The RISKS and BENEFITS of Owning Trees

“The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.”    —U.S. Department of Agriculture

“A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000.”    —Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers

“In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension.”    —Dr. Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University

Many people have lost trees over the last 12 months (or will be removing them this year) because of the extreme weather of 2012 or because of the Emerald Ash Borer.  Are those trees worth replacing?  I think the question to ask yourself is really, “Are these trees worth replacing TO ME?”  What is the value that you’re getting from the trees?  Beauty?  Shade?  Energy savings? Property value?
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​If you’ve been reading some of our previous postings, you’ll know we’ve been talking about pruning lately.  In our experience, a lot of pruning comes from installing the wrong tree or from planting the right tree in the wrong place.  As you’re considering trees, please consider the genetics of the tree (How tall does it get?  Do the branches tend to grow up or out? Is this tree a single stem or a multi-stem tree?) and also what the location provides (Is this a sunny or a shady spot?  Is it near a building or a sidewalk?  Does it tend to flood or be dry?  What is the soil composition?)  Not every tree does well in every spot.  We want you to enjoy your tree for years to come and not be fighting location or genetics.  Give us a call if you have questions about tree replacement!  We want to make a better future for your trees!