Oak With Unstable Root System Removed

Tree removal of dangerous Oak tree with unstable root system by Giroud Crew Members: Dan Rombold, Mike Teti and Jim Shields, includes the step by step process of tree removal, how the lines are fastened around limbs to be carried off by a 165 ton crane and cutting limbs and giant sections of the tree.

Have Giroud evaluate your trees before storms strike. Trees with root problems, cracks, defects and deadwood are prime targets for damage in a storm. Your Giroud Arborists will inspect your trees and determine if repair or removal is required.

Cables Installed in Giant Poplar

Get a bird's eye view from high up in a giant Poplar to see how cables are installed in a tree. Giroud team members: Mike Teti, Will Cowley and Luis Borges install cables to support weak limbs and protect an Ambler, PA family's favorite tree. Watch as Giroud Climbers position the cables to properly support the limbs, drill the holes, set through bolts and adjust cable tension.

Cables help trees stand up to winter storms. Have Giroud check your favorite trees now to see if cables are needed!

Giroud Successfully Treats Oaks at Jeanes Hospital for Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Drive down any street with Oak trees or just look in your own back yard. Many Oaks are infected with Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS), a serious, often fatal disease. “There is no cure for BLS,” says Drew Slousky, Giroud Vice President. “However, treatment with Oxytetracycline, an antibiotic, can dramatically improve a tree’s chances of survival.”

The proof is in the results. Giroud has been treating the Oaks at Jeanes Hospital for BLS for several years. The Oaks at Jeanes now display full crowns of lush green leaves. Just across the street, untreated oaks show BLS decline.

Bob Dugan, Head Groundskeeper at Jeanes, explains the treatment for BLS: “Bacterial Leaf Scorch is the tree version of cholesterol in humans. The bacteria clog a tree’s vessels. Oxytetracycline slows down the growth of the bacteria which enables nutrients and water to travel up and down the tree.”

Now is the best time to test for BLS. If your tree is infected, treatment must be applied in early Spring when the bacteria is most vulnerable.

Giroud Rebuilds Drought Stressed Lawn

Scorching heat and minimal rainfall through the summer months have left many PA lawns in horrible condition. As grass turned brown and thinned, patches of bare dirt became the perfect breeding ground for opportunistic weeds and crabgrass to invade and take over many lawns.
If more than 50-60% of your lawn is covered with weeds, crab grass or other undesirable vegetation, the best solution is to start from scratch with a complete renovation. Mike Taraborrelli, Giroud Lawn Care Manager, shows how to evaluate the condition of your lawn and the steps Giroud uses in a renovation to create a healthy, thick, green lawn.

Creating A Children's Fort In the Woods

Jenny Galiani, of Ambler PA, had an idea to make a tangled wooded area of her yard into a secret fort for her children to explore, play and let their imaginations run free. Enter Dan Rombold, Crew Leader for Giroud Tree and Lawn and the brush-hog. Dan shows Jenny, her son Thomas and friends, how the brush-hog works; discusses the design of the play area and mows down brush to create the fort.

Giroud Removes Hazardous Oak Between Two Houses

It's like threading a needle. A hazardous Oak is carefully rigged, cut and lowered piece by piece through a narrow space between two houses.

Lawns Damaged by Dry, Hot Summer

The damage is glaringly apparent on area lawns. The dry, hot summer has taken its toll and many lawns are exhibiting brittle, brown grass, insect and disease problems.

Turf expert, Nancy Bosold, Penn State Cooperative Extension, sums up the situation, "As great as last year was for grass-growing, this year has been horrendous. Renovations will be important." She recommends:

• Soil test if you haven't done it in the last three years.
• Before reseeding, dethatch, mow low and remove dead material and clippings
• Choose the right grasses for the site, topdress and if site is compacted, use a core aerator
• Optimum seeding dates are now through mid-October.

"You can do the above steps yourself if your lawn damage is minimal," advises Mike Taraborrelli, Giroud Lawn Care Manager. "More extensive renovations may require professional help." To see Ms. Bosold's full article go to: Bosold-Penn State Coop Ext Lawn Report