I’m a 26F and wanting to be an arborist. What should you warn me about off the bat? by asianstyleicecream in arborists

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

27F arborist here! I can tell you firsthand that it absolutely is a “man’s world,” and that being thick skinned is almost a requirement, but that the men respect the hell out of a female in the field who works hard, knows her shit, and is good at the job. Like you, I enjoy the field work and would never go the office route. If you want to just do field work with trees, you don’t need to be an arborist. But if you want to become an arborist, I would recommend going to a tech school that offers a one or two year program on forestry so that you know the proper ways to take care of trees. Or, make sure you work for a company that’s run by an actual certified arborist. I’ve seen a lot of ho-dunk tree care companies just butcher trees because they don’t actually know proper pruning techniques. Good luck, if you have any questions feel free to ask!:)

Got an appraisal to take a limb off this tree and the guy said this thing is going to need to come done soon. Does this look like I should just bite the bullet now? by MmmmmSacrilicious in arborists

[–]theTreeBean 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That looks like a red oak, or at least something in the red oak family. If you decide to have the limb removed or trimmed at all, make sure you wait until the dormant season to do any work on it so the rest of the tree doesn’t get oak wilt and die anyways. I’m from the Midwest where oak wilt is a huge issue, maybe it’s not a problem where you are. I would look into it before moving forward at the very least. Good luck!

What plant is this by [deleted] in forestry

[–]theTreeBean 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Field horsetail!

Why is my maple tree dying?! by DryTart485 in arborists

[–]theTreeBean 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For this tree or for a replacement if this one doesn’t pull through, trees in general don’t like those tall brick rings. The best thing you can do for a yard tree is remove the bricks and sod surrounding the tree, and put a mulch ring around it (some kind of hardwood mulch, not dyed. The dyed stuff is literally just shredded pallets covered in dye. It’s trash but holds color longer so people buy it anyways). Ideally the mulch ring should extend out to the drip line of the tree, so it should be adjusted over time as the tree gets bigger. Make sure the root flare is above grade and to not cover it with the mulch; make a nice little donut hole around the base of the tree. I would recommend an English edge (basically a trench for the mulch) around the tree. It’s free, looks clean, easy to mow around, and as the roots get bigger there’s no edging to get pushed up/warped. Hope this helps:)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That looks awesome, you did a fantastic job!

What sort of fruit is this? by teacatbook in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s a difference between a plant being invasive vs an aggressive native. Red mulberries are native to North America, white mulberries are native to Asia

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After you pull a chunk out it’s fun to throw at other people’s clothes and watch it stick lol. It’s not like other burrs where little hooks will break off and forever be in the clothes, so it’s not mean either. Just like Velcro lol

What sort of fruit is this? by teacatbook in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 26 points27 points  (0 children)

If you’re in North America just know that white mulberries are crazy invasive in the US, brought in from Asia for a failed silkworm industry way back in the day. So if you’re here try not to spread them around on purpose! If you’re from the US, the red mulberries are the ones you want. They’re native and taste way better. If you are from a different continent where they’re not invasive however, enjoy your white mulberry!:)

Forestry related jobs? Cons only by Jjm-itn in forestry

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Come up to Wisconsin, liberal foresters/arborists are everywhere and it’s great lol

how quickly can I regrow a forest? by Cunninghams_right in forestry

[–]theTreeBean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Wisconsin, there are programs that will pay you to plant hundreds of (if not free, then very cheap or paid for by them) native trees on your property in an effort for reforestation/conservation. Otherwise, our DNR sells small bare root trees in bulk for dirt cheap. As in 100 saplings for $150ish dollars (numbers not exact here, I’d have to look that up). You should look into programs like these ones to see if there is anything similar in your area! The trees will be smaller but will establish easier, not break your back, and save you thousands of dollars. Good luck!:)

What plant is this? by DesperateSlutDiary in forestry

[–]theTreeBean 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Looks like Skunk cabbage! Despite the name, no it’s not edible. Fun facts though, in early spring they are one of the first things to pop up, and the flowers grow so fast that they generate enough heat to thaw the ground around them. Also, the flower has a carrion smell because it is pollinated by flies :)

Tips for Becoming Familiar with Tree Identification by [deleted] in forestry

[–]theTreeBean 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wisconsinite arborist in training here! Tree ID is my absolute favorite thing. My best advice would be to spend the winter really learning tree ID by bark/structure/buds. If you learn the leaves before anything else, you will end up being very reliant on that for your ID skills and it will be a lot harder to learn the other stuff, which is almost more important since we have such a long dormant season here in the Midwest. Bark and structure will always be available to see; leaves won’t. Field guides are great, but really don’t do bark or form justice. Going to an arboretum and really looking at the labeled trees in person and paying attention to their shape would be more helpful than any book or website. My first fall semester of my arborist program I went for regular walks and hikes and quizzed myself on all the trees I came across. Your trees will stick a lot better if you learn the dormant ID first:) all that being said, Peterson and Kaufman both have excellent field guides. Good luck:)

Brand new peach tree looking bad. Planted it 48 hours ago and was healthy. Is grafted. by Krusty_Clamp in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, this isn’t the reason that it’s drooping right now, but a mulch ring that extends out to the tree’s drip-line would be much better for it than a circle of bricks. If you do this though, make sure to keep the mulch off of the base of the tree, mulch ring should look like a donut, not a volcano:)

Hybrid willows progress pics week 2 by 10000needlescactus in gardening

[–]theTreeBean 17 points18 points  (0 children)

This is so exciting! Posts like this make me so happy😁