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 takeaways, being away from home for 30 days and bonding with other employees and tree care professionals from all over North America.

In this episode we cover:

• How do you enroll in DITS? (0:54)
• How long is DITS? (1:40)
• What do students learn while in Kent, OH? (3:02)
• What's been difficult to learn? (5:02)
• A normal day at DITS (6:09)
• DITS instructors (7:01)
• Skills training and climbing (7:40)
• Is DITS what the students expected? (9:06)
• What have the students enjoyed? (10:12)
• What were the students hoping to get out of DITS? (11:15)
• What's been fun? (12:42)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about careers at Davey, visit Davey.com/Careers.
To learn more about training at Davey, visit Davey.com/Training.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 Jamestown, New York (10:23)
• "Taking a cookie" of a tree (12:46)
• "Taking a core" of a tree (13:40)
• Working on old trees (15:22)
• American sycamore (17:00)
• Frank's fishing stories in college (20:42)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about how to identify or take care of trees you love, read our blogs Fall in Love with Healthy Trees This Season, Guide on How to Choose A Tree to Plant: Planning & Selecting and How to Tell What Type of Tree I Have.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 (3:15)
• Ground freeze (4:26)
• Do arborists schedule around the weather? (5:25)
• Best time of the year to prune trees (6:59)
• Groundhog Day (8:18) (12:54)
• Deer protection (9:49)
• Dormant seeding (18:43)
• Review the trees and landscape (14:33)
• Hellebores (16:18)
• Dormant seeding (18:43)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about tree care and landscaping in late winter and early spring, read our blogs Does a Late Spring Frost or Snowfall Damage Trees?, Winter Tree Protection: Three Proactive Tips, Most Common Questions about Tree Care in Spring, Spring Ahead: Schedule a Tree Inspection, Fruit Tree Care in Early Spring and What Does the Dormant Season Mean For Your Trees?

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 hardiness zones (4:15)
• Drought-tolerant plants (5:45)
• Outdoor living spaces (7:34)
• Private, small spaces (8:54)
• Natural materials (10:40)
• Curated wildness (11:59)
• Technology advances (14:58)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about gardening practices and techniques, read our blogs DIY Flower Bed: Tips for the Perfect Flower Bed, Landscape Design Idea for Privacy | Davey Blog and What Plant Hardiness Zone Am I In.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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:

• Trees of Davey calendar (1:21)
• Mistake 1: Not looking at the trees or landscape when buying property (2:30)
• Mistake 2: Not being cautious when making tree or landscape changes (5:28)
• Mistake 3: Planting too deep or too close to the home (6:21)
• Consider planting smaller trees (9:23)
• Patience is key when maintaining trees and a landscape (10:41)
• Mistake 4: Over mulching on your landscape (12:25)
• How often should you mulch? (13:24)
• When to spread different kinds of mulch (14:28)
• River rock as mulch (16:10)
• Are people still using rubber mulch? (18:20)
• Mistake 5: Not doing proper maintenance on your landscape (19:31)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: This giveaway is now closed.

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about best tree and lawn care practices early on, read our blogs, First-Time, New Homeowner’s Guide To Lawn Care, In Too Deep?, Should I Mulch Around Trees or Not? Yes & Here's Why, How to Take Care of a Newly Planted Tree and Fact or Fiction: Five Ways You May Be Harming Your Trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 cold weather (8:38)
• How homeowners should prepare for winter (10:06)
• Snow-covered ground is good for plants (11:44)
• Beginning spring planting (12:27)
• Paul's favorite winter trees (13:14)
• Beech leaf disease (15:55)
• Have an arborist inspect your trees seasonally (16:44)
• Homeowners shouldn't use chainsaws on their trees (17:53)
• Paul's journey as an arborist (18:55)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about trees during wintertime, read our blogs, Winter Sunscald and Frost Cracks on Trees, Winter Tree Protection: Three Proactive Tips and Can a Tree Freeze to Death in Winter?.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 (3:13)
• Davey's client base (5:38)
• How do arborists react to weather events? (7:40)
• Arborist consultation (9:50)
• Client relationships (11:35) (24:23)
• Flexible proposals, quotes and contracts (15:01) (18:42)
• Safety for homeowners (17:00)
• Do people in day-to-day life ask arborists for advice? (20:54)
• Spotted lanternflies in Philadelphia (21:41)
• Coming back to clients every year (23:27)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about what an arborist visit is like, read our blogs, Why You Should Hire a Certified Arborist, What To Expect When You Request a Davey Tree Free Consultation and The Risk of Using an Uninsured and Unlicensed Arborist.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

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 pruning (7:02)
• Maple and pine damage and pruning (11:00)
• Do arborists work in severely cold weather? (12:36)
• What Luke does as a business developer at Davey (13:45)
• Volcano mulching (14:57)
• Mulching trees in winter (17:17)
• Luke's green giant arborvitaes (18:32)
• Why this job is right for Luke (21:11)
• Shoutout for Detroit (21:50)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about winter tree care, read our blogs, Tree Care: Winter Tree Protection for Roots, Trunks and Branches, Don’t Skip a Winter Tree Inspection: Why Cold Weather Reveals Hidden Tree Risks, Seasonal Tree Care Checklist: How to Keep Trees Healthy This Winter and Protecting Newly Planted Trees from Frost & Cold Winter Weather.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!