The Tree Guys

Our region of Oklahoma is called “Green Country”. It has earned that nickname partly because the grass does remain green most of the year, but because there is enough rainfall we also have trees. Yes, Oklahoma has trees and I’m not talking scrub oaks.

The further west you go the more grassland you run into, but in eastern Oklahoma the rain is enough to produce tall grass (Tall Grass Prairie at Pahuska, Oklahoma) and tall trees.

Our yard has two black gum trees (tupulo), and a wonderfully big sprawling dogwood (bigger now as this picture is several years old) in the front,

and a monstrous oak (don’t know the kind) and 2 Japanese maples and assorted shrubs (a shrubbery!) in the back.

That oak was in poor shape when we moved in. Its root system was being stifled by the house on one side, the old driveway cement on another (it was cracking that cement up to find water) and a brick paved patio on a third which it was also ‘rooting’ under. We tried to feed it our selves, but that wasn’t very good, so call in the tree guys. They have a name, ‘Out on a Limb’. Mr. Hathaway answered my call and came out to assess the situation. I told him I didn’t want the tree removed as it takes a LONNNNNNGGGGG time to grow a tree to that size and it provides great shade, a luxury commodity in Oklahoma. See the shade in the picture.

He agreed and told me about mycorrhizae injections to help the oak absorb more water. Having taught biology and in particular AP Biology, I knew exactly what he was talking about and I think he was a little surprised that I knew what he was talking about and was with him in agreement about ‘woodsman spare that tree’. He gets a lot of work from people that just want ‘the thing gone’.

So began the beginning of a beautiful relationship, all be it, three way. Mr. Hathaway, my oak and I all agreed and the oak began getting ‘injects’, twice a year to start and then once a year after it didn’t need the extra help so badly. Then came a year of ice storms and it was hard to get tree guys to remove damaged limbs, but we had a bond, and Mr. Hathaway is not a slash and burn tree guy. Then another year we discussed making more space for The Oak’s roots. If we could remove a part of the old (useless) broken-up driveway the tree could get more water.

I called around and tried finding a company that dealt with concrete removal. No deal, they were into removing parking lots the size of Walmart’s, they weren’t interested in peanuts. So I told this to Mr. Hathaway.

“Well, I’ve got a small bobcat we can get back there and I know what we’re trying to do to save that tree, let me see if I can’t get it done. We’ll have to wait until the tree is dormant so we do the least damage to the roots.” See why I love his attitude?

So one January day, while we were still overseas, his men came and took out chunks of concrete and hauled them away and then filled the open space over the roots with soil/sand. (All soil in this area of Tulsa is very sandy…old river bottom.) It was done and that tree was off and hasn’t looked back. Oh it’s dropped a limb or two, but it is so much healthier.

Right now it is one of the two black gum trees in front that he is working on saving. About three years back the streets in our neighborhood where redone, curb, utilities and all, not just a quick repave. In the process, the utilities literally went in on either side of one of the gums to run water lines for our house and the neighbor’s, and then parallel to the street behind the tree to run gas lines and then parallel along the edge of the street a new curb. If you cut on four sides of something you’ve pretty much cut a box around it. So far the tree is ‘okay’ and standing but it has not thrived like the other one twenty feet away. So today, it got a ‘trim’ of the dead wood and hopefully it can put it’s energy into the ‘living’.

While he’s here a few trees in the back will get some TLC too.

He’s not cheap, but if you have tall trees in Oklahoma, you know that they are invaluable and worth every penny to keep healthy.

So ‘The Tree Guy’ is on my phone list along with the doctor, plumber, handyman….

And just because it is so darn impressive!

And that ‘grassy’ stuff (mondo grass), should be all the way around the base, like a feather boa, but the dog digs some and well, what the heck, a small sacrifice.