Today, the way your business looks can greatly affect your image. At Bartlett Tree Experts, we’ve been elevating our clients’ aesthetic and property value for over 100 years, creating some of the most admired and photographed properties in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
Formulated a fertilizer, Bartlett's Green TreeFood, to meet the nutritional needs of landscape trees.
Established and maintained a tree research facility with a professional staff of renowned scientists.
Successfully controlled a tree disease by the use of treatment introduced directly into the sapwood.
Developed practical cabling and bracing methods to reinforce structurally weak trees.
We bring a rare mix of global scale with a family-owned perspective, creating a best-of-both-worlds service offering that's big on resources and intimate in style. Our commercial experience is as deep as it is diverse. And, with the largest, most extensive R&D lab in the country, every bit of it is grounded in the latest science.
Employed power spray equipment to manage landscape pests.
Developed a refillable tree injector for introducing treatments directly into the sap stream.
Maintained an Integrated Pest Management program for total preventative plant health care.
Established a global tree care presence with offices in the UK, Ireland, the USA, and Canada.
Bartlett Tree Experts is, and always will be, a company about people with an unwavering commitment to delighting our clients by enhancing their businesses.
Choice Partners provides contract solutions for educational facilities, government entities, as well as nonprofits.
Introduced new fertilization methods including Soil-Rx® prescription treatments for specific plants.
Promoted root growth in established plants through a patented process, Root-Rx® Root Invigoration.
Introduced Boost Natural® Fertilizer, the only purely organic fertilizer that meets industry standards for supplying nutrients to trees in a single application.
We were honored to provide ongoing care for the 396 trees at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Plaza.
As trees age, they become more susceptible to wood decay and other defects. Many old trees gradually fall apart before they decline and die. The first priority for Arborists caring for older trees on commercial properties is evaluating their structural integrity and providing necessary remedial treatments to reduce the risk of branch, stem, and root failures.
At Bartlett, our Arborists are trained to identify symptoms of decay and defects, such as weakly-attached branches, cracks, and splits indicating imminent failure; poor architecture; dead and hanging branches; and root-related issues. Some defects are obvious via visual inspection, but others require a more detailed assessment. For this, state-of-the-art instruments that evaluate wood density and quality can be used to evaluate the severity of defects. We also utilize a sonic instrument capable of developing three-dimensional pictures to quantify the extent and severity of defects in branches and stems.
If evaluation indicates the tree represents a high risk of failure, remedial treatments can be developed to reduce that risk. These could involve pruning to reduce branch weight and wind resistance; and installation of structural supports including cables and brace rods to limit branch movements during storms. When treatments will not reduce the risk of failure to an acceptable level, tree removal, or restricting access to the area near the tree, must be considered to prevent personal injury and property damage.
Bartlett offers the most intensive soil care programs in the landscape industry. Before fertilization is performed, soil samples are analyzed. Bartlett Arborists submit more than 10,000 soil samples from client properties each year, providing key information to develop geographically-specific fertilizers.
We offer more than 15 different blends of our own Boost® fertilizers, all of which contain slow-release nitrogen that distribute this nutrient gradually over the entire growing season. Nitrogen is not lost to leaching and runoff, which optimizes availability, while protecting the environment.
Bartlett also offers a unique Prescription Fertilization program, whereby nutrients and amendments can be custom-blended on site and applied to specific plants based on soil analyses results. This program is ideal for high value, feature plants and those with obvious nutrient deficiencies, or health concerns.
Our patented Root Invigoration program, developed by scientists at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories to improve soil conditions, incorporates several key plant health treatments. By using high-speed air through a patented tool, known as an Air-Spade, we loosen the soil to improve aeration and reduce compaction, without any negative impact on the root system. During this process, the soil chemistry is adjusted by prescription to best strengthen the plant.
Bartlett's Premium Landscape Biochar benefits your trees and the environment. This carbon-rich charcoal improves soil quality and plant growth for healthier trees, while sequestering carbon that would otherwise contribute to elevated levels of greenhouse gases. Biochar also increases soil microbial activity and improves water retention, all while reducing nutrient leaching. The result is healthier trees and shrubs that are less susceptible to insects and disease.
Since our founding, Bartlett Tree Experts has been a leader in arboriculture, pioneering the use of innovative practices to maintain healthy landscapes, while preserving the environment. To ensure our products and methods are safe and effective, they are tested by scientists at our research laboratories.
To help clients achieve their goals of a sustainable landscape, we recommend regular inspections by an Arborist to identify tree and shrub issues early, before serious damage can occur. With regular visits, treatments can be timed for maximum effectiveness. Treatments include the use of natural-based materials, the release of beneficial insects to suppress damaging insect populations, tree fertilizer listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), and Biochar for soil health.
One of the major reasons Property Managers initially contact an Arborist is to determine the cause of a plant health problem, or identify and treat a pest infestation. The extensive training and support our local Arborists receive from the diagnostic facilities at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, allows them to service our commercial clients in a way our competitors simply can't. The Bartlett Plant Diagnostic Clinic analyzes more than 20,000 plant and soil samples each year to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment programs.
These services include:
We provide 24-hour emergency services for hazardous and storm-damaged trees that may have caused destruction to your business property. Our substantial resources allow us to mobilize crews and equipment from unaffected regions and to take the appropriate time to assess the situation and recommend the best course of action. Once emergency services are complete, crews will begin cleanup and repair.
Even if your trees do not exhibit obvious damage after a weather event, or if no immediate emergency exists, your Bartlett Arborist Representative can inspect your property for early detection of symptoms and conditions that could lead to problems later.
Most damage to commercial properties during severe weather events occurs due to falling trees and limbs. High winds and saturated soil conditions, typical of summer storms, can cause tree roots to fail and branches to weaken. Limbs may be torn free during storms, or an entire tree may fall, causing power outages, property damage, and even personal injury. During winter, the weight of ice and snow accumulations causes failure of branches and even entire trees. While it is impossible to totally protect your trees and property from severe storms, there are some basic procedures that can help reduce the risk of damage. Our certified Arborists inspect for defects and conditions that could predispose your trees to failure.
Based on the outcome of an inspection, Bartlett may recommend appropriate treatments such as pruning, installation of supportive cables or braces, and even lightning protection systems.
Moisture deficiency from drought is the most common stress encountered in the commercial property landscape. Usually, this is a temporary condition with minimal impact on plants. Periodically, however, drought conditions may persist from several months to years and can significantly affect plant health and survival.
Plants stressed by drought are more susceptible to certain pest problems, including boring insects and stem and root disease pathogens. These secondary invaders are often responsible for the ultimate decline of the plant.
Proactive plant health care programs, like those offered at Bartlett Tree Experts, are critical to helping plants better tolerate the resulting stress should drought and water restrictions develop. During droughts, plants should be closely-monitored for pest problems and treated, as needed, to prevent additional damage.
Each year, more than one million trees in the United States are struck by lightning. A lightning strike can immediately kill trees, or weaken them so severely that they'll be attacked by boring insects, or other secondary invaders. In some cases, lightning-struck trees must be removed due to structural degradation caused by the heat and mechanical forces generated by the electrical charge.
What's important for property owners and managers to know is that lightning not only poses a risk to trees, but to adjacent structures as well. Damage to structures can occur when lightning strikes a tree and then side-flashes (“jumps”) to more conductive materials, such as downspouts and other metal objects. Commercial properties that have buildings with trees within ten feet of the structure and taller than the roof are most at risk to damage from side-flashes.
Lightning rarely damages trees outfitted with a system that has been installed in accordance with ANSI (American National Standards Institute) A300 Standards, which were adopted by The Tree Care Industry Association. While lightning strikes are unpredictable and protection cannot be guaranteed, our systems are effective and affordable under these standards. Tall trees are obviously most susceptible to lightning strikes and certain species including tulip tree, oak, pine, and maple are damaged more often than others. Historic trees, those in feature locations in the landscape, and those close to structures, are also candidates for lightning protection.
At Bartlett Tree Experts, we use an integrated approach to manage pests and disease that begins with maintaining plant health using sound cultural practices, including pruning and soil optimization. Periodic inspections are essential to detect pest infestations before they reach damaging levels. Bartlett Arborists are trained to recognize beneficial insects that will help naturally suppress pest populations and augment existing populations. When treatments are necessary, Bartlett can apply organic and naturally-based materials and reduced-risk products that provide effective pest suppression, while protecting people and the environment.
Diseases are abnormalities in trees and shrubs caused by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria, or by environmental stress such as drought, temperature extremes, and air pollution. Diseases are often difficult to diagnose, as different causal agents can produce similar symptoms. Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment programs, which is why our modern diagnostic laboratory was designed to ensure accurate identification and treatment of plant problems on your commercial property.
Considering one deer can eat over a ton of food each year, the cost for replacement plant materials can be significant. This is especially true when affordable options are available to reduce that feeding damage.
Unfortunately, many products and remedies for deer management are simply ineffective. Given this, it's important to discuss the various alternatives with your Arborist Representative to understand what will work for you. As always, we only use products tested and proven at our Research Labs.
The application of a heavy film of repellent in Autumn, before deer establish feeding patterns, can deter feeding for over 90 days. An additional application may be needed in later winter. During summer, more frequent applications, using a product that leaves no visible residue, are preferred.
The diseases that ticks carry can be quickly transferred to humans. Managing this requires an integrated approach, including landscape modifications, such as pruning and removing weedy vegetation to reduce tick habitats. Treatments can be targeted to areas where ticks reside: in wooded areas and at the borders of your commercial property.
Through yearly inspections, Bartlett can determine which tick species are present and estimate tick populations. This process enables your Arborist Representative to develop a Tick Management program specifically designed to reduce infestations on your commercial property.
Bartlett Tree Experts offers insect control services designed to reduce infestations in specifically designated areas on your commercial property. Our treatments are highly effective in reducing the number of mosquitoes in a localized area and can be applied on a regular basis throughout the warm season, or at your request, in time for important outdoor events.
With frequent, scheduled applications, we can help you to better enjoy outdoor activities by dramatically reducing the mosquito population on your landscape. Or, if you're planning a special occasion, we'll come to your event site 48 hours in advance and provide a spray treatment around the perimeter of the event area.
Pruning is a practice that is periodically required on all woody landscape plants. Research has now documented that “thinning”, the removal of live branches to reduce density, significantly reduces wind resistance and subsequent storm damage. Thinning should only be conducted on trees where the crown is “too dense.” Our Arborists have the training and experience to accurately evaluate this nuanced attribute.
One aspect of pruning that is most frequently overlooked by Property Managers is the structural pruning of young trees. Trees evolved in forests tend to grow straight, losing lower branches due to competition for light. When planted in full sun in a commercial landscape, many species will develop multiple stems/leaders that are more prone to failure. Lower branches tend to grow at the same rate as the terminal leader, resulting in weak attachments likely to fail later in the life of the plant.
Pruning trees when they are young and growing quickly is critical to ensuring a strong framework for future growth. This pruning focuses on maintaining a single dominant stem unless multiple stem "clumps" are specifically desired. Branches are pruned so their size remains proportional to the stem diameter at their point of attachment. As trees grow, some branches are removed to ensure adequate spacing between permanent scaffold limbs. The shape of the tree is maintained to provide a natural open growth form typical of the species.
Bartlett Arborists can also develop and maintain formal pruning styles on your property, including pollarding, espalier, pleaching, and topiary. Vista pruning, which is judicious removal of branches to enhance a specific view from a defined location, is also frequently performed on commercial properties near mountains, or the shore.
Tree removals are often necessary to help maintain the safety of employees, visitors, or residents on a site. Eliminating dead, or dying trees is an important form of hazard prevention. Removals may also be required when new construction is underway, or new landscaping plans are implemented. Though our goal is, and has always been, to provide services that keep trees healthy, we know and understand the importance of safe tree removal on commercial sites.
At Bartlett Tree Experts, our Arborists are highly skilled at removing trees under even the most challenging conditions. Whether we're in areas with limited access, near buildings, or close to utility lines - from small condominiums to large college campuses - we can handle any removal need.
Tree removal is the most hazardous aspect of arboriculture and we take special pride in a safety record that is unsurpassed in the tree care industry. For Property Managers, our commitment to safe work practices translates into the utmost attention to the safety of all people and property on site. Stump grinding is also available for any stumps that remain that are unsightly or potentially hazardous. Removal of stumps can improve the appearance of a site and create room for new plantings.
Cables and brace rods are supplemental structural supports intended to reduce the risk of failure for weak branches and multiple stems. Cables generally consist of high-strength steel and are attached to bolts installed in the upper crown of a tree. They are intended to limit the movement of the supported branches so they are less likely to fail during storms.
Braces are thread rods that are installed through unions of weak branches and multiple stems to provide more rigid support from torsional (twisting) forces that can occur in violent weather. Bartlett Tree Experts developed cabling and bracing procedures in the early twentieth century that are the industry standards still used today.
Managers, or owners of commercial properties with the need to ensure public safety should have their trees inspected regularly for structural defects, including cracks, split crotches, decay, and other problems. This will prevent failures that could lead to personal injury, and/or property damage. Supplemental structural support systems should only be installed based on a thorough inspection and evaluation of tree structure by our Certified Arborists
Bartlett Inventory Solutions (BIS) is a breakthrough management service that provides a dynamic inventory and assessment of every tree on your property. Tree inventories give you fundamental information on the plant population of your property, including plant quantities, location, condition, size, and maintenance requirements. Using this data, we develop sustainable management plans and rational budgets for ongoing property care.
Since budgetary considerations drive the organization and prioritization of most landscapes, our BIS team works to understand your landscape goals and the objectives necessary to reach them. To do so, we identify potential risks, develop strategies to mitigate them, and help you prioritize your tree care efforts.
Our BIS program uses the latest technology to create a property inventory. It incorporates Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to collect data, map location, and develop management plans. It also links data to photographic images that display plant/tree locations in relation to roads, buildings, and other infrastructure. For the first time, Property Managers are able to see the complete picture to manage changes in the plant population and record maintenance and planting activities.
The i-Tree suite of software was developed in part by the US Forest Service and is continually updated using their latest research. BIS uses this software to estimate quantities and values for the benefits your trees provide. This asset value data is a powerful tool for budget discussions, community relations, and sustainability goals. This also allows you to assess entire urban tree populations, which may include street trees. To quantify urban forest structure, function, and benefits, it uses field data from complete inventories, or randomly located plots throughout a site—along with local hourly air pollution and meteorological data. Reports, which can be made on an individual tree basis, include:
The first priority for Arborists caring for older trees is evaluating their structural integrity and providing necessary remedial treatments to reduce the risk of branch, stem, and root failures. BIS allows Property Managers to better understand a tree's potential risk, and if/when it might be more susceptible to wood decay, or other defects.
When trees on construction sites are not protected, they can be severely injured or lost. A customized Bartlett Tree Preservation Package can ensure the greatest efficiency and best quality results to preserve the trees on your property. A properly implemented plan saves dollars that would otherwise have been spent on tree damage remediation and removals. Tree preservation on development sites is often required by local ordinances, and tree preservation plans are key components in communicating what will be accomplished to preserve key trees on a site.
The proliferation of an invasive species can pose serious problems, throwing off the natural balance of an entire ecosystem. Invasive species can sometimes overtake and replace indigenous plants, leaving animals and birds without forage for their normal diets. Our inventory solutions can identify areas with invasive species and provide plans for remediation. Various treatment options performed during the late summer and early fall can help provide effective control. Treated brush can then be removed in winter and desirable species planted in spring to provide a more sustainable environment. Having a solid inventory and assessment of these vital areas is an essential early step in the restoration process.
ArborScope allows those who manage trees to access their site data from anywhere the internet is available. Developed by our Bartlett Inventory Solutions team with invaluable client input, this user-friendly, web-based application allows Landscape Managers to track inventory data, plan for future development, and address issues. Users can review their property from a broader perspective, or on an individual tree-by-tree basis, allowing them to stay on top of tree maintenance, size, and condition. Features include the ability to administer, report, create and share information. ArborScope allows the user to maintain privacy and data integrity—and has the flexibility to allow a large number of users to view trees on a given site. It has been used by our clients to manage their plant population in real time and as an educational and marketing tool.
The BIS team is a highly-educated, skilled group of professional Arborists who can resolve the most complex tree issues. The BIS team is based at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and utilizes the latest research and diagnostics available from our staff of scientists. Our Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories has one of the top plant diagnostic labs in the country and a team of scientists working on numerous tree research projects at the forefront of our industry.
At Bartlett, service isn't just about knowledge. It's about expertise. Our Arborist Representatives come to us with advanced degrees in forestry, horticulture, botany, soil science, and other related fields. Their credentials include certification by the International Society of Arboriculture and they receive ongoing training from scientists at our esteemed Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories.
No matter the size, or scope of the project—no matter how simple, or complex, you'll receive the expertise, and access you need to seamlessly fulfill every objective.
Our Arborist Representatives are locally proficient, but can also leverage our vast resources to provide A-Team support in times of catastrophic incidents. They provide Property Managers with state-of-the-art care to trees and shrubs and are skilled at developing property plans within defined budgets. And, in everything they do, our Arborist Representatives take our Safety Above All Else approach.
Today, the way your business looks can greatly affect your image. At Bartlett Tree Experts, we've been elevating our clients' esthetic and property value for over 100 years, creating some of the most admired and photographed commercial properties in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
We bring a rare mix of global scale with a family-owned perspective, creating a best-of-both-worlds service offering that's big on resources and intimate in style.
And, with the largest, most extensive R&D lab in the country, every bit of it is grounded in the latest science, supported by technology. Like Bartlett Inventory Solutions (BIS), our breakthrough management service that provides a dynamic inventory and assessment of every tree on your property.
Contact your local Arborist Representative or Bartlett office for more information or to make an appointment.
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