Iowa, that island in the Mississippi up north being the exception. We do know it’s here. Does this mean my ash tree is going to die, yep. It’s a living organism, its going to die eventually!  EAB is a nasty bug, very aggressive. It feeds on the phloem of the tree, eventually, with multiple bugs in one tree, it cuts off the circulation of the tree and it dies. This can take up to 4 years. There are treatments, but so far they are only 80% effective. So if you have a tree that has 100 bugs………..

What will most likely happen, eventually they will be here in massive proportions, creating all kinds of hate and discontent. The DNR/EPA will issue an eradication order. Meaning that all ash trees will need to be destroyed, yeah, that’s what I said, ALL OF THEM. If you have one in your yard, you will receive a notice that you have “so many days” to remove it, if you do not, they will. In this case, imminent domain will be enforced, and right fully so. The reason for this, as the ash trees diminish, the food supply for these bugs will too. Nature being as awesome as it is, the bugs will evolve and find a new food supply. THIS WE MUST PREVENT. It sucks, I know. I like ash trees, but the thought of them going after our oaks, maples and for gods sake, our elms! Well it’s scary to think about! Currently, the powers to be are working really hard to stop it, most of the pros that I have talked to, have little faith that they will be successful, but we cannot give up. This is why you see the “don’t move firewood” signs everywhere and why it is illegal to bring ash into Iowa. For the details on this, go to the EAB page on the site here, it will give you links to the gov sites set up just for EAB. I have been working with the USDA on this and we believe we found one in Bettendorf, we have 2 of 4 items, need 3 to confirm, we did not discover this tree till late fall, we have set a traps and will re-inspect this spring.

Most services have no idea how to rig a tree down safely. They take huge chances to get the job done fast, only exposing themselves, their customers’ property, all to save a little time. The term “it’s easier to cut up on the ground” is always said. Not true.  They approach the tree with wreck less abandonment. Making choices on time, rather than safety. This often results in a longer, harder day for everyone. Many times I have seen a tree cutter with a little bit of rigging knowledge, swing big leaders around, trying to “go big” so they can get down. The reason they don’t go out on the tips of the branches and break it down is, because they are scared. Now don’t get me wrong, if I were to tell you I don’t get nervous up there, I would be lying. Some trees are just scary.  The reason they are scared is they don’t possess the skill to do it efficiently. To them, it seems like it takes too long to rig out all the pieces, but they cannot see the big picture. Going big, often results in a branch hung up in a tree, a gutter damaged, shingles ripped, etc.  Then when they do get it free, the ground men have to figure out how to get it down to the ground without it hitting power lines, the fence, shed and so on. Now they have to cut it all up, often right in the danger zone below the Arborist. Stopping him from working, keeping him in the tree longer. (Side note: I have seen climbers do this on purpose as well. They send something down that will be a pain for the ground men, tying ridiculous knots, so it will take the ground men  a while to clear it. Mean time, the climber, who is milking the clock, can text his girl friend or talk to a buddy about cars.) Anyways, this type of work is always going to produce a less than stellar performance, not to mention, constantly putting their people, the customers’ and their property at unnecessary risk.  Me, I go small. I will go out to the tips and work my way back, never cutting anything that the guys cannot immediately escape from and easily remove from the drop zone. This allows the job site to be clean at all times, as the material that comes down, is instantly processed. This reduces the amount of time they are running a saw. Keeps the Drop Zone free of debris, so the guys can walk and work. All of these little changes from their style to mine reduce our risk. And that is what it is all about, reducing the risk. Risk Mitigation and situational awareness are huge in the tree business, just as in the Marines, they are designed to bring everyone home safe.  You have to constantly monitor both of these, at all times. You do this with constant communication. I see these guys, that we will for now on call the “others” I have watched them feed chippers with nothing but daisy dukes and a beer, these are not your neighbors getting together to do a weekend project, but so called tree services. They have no idea the risk they impose and the homeowners do not have a clue of what could happen to them if someone was hurt. A chipper will eat a human and have no regret. I have seen them ride on the outside of a bucket with no safety harness, climb ladders with a 3ft saw, only to cut a branch that hits them on the way down.  I have seen them try and lay a tree over, only for it to go over backward and land on a house. I get calls all the time from various people about the “others” They tell me stories that I just cannot believe, until I go look myself. They use the buckets as cranes. They use crane operators that have no idea of what they are doing (FYI time again, when u are picking a piece of wood, you do not tie it off in a manner that it is going to flip upside down. Anyone who says this is right, obviously has been operating on luck and no skill or training) It is almost too funny to listen to them talk how they are approaching the tree, leaving safety and proficiently in the truck. They go to work with absolutely no plan. Just getting in the tree and start cutting. Again this is the most dangerous job in the world. Not the crab fishermen on the show. Every year, ANSI produces a list of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. We are on top every year. This is due to no regulation. When you do not have a way of vetting who is who. You ended up with a tree community that is filled with half trained druggies and ex-cons that have no intent on providing a safe work environment, just to get it down by any means necessary. This is why we are on top. If you were to look at all the accidents in the tree industry, you will find that most are preventable and most occurred to those who have no training. Very rarely, do you hear about a Certified Arborist getting killed. Mainly, its bubba with the “others”. Go on you tube, type in tree accidents, you will see. The other culprits of many accidents are the Home Owner themselves. Now I do not expect them to understand basic tree care or basic rigging. That is why they should hire a pro. Ask around to your friends and family. Someone close to you has been hurt doing tree work. Recently here in Bettendorf, a HO was using his ladder to cut a large branch. He broke his back.  I watched first hand as a neighbor came out to “help” us with his saw. I would not have let him, but it didn’t get that far. He started his saw, in his yard, and then ran it right into his leg. I instantly found myself applying first aid to him. This is no joke. He could have died that day in his yard from bleeding to death.  Many of the “others” have a little bit of skill, and they take that as full on training, when really, they have barely made it to the basic level. They understand how to cut a piece of wood, they understand gravity and they can figure out how to tie off large pieces and swing them into the tree. But that is about it.  If you were to ask them how much force they applied to the ropes when they drop something with them, they would have no clue of what you are talking about.  They walk a thin line, always on the verge of destroying something or getting someone killed.  Luck is not a skill, and they have really no understanding of the danger they put themselves in.

Now some will take issues with this, send me nasty comments about  what they think, that’s good! At least we know they can read! Now! there is no more excuses of why they don’t do it right……….right!

“Fear is for the educated, I am not educated, so I have no fear”-unknown Indian climber in India.

Topping is a practice done by tree cutters who have no idea what they are doing, if they do, they should be arrested. In many major cities across the U.S. it is illegal. It is one of those practices that is from the Stone Age. It was done as a normal practice, until we started walking upright and learning how to talk, in other words, it’s been a while since it was recognized as a proper practice.  Yet it is still done all over town. Some of these guys are convinced that what they are doing is right, but it is so wrong. If you see any tree service do it, they are wrong. I have talked with a few of them, tried to explain to them why it is bad, their only response was, “we have always done it” They have been doing it for so wrong for so long they think its right.  I could go into details but the ISA already has, so I will let them explain it. Here’s what the ISA says

Why Topping Hurts Trees

Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers better alternatives.

What is Topping?

Topping is the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”

The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Home owners often feel that their trees have become too large for their property. People fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction and certainly does not reduce the hazard. In fact, topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.

Topping Stresses Trees

Topping often removes 50 to 100 percent of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Because leaves are the food factories of a tree, removing them can temporarily starve a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do so, it will be seriously weakened and may die.

A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attacks. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically defend the wounds against invasion, and some insects are actually attracted to the chemical signals trees release.

Topping Causes Decay

The preferred location to make a pruning cut is just beyond the branch collar at the branch’s point of attachment. The tree is biologically equipped to close such a wound, provided the tree is healthy enough and the wound is not too large. Cuts made along a limb between lateral branches create stubs with wounds that the tree may not be able to close. The exposed wood tissues begin to decay. Normally, a tree will “wall off,” or compartmentalize, the decaying tissues, but few trees can defend the multiple severe wounds caused by topping. The decay organisms are given a free path to move down through the branches.

Topping Can Lead to Sunburn

Branches within a tree’s crown produce thousands of leaves to absorb sunlight. When the leaves are removed, the remaining branches and trunk are suddenly exposed to high levels of light and heat. The result may be sunburn of the tissues beneath the bark, which can lead to cankers, bark splitting, and death of some branches.

Topping Creates Hazards

The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a socket of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are anchored only in the outermost layers of the parent branches.

The new shoots grow quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions. The irony is that while the goal was to reduce the tree’s height to make it safer, it has been made more hazardous than before.

Topping Makes Trees Ugly

The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree.

Without leaves (up to 6 months of the year in temperate climates), a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.

Topping Is Expensive

The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies, it will have to be removed.

Topping is a high-maintenance pruning practice, with some hidden costs. One is the reduction in property value. Healthy, well-maintained trees can add 10 to 20 percent to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense.

Another possible cost of topped trees is potential liability. Topped trees are prone to breaking and can be hazardous. Because topping is considered an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.

Alternatives to Topping

Sometimes a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing so. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb is to cut back to a lateral that is at least one-third the diameter of the limb being removed.

This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. However, if large cuts are involved, the tree may not be able to close over and compartmentalize the wounds. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.

Hiring an Arborist

Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine the type of pruning that is necessary to improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.

When selecting an arborist,

• check for membership in professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). Such membership demonstrates a willingness on the part of the arborist to stay up to date on the latest techniques and information.
• check for ISA arborist certification. Certified Arborists are experienced professionals who have passed an extensive examination covering all aspects of tree care.
• ask for proof of insurance.
• ask for a list of references, and don’t hesitate to check them.
• avoid using the services of any tree company that
• advertises topping as a service provided. Knowledgeable arborists know that topping is harmful to trees and is not an accepted practice.
• uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed.

They have no training, just what uncle bubba told them. So there they are, trying to remove a 2000lb chunk of wood over your roof, deck or driveway. Then OOPS! Now you have a truck flipped in your yard. A log thru your roof. How about that crushed deck rail or busted driveway. They could go small and safe, this takes a little longer, and that is why they don’t do it. They only take on hard removals if they can get a crane close to the tree, if they can’t “it can’t be done” is what they say. They have no idea how to remove a large hazardous tree by rigging. They are afraid to climb out on the tips to set rigging, so they go big, crashing the branch or leader back into the tree, creating a even more hazardous situation by hanging it up or busting other branches free. When they prune, it is common practice for them to start at the top and prune on the way down, this is lazy. When they cut braches, they smash down thru the canopy, tearing up most of what was to remain, knowing they cannot leave broken branches hanging all around, they remove those too. Now you have a tree that has about 30% of the canopy left. They then will give you some crazy reason why the tree was severely trimmed, when the real reason is that they tore it up while working on it. They will climb a tree that is to be pruned while wearing their spikes (gaffs, spurs) leaving hundreds of puncture wounds for the tree to try and heal. They top trees like it is an art form. Prune oak trees in the middle of summer. They leave stubs instead of properly finish cutting. Often they do not even understand how to make a proper pruning cut; this results in a “peel” where the bark peals away, below the cut, leaving a nasty wound that the tree will most likely not heal.

They have multiple businesses, ya know! Ask them, they do everything and are the best at it! They will build you a retaining wall, re-roof your house, mow your grass, build you a deck; they do gutters and windows as well. Do you know why? Because this is what they destroy when doing tree work, so instead of calling a pro to fix the damage, they pull out their other business card, which just happens to be the exact service you need to fix what they broke! Some are landscapers that know just enough to be dangerous. They customer comes out and asks “you know anybody that does trees?” Of course the landscaper says he does, and then goes on to completely mutilate the tree. The QC not having much knowledge on proper Arboriculture, just accept the end result as normal.

They drink beer on site, hit on your 14 year old daughter all while casing your residence for a later return, that nice tool box in the garage will look better in theirs, ask the police, there is a reason why they are on the watch list. They purposely do not mark their trucks, so when someone wants to complain, they don’t know who to call. Not only is this done, it is preached about. They take your material out to rural roads and dump it in the ditches; they do this because they have been kicked out of most dump sites. They drive down the road with unsecured loads, dropping stuff all the way out to the country. Last year, one of the “others” was hauling large logs on the back of their large  junk flat bed, the load was not tied down, they turned a corner and large 1500lb logs rolled off the truck and into a intersection, almost hitting my wife and father-in-law. Instead of stopping and getting it, they hit the gas. This was done by a “premier” tree service, yeah right! They promise a rose garden but deliver a thorn bush. They will take your money and never return. They take on jobs to technical for them, then when they figure out they can’t do it, pick up their saws and leave, leaving the home owner with a sometimes hazardous situation, The HO then calls a pro, and the pro says no! (Not because he wants to be mean, but he cannot take on the liability of others, nor do they want the neighbors thinking that it was them that did the bad work). They will come out and tell you that your tree is going to die when they know darn well it’s not, just to make revenue. These half hearted self proclaimed Arborist will also explain how they are going to do it, but will have never been in a tree themselves, or if they have, it was very little and they recognized they don’t have what it takes, so they will get a couple pics of them bear hugging the trunk 10ft of the ground. Then you have the ones who knock on doors. As a rule, most legitimate tree services don’t need to do this, we stay busy all year. Tree services that knock on doors are looking to make enough money that day to get their fix. Door hangers and mailers are fine, but walking the neighbor hoods, telling every person that the world is ending, if they don’t cut down that tree. They will list in the phone books, on their advertising that they are Arborist. Some even have it in their name. They are not, again go to www.isa.com check them out, you will see. They will steal intellectual property of professionals, not realizing that there are legal ramifications when they do. They claim professional services but are a far cry from it. The other cool little trick they do is falsifying their documentation. Anybody with a computer can generate a Insurance Certificate or a Bond. It is very important that you call their insurance company to make sure it is legit. Too many times have I been told about a tree service that has destroyed something, only for the HO to find out they really don’t have insurance. Then they are stuck flipping the bill. The tree service scurries away, the HO can try and go after him, but for what, a junky truck and a saw you can buy at home depot. Most people are a good judge of character, use your gut. When you meet these “others” and you feel that they are less than desirable, do a back ground check on them. We did, OMG! We use www.instantcheckmate.com , cost about 20 buck to get unlimited checks for a month. Do it! You will be blown away by the records of some of my competition……wait, they are not my competitors, they can’t compete with me, so again, let me rephrase that. You will be blown away by the in-depth, serious criminal activities of the “others” So be careful people! You do not want to hire someone who is going to come back in the middle of the night and steal from you. You will see them doing things that are completely and totally unsafe. Not wearing the proper safety gear, feeding chippers with daisy dukes and a beer. These guys are the ones who leave garbage all over their customer’s yard, go no. 2 in your bushes, (yes that is true, someone really did that and I know who you are!) Some will work for a day, up and leave the jobsite for a few days leaving their ropes and gear all over your yard so your kids can go out and get hurt. They will leave huge piles of brush and say “ILL BE BACK” and the customer never see’s them again. I am not sure why, but many people feel the need to call me and tell me what they see, or what they have experienced. Some guys, from other crews, that have wanted to work for me, still call me to tell me what they did for the day!  I secretly coach them, not necessarily wanting to help my competition, but some of these young guys have good intentions and I don’t want to see them get hurt, so I give them pointers all the time. It’s funny to hear their bosses talk about how good their guys are, not realizing that the little tricks that are making their guys better, come from me! Don’t worry guys, your secret is safe!

So! Next time you’re out and about, if you see a tree service, take a look. What do you see? Chances are they will meet and pass all pre-requisites to star in Joe Dirt 2!

I keep tabs on who is out there doing a good job as well. There are a few, out of the hundreds, that are pretty darn good. One of them, I look to for advice. We are not hard to find, just look for the out fits that speak English, have sleeves on their uniformed shirts, professional equipment that’s designed for tree work. Cleancut, courteous employees. You will see names all over; we want you to know who we are, not trying to hide it!

How do we fix it? tell your alderman that you want regulation on the tree industry. A simple test on safety and proper Arboriculture, before receiving a business license, would be epic! The easiest way is too simply require that all tree services have a I.S.A. Certified Arborist on staff.

Pine, or soft woods are not disrable wood, for fear of creosote build up and a chimney fire, most avoid it like the plague. You can burn it just as well as any other wood, as long as you clean your chimney on a regular basis.

Our wood, obviously comes from the trees that I remove or work on. The sizes and shapes are all different. I have found that most people prefer this over the standard 16”x5” piece. Those look good in a fireplace while having a nice romantic dinner! But they do not allow for good structure when burning in a stove. Having those big fat pieces are good for “overnight” logs and the little short pieces fit well in that place inside the stove that a regular piece will not fit.

Some people have a hard time starting fires. You cannot lay a bunch of wood together, then light a match and throw it on and expect it to burn. If you do not have time to mess with it. I would suggest buying those little fire starter logs. They work really well, they will burn for about 30 minutes, usually more than enough time to get things going. The best way is still to build your teepee with tender, saw dust and light dryer wood, get it going and then throw on your bigger stuff.

I am in no way a pro, these are the methods that I use and I burn every day. Hope it helps!

Save your gas for cooking, heat with wood!

To prevent this, you work on oaks in the winter, it’s not because the sap drops or because the tree is dormant, the first frost is not the answer either. The best way to prevent the spread of the spore is to do it when there is very little chance of the beetle feeding on the sap, in the middle of winter. When the frost is in the ground, most bugs are under the frost line or they were frozen to death. How many times have we had a frost  and a couple of real cold weeks and then, all of a sudden, we have 2 weeks of 60 degree temps! The bugs will be out and about feeding on whatever they can find; this is a typical Midwestern fall. People say after November or after first frost, these are wrong. Bugs do not work on a schedule and they do not get laid off. So yep, in the middle of winter, when there is 2 ft of snow on the ground and your nostrils burn every time you breath! That’s the best time to do it!  So far, by sticking to this plan, I have never lost an oak. Not saying that this is the final rule, every situation is conditional. This is gives your tree its best chance to avoid the bugs. No bugs, no spread. Oak wilt can get into the tree via the root system, but we will touch on that later. So, when you see someone pruning an oak in the middle of summer, they are wrong, in October, they are wrong, in November, they are wrong. I stick to late December to middle March, based on the conditions outside of course. There are 2 main reasons why it is done improperly 1.They don’t care about your tree, just making revenue 2. They do not want to work in the freezing cold. Either do I,  I do it because that’s the right thing to do.

There are a few other Certified Arborist in the area that prune them whenever. They know the reasons why it should be done in the winter, yet they do it and  they know that it is wrong, these are the guys who became certified for the wrong reasons, just to flash a piece of paper in a face. If they practiced true arboriculture, They would not do this

So let’s start from scratch, the definitions as described by good old Wikipedia!

An arborist, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. Arborists generally focus on the health and safety of individual plants and trees, rather than managing forests (the domains of Forestry and Silviculture) or harvesting wood. An arborist’s scope of work is therefore distinct from that of either a forester or a logger, though the professions share much in common.

The details, (this may be easy if I can cut and paste me thoughts……………….)

Scope of Work

To work near power wires either additional training is required for arborists or they need to be Certified Line Clearance trimmers or Utility Arborists (there may be different terminology for various countries). There is a variety of minimum distances that must be kept from power wires depending on voltage, however the common distance for low voltage lines in urban settings is 10 feet (about 3 meters).^[1]

Arborists who climb (as not all do) can use a variety of techniques to ascend into the tree. The least invasive, and most popular technique used is to ascend on rope. When personal safety is an issue, or the tree is being removed, arborists may use ‘spikes’, (also known as ‘gaffs’ or ‘spurs’) attached to their chainsaw boots with straps to ascend and work. Spikes wound the tree, leaving small holes where each step has been.

An arborist’s work may involve very large and complex trees, or ecological communities and their abiotic components in the context of the landscape ecosystem. These may require monitoring and treatment to ensure they are healthy, safe, and suitable to property owners or community standards. This work may include some or all of the following: planting; transplanting; pruning; structural support; preventing, or diagnosing and treating phytopathology or parasitism; preventing or interrupting grazing or predation; installing lightning protection; and removing vegetation deemed as hazardous, an invasive species, a disease vector, or a weed.

Arborists may also plan, consult, write reports and give legal testimony. While some aspects of this work are done on the ground or in an office, much of it is done by arborists who climb the trees with ropes, harnesses and other equipment. Lifts and cranes may be used too. The work of all arborists is not the same. Some may just perform consulting; others may perform climbing, pruning and planting: a combination.^[

^{I really love Wikipedia at this point!}

Arborists gain qualifications to practice arboriculture in a variety of ways and some arborists are more qualified than others. Experience working safely and effectively in and around trees is essential. Arborists tend to specialize in one or more disciplines of arboriculture, such as diagnosis and treatment, climbing and pruning, cabling and lightning protection, or perhaps consultation and report writing. All these disciplines are related and some arborists are very well experienced in all areas of tree work, but not all arborists have the training or experience to properly practice every discipline.

Many arborists choose to pursue formal certification, which is available in some countries and varies somewhat by location. An arborist who holds certification in one or more disciplines may be expected to participate in rigorous continuing education requirements to ensure continuous improvement of skills and techniques.

In the USA a Certified Arborist (CA) is a professional who has over three years of documented and verified experience and has passed a rigorous written test from the International Society of Arboriculture. Other designations include Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist and Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA).

Trees in urban landscape settings are often subject to disturbances, whether human or natural, both above and below ground. They may require care to improve their chances of survival following damage from either biotic or abiotic causes. Arborists can provide appropriate solutions, such as pruning trees for health and good structure, for aesthetic reasons, and to permit people to walk under them (a technique often referred to as "crown raising"), or to keep them away from wires, fences and buildings (a technique referred to as "crown reduction").^[3]Timing and methods of treatment depend on the species of tree and the purpose of the work. To determine the best practices, a thorough knowledge of local species and environments is essential.

There can be a vast difference between the techniques and practices of professional arborists and those of inadequately trained tree workers who simply “trim trees”. Some commonly offered “services” are considered unacceptable by modern arboricultural standards and may seriously damage, disfigure, weaken, or even kill trees. One such example is tree topping, lopping, or “hat-racking”, where entire tops of trees or main stems are removed, generally by cross-cutting the main stem(s) or leaders, leaving large unsightly stubs. Trees that manage to survive such treatment are left prone to a spectrum of detrimental effects, including vigorous but weakly attached regrowth, pest susceptibility, pathogen intrusion, and internal decay.^{[citation needed]}

Pruning should only be done with a specific purpose in mind. Every cut is a wound, and every leaf lost is removal of some photosynthetic potential. Proper pruning can be helpful in many ways, but should always be done with the minimum amount of live tissue removed.^{[citation needed]}

In recent years, research has proven that wound dressings such as paint, tar or other coverings are unnecessary and may harm trees. The coverings may encourage growth of decay-causing fungi. Proper pruning, by cutting through branches at the right location, can do more to limit decay than wound dressing.^{[citation needed]}

Chemicals can be applied to trees for insect or disease control through spraying, soil application, stem injections or spraying. Compacted or disturbed soils can be improved in various ways.^{[citation needed]}

Arborists can also assess trees to determine the health, structure, safety or feasibility within a landscape and in proximity to humans. Modern arboriculture has progressed in technology and sophistication from practices of the past. Many current practices are based on knowledge gained through recent research, including that of the late Alex Shigo, considered one “fathers” of modern arboriculture.^[4]

Depending on the jurisdiction, there may be a number of legal issues surrounding the practices of arborists, including boundary issues, public safety issues, “heritage” trees of community value; and “neighbor” issues such as ownership, obstruction of views, impacts of roots crossing boundaries, nuisance problems, disease or insect quarantines, and safety of nearby trees.

Arborists are frequently consulted to establish the factual basis of disputes involving trees, or by private property owners seeking to avoid legal liability through the duty of care.^[5]Arborists may be asked to assess the value of a tree^[6] in the process of an insurance claim for trees damaged or destroyed,^[7] or to recover damages resulting from tree theft or vandalism.^[8] In cities with tree preservation orders an arborist’s evaluation of tree hazard may be required before a property owner may remove a tree, or to assure the protection of trees in development plans and during construction operations. Homeowners who have entered into contracts with a homeowner’s association (see also Restrictive covenants) may need an arborist’s professional opinion of a hazardous condition prior to removing a tree, or may be obligated to assure the protection of the views of neighboring properties prior to planting a tree or in the course of pruning.^[9] Arborists may be consulted in forensic investigations where the evidence of a crime can be determined within the growth rings of a tree, for example. Arborists may be engaged by one member of a dispute in order to identify factual information about trees useful to that member of the dispute, or they can be engaged as an expert witness providing unbiased scientific knowledge in a court case. Homeowners associations seeking to write restrictive covenants, or legislative bodies seeking to write laws involving trees, may seek the counsel of arborists in order to avoid future difficulties.^[10]

There ya go. Now that I have stolen from wiki, let me tell you how it is here in the QC. For the most part, everything you just read above……….does not happen here. Although, there are several, Certified Arborist in the area, most choose to practice proper Arboriculture only when it suits them. Many have never been in a tree or have very little experience. The I.S.A. is a great organization; they try really hard to advance the industry, changing the image of tree workers from your uncle bubba to a tree guru. The certification process, although not easy, does not take into account provable experience. In other words, any of you, could by the test book, study real hard, pass the test and become a certified Arborist like me. I feel that there should be considerable practical applications to the test.  Arborist should be able to do all aspects of tree work, if given the title. With that said, my peers who have the cert, who cannot climb a tree, do soil test, diagnose any ailment, etc are not really Arborist. They are business owners with a piece of paper that helps them win bids. Most of them have no intent on furthering the industry, improving working conditions and educating the General Public.

I myself am responsible for about 5 different tree services in the area, they all worked for me at one time or another and I let them go for various reasons. They then thought they had enough education to go out on their own. Unfortunately, the trees suffer as a result.

I am not claiming to be the best, god knows I am not. But I do believe I am the best in the area, by far. What makes me better, my mentors! I talk to them every day, some of them are considered the best in the world, they are the authors of the books I read and the inventors of the tools I use. They graciously bestow their knowledge on me. When I get stumped (pun intended) All I need to do is take a pic and send it to JPS, Jeffery or a Dave (hi guys!) Whatever the question, they normally know it off the top off their head! These men are Master Jedi.

Anyone who comes out and gives a detailed diagnosis from the hip, in most cases is completely wrong. Several times this year I have been called out on tree issues that the home owner felt something was terribly wrong with their tree. After having other Certified Arborists come out. Who I will describe like this: Arborist 1, He is the local branch manger of one the oldest and biggest tree company’s on the planet. Arborist 2 is a book Arborist who has never been in a tree. Arborist 3, used to work for me and I let him go due to unsafe practices, I get calls every week about him, by those who feel compelled to keep me updated, to tell me, he still uses unsafe work practices and get most of his knowledge from competitions. Tree work is not a race. All 3 of the Arborist diagnosed this tree differently with one thing in common. They all said it had to go. One even told her that it was going to fall soon and they needed to do it immediately. All three were very wrong. I asked the HO (home owner) to entertain me checking all diagnosis and compare it to mine. I told her that the tree was fine and that her soil was compacted. Short story, I was right and now the tree is flourishing. My point is, these are business owners, trying to make revenue, and not Arborist trying to do their job, this is where I differ. I am an Arborist first, business owner second. I feel that I cannot grow my business with bad work, I know, a little rambling here!

This is what is wrong with the industry here in the QC. With no regulation on who gets a license, everybody who has a saw, thinks that they are a tree guy. NO! Working on the tree with tools and equipment is just a small part of Arboriculture. They are many more areas that are thrown to the wayside. When no one is making you do it right, why bother! This is why we have tree topping running wild, guys using their spike on trees that they are pruning (trimming) working on oak trees in the middle of summer, arguing with home owners about the species of tree they have. Recently I signed a winter pruning contract with a lady who had 2 other tree services bid it. One, a Certified Arborist, the other, an up and comer who I think can be shown the way of the Jedi, he just needs to seek a master to train him. Both gave the HO the wrong I.D. A very simple mistake, which could have had large consequences. If you cannot tell an oak tree from a maple, we have issues. Maybe they should do a little studying. The up and comer, I had no beef with, a former line clearer for the power company, he has an excuse, as we all know they don’t focus on proper tree work, just clearing the line. But the Arborist! COME ON MAN! GET IT TOGETHER!  This is the perfect example of a book arborist.

Last year I hired a guy who worked for ARBORIST 3, they studied the book all winter in preparation to take the test, good on them, where they went wrong is thinking that a little study guide has all the answers. When I seen that he had pruned deadwood of a larger piece of deadwood, and then left several structural issues in the tree, I knew he had no experience, that no one really ever showed him the way. I am still not sure if he truly believed he knew what he was doing or was he just telling me what I wanted to hear, so he could get a job. Either way, I let him go. I see their work all the time, they have lots of room for improvement.

There is a code of ethics. Anyone who has become a CA has read and signed them. Unfortunately, since there is no one to check, they do not adhere to it. We do, all day, every day. Many will still top a tree. If the tree is a bit scary and they just have to prune that one branch, on go the spikes, leaving nice little holes up and on the tree. I was told, by one of my mentors, that they do this on purpose “maybe it will die, and then they will have us remove it” THAT IS RIDICULOUS!  But I believe him, as I have seen firsthand, the work of my peers, and it is horrible, most of the time. Every now and then, I will see a tree that has been pruned correctly. I almost want to jump out of my truck and go shake their hand for a job well done!

When you open up the phone book and see all the tree services, you would think that it must be a really good business to be in, and it is. The problem is that most of them are not Arborists, but saw operators. Most of the tree services in the area are owned by ex-cons who are on the police watch list, yes that is what I said. I paid for a background service for my guys, I have had experience with hiring criminals and it is no fun. When I did that, I also ran the names of every tree service owner that I knew, along with their workers. OH MY GOD. Not only did it open my eyes, but it startled me. I have worked with some of these guys and if I had a clue of their history, I would have never even talked to them. I challenge you to do the same. You will be in awe of some of the records I seen. These are not people that you would want around your dirty underwear, let alone your house and kids, believe me.

When you look in the phone book, you see all kinds of cool ads, which claim to be Arborist, trained professionals, etc. What they don’t realize is that the consumer can check, real easy like! Just go to the ISA and punch in your zip code. It will tell the tale. They have big claims of the best, but have topping in their list of services!  Guess they must be the best toppers!  You will see jack of all trades, they do tree work, build decks, poor concrete, run butcher shops, build patios, mow grass, install fencing and they are the best at all of them, just ask, they will tell you! What I see are a bunch of idiots doing anything they can to support a drug habit. Jack of all trades, master of none.  This I why I choose to drop out of the phone books, they have no integrity and will tell you that they do not care what anyone puts in their ad, whether it’s a lie or not. They even let them steal others Trademarked verbiage.

I had a couple guys trying to portray themselves as me, to get jobs; it worked for a while, until I became aware. They now know my wrath. One even stole my slogan of Difficult Terrain Specialist. This was comical! Always wanted to ask him when he went to MVOC, Rigging courses, Vehicle Recovery, etc! I have formal training form the Marines in all of this; he has never served a day in his life! But the phone book does not care, so in it, it goes. False advertising and theft of intellectual property runs amuck. All claiming this or that, with no paper work to back it up.  So! In a nut shell, what I am saying is………….. Dont trust, Verify. I can prove all my credentials, went to formal schools to get them. There are real Arborist here in the QC, just a couple tho, we are not hard to find and when you do, your trees will thank you!