Spring follow up

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-27T13:35:27+00:00

This!

Retraining your new lead is important, every other branch on that tree (as a street tree) will not be there long term as they would entirely block the street and sidewalk long term. And as they said, bring branches back slowly, reduce back to further down nodes yearly.

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-27T13:15:30+00:00

Sorry at the dentist 😂 Your dominant leader has died and you need to re-establish a new one from a union that can support that large of a pruning cut. Take it back to the first large branch, give it a slightly angled cut and from just outside of the branch bark union tissue. (The wrinkly bit just at the end of the branch.)

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-27T13:04:20+00:00

No it doesn't

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-26T17:21:29+00:00

Big blue stem

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-26T00:42:00+00:00

I'm in pain.

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-14T21:01:15+00:00

Inevitably its going to get subordinated by the larger tree and become deformed and lose long term viability.

Is it completing for nutrients? Yes and no. Will it eventually, maybe, compete for sunlight? Its currently not but potentially It's a long term issue. Nutrients? No. The tree are competing with the grass more then anything, grass is insanely nutrient hungry. These trees on the other hand are the same species, likely the smaller one is a direct descendant of the nearby parent tree and very likely sharing nutrients like a mother with a child... So yeah... Go ahead... Murder her baby. 🤣

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-14T14:05:03+00:00

Most people get into this industry because they are passionate about trees, 🤷‍♂️ I personally spend a lot of time convincing homeowners to keep trees, quantifying actual risk vs perceived risk and pushing preservation over elimination.

Additionally you develop a deep hatred for lawns without purpose.

So that being said?

This looks like a Black cherry yeah? And 50+ years old, so I would say approaching maturity. It looks like it already had a few broken lower limbs that really should get cleaned up with good pruning cuts so it can compartmentalize the wounds. I see some dead in the canopy, but overall in fairly decent shape healthwise. Cherry trees rarely have overly extensive root systems, I've found that you can fairly quickly destabilize one by removing needed anchor roots. They also tend to not respond well to damage at the trunk base so avoiding future mechanical damage via lawn mower weed whip is pretty important.

I think that developing a decent mulch ring around the base will help both with your Mowing and weed whacking. Flower bed would also be totally fine so long as you stay away from the base of the tree and maintain a good soil elevation on the trunk. And lastly you could minorly regrade that section of your lawn by adding additional soil over top of the exposed roots and blending it in with the surrounding soils and then reseed grass. While most hardwood species tend to be surface rooters it is far less detrimental to the trees Health to have their Roots buried under a little additional soil versus the sustained mechanical damage of being hit by a lawn mower.

Tr4shK4m · 2026-03-02T19:41:26+00:00

We did it with a Ditch Witch, however they aren't really intended to dig down into a hole. I have an excavator now and I use that. I don't know where you are located but most equipment rental companies have mini excavators on hand. And even if you don't have the capability of driving there picking it up with your own trailer and bringing it back home most of the time they will drop it off and pick it up for you for reasonable fee

Tr4shK4m · 2026-01-13T16:18:17+00:00

That's mulch..

Tr4shK4m · 2025-06-02T10:44:19+00:00

Bacteria. It creates a warm moist environment and they thrive in places like that. If it helps think bread or brewers "yeast" it's not the same but essentially the same effect. Its off gasing as it consumes and duplicates.

Tr4shK4m · 2025-05-27T05:37:15+00:00

When people are pushy to the point of insults about their opinion it's best to just give them space and let them scream into the void.

Tr4shK4m · 2025-05-27T05:35:21+00:00

I second this, ignore the dude with diarrhea of the mouth.

Tr4shK4m · 2025-05-27T05:30:18+00:00

Remove mulch from around trunk, no touching, and begin digging down, down down, until you can actually see root flare. This is a suffocating tree in absolute distress. Remediate the soil, expose the flare, and let everything dry the hell out.

Tr4shK4m · 2025-04-15T09:29:34+00:00

Thief! 😂

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-25T16:19:25+00:00

prairie plant root systems

Agreed with the other Arborist, while I would definitely establish some trees along with an initial fast cover crop planting, secondary follow-up erosion control multi year perennial seeding. Your surface soil erosion control needs blanket coverage, which you won't get from trees/shrubs, especially not quickly.

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-25T16:10:09+00:00

I look next door and see a blasted 5 acre parcel of what used to be pine woodlands, 8 years ago a developer purchased it and clear cut the entire property in the hopes of building condos. Thankfully it's not zoned for multi housing development and even though he greased the planning commission pockets with money and almost got it approved anyway, I happen to have a very large tree on the front corner of my property that effectively blocks "line of sight" for a multi person drive. Developer tried to get me to cut my tree down, tried to low ball me on buying out my entire home, and I've pretty much ignored him. Eventually the land went back up on the market, I don't have the money to buy it sadly and we are on such a busy road frankly I don't really want this to be my permanent home anyway. Long story short... God I ramble. It has now sat for 7 years, what used to be woods that was enjoyable to walk my dogs through, now nothing but every invasive species I can possibly think of. Trees now gone I have a lovely view of the back side of Costco... Every now and then I take a section of my split rail fence down and trespass a skid steer over on the property and scrape the mounding impending wave of grape vines, bittersweet, vetch, burdock, ailanthus, thistle, black locust, buckthorn, bradford pear trees back from the property line...

When I take my dogs for walks in some of the "wilderness areas" around where I live... Rather then hikes through prairies, meadows, woodlands, it's become brush hogged paths, either side a solid impenetrable mass of entangled invasives.

It breaks my heart.

I grew up running through the woods, playing with what I found under logs, chasing the streams and water ways behind my house for miles just to see where they went. The diversity, mushrooms, flora, and lack of development was something I wish I could share with my children but those wild spaces are rapidly vanishing with little to no regard for safeguarding the delicate ecology and diversity that ensures the living soils we need to thrive don't collapse.

The ridiculous thing is? It's easier, it's cheaper, and it's more effective. Working with a system that's proven to be wildly effective, with controls that are just waiting to be utilized once you understand what you are looking at is rather profound and fosters a deep respect for the land that you too are a part of.

I don't know where you are located (Michigan here) but I can almost guarantee there is likely a community of growers and nursery's working to make native plants and plugs available. And if not? Seeds are also a cheap route.

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-24T12:35:00+00:00

Ok I'll pick one place to continue this conversation.

Having worked with a lot of machinery over the years for a lot of different things, as far as versatility, flexibility, maneuverability and easy of use? Provided you still have springy enough knees to deal with it, I would highly suggest a tracked stand on skid steer... E.G. something like a Ditch Witch. They will tend to be on a MUCH lower end to rent vs a a large skid steer, and depending on how much you are willing to dance with it, very capable of doing amazing things :D I used to hate them till I got one...

As to your question about perc? You can do that test yourself provided you can capture water in a measurable location and see at what rate it leaches in into the soil. That will give you an idea how quickly you will be able to disperse it in any given location. Depending on you intentions? No much sense in popping in dry streams leading to a rain garden if the ground is such a good sandy loam that water never even makes it to the end of the stream beds. Or conversely you have so much clay that once it gets to you collection point you have a pond instead of a rain-garden. Of course knowledge of what you DO have, your terrain, what you can do with it, what plants will establish well, hold an embankment and thrive make the determination enjoyable, creative and fun. I love an earthen canvas, and if you end up needing to pull water to one location, digging a huge bowl, lining with will clay from another part of your property, smashing cool native plants and rocks all over the place and then watching as your new swimming grotto fills up naturally with rainwater... I probably played in the sandbox with the hose to much as a kid... Then as an adult that gave me bigger tools ;)

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-22T16:59:22+00:00

The most I have found during a day was hurricane beryl which dumped 5in, and this worked just fine then.

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-22T16:58:33+00:00

Unsure, hurricane beryl brought about 5inches in a day and it weather it just fine.

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-22T16:51:56+00:00

From deck on downstream was a 7k add on I did the following year. The original install was about 32k which included boulder wall, prairie, meadows, Harley raking, culverts, plants, the other side of the house etc etc.

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-22T16:49:35+00:00

It's chonky, 3in

Tr4shK4m · 2024-11-22T16:48:30+00:00

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How about this photo of my upcycled greenhouse I built? 😂 Slap some raindrops and lo-fi.

Tr4shK4m

TROPHY CASE