No Cure for my Tree? How many times have you read about a Tree Condition or Infection, and when you reach the end of the article you are told there is "no treatment" for that problem? What does that really mean? Do a search on things like... Boxwood Decline,...
John Walters
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What is an Oak Wilt “Specialist”
Many Tree Companies spin their limited experience and knowledge into a positive by calling themselves "Oak Wilt Specialists". What is an Oak Wilt Specialist? A specialist used to be a person with a broad knowledge of the subject (Trees in this case) and decided to...
Getting Harder to be a Tree Right Now…
Another season, another extreme event. It's not easy being a Tree right now, not here. Just when things were looking up, we start consistently staying above 105 degrees... What can you do to help your trees through it? I have a few suggestions here, to really make a...
The Ice Storm and Your Trees
Another Storm, is it February again? Storms like the latest one show us that there are changes in our environment and they are having an impact on our lives, as well as the lives of our trees. We have to adapt. In the Rocky Mountain Pine Beatle invasion 10 years ago...
Is it Really Crepe Murder?
For many years I have heard the over used term "Crepe Murder" It's a reference to an old technique (Pollarding) that Europeans used when they needed to produce a lot of smaller branches for baskets, or kindling wood. It is looked down on by every self anointed expert...
Southern Pine Beetle is Back…
One thing that Trees are good at is taking their time. They grow slowly, they change slowly, and they react slowly, (what I wouldn't do to have that attribute). Whatever they look like now is really just a reflection of how they felt 6 months to a year ago. If it was...
The real value of Oak Wilt Data
I have often been told that data is all that matters when it comes to Oak Wilt (or any tree) solutions. The confusing part is people say it with a straight face... Do they need to be made aware of how wrong that statement is? It's the exact opposite of saying the Data...
Soil is Where the Process Starts
When clients ask how my approach is different, and why it works, I usually point them to the soil. That's where the bulk of my work is done. You see the soil is the pantry, (which is where we all keep food). If the soil isn't healthy, there is no way the plant is...
Organic Care is Proactive Care
In Tree Care, Organic solutions are an entirely different approach. It's not like you just change the products you are using, and you're Organic. You have to change the whole approach. You have to go from a "reactive" approach,...
Black Crepe Myrtles
Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale, where it came from or how it moves doesn't matter, the result is always the same. The Crepe Myrtle bark, leaves (and anything under it) are turning black. CMBS, is a relatively new problem, I first saw it in Houston 18 years ago. Now it's...
Oak Wilt Injections Hurt Trees
You may have heard that Oak Wilt can only be controlled with Injections of Alamo. That is not true. Most companies just repeat what they've heard from the Acedemics. They will tell you that Oak Wilt injections are backed by data. They are the most effective method...
In My Experience…
My name is John Walters, I am an Arborist in the Georgetown area. I have been caring for Trees and Landscape plants for 35 years now. I have done this in 5 different (very different) places in the US. I am not the kind of guy that talks about myself, but in this case...
No Tricks, Just Facts. BioFeed Works!
I know you've been told a thousand times that the only treatment that works for Oak Wilt is Alamo Injections. It's not true. It's false. It's not the only thing that cures Oak Wilt, it's the only thing that the folks in charge came up with in 30+ years... that's a...
Stop the Growth of Your Tree.
For anyone that's watched their kids grow up there's always a period we wish we could've frozen in time. When everything was just right. Imagine how great they would've been in 5th grade if they stayed longer. They would've perfected themselves for that period of...
Sales, or Research?
When I first started in this industry in 1988, I noticed the difference between myself, and the ChemLawns I was competing with... They had more sales staff, making cold calls than Technicians treating plants. Not just that, it was clear that their Techs were OK, but...
The Politics of Tree Science
Science. That's what it's really all about, or should be. It's the one word that is supposed to settle the argument. "Our method is backed by science" but what does that mean? It means that they have objective data, facts, or proof that something works, or doesn't...
Irrigation – Not enough for Trees
Mark Twain once said, "whiskeys' for drinking, waters' for fighting" here in the ATX Metro area it may come to that... we have added around 30% more people in the last 10 years and 0% new water reserviors. That's probably not a good thing. Water becomes a more...