Fallen autumn leaves leave tree limbs exposed for inspection

The bare limbs of your yard’s tallest inhabitants are riddled with clues. Look closely enough and you may spot problem areas that could have a difficult time standing up to a future of windy and wet winter storms. The time is as ripe as autumn squash to make certain that limbs that are diseased, precarious or in too close proximity to structures are professionally removed.
Graham Charles, owner of Second Nature Tree Services, offers a wide variety of tree maintenance and removal and as an experienced arborist is expert at recognizing the danger signs. After being trained by master arborist John Britton in St. Helena, he went on to start his own business in 1997. Charles honed his skills in the greenswards of Berkeley and in the lush Oakland Hills. Expert pruning and large limb removal are two of the company’s specialties.
Needless to say, some of these jobs can be quite dangerous, but Charles says that the safety of his crew is of the utmost importance. Those huge, limp limbs high above aren’t called “widow makers” without good reason. Charles worked at the removal of such branches when he tended to a 200-foot Douglas fir in Berkeley for four years prior to moving to Sonoma in 1989.
“Your average homeowner shouldn’t attempt removing a limb that they are unable to safely reach while on a stable ladder,” warned Charles. “Trees should be trimmed when they look thick and heavy. Trees can be destroyed very quickly when not property trimmed.”
Charles warns folks about using pesticides, such as Round Up, too closely to trees and to carefully read instructions on labels before use. Toxic substances, he claims, can kill even the largest of trees. As a trained arborist, he can detect damage and diseases and recommend effective treatment.
The amount of time and labor determines the cost of a given job. In most cases, a full day of work with a crew of two costs $1,200 and $1,500 for a crew of three. Second Nature has three employees who are kept especially busy during spring and summer, which are the company’s busiest times of the year. Charles and his staff work for approximately 100 regular clients.
“Trees can tell us a lot about the upcoming season,” said Charles. “A larger than usual production of pine cones and acorns tells me that we’re in for a rainy winter and that means trees in over-saturated ground can uproot and become dangerous.”
Charles lives in Sonoma with his wife Ce Ce and their two sons, River, 14, and Lakota, 7. The family enjoys dirt biking, baseball and soccer.
Second Nature Tree Services can be reached at 707.996.5929.