c/arborists

Hot take: I used to climb with a taught rope hitch for everything, but after a near miss with a slick limb in Portland last fall, I switched to a mechanical ascender for primary support.

Honestly, the old way felt more connected to the tree, but the new gear is faster and feels safer on wet wood, so what's the better call for a daily climber?

Am I the only one who just found out how many trees a single mature oak can support?

I was reading an old forestry journal and it said a big white oak can be home to over 500 different insect species. Has anyone else come across a fact that made you look at a common tree totally differently?

Shoutout to the crew at the Portland Urban Forestry conference last fall for changing how I handle storm damage assessments.

I watched a presentation where they showed data from a three-year study on maple failures. They proved that a simple 5-minute check for certain root flares and bark inclusions could predict about 80% of the post-storm hazard trees we usually get called for. I started adding that check to my initial site walk last winter, and it cut my call-back rate for secondary failures in half. Has anyone else adopted a specific pre-storm checklist they found at a workshop or talk?

Question about using a cambium saver on a mature oak removal

Last month in Denver, I was taking down a big pin oak and decided to skip my usual cambium saver on the rigging line, thinking the bark was thick enough. About halfway through, I noticed some pretty deep scoring on the branch union I was using as a crotch. I had to stop and re-set my whole rigging point, which added over an hour to the job. I learned that even on rough-barked species, that little piece of gear is worth the extra minute to set up. Anyone else have a similar experience with thinking you could skip a step on a specific tree type?

I thought those 'tree growth regulator' sprays were just a landscaping upsell, but my city's park department changed my mind.

Honestly, I saw them using it on some old oaks near the library last fall and figured it was a waste of money. Tbh, the arborist there showed me the core samples from treated vs. untreated trees from the same planting year. The treated ones had way tighter growth rings, meaning slower, stronger growth. They said it can add like 15 years to a tree's life in an urban spot by reducing stress. Ngl, seeing the actual data from a 5-year program they ran convinced me it's not just snake oil. Has anyone else here used a growth regulator on mature trees and seen real results?

A client in Boise asked me to leave a dead snag for the woodpeckers.

He said, 'If it's not a hazard, can we just let it be a home?' I'd always been so focused on clean removal, but now I check every time. Anyone else started leaving more habitat trees after a client request?

My old boss in Portland told me to never use a climbing saw on a dead ash, but I had to last month

He said the vibration from the bar could shake loose a huge widowmaker you didn't see. I was clearing one in a tight backyard in Gresham and remembered his advice, so I stuck with my handsaw from the bucket truck. Sure enough, a 4-inch dead limb I missed came down right where I would have been standing. Anyone else have a specific safety rule that saved them?

Lost a whole day's pay because I tried to save time by not checking for a cavity before a big removal in Portland.

The tree was hollow inside and the trunk split in a way my gear wasn't set for, costing me about $400 and forcing a full replan of the job on site.

A homeowner in Cincinnati once asked me to save a maple that had been hit by lightning. He said, 'If it's got a 10% chance, I want to fight for that 10%.'

Overheard a landscaper telling a client to just 'top' their oak tree to keep it small

I was grabbing lunch at a diner in Springfield yesterday and the guy in the next booth was giving tree advice. He told the homeowner that topping their mature pin oak was the best way to control its size and it would 'bush right out'. I almost choked on my sandwich. That tree is going to be a hazard factory in a few years, sending out all those weak, fast-growing watersprouts. It's a $3,000 removal job waiting to happen once those codominant stems start splitting. It just kills me that people still give this advice, and homeowners trust it because the guy has a truck and a chainsaw. How do you guys handle it when you see or hear bad advice being given out in your area? Do you ever step in?

Remember when everyone used to climb with a tautline hitch?

About five years back, I had to pick between sticking with my old trusty tautline or switching to a mechanical ascender for big removals. I went with the ascender after a tough pine job in Knoxville where my hitch kept slipping on the wet rope. It felt weird at first, but the speed and safety on big wood was a game changer. Anyone else make that switch and find it changed how you tackle big trees?

Rant: A city park in Springfield had a 'historic tree' sign on a Bradford pear

I was walking through Forest Park last week and saw a plaque calling a Bradford pear a 'heritage specimen' planted in 1995. I had to laugh, knowing how brittle and invasive those trees are. Has anyone else seen a tree get way more credit than it deserves?

Just hit 500 hours on my new climbing saw and the vibration is already way off

I got a Husqvarna 540i XP about eight months ago for a big oak removal job in Charlotte, and the handle started buzzing my hand real bad yesterday. The manual says to check the mounts at 400 hours, but I figured I had more time. Anyone else run into this with the electric models, or is it just mine?

My kid asked why we cut down a 'sick' maple in their schoolyard

I explained it was to keep the other trees and kids safe, and they just said, 'So you're a tree doctor who does surgery?' It hit me that framing it as tree healthcare, not just removal, makes the job way easier for the public to get. Anyone else have a simple phrase that changed how you talk about the work?

I finally realized I was setting my climbing line wrong for years

Last month in Eugene, I was rigging a limb over a house and my ground guy said, 'Your line looks really flat on that spar.' I had always set my running bowline with the tail pointing down, thinking it was just a style thing. When we lowered the piece, I saw the knot had rolled and almost capsized. That could have been bad. Has anyone else had a close call with a simple knot setup?

I finally admitted my climbing line coiling method was a total waste of time after watching a new guy in Tacoma do it in 30 seconds flat.

I spent 15 years doing this elaborate, 8-step coil that I thought looked professional, but seeing him just butterfly it onto his harness made me realize I was prioritizing showmanship over pure, simple efficiency.

Tried using a drone to spot a squirrel nest and it went sideways

The drone got stuck in a pine near Tacoma and I had to climb up to get it, only to find three squirrels staring at me like I was the intruder. Anyone else have a wildlife survey turn into a rescue mission?

My climbing line snapped on a big oak removal in Springfield yesterday

I was about 30 feet up, making a cut on a dead limb, when the rope just gave way and I had to grab a branch to steady myself. Turns out the core was damaged from rubbing against a metal fence post over the last few months, which I completely missed during my pre-work check. What's your go-to method for checking older ropes for hidden wear?

I finally understood the point of a bark gauge after talking to a forester in Asheville

I was doing a hazard check on some old oaks near the Biltmore Estate and ran into this forester named Carl. He saw me eyeballing a tree and just said, 'You're guessing. Get a bark gauge on that pin oak, the bark's thicker than you think.' I bought a simple one that afternoon and it changed how I judge decay from the outside. Anyone else have a tool they started using late that made a big difference?

I know everyone swears by the big name climbing ropes, but after a season on a Sterling HTP and then switching to a Teufelberger Sirius, the difference in handling was night and day for me.

A homeowner in Bellingham asked me to save a tree that was already gone

I was called out to look at a bigleaf maple with major dieback. The client met me at the base, pointed up, and said 'I just need you to cut off the dead bits.' I had to explain that over 60 percent of the canopy was gone and the trunk had a hollow you could fit your arm into. He kept insisting there was plenty of green left to work with. How do you handle a job where the client's attachment to a tree clouds the safety call?

PSA: I heard a city planner in Springfield say they want to plant only native species from now on.

He said it's for the local bugs and birds, which makes sense. But what about all the mature non-native trees that are doing fine, like the Norway maples in the old park? Do we just stop planting them, or even cut them down? Has your town made a rule like this?

I had to choose between a full removal and a risky crown reduction on a huge oak

The client in Springfield wanted to keep their 80-foot pin oak, but it was hitting power lines and the house. I could either take it down completely for $2,500 or try a major reduction. I went with the reduction, taking off about 30% of the canopy over two days. It's holding up a year later, but I still check on it every time I'm in that neighborhood. Has anyone else had a big tree where a reduction actually worked long-term?

Finally got my rope management to stop being a total mess

For years, I just coiled my climbing line and threw it in the truck bed. It was always tangled, took forever to sort, and looked terrible. About six months ago, I watched a guy at a job in Springfield use a simple butterfly coil and a marlin spike hitch to make a neat, self-contained bundle. I practiced it for a week straight after work. Now my rope deploys clean every single time and packs up in under a minute. What other small technique changes have saved you guys a ton of time on site?

My climbing line got a nasty core shot on a big oak removal

It happened last Thursday while I was descending after a top cut on a 70-foot pin oak. The rope must have rubbed against a sharp stub I missed. I felt that awful 'pffft' through my gloves and saw the white core poking through. I had to switch to my secondary line to finish the job, which really slowed me down. I'm looking at splicing a new section, but the rope is pretty worn in other spots too. Has anyone had good luck with a specific brand for a tough, all-around climbing line that resists this kind of damage?