Davey Tree Flipbooks

March-April Davey Bulletin 2020

The Davey Tree Expert Company provides residential and commercial tree service and landscape service throughout North America. Read our Flipbooks for helpful tips and information on proper tree and lawn care.

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13 March/April 2020 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN Eric Phillips, sales arborist, Akron R/C office, and his father Mark Phillips, trimmer and International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist ® , East Cleveland R/C office, never had the opportunity to work together professionally. That was until a unique project presented itself: pruning an indoor ficus tree 20 feet tall. When Ken Cloutier, regional PHC manager, and Eric did the initial inspection of the client's tree, Cloutier agreed it would be beneficial to loop in Mark on the project given his experience with ornamental pruning. The tree was in an atrium, with glass walls and hallways. The biggest concern during the project was making sure a pole pruner or other equipment did not hit the glass and potentially shatter it. FATHER & SON ARBORISTS TACKLE INDOOR FICUS PRUNING The client bought the house roughly 15 years ago and the tree was already planted in the house by the original owner. The house was built in the 1970s. The client has the original documents for the house and a picture of the tree from the 1970s. Ken Cloutier examines the tree. For Mark, the best part of the experience was working with his son. "He works at Davey, I work at Davey, but we've never worked together on a project," Mark said. "It was a lot of fun for me." Eric echoed the sentiment that it was a privilege to work alongside his dad. "The collaboration between the two offices and being with my dad, that makes this project even more special," Eric said. "Getting to see my dad in the field, it was amazing to see what experience can teach you and the things he knows instinctively." In the end, the client was pleased with the work performed and wants Davey to continue caring for this unique ficus tree. The tree was in an atrium with glass walls and a glass roof. The tree is the focal point of the house and can be seen from almost everywhere in the residence. The client told Eric Phillips that he's never watered or fertilized the tree. The house doesn't have a basement and the tree is planted directly into the soil. The roots had lifted the pavers that make up the floor and they could see the root structure. Eric's hypothesis is that there must be enough residual moisture beneath the house and humidity in the air to keep the tree healthy. Mark Phillips said the tree was incorrectly pruned for quite a few years, with a lot of stubs and poor cuts. The tree had to be thinned out a bit to restore the integrity of the branching. When the tree fills out it should have a rounder shape and look more natural.

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