Yearly Archives: 2018

Time Out in a Tree House

Posted on December 13 2018 by Clair Skinner, Business Manager

As a kid, tree houses were so cool to me. A house in the trees with the birds, squirrels, butterflies and lightning bugs. A getaway from a stinky brother, a private place for a princess. Growing up in the country surrounded by big North Texas trees, I used to dream of a treetop tree house I could live in forever reign; who knew that not only would it become a possibility one day but a trendy way to live! In addition to kid tree houses, now there are adult tree houses–resorts that boasted about on TV where people build most over-the-top ones. I never dreamed that tree houses would become chic for kids and adults alike. In fact, some days I wish someone would send me to timeout in a tree house.

As I look out at all the trees on our Frisco Tree Farm sales lot, I can’t help but think about the majestic Live Oaks, Chinese Pistaches and Bur Oaks that someday may make a tree house come true for a little princess, a fierce pirate, or that grownup trying to escape the daily drudges of adulthood. It brings a smile to my face that one day someone might take up residence in one of our trees. Not only will the tree bring joy to them but they will provide years of special memories for a “no girls allowed” fort, a reading nook, a pirate hangout, a chic adults-only getaway or one of the many other things a tree house can be.

Take a look at some of the cool tree houses we have found. When you find a tree house you are ready for, let Fannin Tree Farm know. We can provide a tree house ready tree, or we can give a tree house tree for the kids or grandkids in years to come.

Katy Trail Ice House Tree Installation

Posted on October 12 2018 by Clair Skinner, Business Manager

I recently read something about how we like certain seasons of the year based on the positive things we correlate to them. Whether it was going to football games, campfires or just spending time with friends, some of my best memories have taken place in the fall. I remember as the temperatures dropped, my friends and family could find a great patio and hang out.

That’s why the tree installation we did at Katy Trail Ice House over the last few weeks meant so much to me. They made renovations to their patio which also included Fannin installing 21 large Live Oak Trees. Brian Jeffries, our Commercial Sales Manager, and Large Tree Expert led the project, and it was the second time we’ve had an opportunity to work with the popular Dallas restaurant and beer garden.

When installing large trees, proper tree planting and installation is imperative to the growth and survival of your new trees. Our trained professionals’ follow the essential steps necessary to help your tree get the best start possible, ensuring that your new trees live a long and healthy life. We also work the new tree owners to help them understand all the steps that are needed to be followed during the first few months after the tree is planted to ensure proper health and growth of the tree.

Fannin Tree Farm has over 40 years of growing, transporting and installing large mature trees. We own all of our equipment, and our large tree installation crew chiefs have been working for us for more than 30 years.

Here are a few photos from the installation. If you are ever looking for a great patio to hang out on check out Katy Trail Ice House and enjoy some majestic Fannin Live Oak Trees, we grew from seedlings.

Texas Arbor Day

Posted on October 11 2018 by Clair Skinner, Business Manager

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is the weather cooling down, college football and tailgating is in full swing, but we also get to celebrate Texas State Arbor Day. The state holiday falls on the first Friday of November which is also an excellent opportunity to buy and plant your favorite shade or ornamental trees. You might be thinking, “Isn’t Arbor Day in April?” Yes, if you live in most of the country. Arbor Day was first celebrated in the United States on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska, and the idea of an official day for promoting and planting trees quickly spread throughout the country.

One hundred years after its first celebration, National Arbor Day was designated to be on the last Friday in April. The only problem with this is that many times (including this past National Arbor Day), North Texas can see temperatures well into the 80s with heat indexes into the 90s during late April. Although Fannin Tree Farm has a year-round 98% success rate planting trees, fall is generally a better time to establish trees. Cooler temperatures create more favorable conditions for a successful transition into the tree’s permanent home. This is why, in 2013, the state of Texas created “Texas State Arbor Day,” which falls on the first Friday of November.

Each year the official Texas State Arbor Day celebration is hosted in a different city and on National Arbor Day, the Texas A&M Forest Service announced that this year’s state celebration would be held in El Paso, Texas. “The idea is for everyone in Texas to take one day – the same day – to truly appreciate trees and plant one,” said Paul Johnson Texas A&M Forest Service urban and community forestry program coordinator. “Planting a tree leaves a legacy for future generations while beautifying the spaces where we live, work and play today.”

Here are some things you can do with your family, school or community for Texas State Arbor Day:

Celebrate by planting a tree
Take a class of students on a tree identification hike around campus or within your community
Plant trees on your school campus
Challenge schools within the local districts to create Tree Trails on their campuses
Have a contest for students to find the oldest trees in the community and research the history of the tree. For example, when the tree was ten years old, what was going on in your community, the nation, and or the world
Hold an essay contest where students describe the importance of trees to their community
Select unique trees to plant as a memorial or honorary trees
Invite a local arborist to give a tree-climbing demonstration
Ask an arborist or Tree Company to come out and give a talk on trees, how to maintain trees or other tree related topics for your school, community group, church or scouts group.
Take a Family walk at a local park and talk about the trees and what trees provide to our world.

Fannin Tree Farm would love to spend part of your Arbor Day with you, come out the 2nd to the 4th for our Texas Arbor Day Sale. All of our trees will be on sale and select inventory up to 30% off. We will have Arbor Day Activity Books for the Kids, a food truck on Saturday and lots of great Texas Shade Trees to choose.

Sources:

https://www.dallasnews.com

http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/arborday/

How to Help Your Trees Thrive in the Fall

Posted on September 21 2018 by Bradley Boobar, Arborist

Fall Thrive Program

By Bradley Boobar

Have you heard about our Fannin Thrive Tree Care Program?

In the Fall, trees slow down to prepare for the dormant season. Plant resources are being reallocated to other areas in the plant to optimize storage and restoration. This is a very good time of year to have your trees assessed by a professional arborist. Plants have the most optimal growth between the temperatures of 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. During the fall, the moisture puts out the highest percentage of root growth. Typically, when the air temperatures are cooler than the soil, root growth is amplified more than new top growth. Increasing the root growth in the Fall also prepares the tree for future Spring growth.

We have a comprehensive program that we call the Fannin Thrive Program. Our Fall services include an assessment by a trained arborist. The arborist will assess each of your trees, provide pest and disease applications that can arise in the Fall and make recommendations for pruning, plant health maintenance, and other services.

If you are looking to improve your tree’s performance, or need help diagnosing a plant problem, the arborist at Fannin Tree Farm are the professionals you can trust. Our team is led by our Board-Certified Master Arborist and each one participates in continuing education programs to stay sharp in our profession.

Our services have proven to be effective in peer-reviewed research; all tree services provided by Fannin Tree Farm are in accordance to the ANSI A300 standards for arboriculture operations.

Fannin Fun Tree Facts

Posted on August 9 2018 by Clair Skinner, Business Manager

Tree Facts Are Fun!

I love fun facts about anything. You never know when they will come in handy at a party to break the ice, on a first date trying to impress, playing trivia on a cruise ship or just in everyday conversation. One of my favorite things about working at Fannin Tree Farm, other than the trees, is Mikey. Every day he has a new fact about trees to share, and believe you me, they have come in handy from time to time. I’m pretty sure my children and husband are over my fun tree fact finds but I wanted to share with our Fannin Fans some of my favorite tree facts.

There are 7.5 times more trees on earth than stars in the milky way.
An average size tree can provide enough wood to make 170,100 pencils!
The Amazon rainforest produces half the world’s oxygen supply.
Cricket bats are made out of a tree called Willow, and baseball bats are made out of wood from Hickory, Ash, Maple, and Bamboo trees.
Oak trees start producing acorns at 20-30 years of maturity!
Every Year in Washington DC The National Christmas Tree is put up and the walkway surrounding the National Christmas Tree features 56 state and territory trees decorated with handmade ornaments that are unique to each tree.

Pathway of Peace, 2012 NPS/A.Garrison

Trees drink about 2,000 liters of water each year.
Pine trees are the only species in the whole world that spread seeds in cones, and those cones also have genders.
A tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
The different parts of a tree grow at various times throughout the year. Typically, most of the foliage growth happens in the spring, followed by trunk growth in the summer and root growth in the fall and winter.
Adding one tree to an open pasture can increase its bird biodiversity from almost zero species to as high as 80.
The world’s tallest living uncut decorated Christmas tree is a Douglas Fir. It is approximately 160 foot tall, lighted with over 50,000 LED lights and is located in Blue River, Oregon USA.

Strategically planting trees and shrubs can save you up to 25 percent on your energy bills. Not only do they provide shade in the summer, but serve as a windbreak in the winter, too.
The Texas State Tree is the Pecan Tree
Our National Tree is the Oak Tree in the United States
There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
Possibly the most colorful bark found on any tree in the world can be found in Hawaii, and it is referred to as the Rainbow Eucalyptus. Originating in the Philippines, the Mindanao gum tree in its natural habitat can grow up to 6 ft wide and over 250 ft tall. Outside of it, the tree only grows up to 125 ft.

Largest Tree in the US

General Sherman is a giant sequoia tree located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in the state of California. It stands 275 feet tall and is over 36 feet in diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain broad high up. Sixty feet above the base, the Sherman Tree is 17.5 feet in diameter.

General Sherman Tree at the north end of Giant Forest.

Fall & Winter Tree Planting Checklist

Posted on August 1 2018 by Bradley Boobar, Arborist

Fall/Winter Checklist

As the autumn approaches, be sure to take full advantage of the season. It is widely spoken that fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Here are some a few things to consider, why, when and where to plant trees.

1st: Planting trees in the fall

Planting trees in the fall is the best time of the year for plant growth, because of the cooler temperatures and most deciduous trees are dormant allowing less stress and damage to the tree.

2nd: Planting Deciduous Trees

Many deciduous trees provide beautiful foliage, and if planted in the correct spot, they can help reduce your energy bill. Consider planting a deciduous tree like a Red Oak, Cedar Elm, Bur Oak, or Lacebark Elm on the northwest side of your home. This will cool your home in the summer and allow sunlight in to heat your home in the winter.

3rd: Planting trees along the North and South side

If you are looking to plant a screen for vegetable gardens or protection from harsh winter winds, consider planting a row of trees, like Eastern Red Cedars, Magnolias, or other full to the ground growth type trees to protect from the cold northern winds.
Planting tree rows along the south side of your property will provide a good wind break as they mature.

4th: Do not plant large stature shade trees close to foundation.

Most large stature trees, like Red Oaks, Live Oaks, Magnolias, Cedar Elms, and Bald Cypress, need room to grow. Their roots grow outward to stabilize them as they mature. They require water and can reduce moisture near the foundation. It is important to not plant a tree within 25-ft of a foundation. These large tree species can have roots that grow out 3-5 times the width of their canopy.

5th: Do not plant large shade trees beneath utility lines.

Selecting the right tree for the right location is very important. Never plant a large stature tree beneath a power line, or within a 25-35 ft of an overhead wire. As these trees mature, they will grow into the utility lines and require invasive pruning. According to International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the correct way landscape under utility lines is to plant large shrubs or smaller canopy trees that would not exceed the height under the lines.

6th: Never forget to water during the Fall and Winter months

It is a common misconception that there is no need for watering in the Fall/Winter months. However, trees require water always throughout the year; we recommend to water as needed to keep the soil moisture at an adequate level during the colder months.
To adequately prepare for freezing temperatures in the Fall and Winter, make sure to water the trees an adequate amount the day/night before a freeze to maintain the soil temperature and decrease the chance of plant decline.

If you have any questions about your trees, feel free to contact the professionals at Fannin Tree Farm. Our number is 972-747-9233, and we have a team of arborist ready to serve.

Author Bio: Bradley Boobar has been in the plant science industry since 2011. He is originally from Mount Pleasant, TX. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Plant Science from Texas A&M University – Commerce and plans to continue his graduate education in the future.

Fall Tree Planting

Posted on August 1 2018 by Bradley Boobar, Arborist

The Fall is a beautiful time of the year; the temperature starts to go down and provides gorgeous fall color in plants. The Fall is known to be the best season to plant trees due to the cooler temperatures, dormancy approaching on deciduous trees lessening plant stress, and the adequate soil temperatures needed for optimum plant growth.

The Fall also brings more rain and soil moisture creating an increased amount of root growth and development due to transpiration being low it allows more optimal root generation. The temperatures are moderate to cool and are more comfortable on the plants allowing less of a chance for the trees to be stressed by extreme summer heat. Planting in the earlier part of the Fall also provides for the most optimum plant growth before cooler winter temperatures arrive. We recommend planting a deciduous shade tree in the northwest corner of your property to give more shade and reduce heat from the afternoon sun. This will also help heat your home in the winter months.

Finally, always consult with a tree specialist to provide you with the best options for planting a tree for your property and area. We have a full staff of professionals that can provide the proper and necessary possibilities for planting such as species, size, aesthetics, and area of planting on your property.

If you have any questions about your trees, feel free to contact the professionals at Fannin Tree Farm. Our number is 972-747-9233, and we have a team of Arborists ready to serve.

Trees Can Talk

Posted on July 11 2018 by Mike Fannin

A wise old man once made a statement that trees could talk. How could that be? Well, the answer is “of course.” All you must do is listen.

Listen: To the swaying branch of a tree, listen carefully.
Listen: To the leaves clapping their hands with laughter and delight.
Listen: As the trees groan to the weight of their limbs stretching in the early morning sun.
Listen: To the acorns falling to the earth, bouncing limb by limb as they fall gleefully until they rest peacefully on the ground.
Listen: As the limbs rub together like a fine violin and its bow.
Listen: As the sweet dew drops of water splash in freefall of symphony between leaves and branches making a joyous melody.
Listen: When birds land safely inside the limbs and branches and shout out to their friends “it’s safe to build our homes here and raise our families.”
Listen: As animals like trapeze artist swing branch to branch laughing as they play animal games.
Listen: As the moon speaks thru the trees all is well, and you can rest in the shade and darkness.
Listen: As the wind is told to slow down there are children at play in my branches.
Listen: As the sun provides a warm light to grow the young and old trees, and the crackle of new buds and leaves sound a graceful noise.

Complete Tree Care Services

Posted on July 11 2018 by Fannin Tree Farm

Caring for trees is more than one size fits all approach. At Fannin Tree Farm, we are professional soil and plant scientist as well as Certified Arborist. In Fall of 2018, we are rolling out our Thrive Program – Advance.

The new Advance program is a holistic approach that is unique to your tree and shrub needs. This will allow us to develop a program that is tailored toward your specific needs and aesthetic goals. This program exceeds the standards of arboriculture (ANSI A300) and the Best Management Practices (BMPs).

We are utilizing an Integrated Pest Management approach to plant healthcare. Our program will require a full assessment by our professionals. This includes soil sampling and a condition assessment of the trees and shrubs. A prescription for proactive care will be provided after the assessment. Our team maintains photographic and field assessment records.

Quarterly assessments are provided by our arborist. We maintain records for all treatments and closely review prior to an arborist visiting your property. Your program will include necessary treatments to prevent infections for common pest and diseases.

During the quarterly assessment, a health care report card is provided to the client. Our tree service coordinator will contact you to setup these quarterly assessments.

Thrive Program – Advance

Plant Pest and Disease Preventative Care Management
Quarterly Assessments and Recommendations
Winter Dormant Oil

Fannin Tree Farm is the largest tree contractor in the Dallas Fort Worth. We have been a staple in the community for over 40-years. Our tree care service team is ready to advance appropriate arboricultural care for the Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding cities.

Learn more about the Thrive Tree Program or to request a quote. Call us today at 972-747-9233 and ask to setup a consultation with our Certified Tree Care Team!

What is Cotton Root Rot and How Does It Impact North Texas Trees?

Posted on July 2 2018 by Fannin Tree Farm

Less than a century ago, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was primarily agricultural land. This land was used to grow crops, hay, and raising cattle. The native tree species were much more limited. Now the land is used much differently. The old family farms are being developed into new shopping centers, homes, and other urban developments. The land use has changed and so has the landscape.

The DFW has added many new plant species to the pallet. As a landscape industry, we have integrated many plant species that have adapted to our area and climate. Some species were more successful than others. After many years of trial and error, plant diseases have found many suitable host species.

Photo 1: Fungal Mat ‘Phymatotrichopsis omnivora’

Photo 2: First Signs of Wilting

As new plant species were brought into our area, plant pathogens, whether native or not, have found their way in to our landscape as well. One disease that has over 2,300 host species (1,800 dicots), is known as, ‘Phymatotrichopsis omnivora’ (also referred to as, Cotton Root Rot, Texas Root Rot and Ozonia Root Rot). This is a soilborne fungus that lay dormant in the soil for many years.

As you may guess, cotton, a common crop that is grown in North Texas is very susceptible to this disease. Trees that are infected with Cotton Root Rot should be removed and only planted with tolerant or resistant plant species. Here’s a link to an online publication from Texas A&M University of Tolerant Plant Species: https://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/cottonrootrot/cotton.html

Diagnosis is very easy during the early and mid-summer. As the soil temperature exceeds 82 degrees, Fahrenheit, which is usually in the spring and early summer, the disease will develop in the plant. The first symptoms are wilting, followed by death. Often smaller plants are quickly killed by this disease. While larger trees may require more time for the disease to terminate the tree.

As a diagnostician, we are looking for key symptoms and signs out in the field. Common species, like Lace Bark Elms are very commonly killed by this disease. During the early summer, we look for fungal mats that develop on top of the soil as a key indicator that the pathogen is present. It has been demonstrated in research that the fungal mat does not spread the spores, so don’t worry about spreading this pathogen if you walk through a fungal mat or two.