You are browsing the
On February 10, 2010 the City of Westlake Hills adopted a new tree ordinance. You can read the document in its entirety here. But, I’d like to offer you these important items in the ordinance.
Every now and then I like to do a fun climb. It really is a relaxing and peaceful thing 
for me to do. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for the average Joe. I have all the right safety equipment and know how to (hopefully) keep from breaking my neck.
Racoons, squirrels, rats, you name it. If it can climb, it wants in your house. I frequently get called out to bid a tree trimming jobs where the only goal is to cut the tree back far enough so that wild life can’t use it to get on the roof. Take my recommendation and don’t butcher up your trees in an overzealous attempt to keep everything away from your roof.
For starters, call a wildlife / rodent control service and consult with them. Arborists or tree trimmers are not the best people to talk to about controlling wildlife. I like to refer people to Austin Wildlife Pro.
To keep Raccoons out of your attic you only need a small amount of clearance. Raccoons are somewhat fat and clumsy;you won’t catch them doing many acrobatic tricks. I’ve watched a squirrel with my own two eyes scale a brick wall, so no amount of tree pruning is really going to solve that problem.
There are a variety of ways to apply tree fertilizers and other treatments. For the average layperson, applications to a tree can be challenging. High pressure sprayers are readily available at equipment rental stores, so you can do it yourself, but this equipment is not easy to use. Accessing a tree’s root system deep in the soil or reaching the upper boundaries of canopy on a mature tree requires this special equipment.
(keep reading…)
Herbicide damage is one of the biggest tree killers I run into. Weed-n-feed products are the number one culprits. If you buy a bag of fertilizer from your local do-it-yourself store make sure that the bag does not have weed control mixed in with the fertilizer. Most weed control products will affect boad leaf plants and go unnoticed to grasses. Trees are in the broad leaf plant category.
(keep reading…)
How to prune trees? The easiest way to prune trees, obviously, is to hire somebody. If your budget or some other factor is preventing this there are a few things you should know to help you on your mission. By now I expect you have read the first three volumes of this 4 volume tree pruning series. If you haven’t read the other articles yet, please do before beginning your pruning session. There is a lot more to know than just how to prune a tree.
I'm Keith Brown, owner of Austin Tree Experts. This is my repository of tree knowledge. I hope you find what you are looking for.
