Talking Trees with Davey Tree

Latest Episodes:

Western Red Cedar: Fast Facts + How to Plant Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

Izzy Christmann from Davey's Portland, Oregon, office talks about the western red cedar tree, including essential planting tips, the variety of sizes it can grow into and how it interacts with weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode we cover:

Western red cedar fast facts (:42-2:02)
Current weather in Portland, OR (2:42)
What to do with trees under stress (3:52)
Deep root watering best practices (4:41)
Seasonal weather patterns in the Pacific Northwest (5:46)
Western red cedar sizes (6:42)
Mulching trees in the Pacific Northwest (7:42)
Fertilizing western red cedars (8:33)
Planting schedule in Oregon (9:18)
What size of western red cedars to plant (10:33) (12:15)
Western red cedar pests (13:47)
Izzy's journey to the green industry and Davey (14:48) (15:06)

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

To learn more watering and mulching tips, read our blogs, What is Slow Watering of a Tree? and The Proper Way To Mulch Your 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.

Successful Spring Planting Tips Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Aaron Hoot from Davey's Dallas office shares spring planting tips to help kick off the spring, including the best native species to plant in his region as well as fertilization and watering tips.

In this episode we cover:

How to become successful at spring tree planting (:44)
Aaron's favorite native species to plant (1:25)
Planting season in Dallas (3:47)
Watering during droughts (5:44)
Mistletoe on trees (6:55)
Hackberry trees (9:14)
Spring fertilization (12:13)
Wrapping newly planted trees (15:37)
Planting mature or younger trees (16:49)
Soils used in North Texas (18:51)
Cutting container tree roots (21:49)
Best tree watering practices (26:07)

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

To learn more spring planting tips, read our blogs, Spring Ahead and Most Common Questions about Tree Care in Spring.

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.

Trees in Pop Culture! Movies, Comics, Songs & More Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Mike Cassidy from Davey's West Columbus office shares a list of tree appearances in pop culture, such as movies, comics, songs and more, which reminds us of the huge benefit trees play in our world.

In this episode we cover:

Trees have a larger space in our mind (1:17)
Trees as creatures (2:44)
- Lord of the Rings (3:26)
- Maleficent (3:47)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (4:50)
- The Wizard of Oz (5:46)
- The Trees by Rush (6:40)
Trees as obstacles (7:43)
- Harry Potter (7:52)
- Poltergeist (8:54)
- The Happening (10:04)
Forests as a setting (11:52)
- Star Wars (11:58)
- Tarzan (14:15) (16:26)
- The Ritual (15:46)
Trees used as allegory (17:36)
- The Giving Tree (17:41)
- Sleepy Hollow (18:48)
- Pan's Labyrinth (19:09)
Trees as homes (20:05)
- Trolls (20:11)
- Keebler elf (21:15)
Trees as a spiritual focus (21:35)
- Avatar (21:41)
Swamp Thing (21:54)

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

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 Pruning Advice - What to Prune & What Not to Prune Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Dan Hager from Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, in Concord, shares his top spring pruning tips as well as different pruning tools and common pruning mistakes homeowners make.

In this episode we cover:

Pruning consultation and goals for plants (1:17)
Not everything needs to be pruned (1:50)
What a homeowner can prune vs what a professional should prune (3:00)
Different pruning tools (3:56)
The right saw to use for pruning (4:50)
Biggest pruning mistakes homeowners make (6:30)
What should not be pruned in the late winter/early spring (8:18)
What's the best way for someone to learn how to prune? (11:10)
Educating master gardeners about pruning apple trees (12:54)
Importance of keeping tools clean (14:42)
Other spring landscape pruning (16:30)

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

To learn more spring pruning tips, read our blogs, Trimming Trees in Spring: Is It Okay to Trim Trees in Spring? and Fruit Tree Care in Early Spring.

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.

Bronze Birch Borer: What to Know + Its Impact on Trees Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Tyson Geldseth from Davey's Tacoma office shares information about bronze birch borer, including its fatal impact on trees and the steps you can take to minimize its effects on your landscape.

In this episode we cover:

Bronze birch borer (:43)
The severity of bronze birch borer (2:44)
Is it too late to treat a tree infected by bronze birch borer? (4:12)
Preventative measures for bronze birch borer (7:15)
The size of birch trees in the Northwest (9:10)
The expense of tree permitting and regulations in Tyson's area (10:57)
The expense of cutting down older trees (12:56)
Calling a certified arborist to examine your property (15:17)
How Tyson got into the tree industry (17:15)
Emerald ash borer (21:38)
EAB's estimated arrival in Washington state (23:10)
Preparation for EAB (24:14)
The feeling of providing client-focused solutions (25:50)

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

To learn more about bronze birch borer, visit our Insect & Disease Resource Center, Bronze Birch Borer Damage & Treatments | Davey Tree.

To learn more about boring pests, read our blog, Tree Borers: Signs of Tree Boring Insects | Davey 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.

A Preview into Davey's Annual Training Program D.I.T.S. Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Hear from three students attending the Davey Institute of Trees Sciences (D.I.T.S.) program, Davey’s flagship training program in biological sciences, safety, tree and plant care and management techniques. Brandon Ponciano from Davey's Dallas office, Carl Myers from Davey's Loganville, GA office and Georges Bois from Davey's Burnaby, British Columbia office share their experience in the four-week program, including their key takeaways, being away from home for 30 days and the experience bonding with other employees and tree care professionals from all over North America.

In this episode we cover:

What has Brandon learned at D.I.T.S.? (:57)
What has Carl learned at D.I.T.S.? (2:10)
What has George learned at D.I.T.S.? (3:18)
How is it being away from home for 30 days? (4:30)
How does George plan on using his D.I.T.S. takeaways back home? (5:33)
What was Brandon's reaction to being chosen from D.I.T.S.? (6:53)
What is Brandon's favorite part about D.I.T.S.? (7:38)
What are Carl's highlights from D.I.T.S.? (8:29)
What is the importance of comradery and bonding at D.I.T.S.? (10:14)
What has been challenging about D.I.T.S.? (10:53)
R.J. Laverne (12:46)
What are everyone's biggest takeaways from D.I.T.S.? (13:51)

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

To learn more about careers at Davey, visit Davey.com/Careers.
To learn more about training at Davey, visit Davey.com/Training.
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.

Hawthorns: The Different Types + Common Diseases Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Lou Meyer from Davey's mid-Atlantic region shares information about green and Washington hawthorn trees, including what diseases they are susceptible to and how you can diversify your landscape by planting them.
In this episode we cover:

What are hawthorn trees? (:43)
Does Lou see fire blight on hawthorns, and can it be controlled? (4:49) (5:14)
How hard is rust to control on hawthorns? (5:51)
What are green hawthorns? (7:02) (7:56)
What are Washington hawthorns? (10:44)
Are hawthorns common in mid-Atlantic landscapes? (13:56)
The importance of educating clients about new species to add to their landscape (14:48)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
Listen to this Talking Trees Podcast episode, Importance of Diversity in the Landscape and Planting to Replace, to learn more about diversifying your landscape.
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 Plant Bare Root, B&B and Container Trees + Pros & Cons Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Emily Mumford from Davey's South St. Paul office shares the scoop on bare root, balled and burlapped (B&B) and container trees, including the pros and cons of each and how to plant them effectively.
In this episode we cover:

What are bare root trees? (:53)
How to plant bare root trees (3:18) (4:42)
What are container trees? (6:14)
What to do if your container tree has girdling roots (7:21)
Additional planting tips for container trees (11:10)
Pros of B&B trees (12:54)
Planting B&B trees (14:53) (15:31)
How do you decide which of the three trees is best to plant? (16:06)
Emily's career journey (17:42)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
To learn additional tree planting tips, read our blog, Tree Planting Guide: 3 Methods of Planting Trees or watch our two-part YouTube video series, How to Plant a Tree: Part 1 and How to Plant a Tree: Part 2.
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 Care for Young & Newly Planted Trees this Winter! Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

Sean Zieche from Davey's Glen Ellyn office explains what you can do to preserve newly planted and young trees this winter to help them thrive in the spring.
In this episode we cover:

What can you do if your tree is affected by winter weather? (1:05)
Should you mulch young trees during cold temperatures? (2:15)
What to do before winter arrives (3:26)
The difference between maintaining a newly planted small vs big tree (4:03)
Snow cover in Illinois (7:43)
Can you apply anti-desiccant spray in cold temperatures? (9:08)
The factors that impact a young tree's development (9:49)
The importance of planting a tree correctly (11:18)
Why biochar is a great planting tool (13:48)
How to know if trees planted in the fall made it to the spring (15:14)
How long should you wait to help your trees in the spring? (16:28)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
To learn more about protecting young trees from cold temps, read our blogs, How To Protect Newly Planted Trees From Frost and Winter Tree Pruning: Young Trees, Fruit Trees, Spring Flowering 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.

Safety: Echoing Trust, Training and Performance Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

Jon Schmidt from Davey's safety team shares how he is emphasizing the importance of new, innovative safety measures throughout all of Davey's service lines.
In this episode we cover:

What does Jon do in his role as program manager for human and organizational performance? (:36) (4:57)
How did Jon's research influence safety practices at Davey? (2:30) (11:26)
Who does Jon work closely with in his role? (4:27)
Satisfying work (5:27)
Getting people to share thoughts on safety? (6:00)
How does Jon build trust with crewmembers about safety measures? (6:55) (7:41)
How Jon got to his current role (8:53)
What is human performance training? (12:08)
What does Jon get out of his job? (14:20)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
To learn more about Davey's culture of safety, visit this webpage, Safety Culture | Davey 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.