Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/newsdetail.php?id=36

Press Release: Embark Services Launches a New TCIA Award-Winning Website Dedicated to Arbor Education and Client Stewardship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 3, 2011-Houston, TX- Embark Services, a landscaping and arbor care service provider located in Houston, Texas, has recently launched a new website designed to raise understanding of the Arbor industry as well as inspire arbor stewardship with its clients. This initiative, led by Embark Services President Jeff Schroeder, is using state-of-the-art, interactive Web technologies to create an online community where visitors can deepen their knowledge of the Arbor industry and how it is tied to their individual community. The new website was recently named Winner of the coveted “2010 TCIA Professional Communications Award” by the Tree Care Industry Association.

TCIA evaluated all entries on the overall appearance, content quality, adherence to ANSI and OSHA standards, and their success in achieving the company’s marketing and communications goals. With almost 60 entries, TCIA was impressed with the website’s dedication to Arbor Education and overall client ease of use. Amy Tetreault, Marketing & PR Coordinator of TCIA, explains “Embark Services website features much more information than the average tree care company’s website. This website is a valuable resource for consumers looking for tree care information”. The website also includes the Embark Services Blog and RSS feeds where visitors can go to stay up-to-date on the latest local events that affect the Arbor Community. Visitors can also access Arbor Care content and participate through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For more information on Embark Services, please visit www.embarkservices.com.

Link: http://embarkservices2-px.rtrk.com/blog/blogs/

As winter deepens, homeowners and property managers are advised that tree failure is a major cause of property damage. An ice storm or high wind can cause a cracked tree to fail under its own weight.

“Homeowners worried about trees falling and damaging property should call a professional arborist in for an inspection,” advises Tchukki Andersen, staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. Andersen notes that trees are designed to withstand storms, but all trees can fail – and defective trees fail sooner than healthy trees. A sound tree becomes potentially dangerous when the tree’s woody structure is weakened by one or more defects. During storms, pre-existing defects predispose trees to failure.

“To a professional arborist,” notes Andersen, “defects are detectable signs that a tree has an increased potential to fail.”

One of the major warning signs of tree failure is a visible crack. Cracks form when the load exceeds the capacity of the stem to withstand the load. The vast majority of cracks are caused by improper closure of wounds, by the splitting of weak branch unions, or by flush-cut pruning. Cracks can occur in branches, stems or roots. The wood behind the crack may be sound, decayed, or missing (cavity). Several types of cracks can be found in trees and, like other defects, the severity of cracks ranges across a spectrum.

Vertical cracks run with the wood grain along the length of the tree and may appear as shear cracks, inrolled cracks or ribbed cracks. Horizontal cracks run across the wood grain. Shear cracks, a type of vertical crack, become hazardous when they go completely through the stem and separate the stem into two halves. As the tree bends and sways in the wind, one half of the stem slides over the other, elongating the crack. Eventually the enlarging crack causes the two halves of the stem to shear apart. A shear crack always has a high risk of failure. An inrolled crack, also called a ram’s horn, has margins that curl inward on each of its sides and forms inrolled bark and wood. An inrolled crack is formed when a wound does not close properly. Serious decay is always associated with an inrolled crack because the crack margins rewound the tree each year, allowing decay to spread rapidly. Inrolled cracks often generate other cracks in the same stem segment. Trees with an inrolled crack, advanced decay, and another crack all in the same stem segment have a high risk of failure.

A professional arborist can determine the potential for failure by measuring the shell thickness in a few locations around the tree’s circumference, determining the width of the crack opening and looking for the presence of any other type of crack. Ribbed cracks are created as the tree attempts to seal over a wound. Margins of the crack meet and mesh but are reopened due to tree movement or extremely cold temperatures. Thicker annual rings are created in order to stabilize the developing crack at the location of the crack. This forms the ribbed appearance over a period of many years. A ribbed crack has a high risk of failure when associated with another crack or with extensive advanced decay.

Horizontal cracks run across the grain of the wood and are formed when loading in the tree’s crown pulls wood fibers apart. They are rarely found because they develop just before the trees fail. Horizontal cracks are a sign of imminent failure in leaning trees.

What can you do?
Cracks are hazardous when they compromise the structure of the tree by splitting the stem in two or when another defect , such as internal decay and a crack, do not provide enough sound wood in the outer shell to support the tree. The presence of multiple cracks and decay indicates a very defective tree.

Find a professional
A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the safest course of action. Contact one of Embark’s TCIA Certified Arborists today!

Link: http://embarkservices2-px.rtrk.com/blog/blogs/

You may think that the approach of the end of the growing season means you can stop worrying about the trees in your landscape. Think again! Fall is one of the best times to examine the safety and health of your trees, say tree care experts. Why? With the leaves off, cracks, defects, and deadwood are easier to see. Also, with winter storms approaching, hazards should be removed now – before they damage property.

“Most trees can be pruned year round,” says Tchukki Andersen, staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association, “And certain operations are easier to do in the fall, when dead branches are easily seen and removed.”

Some homeowners worry that arborists will not be able to determine deadwood on a tree when the leaves are off. “On the contrary,” says Andersen. “This is the best time for an arborist to locate deadwood by looking for changes in color, fungus growth, cracks, and other symptoms that can help them make this determination. Since the leaves are off, the view of the entire tree’s architecture is clear and a thorough check can be performed.”

Pruning is much more than the simple act of sawing off limbs. Proper pruning is an art based on scientific principles of plant physiology. At its most basic level, pruning trees involves removing damaged, dead or structurally weak limbs, which will improve a tree’s health and reduce the chances of personal or property damage caused by falling limbs.
Professional arborists have the capability to make the tree safer and more attractive by pruning live growth as well. Proper pruning encourages growth, increases flower and fruit production, improves plant health, repairs damage and helps add aesthetic appeal to a tree. Pruning at the right time and in the right way is critical, since it is possible to kill a tree through neglect or over-pruning.

How can a homeowner know if an arborist will prune a tree correctly?

“Ask the arborist if they prune according to the American National Standards Institute standard for tree pruning, which is called ANSI A300,” says Andersen.

This standard requires that the recommended use of certain tools, cutting techniques and pruning methods be followed, and sets the standard definitions for terms the arborist will use in your estimate. Properly written work estimates for tree pruning should be written in accordance to ANSI A300 standards.

In addition to the information given on the work estimate, ANSI A300 sets some guidelines for basic pruning practices that arborists should follow.

If arborists are adhering to the ANSI A300 pruning standard, they:

Will not leave branch stubs
Will make few or no heading cuts
Will not cut off the branch collar (not make a flush cut)
Will not top or lion’s tail trees
Will not remove more than 25 percent of the foliage of a single branch
Will not remove more than 25 percent of the total tree foliage in a single year
Will not damage other parts of the tree during pruning
Will not use wound paint
Will not prune without a good reason

What can you do?

Homeowners who would like a professional arborist to assess their trees should contact the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), a public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture since 1938. It has more than 2,000 member companies who recognize stringent safety and performance standards and who are required to carry liability insurance. TCIA has the nation’s only Accreditation program that helps consumers find tree care companies that have been inspected and accredited based on: adherence to industry standards for quality and safety; maintenance of trained, professional staff; and dedication to ethics and quality in business practices.

Call Embark Tree and Landscape, Texas' First Tree and Landscape Company Accredited by TCIA today at 713-462-3261 to schedule a FREE estimate for your tree care needs.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

When it comes to the long list of things to care for in regards to your home during extreme weather, trees don’t always make it to the top of the list. However, taking good care of your trees can equate to a decrease in damage and an increase in savings whenever storms with high winds whip through your neighborhood.

In addition to adding value to your home, your arboreal assets play an important role in purifying the air, soaking up storm water that might otherwise burden drain systems, and helping cool your home through the shade provided naturally.

However, if not cared for properly, the trees on your property can potentially cause a lot of damage. Gutters can be clogged by leaves and other tree debris. Overgrown trees can create easy access to homes for carpenter ants, termites, and other pests through branches that touch the rooftop.

When it comes to protecting your arboreal assets, maintenance is key.

Here are a few tips on maintaining your trees:

Checkups – By having an ISA Certified Arborist look at your trees on an annual basis, you will avoid potential costly hazards that can come from overgrowth and debris.

Environment – Trees need a good environment in order to live strong and healthy. Trees that are street-side have more potential threats to their health through the work that may be done on power lines, water lines, and other space limiting units that may hinder root growth or damage roots.

Soil Damage – Construction near the tree can potentially compact the surrounding soil. Compacted soil can cause damage to root systems. The strength of the tree will rely on the root system.

Call an Embark Certified Arborist today to begin your tree maintenance schedule. Healthy and well maintained trees can be one of your best property assets.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

Research has shown that trees can increase your property value. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the presence of street trees raised home values by an average of $7,000 in certain neighborhoods. When planted and maintained by certified arborists, street trees can bring both beauty and value to neighborhoods for decades or even centuries.

In recent polls, good looking and tall trees were rated as top characteristics of a “good street”, but what makes a good street tree?

Here are some characteristics of good street trees:

Moderate Growth – Fast growing trees may present problems with controlling maintenance in addition to having shorter life-spans with weaker wood. A slow growing or moderately growing tree, such as a maple or dogwood, will have longer life-spans and stronger wood.

Type of Wood – Since street trees will experience elements such as car exhaust, sand, and in some cities salt, the wood has to be hard or tough so that the tree can withstand such foreign environmental elements.

Longevity – Trees such as Live Oaks, Maples, and Elms are good street trees because of their longevity. In addition to longevity, the longer the life of a tree can equate to potentially higher resistance of disease.

Deep Roots – Since street trees are close to roads, sidewalks, and driveways, it is important to have a tree with a deep root system so that the roots don’t disrupt the pavement. In addition, with deep roots, the tree will be less likely to be damaged with any road maintenance.

Street trees can be majestic additions to any neighborhood. Make sure that your street trees are “good street trees” so that their beauty can be admired for decades to come.

After all, "The best friend on Earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources of the Earth." - Frank Lloyd Wright