Talking Trees with Davey Tree

Lou Meyer, arborist and business developer from Davey's Mid-Atlantic region, answers listener questions! Keep listening to hear Lou talk about burls, pruning, planting trees, removing invasives and more. To submit a question for a future episode, email us at podcasts@davey.com.

In this episode we cover: 

• What are knarls/burls? (1:08)
• Do burls add value to the tree? (3:19)
• Tree and burl removals (5:40)
• Best way to remove turf gr...

Chrissy Balk, plant pathologist and technical advisor at the Davey Institute, talks about the intricate and fascinating anatomy of trees, including the function of each internal trunk layer, how root systems work, how water moves within a tree and the structure and role of the canopy.

In this episode we cover: 

• Chrissy's experience teaching the anatomy of trees (1:00)
• Heartwood layer (2:25)
• Growth rings and tree size (3:27)
• Cam...

Hear from three students attending the Davey Institute of Trees Sciences (D.I.T.S.) program, Davey’s flagship training program in biological sciences, safety, tree and plant care and management techniques. Ethan Ramirez Gothard from Davey's Nanaimo office, Sam Phetteplace from Davey's Albany office and Maggie Graves from Davey's Boston North Shore office share their experience in the four-week program, including key ...

Frank Thompson from Davey’s Buffalo office shares his “love at first sight” — trees! For Valentine’s Day, Frank walks us through three of his favorite species, his background in environmental science and forestry and how to determine the age of mature trees. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How did Frank become an arborist? (1:02)
• Cranberry Lake and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (2:25)
• Gray pine (5:58)
• White oak in J...

Mike Cassidy from Davey’s West Columbus office shares advice for whatever Groundhog Day brings! Will there be six more weeks of winter or an early spring? In this episode, Cassidy covers last‑minute dormant season care, such as dormant pruning, as well as early spring tasks like reviewing your landscape.

In this episode we cover: 

• Dormant pruning to avoid pests and disease (1:44)
• Scale pests (2:37)
• Black knot fungus and fire blight...

Lou Meyer, arborist and business developer in Davey's Mid-Atlantic region, meets with host Doug Oster at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show! Here, they discuss the latest trends in gardening, including recent planting choices, gardening designs, outdoor living and more. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Anticipation of inflation driving smaller projects (1:58)
• Climate adaptability (2:58)
• Low-maintenance plants (3:18)
• USDA plant hard...

Eric Countryman, district manager of Davey’s East Pittsburgh office and the first-ever guest on the podcast, joins host Doug Oster to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Talking Trees with Davey Tree! In this episode, they discuss five common tree and landscaping mistakes homeowners make in the first five years, along with tips on mulching, planting best practices and a special giveaway for listeners!

In this episode we cover: 

• Tr...

Paul Vega from Davey's Elmsford office talks about how trees adapt to winter and how homeowners can take care of them during the colder months, including frost cracking, tree dormancy, safe winter work practices and preparing for spring. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Elmsford's winter season (1:21)
• Frost cracking (2:04)
• Do trees freeze in the winter? (6:57)
• Are trees hibernating during the winter? (7:55)
• Arborists working in ...

Jason Parker, district manager of Davey's Warminster office, walks us through what it's like to work with a Davey arborist, including the client relationship, consultations, proposals, price and safety for homeowners. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Tree preservation (0:44)
• How does an arborist look at a property? (1:17)
• How arborists assess homeowners' tree concerns (2:23)
• Jason's thoughts on improper tree work (3:1...

Luke Brunner, arborist and business developer in Detroit, talks about what it takes to care for trees during the wintertime, including snow and ice protection, pruning, mulching and general planting tips. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Should I leave the snow and ice on my tree? (0:58)
• Should I treat young trees and mature trees differently in winter? (2:26)
• Growing trees meant for different climates (3:06)
• Oak and elm damage and pruni...

Dr. Dan Herms, vice president and general manager of the Davey Institute, takes us through Davey's newly completed SEED Campus. Since its opening in August 2025, several programs, trainings and initiatives have started taking place there, which is strengthening safety, training and research in the green industry. You can watch this podcast in video form to see the completed property come to life. Watch the YouTube video, Tour ...

Throughout the Talking Trees podcast, we’ve asked Davey employees questions like "How did you become an arborist?" and "Why is this job right for you?" In this special episode, we’ve compiled eight arborists' inspiring answers that share the journeys that brought our team to where they are today. 

In this episode we cover the stories of: 

• Brad McBride, district manager of Davey's West Cleveland offic...

Jacob Ryg, district manager of Davey's South St. Paul office, debunks common winter tree care myths and shares practical tips to keep your landscape healthy throughout the season. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Does a tree need water in the winter? (0:45)
• How much watering does your tree need? (1:58)
• Minnesota's season so far (2:30)
• Should all pruning wait until spring? (2:52)
• Snow and ice damage trees (4:38)
• How to manage wet ...

Matt Scott from Davey's Raleigh office talks all about tree pruning, including best practices, safety, ideal times to prune and why a certified arborist is best for the job. 

In this episode we cover: 

• What can homeowners prune themselves? (0:46)
• Assess if your tree needs pruning or not (1:42)
• Safety while pruning (2:57)
• Teaching clients to prune from the ground (4:00)
• When is the right time to prune a tree? (5:45)
• When to prune ...

Lou Meyer from Davey's Mid-Atlantic region talks all about the sweet gum tree, including its biology, unique features and pros and cons. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Sweet gum's spiky seeds (1:35)
• Why are they called "sweet gum?" (4:12)
• How large do they get? (6:00)
• Sweet gums aren't planted much (7:03)
• What to do about your sweet gum's surface roots (9:07)
• Where do they grow? (10:52)
• Are the black gum and ...

Michael Cassidy, sales arborist at Davey's West Columbus office, shares his list of scary movies featuring spooky trees, eerie forests and creepy plants just in time for Halloween. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Doug's favorite horror movie (1:22)
• Doug and Michael's Halloween traditions (2:40)
• Scary movies with scary trees and plants  
  • Pumpkinhead (4:34)
  • The Wicker Man (5:01)
  • Ernest Scares Stupid (6:02)
  • Blair Witch Proj...

Sam Heywood, area manager for Davey Resource Group (DRG), talks about urban forestry and answers listener questions about planting native species in urban environments and how climate change is affecting the species we plant. 

In this episode we cover: 

• What is DRG? (0:48)
• Tree inventories (2:01)
• How did Sam start working at Davey? (3:55)
• Why should we have trees in cities? (4:45)
• DRG's impact on urban forestry (7:17)
• Listener qu...

Adam Passo, district manager of Davey's Milwaukee office, talks about all kinds of trees and plants with winter interest, explaining how their berries, bark and foliage stand out during colder months. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Evergreens (0:44) (8:42)
• Trees with four-season interest (1:27)
  • Three-flowered maple (2:09)
  • Paperbark maple (3:39)
• Do trees with winter interest shine in other seasons? (5:14)
• London plane vs. Sy...

Craig Stone, assistant district manager at Davey's South Pittsburgh office, talks about unique trees that can increase landscape diversity, along with key characteristics homeowners should consider when selecting the right tree for their yard. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Silverbell trees (0:55)
• Diversity in our landscape (1:53)
• Client responses to unique species recommendations (2:25)
  • Characteristics for homeowners to consi...