The Business of Biochar
In February 2024, The Davey Tree Expert Company fired up its new biochar facility in East Dundee, Illinois. The facility recycles wood waste from its many client properties in the Chicago area and turns it into an environmentally friendly soil additive, biochar. “Biochar is a carbon-rich, charcoal-like substance that offers many benefits to the soil,” […]
Mad For Mulches: Single-Species Mulches Can Provide Many Benefits
The benefits of a woodchip mulch layer over the root system of a tree are now widely recognized. These include conservation of soil moisture to reduce the detrimental effects of drought and weed suppression, and, as the mulch layer is degraded, the nutrients released provide a valuable organic fertilizer. In this article, we’ll look at […]
An Introduction to Supplemental Tree-Support Systems, Part 1: The Need for Supplemental Support
At TCI EXPO ’23 in St. Louis, Missouri, we hosted a training on the show floor called “Cabling Made Easy.” With the assist of our training partner, Thomas Paine, CTSP, we demonstrated our preferred method of cable installation and attempted to explain the merits of this method. Many attendees approached us afterward to ask all […]
Embracing Failure
An endless series of decisions, good and bad, resulted in my living on the same property for the last 30 years, no ankle bracelet involved. One may realize a life of fulfillment within a very small realm, while others roam the planet in search of the same. I’ve done a lot of the former and […]
A Glimpse at Biochar Options from “The Biochar Handbook”
The following is an excerpt from Kelpie Wilson’s new book, “The Biochar Handbook” (Chelsea Green Publishing June 2024), and is printed with permission from the publisher. With real-world examples and hands-on applications, this go-to guide aims to offer a comprehensive look at the principles and practices of biochar. It provides information that can help tree […]