Premier Tree Solutions Experts Featured on WSB Radio’s “Green and Growing” Program

Rafael Santiago, Arborist at Premier Tree Solutions

Premier Tree Solutions Founder, Jeff Roth, and Arborist, Rafael Santiago, had the pleasure of being recent guests on 95.5 WSB Radio’s “Green and Growing” program hosted by Ashley Frassca.

Jeff Roth, Founder of Premier Tree Solutions

The two will be regular guests moving forward, joining the program to discuss the art of arboriculture, landscaping, and all things tree care. Tune into 95.5 WSB Radio Saturdays from 6 to 9 AM to learn more!

Jeff and Rafael talking to Ashley Frassca, the host of 95.5 WSB Radio's

Need a helping hand with your trees? Contact us today by calling 404.252.6448 for a consultation. For emergencies, please call 404.569.8897.

How Trees Help Us Keep Cool

Though this summer’s heat dome in the Pacfic Northwest came as a surprise, in a great deal of the United States — especially here in the Southeast — the rising temperatures and increased humidity during the summer months drive pretty much anyone in search of cooler climes. On some days, even just a shady spot will do. 

But there’s more than just one way in which a tree can provide relief.

Planet

You may already be familiar with the process of transpiration, but for those who need a reminder, it’s how the evaporation of water from trees cools the air around them. “Trees in parking lots,” for example, “have been shown to reduce asphalt temperatures by 36 degrees Fahrenheit and car interiors by up to 47 degrees Fahrenheit,” the National Wildlife Federation reports.

But you don’t have to be stranded in the middle of a treeless parking lot to know that shaded areas give off less heat than those without it, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency details.

While a brand-new study by Christopher A. Williams (an environmental scientist and professor in Clark University’s Graduate School of Geography) indicates that simply planting more trees may not equal a cooler planet, we encourage a closer read. “It is all about putting the right trees in the right place,” Williams asserts, “and studies like ours can help identify where the potential for cooling is greatest.”

Just last summer, we indicated something similar in our own blog. Even if continued study may be necessary, what we do know is that trees make a difference when it comes to outdoor temperatures. Therefore, thoughtful conservation and cultivation is vital. 

Home

Trees aren’t just helpful when it comes to cooling your home planet. They can keep down the temperature of your home (and your electric bill), too.

A 2009 study in California explained how. “Everyone knows that shade trees cool a house. No one is going to get a Nobel Prize for that conclusion,” the study co-author, Geoffrey Donovan acknowledged in a post by the U.S. Forest Service. “But this study gets at the details: Where should a tree be placed to get the most benefits? And how exactly do shade trees impact our carbon footprint?”

Results showed that shade trees growing on the west and south sides of a house on these properties may reduce the annual summer electric bill by approximately $25.00. Those on the west side of a house can also help lower net carbon emissions from summertime electricity use.

Personal

Stepping into the shade won’t just cool down your body temp, either. It may also improve your sense of overall chill, as well. A 2018 study conducted in Japan, for example, found that a stroll through the forest “decreased the negative moods of ‘depression-dejection,’ ‘tension-anxiety,’ ‘anger-hostility,’ ‘fatigue,’ and ‘confusion,’ and improved the participants’ positive mood of ‘vigor’ compared with walking through city areas.”

Besides their cooling effects, there are many other reasons to take care of the trees in your yard, neighborhood, and state. Call us at 404.252.6448 or book an appointment online for our expert assistance.  

Why it’s Important to Hire a Certified Arborist for Tree Work

Nobody became a dentist just because they had teeth, right? And you wouldn’t trust your pearly whites to just anyone with a pair of pliers. 

We recommend your trees get the same consideration when it comes to a specialist. 

Though hiring a certified arborist may feel just as intimidating as dropping into the dental chair, there are many reasons why you’ll want to get one. (And be smiling after you do.)

Higher (Up) Education

First and foremost, an arborist is a tree expert. Their job is to study every aspect of tree health. This includes conducting major branch or trunk surgery when necessary, as well as practicing proper pruning, understanding root health, plus disease control, and more. 

Gaining certification is no quick walk in the woods, either. According to the International Society of Arboriculture, certificate recipients must meet all the requirements of an exam, “which includes three or more years of full-time, eligible, practical work experience in arboriculture and/or a degree in the field of arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, or forestry from a regionally accredited educational institute.” 

This means hiring a certified arborist will give your trees far more knowledgeable care than you could provide just by watching a few YouTube videos on trimming branches. 

Damage (and Danger) Control

Knowing how to correct tree damage (either from weather, power lines, or disease) — and how to prevent property damage — requires more skill and bravery than you might expect. Arborists need to understand how gravity can be used for or against them. They must be vigilant about the threats electricity and decayed wood may cause. And they need to wield their power tools with safety and precision at all times. 

Though your friendly neighborhood arborist may not be performing exactly the same everyday tasks, a June 2020 INSIDER report listed logging as the number one most deadly occupation in America (with grounds maintenance workers listed at number twelve) — which may give you an idea of the kinds of danger arborists could be up against. 

An Eye for the Future

A certified arborist’s expertise will do more than help you maintain the trees you currently have. Their service will also take future health and growth into consideration. Based on the condition of your soil and the spacing of other trees, structures, or power lines on your property, they can offer advice on what new trees to plant, and where. They’ll also know which trees are native to your area, and therefore which ones will withstand local weather and pests. When pruning, they’ll work to optimize your trees’ thriving growth, and flourishing beauty too. 

Building a relationship with a certified arborist means you’ll have an expert looking out for the health of your trees in the same way your dentist looks out for your oral health.

We’ve spelled out a few more reasons why a certified arborist is a smart hire here, but don’t just take our blog’s word for it.  We’d love to talk to you in person about what Premier Tree Solutions’ certified arborists can specifically do for you.  Reach out to us online or give us a call at 404.252.6448. 

Be a Georgia Tree Know-It-All: American Yellowwood

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state, with past features including the Callaway Crabapple, Green Ash, and Ogeechee Lime Tree

We are showcasing this fetching tree with very little to be afraid of —  the American Yellowwood!

Characteristics

The Yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea) is a medium to large-sized tree which grows between 30 to 50 feet high, with a branch width of equal footage. This exceptional shade tree provides beauty throughout the year, particularly due to the distinctive bark that the Chicago Botanic Garden describes as “handsome, silvery, sinuous . . . [becoming] prominent in the winter and as it matures.” 

Bark is not the Yellowwood’s only becoming feature, however. In the fall, its leaves turn a clear, yellow color before dropping. And in alternating springs, you can expect large, hanging clusters of pea-like fragrant white flowers — similar to a wisteria bloom.

Though native to Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee (and also found in Illinois, Indiana, and southern states), the Yellowwood does not respond well to being transplanted. As a result, they may be difficult to locate in nurseries. But they do produce a papery, brown pod containing 4 to 6 seeds, so you may try your luck with your own germination!

Growing Conditions

Though thriving in rich, well-drained limestone soils such as those found in river valleys, the Yellowwood is moderately tolerant of drought and poor drainage. Clay and alkaline soils are also well tolerated. Six hours daily of full sun is ideal, and the Yellowwood grows best in hardiness zones 4 – 8. (Atlanta and North Georgia are in zone 7.)

Tree Care

Careful pruning is the main ingredient for a healthy Yellowwood. “It has an upright branching habit that makes for tight branch angles,” explains Sandy Feather from the PennState Extension, “so one liability is its susceptibility to breaking under heavy loads of snow and/or ice. Other than that, yellowwood is problem-free.” 

The University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture recommends this pruning be done in the summertime, to prevent tree bleeding and access for pests. Guide pruning to encourage a U-shaped crotch, and wide-spaced branches with wide angles to the trunk. Because of the Yellowwood’s delicate bark, you may want our professional assistance.

Signs of Distress

Beyond susceptibility to limb breakage, crotch splitting, and ice damage, the Yellowwood may also fall prey to verticillium wilt.  Look for one or more branches (usually on the same side of the tree) that rapidly wilt. Yellow or brown streaking may indicate the disease, but only laboratory examination can clearly diagnose this problem.

Tree borers can be a problem for trees of many types. This group of insects lay their eggs inside trees, where the hatched larvae then eat through the living tissue to escape to adulthood. Whether from beetles or clearwing moths, the clearest signs these insects leave behind are the tiny holes they cut into trunks and branches. Because the Yellowwood is already somewhat fragile, pest prevention may be the best way to assist them! Here are some methods we can recommend.

For pruning and trimming service — for your Yellowwood or any other tree — reach out to us online or give us a call at 404.252.6448.