Big Trees first evaluated the access to the tree and gave estimates of what all would be involved in handling the oak. The tree is 24 feet tall, 15 to 18 feet wide and was planted in the playground area of the school property.It was decided that the Big John 90-inch tree spade truck would be the best method for handling the tree. The tree needed to be taken off site and stored at Big Trees’ nursery, since there was no room for the tree on the construction site during renovations. The extraction went well and the tree was tied down “piggyback” style onto the truck mounted spade. Once secured, the tree was driven back to Big Trees’ nursery and put into a storage area that kept the tree stable until the school was ready for it to go back onto their property.
Big Trees received the call that the elementary school was ready for the oak tree to go back to the property roughly one year later, Access was made for the Big John 90-inch tree spade truck to back the tree into its new planting location. The spade truck retrieved the tree from its temporary home in the nursery and delivered it back into the city where it was successfully replanted into its new location.
“The Big John 90-inch tree spade truck doesn’t fit for every tree transplanting process, but when the pieces all come together, it’s an incredible machine to watch!” said Todd Holmes, Big Trees’ Operation Manager.
Nancy Penrose is the owner of Big Trees Inc., located in Snohomish, WA in the Seattle area. The company is one of the largest tree nurseries in the Seattle area with over 120,000 trees available in over 300 varieties. They not only deliver young trees, but also mature trees in a wide range of sizes. Some types of trees available include spring flowering, deciduous, evergreen, and privacy trees. The company also does tree transplanting including large trees. More information can be found at http://www.bigtreesupply.com/blog/ or http://snohomishbigtrees.com/. Big Trees can be reached at 360-563-2700.
One of the most destructive tree pests in the State of Washington is the European gypsy moth. In its caterpillar form, it has destroyed millions of acres of foliage around the country.
All trees have a special type of plant tissue called meristem, a Greek word meaning “to divide”. The word was first used by Swiss botanist Carl Wilhem von Nageli (1817 to 1891). Trees grow when the cells within the meristem divide and produce new cells.
Big Trees started the project a number of weeks after their first discussion with the general contractor, and began preparing to lift the 35-foot to 40-foot tall Willows. These Willows will offer a significant amount of branches and leaves to the southeast corner of the property, creating privacy and character.
Firs are considered large trees, with some reaching heights of over 200 feet. They have needle-like leaves and cones. The leaves (needles) look like they have been pressed, and are attached to a twig with a base that has the appearance of a tiny suction cup. Fir cones stand up like candles instead of hanging. They are long and fall apart at maturity to release their seeds. The cones are usually green when immature, and brown at maturity.
Big Trees prepared 12 large Excelsa Cedars for handling and shipping in container trucks, and began the process of loading out the trucks to head to the border. The trees were 22 feet tall and weighed 4,000 to 5,000 pounds each. Once the trees crossed the border and were onsite, they were unloaded and placed with a crane into the property in strategic locations for a screening effort.
Unfortunately, trees are often damaged during construction and may even die shortly after construction has been completed. This causes the homeowner to remove and replace the damaged trees, which adds expense and time. It’s important to protect trees from construction as much as possible, for both the trees’ and homeowner’s sake.