Preparing Trees for the Cold Months

Our own Tim A was featured on KUTV. Find out what you need to do now to in order get you trees ready for the harsh winter season, along with efficient and easy fall cleanup tips, and money saving advice! Watch segment here.

Capturing The Essence of Fall

Now that Fall is in full force, we found some great ways to use those leaves before packing them up and sending them off to the curb. Thanks to the folks at Better Homes & Gardens they have given us some great DIY ideas this Fall season in the article titled, "Fall Crafts with Leaves." Click here to read the entire article or begin below.

"Fall Crafts with Leaves."
By BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

Leaf Frames and Art

Mix and match leaves for a mantel full of fall crafts. An old cigar box showcases a multihue leaf display. On the wall, leafy greens seemingly grow out of a pair of birch photo frames. 

Leaf Labels
Fun for labels, trace the outline of a leaf onto cardstock and cut out. Host a wine-tasting party and use these festive labels to help guests identify their favorite. 

Read full article here.

Why the Owner of Monster Tree Decided to Sell Franchises

This is the follow-up to the article to the one that was published last week featured on The New York Time’s “You’re the Boss” blog. 

The blog post is about Josh deciding to franchise and where the current locations are. Josh elaborates that he felt franchising would help him grow at a faster pace with higher revenues. He elaborates that franchising is like a partnership to help the business grow. Josh also discusses employees and systems differences within franchise systems. He mentions that Monster is set up as an executive model and that all locations are on track to make $1 million in annual sales for their first year. Josh positions Monster as the national provider of tree service. Click here to read full article or begin below. 

"Why the Owner of Monster Tree Decided to Sell Franchises"

By JOHN GROSSMAN

Last week, we published a case study about the founder of a suburban Philadelphia tree-trimming and -removal business. Having built his five-year-old company, Monster Tree Service, to 15 employees and more than $2 million in annual revenue, Josh Skolnick, 29, debated how best to expand: With corporate-owned locations or with franchises?

The experts we assembled and most readers offered pretty much the same advice — that he forgo or postpone franchising at least until he opens a second  company-owned location. In a conversation that has been condensed and edited, Mr. Skolnick explains why he decided to franchise Monster Tree Service, which is based in Fort Washington, Pa., and how that decision is working out. The first franchise opened in May, near Salt Lake City. Eight more have opened since then, all in Pennsylvania.

Click to read full article. 

A Fast-Growing Tree Service Considers Selling Franchises

Check out our article featured in The New York Times.  Click here to go straight to article or preview below. 

"A Fast-Growing Tree Service Considers Selling Franchises"
By: JOHN GROSSMANN

Monster Tree Service is a five-year-old tree pruning and removal business based in Fort Washington, Pa., north of Philadelphia. It is owned by Josh Skolnick, 29, an entrepreneur since boyhood, whose outdoor businesses have evolved from lawn mowing to mulching to his current company, which has 15 employees and annual revenue of more than $2 million. Mr. Skolnick, who manages the business, takes pride in the fact that he has “never pulled the cord on a chain saw.”

THE CHALLENGE Having established himself in a profitable niche, Mr. Skolnick wants to add more locations, but he is not sure whether he wants to own the locations or franchise them.

THE BACKGROUND Like many boys growing up in the suburbs, Mr. Skolnick mowed lawns in the neighborhood. At first he did it to earn spending money, but by the time he graduated from high school, he had three employees and 110 clients. He bought his first house (for $167,000) when he was 18. His friends had headed off to college, and Mr. Skolnick realized, “I didn’t want to be cutting grass for the rest of my life.” He took landscaping courses at a vocational school and started offering additional services, like putting in patios, walkways and ponds with waterfalls. He acquired other landscaping businesses, paying much of the purchase price out of future earnings, and folded them into Josh Skolnick Landscaping.

Click here to read entire article.

Choosing The Right Tree For You

Thanks to the folks at The DIY Network we can provide you with some great tips as to how to choose the right tree for you and the proper way to care for a it. Since picking the right tree can take time and money we want you to be able to do it right!  Click here to read the article or begin below.

"How to Care for a New Tree"
By DIY Network

Learn the mature size of the tree before you get started planting. It's one of the most common mistakes gardeners make, and the result is a tree that runs into power lines or that grows too big for its space and needs to be pruned every year. Too much pruning leads to stubs and stubs lead to rot and the rot leads to the death of some vertical limbs. Make sure you know the conditions your tree needs to grow so it can thrive. For example, a tree that needs a lot of moisture will not do well in a dry climate. Determine what you want the tree to do for your landscape. Different trees offer different things from the wow factor of cool bark to the shade from a standard maple. Choose between deciduous and evergreen. This is especially important if you are planting for privacy. You don't want to be surprised when your tree selection turns barren each winter. Different is good! Don't plant the same tree that everybody else in the neighborhood has. Not only is planting the same tree boring but it can also lead to trouble. For example, Dutch Elm Disease has wiped out trees in neighborhood after neighborhood over the last 50 years. When one tree gets sick they all get sick.

Click here to read the entire article...

Prepping the Garden for Fall

With Fall approaching, sooner than we'd like it, we thought it would be a great time to look at some tips to prepare your garden for the fall months. We found this fantastic article on www.thriftyfun.com titled, "Prepping the Garden for Fall". The article provides numerous tips for prepping your garden throughout the months of fall. Click here to read the article or begin below.

"Prepping the Garden for Fall"
By Ellen Brown

As summer turns to autumn, it's time to take stock of this year's growing season and start shifting our focus to prepping the garden for fall. here is a to-do list of seasonal chores for the lawn and garden:

Keep Up With Watering

As temperatures begin to cool and grass growth starts to slow, it's easy to back off on watering the garden. Sending your plants, trees and shrubs into the winter season thoroughly hydrated, however, helps to protect them over winter and will give them a good start to next year's growing season.

Clean Up & Compost

Compost fallen leaves and remove and compost annuals that have gone past season. Wait a few weeks to cut back perennials. Dried stalks give gardens visual interest and seeds may provide foot for migrating birds. Remove dead foliage and leaf litter now to eliminate potential winter hiding spots for hibernating insects. Make sure to throw diseased plants in the trash, not the compost pile.

Aerate the Lawn

Plentiful rains make early fall a great time to aerate the lawn and over-seed any problem sports discovered during the summer. In the fall, grass plants focus their energy into root growth. If necessary, apply a slow release fertilizer now to increase the likelihood that nutrients will be used for root growth. Good strong roots are the best way to stimulate and support vigorous leaf growth in the spring.

Click here to read the entire article.

Preventing Tree Disasters and Spring Maintenance for Your Yard

Monster Tree Service was recently featured on About.com in a Q&A titled "Preventing Tree Disasters and Spring Maintenance for Your Yard." The article was based off an interview with editor Vanessa Richins Myers and Max Wahrhaftig, Monster Tree Service ISA Certified Arborist. The Q&A goes in-depth to decipher a variety of important issues that may arise with your tree (e.g. if your tree is dead, what trees are most susceptible to storm damage, how close you should plant a tree near your house, how you can tell if the root system is compromised). Read an excerpt from the article below: 

1)How can I know if my tree is dead and not just dormant? What changes and signs can you look for in your tree?

There are several ways to tell if a tree has died. First, in North America, all trees should have leaves on their branches by the end of May. If it's June and your tree has no leaves, it has died. Second, check the buds. Are there buds at the tips of the branches? Are they soft and moist, or dry and crumbly? If the buds are dead or absent, your tree has died. Third, use a fingernail or a knife to scratch off a small area of bark on a small stem. If you can't find any green tissue underneath, or at least moist and bright white wood, it's time to say goodbye. If your tree is rapidly losing its crown year over year, has a profusion of new shoots along the stems, or very early leaf drop, then you are seeing signs of late decline, and the tree is dead or nearly so. When in doubt, have an Arborist check your tree.

2)Which trees are the most susceptible to storm damage?

In general, Bradford Pears and White Pines break very easily under wind or slow loads compared with other trees. Norway Spruces uproot much more easily than other trees. Specifically, your tree may have certain risk factors present that make it a hazard. Aside from being one of the aforementioned species, there are other warning signs to look for, including cracks, poor branch attachments (included bark), fungal fruiting bodies on the stems ("mushrooms"), irregular trunk diameter (bulges), and flat sections of the trunk flare. Again, when in doubt, ask an Arborist to have a look.

3)How close should you plant a tree to your house?

How close a tree should be planted depends on many things, most importantly the species of tree you've selected. Contrary to popular opinion, there is little risk that a tree will grow roots which will punch through your foundation or otherwise damage your house from below (aside from getting into pipes). However, a tree can become a problem in other ways by pushing up driveways and walkways, by casting dense shade to kill grass, by blocking windows, and by growing onto and over your roof. When selecting a tree to plant near your house, consider the species and its mature size, and how long it will take to get that large. For example, an American Dogwood (Cornus florida) will have a sparse crown 20-30 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide at maturity and might be acceptable planted 8 feet from a house, while a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) may exceed 80 feet in height with a medium to dense crown spreading 60 feet, which might be a problem any closer than 30 feet from the home.

4) How can you tell if the root system is compromised, or if the soil is so loosened by rain that the tree might go over in a storm?

There are several warning signs you can look for which might indicate a tree is especially likely to uproot. A flattened or died-back section of the trunk flare, the part of the trunk which meets the ground, may indicate that part of the root mass has died. Also, construction, including the digging of foundations, the installation of pavement or sidewalks, or "trenching" for the installation of utilities, can all result in roots being cut. Movement of trucks or construction equipment under the canopy of trees can compact the soil structure, starving the roots of the oxygen they need to survive, causing dieback and a possible hazard. Finally, if you see the ground moving, or "heaving," as the tree is rocked by wind, the tree is probably going to fall down very soon and any nearby buildings should be evacuated until the tree is taken down.

5) My tree is covered in snow and/or ice. Should I remove it?

If you can, removing snow and ice from small trees and shrubs can help them weather storms well. Simply tapping Arborvitaes with a rake, for example, can knock off snow and help keep the stems from bending over. Most trees will survive snow and ice just fine, but if they appear to be bending under load and you can safely remove the weight, it won't hurt to do so.

Read the entire article here.