Tips on proper care for your Trees
Protect your sidewalks and patios with ROOT BARRIERS. There is no need to cut down trees that have encroached on concrete. Simply cut the offending root system.
Pruning Oaks and Fruit trees in September MUST BE DONE judishously as they can get sunburned. A light thinning in Sepetember is highly recommended.
Feeding trees with granulated food is a waste of time. Plant food, in water molecule form, is the ONLY food that actually gets used by the fine root hairs.
Thin and reduce your Oak trees just a little and you will NEVER lose a tree to a storm event.
If you're a new home owner in Santa Barbara, have your trees inspected by a CERTIFIED ARBORIST before you request ANY sort of permits to work on your home.
The worst damage to native Oaks is caused by gardeners and home owners who install improper water systems. IMPROPER WATER SYSTEMS CAN AND WILL KILL OAK TREES.
It is against the law to spray any of your trees or shrubs without a license in the county of Santa Barbara. This is considered a serious offense.
Cutting a limb off a tree coming from your neighbors tree is a very serious offense and should NOT be done without their expressed permission. Most people believe that if the tree is on your side of the property line that it is theirs to cut. This is NOT TRUE any more and is now considered a serious offense in the state of California.
Topping your neighbor's trees to make your view better, without their expresssed premission, can cost you thousands of dollars. DON'T DO IT! Call a certified Arborist to negotiate the problem.
Wood chips are worth their weight in gold. Don't give them away or dispense them! Wood chips will keep the ground cool in the hot summer and will keep your feet out of the mud in the winter.
Dispite what you have heard in the past, topping a tree is NOT a bad thing to do... BUT, it should be ONLY be done by an experienced arborist who knows how to do it. The result will be a tree that not only looks good, but will not become infected due to improper cutting.
Hiring you gardner to prune your trees is like playing Russian Roulette. When he gets in a tree, he is no longer a gardener, but is now playing the roll of a tree specialist WITHOUT PROPER INSURANCE. As long as he is on the ground, you're alright. Check with your lawyer if you doubt this claim.
If your gardener says he has insurance for his employees, verify that it is indeed the case. Ask him to show you his workers comp policy. You may soon find out that his dog ate it.