Talking Trees with Davey Tree

Latest Episodes:

How to Care for Young Trees in the Summer Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Byron Hays from Davey's Kansas City office shares advice on caring for young trees during the summer, as well as some of his favorite underused and fast-growing trees.

In this episode we cover:

Watering (0:38)
Planting schedule in Kansas City (2:30)
Mulching (3:56)
Some of Byron's favorite trees (5:29)
Soil quality (6:26)
Pest and diseases (7:42)
When to take stakes off a tree (8:23)
Fast growing trees (8:54)
Can storms affect young trees? (9:50)
How Byron got into arboriculture (10:35)
What it's like being a tree climber (11:07)
What it's like to help clients with their trees (12:04)
Pruning a young tree (13:01)
Using the right tools (14:12)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about summer tree care, read our blog, Most Common Questions about Summer Tree Care.

To learn more about pruning young trees, read our blog, How to Prune or Trim Young Trees for Structure and Form.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

Invasive Species: How to Maintain a Happy, Healthy Landscape May 29, 2025

Show notes

Jacob Ryg from Davey's South St. Paul office shares a list of some invasive species, how to get rid of them and what species to plant in your garden and landscape instead.

In this episode we cover:

What makes a species invasive? (0:41)
Invasive European buckthorn in South St. Paul (1:32)
Did you know that garlic mustard is invasive? (6:41)
Invasive species differ depending on where you are (8:26)
Other kinds of invasive species (9:10)
Is continual top cutting effective for getting rid of invasive species? (10:22)
Replace your invasive species by planting native species (11:19)
Try and stay away from planting "gimmick plants" (12:52)
It can be dangerous to plant unknown species in your garden (13:28)
Which plants are positives to put in your garden? (14:13) (19:05)
Kentucky coffee tree (15:31)
Plants labeled "sterile" aren't always sterile (17:28)
Dawn redwoods (20:12)
Jacob's love for working with people, plants and trees (21:42)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To read our Tree Selection Guide blogs to learn the best ways to grow and care for your plants, visit Blog.Davey.com by clicking here - Tree Selection Guide Blogs.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

Plant Health Care Innovations: The Urban Defense Warrior van May 22, 2025

Show notes

Wilson Yoingco from Davey's Washington D.C. office introduces his office's Urban Defense Warrior, or a plant health care van, and how its design better delivers plant health care to urban settings.

In this episode we cover:

What is the Urban Defense Warrior van? (0:40) (2:32)
What is the van used for? (1:00) (5:25)
What is a plant health coordinator? (2:13)
Specific jobs the van does (3:00)
IPM, pesticides and fungicides (3:31)
The van's fertilization process (4:59)
The van's storage tanks (6:59)
New technology (7:06)
The benefits of having a smaller vehicle (8:18)
Does the Urban Defense Warrior get used outside the city? (8:53)
The power behind the engine (9:17)
Is the van user-friendly? (10:06)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To read our Plant Health Care blogs to learn the best ways to grow and care for your plants, visit Blog.Davey.com by clicking here - Plant Health Care Davey Blogs.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

How to Identify Trees by Their Bark and Foliage May 15, 2025

Show notes

Rachel Broskey from Davey's Knoxville office shares advice on how to ID trees in your landscape, as well as some of her favorite trees from coast to coast and how she got into arboriculture and became a "nurse for trees."

In this episode we cover:

How arborists are trained to ID trees (0:52)
How foliage plays a role in ID (2:28)
Dawn redwoods (3:42)
Evergreens and their needles (6:34)
Rachel's favorite trees (8:01) (11:49)
Redbud varieties (8:56)
West vs east coast trees (10:04)
Climate in Knoxville (11:12)
Black gum (12:04)
How Rachel became an arborist (12:45)
Diagnosing trees (14:11)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To read our Tree Identification blogs to help you ID different species in your landscape, visit Blog.Davey.com by clicking here - Tree Identification Davey blogs.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

Davey Arborist Visit: What to Expect + When to Schedule May 08, 2025

Show notes

Matt Morgan from Davey's Sacramento office shares what homeowners should expect during a Davey arborist visit and the specific signs arborists look for to help your trees and landscape.

In this episode we cover:

Seasonal calls Davey offices receive(1:02)
Matt's consult routine (1:58)
Hackberry trees (3:57)
Hackberry aphids (5:22)
What Matt looks for during a property inspection (7:39)
Winter in California (8:43)
Yearly rainfall in California (9:41)
Watering California trees (10:35)
Looking up at the tree for signs (11:21) (13:13)
Sudden limb drop (12:17)
Matt's journey to Davey (13:39)
Spring tree check findings (14:40)
How phosphonates work (17:18)
Matt's client relationships (18:08)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn about the importance of hiring a certified arborist, read our blog, Why You Should Hire a Certified Arborist.

To learn more about sudden limb drop syndrome, read our blog, What Is Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome?

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

Spring Lawn Pests + Lawn Species PART TWO May 01, 2025

Show notes

In part two of this two-part episode, Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, shares spring pests to look out for in lawns, as well as general spring lawn seeding practices.

In this episode we cover:

Spring pests & diseases in the lawn (:40)
- Weedy turf grass (:54)
- Warm season pests (1:51)
- Grubs (2:55)
- Snow mold (4:00)
- Red thread (5:30)
How to combat spring pests & diseases (6:51)
- Red thread (8:06)
- Weedy species (9:07)
Lawn care trends over the years (14:20)
Different lawn species (18:22)
- Perennial ryegrass (19:58)
- Tall fescue (20:45)
When to apply tall fescue (23:45)
Establishing a lawn with sod (25:55)
Sharp blades to cut grass (28:09)
Lawn safety (29:19)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

Listen to part one of this two-part episode, Help Your Lawn Thrive this Spring PART ONE.

To learn more about identifying the species in your lawn, read our blog, Grass Identification: What Type of Grass Do I Have?

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

Help Your Lawn Thrive this Spring PART ONE Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

In part one of this two-part episode, Zane Raudenbush, turf and herbicide specialist within the Davey Institute, shares his tips to set your lawn up for success this spring.

In this episode we cover:

Cool weather impacting spring lawn care (1:02)
First thing to do in your lawn this spring (2:44)
Garden weasels and biochar (4:08) (5:06)
Soil temperatures (6:55)
Dry, clay soil invigoration (8:24)
Lawn fertilizers (11:37) (16:17)
Bio stimulates fertilizers (14:21) (15:29)
Soil testing (18:16)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

Listen to our Talking Trees with Davey Tree podcast episode about biochar and how it benefits landscapes, Why Biochar is Important & How it Can Be Used in the Landscape.

To learn helpful fertilizing tips, read our blog, Grass Yellow After Fertilizing? Here’s How to Repair.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

How to Make Flowering Trees Thrive + an Arborist's Favorites Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Mike Holleran from Davey's Wilmington, Delaware, office discusses how to make spring-flowering trees thrive, what diseases threaten them and some of his favorites.

In this episode we cover:

Flowering tree diseases (:45)
Disease resilience (2:39)
Treating flowering tree diseases (4:00)
Fertilizing (5:20)
Inspection from an arborist (8:27)
Pruning (11:51)
Mike's favorite spring-flowering plants (15:21)
- Witch hazel (15:37)
- Serviceberry (17:41)
- Redwood and dogwood (20:35)
- Okame cherry (26:04)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about caring for flowering trees, read our blogs, How To Care for Flowering Trees & Shrubs Year Round and Why You Should Fertilize Flowering Trees.

To learn more about when your flowering tree will bloom, read out blog, When Do Flowering Trees Bloom in Spring, Including Fruit Trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

White Oaks: What to Know + Its Impacts on Wildlife Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Lou Meyer from Davey's mid-Atlantic region talks about all things white oak trees, including its acorn production, role in wildlife protection and significance to pop culture.

In this episode we cover:

Knowing the difference between different oak trees (:53)
Growing differences between white and red oaks (2:01)
Oak decline (3:29)
The white oak's significance to Lou (4:19)
Oak acorn production (6:22)
White oak fast facts (8:45)
White oaks in different parts of the United States (10:10)
White oaks and wildlife (11:14)
Do clients want to plant white oaks? (14:17)
Storm damage impacting trees (15:57)
White oaks in pop culture (17:41)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about the different types of oak trees, read our blog, Oak Tree Identification Guide.

For more information on helping your trees recover from spring storm damage, read our blog, What to Do if a Storm Damaged My Tree?

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Have feedback, questions or a topic you want covered? Click here to send Talking Trees a message OR email podcasts@davey.com.

How to ID and Avoid Fungus This Spring Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

Chrissy Balk, technical advisor with the Davey Institute, talks about fungal issues trees can experience in the spring, such as wood decay fungus and leaf diseases. Learn how to spot them as well as when they pose a threat to the tree versus when they are helpful to the tree.

In this episode we cover: