Seeking a “Vaccine” for Spotted Lanternfly
In a year overshadowed by a pandemic, I wasn’t sure how the tree care industry was going to fare. I was preparing to start my spring horticultural-oil treatments when the world basically stopped. During the first couple of weeks, it seemed as if no one really knew what we were or were not allowed to […]
Bend-and-Swing Rigging
OK, here’s what we had to do: Remove two bent birch trees (leaders) that were overhanging a beach. We couldn’t just drop them into the lake, because we had no way to fish them out of the water. They would be partially submerged and ridiculously heavy underwater, and they were already full-length leaders weighing close […]
40 Years of Tree Work and PHC – Part 2: Programs, Treatments and Fertilizers
This is the second of a three-part series by the author. Part 1, “Musings on Tree Work and Plant Health Care After 40 Years in the Industry,” (TCI, October 2020) covered his getting into the industry, the importance of mentors and the education and training needed for a career in PHC. In this article, we’ll […]
A300 Fall Meeting Recap: Work Begins on Part 1: Pruning Revision
At its fall meeting, the ANSI A300 Committee began work on a revision of the Part 1: Pruning standard. On October 7 and 8, 2020, the ANSI A300 Committee tried something new. Much as with others in the industry and across the world, the operations of the committee could not continue as normal in a […]
Rigging Tools: An Overview for Ground Technicians
Let’s take a look at old-school, natural-union rigging and what it created – friction! This same principle is in play with the new rigging rings that are becoming more and more prevalent in the industry. A rigging ring creates consistent friction aloft, just as a port-a-wrap or bollard-type lowering device would at ground level. It’s […]