Embark Tree and Landscape Services, L.P (Embark)., a Houston-area leader in providing total tree and landscape services, has chosen Teletrac for their fleet of vehicles. After an evaluation process, Teletrac was chosen based on it’s ability to provide the features and flexibility important to Embark.

“Teletrac gives us the ability continue to provide a safe work environment for our employees while at the same time meeting productivity and operational goals,” said Steven R. Navarro Production Manager for Embark. Steve went on to say, “The Teletrac system is yet another tool to take our safety and fleet management initiatives to a higher level. This system gives us the ability to determine the exact location of crews using real-time GPS information. Vehicle tracking gives us the ability to reduce costs by reducing drive time and identifying more-efficient routing to work locations.”

Teletrac's Fleet Director is an integrated GPS-­based vehicle tracking, wireless communications and fleet management software system. Embark has their system equipped with Exception/Alerts, Messaging, Custom Dashboard Reports, Vehicle Diagnostics, PTO interface and Driver Safety Scorecard modules.

Embark embraces and promotes organic arboriculture in our region of the country. A few of the specific certified organic treatments that we provide include:

Compost Tea: Our compost tea applications reintroduce beneficial microbes into your soil. Both bacterial and fungal agents promote a healthier soil ecology, resulting in more readily available nutrients and increased water retention during period of drought.

Liquid Organic Fertilization: We have learned that many of today’s synthetic fertilizers are basically microbe killing salts. Although these produce a temporary greening affect in our trees, they also leave our soils depleted of vital microbial activities and can cause trees to be “addicted” to fertilizer.

An organic approach focuses on soil vitality by applying nutrients in the proper form while increasing microbial activity at the same time. The more microbes present in a soil, the more effective a tree can metabolize nutrients.

Mycorrhizal Fungi: In a forest setting, trees attract beneficial fungi called Mycorrhizae. Together, a tree’s root system and these fungi create a symbiotic relationship whereby root mass is increased. The result is more efficient water and nutrient uptake as well as a more securely anchored tree.

Link: http://bit.ly/gDJIQe

Chet Halka, Halka Nurseries owner, has a third-generation farm of trees destined to shade the World Trade Center Memorial site. Halka and Bartlett Tree Expert Company are part of a project that has been in motion since June 2006.

"It is an amazing project and we are honored to be a part of this," said Wayne Dubin, vice-president and division manager for Bartlett. "It is not about the trees; it is about the people who miss their loved ones and creating a memorial for the victims of 9/11."

The Bartlett Tree Expert Company is responsible for caring for 386 of these trees for two years. The trees will then become part of the memorial site where Bartlett will continue to care for the trees another two years. Bartlett's arborists are providing total care for the trees. This includes irrigation, insect and disease control, soil management, and pruning. One-third of the trees will have a soil moisture monitor implanted to record data on a daily or weekly basis.

"These are probably the most cared for trees on the planet," said Dubin.

The trees grown for this site, which have been planted in large boxes to maximize root growth and minimize trauma when planting time arrives, are Swamp White Oak and Sweet Gum. Both species are tough, durable, and resistant to all of the serious threats including the Asian Long Horned Beetle and Bacterial Leaf Scorch. The trees are expected to be about 7 inches diameter and 26 feet tall by the time they are planted.

Sixteen white swamp oaks have been planted already. Bartlett hopes a few more will be planted before the end of the year.

The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum will cover eight acres which is half of the site left in rubble after the attacks.

Click the link below to watch a video showing how these trees are grown.
http://bit.ly/accFos

Traditional landscape pest control programs rely on what are called "cover sprays." The pest-control sprays offered to the client are based on the company's knowledge of common pest problems and control measures in the service area. The cover-spray type, method and timing are pre-determined by the company. The homeowner may have the option to choose from a number of pest-control programs. Traditional pest control programs are not necessarily obsolete or "bad" for the environment and may be the best option for clients who have overriding concerns about program cost or are only concerned about one specific pest problem.

In contrast, plant health care technicians consider the landscape as a whole when deciding how to best care for plants. PHC technicians manage plant problems through careful monitoring of the landscape environment. Chemical controls may be part of the treatment, but they are not necessarily used in every treatment. Because of this, every PHC program is "customized" to fit the client's property and expectations.

The PHC technician maintains landscape plants by:
•evaluating the landscape's environment
•noting causes of plant stress (stressors)
•maintaining plant performance through proper cultural practices
•investigating the landscape through monitoring
•identifying and treating problems as they occur

The following are examples of some common problems:
1. Many plant problems are related to improper matching of the plant's requirements to the landscape site.
2. Plants may have been improperly planted.
3. Plants may be subjected to improper maintenance techniques.
4. Often a combination of improper plant siting (wrong plant/wrong site), improper planting and improper maintenance techniques can cause plant stress and decline.