Tree Tuneup

Although a wintery shift in the weather has spared us so far — highs in the 50s and 60s forecast again next week after a temporary dip this weekend — the arrival of November inevitably reawakens our awareness that unkempt trees and early snowfalls don’t play particularly well together. So Ben Collins has been doubling down on Rosslyn tree tuneup to reduce the risk of snow and ice damage (while tackling tree work leftover from storm damage this past summer.)

Fortunately he prioritized the rotten-and-ready-to-tumble ash tree on the waterfront.

[Arborist] Ben Collins… delivered the expertise (and some cool equipment). Climbing high… his extraction was safe, thorough, and swift. And he tidied up the site with his groovy green grappling machine! (Source: Sayonara, 3-Stem Hazard Tree)

Another lakeside ash received a quick tree tuneup (before/after above) before Ben’s team shifted their focus to two large cottonwoods that endured damage during a summer derecho.

This next image shows the tidied-up cottonwoods as they look today (photographed from the opposite direction, standing in the beach).

The locust tree located just north of the waterfront staircase received some TLC as well. In addition to cutting out the aggressive Bittersweet vines winding their way up the trunk and limbs, there were plenty of dead limbs and branches in need of culling. Ben climbed right up into the tangled mess and got to work restoring order.

Here’s the same locust tree today.

Having successfully tamed the waterfront, Ben shifted his focus to several feature trees in Rosslyn’s yards. The immense ornamental maple and ginkgo trees north of our house were severely damaged during the derecho, so Ben used his EasyLift to facilitate high altitude tree tuning.

This sci-fi esque “aerial work platform on crawlers” is colloquially known as a “spider” per the manufacturer’s website. Apt description!

Here’s the spider again, this time aiding in the cleanup of an ash tree (the growth habit of which resembles an elm.)

The benefits of this +/-90’ boom lift are evidenced by Ben’s tree tuning tour de force, but the highlight is that photograph at the top of this post. That’s the arborist’s perspective from the lofty bucket while chainsawing storm damage atop Rosslyn’s ginkgo. Spectacular!

Let’s wind down this arborist play-by-play with a tidied up view of the American Linden growing outside my icehouse loft window. Handsome under-canopy, right?

Thank you, Ben!