What can we do for trees?

D & B Tree Services owner, David Steward, of Fort Worth, Texas, says that trees need our help in order to survive.

1. Trees need pruning, fertilizing and watering in order to thrive.
2. A tree doesn't reach it's most productive stage of carbon storage for about ten years, and many trees don't survive that long. The average tree in metropolitan areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth survives only about 8 years.
3. One million acres of forest are lost to city growth each year.
4. Of every four city trees that die or are removed, only one is replaced.
5. Any squirrel can plant a tree, but it takes a human to care for it in an urban area.

Caring for trees and shrubs, planting trees and stump grinding are the majority of work done by D & B Tree Service, says Steward, a ten-year veteran in the tree business.

Power lines and trees are a dangerous problem. Go to our Line Clearance page to learn more.

Never have anyone "top" off a tree.  Why?

Here are some reasons given by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Tree Starvation: Good pruning practices rarely remove more than 1/4 to 1/2 of the crown, which in turn does not seriously interfere with the ability of a tree's leafy crown to manufacture foliage. Topping removes so much of the crown that it upsets an older tree's well-developed crown-to-root ratio and temporarily cuts off its food-making ability.

Tree Shock: A tree's crown is like an umbrella that shields much of the tree from the direct rays of the sun. By suddenly removing this protection, the remaining bark tissue is so exposed that scalding may result. There may also be a dramatic effect on neighboring trees and shrubs. If these thrive and the shade is removed, poor health or death may result.

Tree Insects and Disease: The large stubs of a topped tree have a difficult time forming callus. The terminal location of these cuts, as well as their large diameter, prevent the tree's chemical-based natural defense system from doing its job. The stubs are highly vulnerable to insect invasion and the spores of decay fungi. If decay is already present in the limb, opening the limb will speed the spread of the disease.

Trees' Weak Limbs: At best, the wood of a new limb that sprouts after a larger limb is truncated is more weakly attached than a limb that develops more normally. If rot exists or develops at the severed end of the limb, the weight of the sprout makes a bad situation even worse.

Trees' Rapid New Growth: The goal of topping is usually to control the height and spread of a tree. Actually, it has the opposite effect. The resulting sprouts (often called water sprouts) are more numerous than normal new growth and they elongate so rapidly that the tree returns to its original height in a very short time--and with a far denser crown.

Tree Death: Some older trees are more tolerant to topping than others. Beeches, for example, do not sprout readily after severe pruning and the reduced foliage most surely will lead to death of the tree.
Ugliness: A topped tree is a disfigured tree. Even with its regrowth it never regains the grace and character of its species. The landscape and the community are robbed of a valuable element.

Cost: To a worker with a saw, topping a tree is much easier than applying the skill and judgement of good pruning. Therefore, topping may cost less in the short run.

The true costs of topping are hidden. These include: reduced property value, the expense of removal and replacement if the tree dies, the loss of other trees and shrubs if they succumb to change, light conditions, the risk of liability from weakened branches, and increased future maintenance.

"We'll go out on a limb for you."