Or / “I Wish I Could Say the Same About Good TREES”
By Phil Berwick
My Wife Theresa, whom I fondly call ‘TREE’, came up with our motto; ‘We’re in the Business of Saving Trees’. Now, thirty five years later, with an acceleration of breaking trees, perhaps we should change the motto.
Several seasons of spring and summer rains have caused certain tree species to grow too fast for their own good. Horizontal limbs in Pin Oaks and Sweet Gums grew longitudinally quicker than what diameter growth could keep up with. Combined with healthy flushes of foliage and the phenomenon of ‘Limb Drop’ in hot weather, branches and limbs were snap, crackle, and popping.
Reduction trimming of heavy weight on the outward end of the limb to minimize risk of entire limb failure. I’d be remiss if I didn’t stress the need to apply tree paint to pruning cuts in trimming of living tissue during the growing season. Few tree operations use tree paint anymore, and some in the trade would laugh at me. But the fact is that certain trees with open wounds in spring and summer attract insects that can carry vascular diseases such as Dutch Elm Disease and Oak Wilt. So why in the world, if I’m writing about limb failure, there’s a photo of me injecting an American Elm? I like the picture.
We moved to Missouri in ‘88 to attend seminary, leaving tree work behind. Then there was a prophecy that I was ‘anointed’ to climb trees.
I had trouble with that, intending to go into the wild blue yonder of ministry. If this was real, then God would have to give us the ‘name’. Theresa heard ‘Living Tree’ in a dream. A half century later, I’m still at it. The ‘Living Tree’ is seen in the photo, over my left shoulder, in the wild blue yonder.
Phil Berwick
Tree Surgeon | Arborist
Living Tree Care Inc. | 3145688367