Welcome to Our New Web Presence!

Today marks the launch of our new website and a new way of connecting with our clients. Instead of the static “business card” web page before, this new site allows us to more quickly and easily post new items and to receive comments from our visitors. We hope you’ll find it engaging.

 

Thank You and Farewell to Cynthia Mills

We would like to express our thanks to Cynthia Mills for her service to our industry and wish her the best of luck as she leaves her post as President and CEO of the Tree Care Industry Association. She brings a warm welcome and a smile as the face of our industry while overseeing a major restructuring of the organization that serves it.

Over her tenure, the TCIA changed its name (from National Arborist Association), redesigned virtually every publication, and created the first accreditation standard for tree care companies. This standard has grown to become a new baseline for companies to meet and exceed and stands to be one of the most powerful impacts.  It certainly was not developed and implemented by her, but Cynthia’s oversight and guidance of TCIA during that time helped make it possible and effective.

Her presence will be missed, but we are excited for the future as one door closes and another opens.

 

Cut The Green & Leave The Brown – Really?

It’s a strange phenomenon, but in Milwaukee, we see folks cutting green grass so short that the lawn looks brown afterwards. The little bit of green grass struggling in the summer heat and drought gets clipped off for no reason! The problem is a mentality of it’s that day of the week, and we always cut the grass regardless. This attitude completely ignores a number of factors.

Here are some key things to consider about mowing:

1. In temperate regions like Wisconsin, we grow cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass that thrive in cool weather like the spring and fall but suffer in the summer heat. The turf is very resilient during moderate temperatures, but during stressful periods, you have to change your approach.
2. In the spring and fall, it’s best to cut the grass a little shorter so it grows thicker instead of longer and naturally crowds out weeds. In the summer, let the grass grow longer so it shades and cools itself. Take a look at this excellent article from the Aurora News-Register of Nebraska.
3. Serious damage can occur if you “cut the green & leave the brown” during the summer. This article from the University of Kentucky’s turf specialist, AJ Powell, Jr. lays out the facts, saying “weeds will greatly increase and severe turf kill may occur” if you cut too much off in the summer. The green part is what is producing the food for the rest of the grass plant so cutting that off is detrimental. Some get in a routine of mowing each week without raising the mower deck in the hot and dry periods and unknowingly do damage.

Bottom line: Don’t stress your lawn by cutting the green and leaving the brown. Mow longer (3 to 4+ inches) during summer heat and drought, and mow shorter (2 1/2 to 3 inches) in the spring and fall to thicken the turf.

What kinds of crazy things do you see people doing with their lawns?

 

From Downpours to Droughts

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Watch for the switch! The Milwaukee area has a consistent climate of wet springs and dry summers that leads to incubates fungal problems and mosquitoes in the spring and drought damage in the summer as the mercury rises. This spring’s showers stretched on much longer than what we’ve seen in years past and helped rebuild a water backlog. The moisture and frequent rains make it possible for fungi that rely on water to transport spores to infect more leaves on plants and make it challenging for us to find dry days to apply protective fungicide sprays.

Mosquitoes benefit from the rains too, laying eggs in puddles of standing water everywhere.  This year, we are continuing our hugely successful mosquito sprays in response to the customer feedback we’ve received. Most customers have reported immediate results and virtually mosquito-free backyards for up to 30 days.

Watching for the Drought

Here in Milwaukee, though, the rains can dry up just as quickly as they appeared. It’s critical to watch drought-sensitive plants such as annuals and turf that will wilt and dry out after just a couple of days without rain. Mature trees are also impacted but are slower to show signs of stress. Before your trees start to decline, be sure that your landscape is receiving approximately and inch of water via rain or watering per week. If you need any help with watering, our landscape maintenance crews are happy to set up sprinklers, water by hand, or bring water by the truckload.

Milwaukee Precipitation Running  Surplus/Deficit

From the National Weather Service’s climate records for Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Precipitation Running Surplus/Deficit

The graph illustrates how Milwaukee was consistently deficient 10-12 inches of precipitation from 2005-2007 but has caught up easily in the last two years. While this has little or no impact on irrigated properties or annual plants, mature trees and forests are profoundly impacted by the availability of water from precipitation.

 

Enjoy Your 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! Our crews worked hard this spring and summer to make properties look their best today. We hope you have a fun and safe holiday this weekend.

Photo from Juneau Park on the Milwaukee lakefront of the Solomon Juneau statue.

 

Gorgeous Glendale Patio

Our crew just finished a patio project in Glendale, WI. The property has a great view but needed a functional and attractive living space in the backyard. By once again teaming up with an excellent carpenter, the customer is thrilled to have a large outdoor patio with filtered sunlight and a surrounding landscape that complements the entire project.

 

Position Announcements

Click the link for a PDF of our available positions and their descriptions. Our openings change regularly, so check back or contact us directly at jobs@crawfordtree.com. Thank you for your interest!

Position Announcements 2009

 

TCIA Accreditation!

Crawford Tree & Landscape Services is officially accreditated by the Tree Care Industry Association. The comprehensive accreditation process has improved our business practices and ultimately our services to our customers. As soon as our business profile is added to their website, we will provide a link.

What is TCIA Accreditation? (from the TCIA accreditation page)

TCIA-accredited companies are inspected and qualified for:

• Adherence to the  TCIA Code of Ethics and best business practices
• Employing formally trained, skilled personnel
• Meeting industry standards for quality performance and safety
• Providing industry-standard written estimates
• Customer satisfaction, including following a dispute resolution process
• Carrying sufficient insurance coverage
• Employing certified arborists

Update 8/5/2009: See our listing on the TCIA website here.

 

Meet Us Tonight at the Wisconsin Club

Tonight, Perry and Nick will be at the business networking event at the Wisconsin Club. Feel free to visit us!

 

Position Announcement

We are hiring for two plant health care positions beginning immediately. Qualifications include a green industry background or education of at least one year and a desire to learn more about plant diseases, insects, fertilization practices and more. A pesticide license is preferred, but training is provided. Please email us at jobs@crawfordtree.com today for more information.