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Blue oaks tolerate the aridity and heat of California's interior foothills--their natural habitat-- very well. They are less tolerant of soil disturbances or over-irrigation in urban areas, however.
Photograph by Shari Kaplan
Qualifications necessary for competent arborists
By Tony Tomeo
The response to my griping during the past two weeks has been rather overwhelming--many readers apparently empathize. It has even been suggested I continue with another often unpleasant topic: arboriculture. Before I continue, however, I should say that I am very interested in obtaining contact information for qualified gardeners whom I may use as referrals for anyone who contacts me in search of one.
It seems almost all of my clients who use the typical "mow, blow and go" gardeners as well as many who read this column are disgusted with the abuses that have become standard in "landscape maintenance."
For me, arboriculture--or tree care--is a sensitive subject. I have been fortunate to have worked with many of the most qualified arborists in the industry. Consequently, I am very disturbed to see so many trees severely damaged or even destroyed by unqualified individuals who acquire a chainsaw and a pickup truck and think they have what it takes to be an arborist. Such individuals are called "hackers" in horticultural slang.
Real arborists take arboriculture very seriously. Those certified by the International Society of Arboriculture have successfully passed an examination relevant to their knowledge of arboriculture. Certified arborists are required to continue their education with the International Society of Arboriculture to maintain their certification. The International Society of Arboriculture has strict standards for the arboricultural industries and effectively circulates information of the most recent innovations.
It is important to be aware that trees are a serious investment and are worthy of appropriate care. Tree work may seem expensive, but it is well worth it. Insurance, efficient machinery and a well-educated staff of arborists are expensive. Conversely, hackers get into business with a few hundred dollars for a pickup and a flea market chainsaw, and are rarely insured, which is why their rates may be half those of qualified professionals.
Much of the damage I encounter as a consulting horticulturist and arborist has been the direct result of unqualified hackers. Corrective procedures are almost always more expensive than if the work was initially done properly, unless the tree was so severely damaged that it cannot be salvaged.
Regardless of the tree care services one might select, I suggest visiting some of these websites to see what real arborists are about. The International Society of Arboriculture can be contacted at 217.255.9411 or at www.isa-arbor.com and can also provide a list of certified arborists.
Ian Geddes Tree Care is at 408.374.8233 or www.iangeddestreecare.com. Woodpecker Certified Arborist is at 408.298.2948 or trees@woodpeckerarborist.com. Its arborist, Brian McGovern, also specializes in winter fruit tree pruning. Commercial Tree Care is at 408.985.8733 or www.commercialtree.com.
Tree of the Week: Blue Oak
Although the blue oak, Quercus douglasii, is somewhat rare and almost never actually planted, it sometimes becomes a concern where new homes are built in areas already inhabited by blue oaks. Like other native oak species, established blue oaks are very sensitive to root damage.
Soil compaction, often caused by construction machinery, as well as excavation and irrigation for new landscaping may be severely detrimental. Newly installed trees are much more tolerant of irrigation, but are also useful in unrefined, exposed areas outside of the landscape if irrigated for the first two summers.
Mature trees are usually less than 40 feet tall and wide with low branches and finely textured gray bark. Individual leaves are not remarkable but from a distance, the foliar canopy is bluish green. In hotter, drier climates and occasionally in the Santa Clara Valley, blue oaks may experience a second dormancy during the most severe weather of summer, followed by refoliation before autumn dormancy.
Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at 408.358.2574 or at lghorticulture@aol.com.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
