Olson Tree Care

02/24/2026

An Early Start To The Year!

Greeting's! We are in a sweet spot for a multitude of activities that can be engaged in, not only ensuring the best results, but the fewest side effects. Many don't know that we've already begun logging Growing Degree Days with these elevated temps - the earliest I remember in the last 10 years.

Soil Temperature Woke Everything Up!

Soil temperatures reached 50°F — a key biological threshold — meaning plants and soil organisms have already begun waking up.

With that, here are some things we can do now:

1: Last-Minute Pruning
End-of-winter provides temperatures low enough to suppress pests and pathogens while allowing maximum time for wound response.

2: Soil Conditioning
This comes in many forms — from curbing late-winter stress on evergreens with humectant-based products to soil amendments like gypsum that can improve infiltration rates for the coming year.

3: Seeding
Right now is an ideal time for both grass and wildflower seed. Freeze-thaw cycles help pull seed into the soil naturally.

Tired of looking at that old power box out back? A native wildflower seed mix and simple border improves aesthetics affordably.

4. Evergreen Injections
Maintaining evergreens has become increasingly difficult with the rise of damaging organisms in Iowa. Mid-season injections have reduced effectiveness, whereas early-season treatments allow for better distribution within plant tissues.

5. Fertilization
With soil temperatures creeping upward, a light fertilizer application prior to full green-up can encourage turf root activity and help your yard look its best this spring.

The same holds true for trees. Evergreens respond well right now and can regain color, while deciduous trees typically benefit from lighter or slow-release nutrition to prepare them for spring growth.

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Remember, a 60-degree day can pull buds out of seasonal hardening, increasing moisture loss even before leaves appear — one way winter stress shows up later in spring.

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Hope this finds you well and you’ve had a great winter. Look forward to seeing you this year!

Sincerely,
Chris

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05/29/2025

Stop throwing money away!

A lot of people don’t know where I got my start in trees.

Those closest to me know my love of trees came from a broken youth — but the financial side?

That came from my sister.

She made a lot of money flipping homes in the ’90s, and her secret…

Marry a landscaper and put him to work.

With her finance background, she understood money: buy a house, landscape it, and sell it for profit.

I watched them go from a $45,000 home in the city to a $1.3 million dollar spread in less than 10 years.

So when I got my start, my love of trees was the fuel — but I also knew there was money involved.

Later, a friend of mine, who was a regional manager with Sotheby’s, picked up on this and began pulling me in to consult on high-value properties.

He’d call me and say, “What will it take?”

Most of the time, we would just open or close a view — but other times, more creative work was required to make the place feel finished.

It’s one thing I’ve always done — and will continue to do: consult.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, don’t throw away money. A small investment in advice now can return tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of tax-free dollars later.

✅ Flat Fee Package — $1,500–$3,500 depending on property size and value, covering a property assessment and recommendations.

12/01/2024

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trees 🌳

After decades of growth, this is a deep dive into a journey of life, connection, and the wisdom of trees.

🌿 20% off with code Friend: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-way-of-a-tree

"The Way of a Tree" is a compelling exploration of the life cycles of trees and their profound connection to the world around them. From ancient forests to the trees lining our bustling streets, this book unearths the delicate balance between human habitation and the natural world. It offers practic...

02/27/2024

Had a great time speaking at Iowa State University Shade Tree Short Course on Wounding and Tree Response. 🙏

07/17/2023

It seems every year we have a tree damaging whether event.

And 2023 is no exception.

A larger subject will stem from this as we examine tree diversity and the cultivation of crosses.

But for now lets focus on understanding, awareness, and mitigation.

Because tens of thousands of urban trees hang in the balance.

Bark Flapping Maples. (Acer)

This started in 2022 with damage to the cork bark cambium.

Calling it a frost crack may aid our understanding, but falls short because no crack initially occurred. What’s more frost may not have been the cause.

More accurately, it is described as a wound causing connective tissue dysfunction stemming from an extreme during the diurnal cycle.

These are normally random and infrequent occurrences, allowing a tree time to develop it’s response.

Which is needed because woundwood is prone to damage from temperature extremes.

Sapwood is what provides thermal regulation, existing post well developed woundwood.

Something that was desperately needed in Spring of 2023.

Now we are in July and already seeing premature nutrient translocation, to be followed by leaf abscission.

The bark flapping removed meristematic tissue (both vascular and cork bark cambium) from the xylem, which still continued to function.

But it didn’t last long.

A tree, depending on size, has multiple layers of xylem, which are capable of moisture and nutrient uptake.

Initially, these trees seemed no worse for wear.

But fungi is a foe and xylem absent of meristematic tissue has no function.

So these trees are suffering from what is a large trunk wound that is taking time to develop.

Connective tissue is the most important part of a tree connecting crown to the ground making replacement a must.

Success depends on availabile resources.

Those can be affected by watering.

Also, monitoring woundwood is required so we have the hope of subsequent sapwood.

Squirrels pose the greatest risk to this wood.

Preservation of the exposed dysfunctional wood is also another desirable step as the tree will fail to occlude a large wound.

This leaves an opening to secondary opportunistic organisms which find decomposing wood a good host.

Enter in the carpenter worm moth larvae.

They love maple wounds, thriving on their dysfunctional wood.

Which in it of itself would not be a problem outside of accelerated decomposition resulting in loss of structure.

The problem lies in how they exit the tree.

Often they go through the woundwood causing extensive damage to the trees much needed response.

04/25/2023

Side flashes don’t have to leave the tree.


By definition, it can occur “between different parts of the same conductor”

In this case, it happened not once, or twice, but thrice.

There are 5 ways in which lightning contacts.

- Direct strike

- Side flash

- Ground current

- Conduction

- Streamers

All of which can engage a tree.

Understanding these movements helps us better diagnose the damage.

And through this, we preserve or protect.

Retain and monitor preserves and removal protects.

The family, that is.

This walnut will suffer the latter.

While the strike in it of itself may not have been enough to condemn, the side flash will be.

The damage to the response growth, which compensated the basal wound compromise, means 40% of its circumference will be turned over to dysfunction.

And that's too much for me, as there is more than we see.

Because damage occurs internally.

Side flashes don’t have to leave the tree. By definition, it can occur “between different parts of the same conductor”In this case, it happened not once, or ...

03/06/2023

Six ways to succeed when pruning young trees.

1. Don’t fight their form.

- developing a central leader on a spreading form tree is a disaster.

2. Shoot to root ratio.

- if you want more roots, you'll need more shoots. Pruning to offset postpones any progress, leaving above and below ground biomass setback.

3. Vitality

- make sure the tree is healthy. Transplant shock can go on for years and pruning prior to establishment may mark the end.

4. Leave those lowers alone.

- critical to success, these elders uptake assist, shade, protect and produce.

5. Reduce, don’t remove.

- subordinate temporary branches limiting an early and unwanted respiratory cost.

6. Exercise

- remove small crossing stems which may lead to natural brace formation and subsequent included bark.

Intentionally missing from the list…

A. Dominant leader development.

- despite being the #1 recommendation on every arborist list, promoting this over form teaches a one size fits all technique.

B. Balance

- leans are often corrected on their own as tropism directs more than pruning ever will.

With all of that said, the perfect tree will never be,

if we look up before we look down.

For a buried root crown.

02/28/2023

ISA Board Certified Master Arborist Chris Olson continues his education with this new credential.

Combined with the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification gives the advantage needed to provide next level Tree Care that Des Moines deserves.

02/27/2023

Top Ten reasons to plant clusters of trees like these.

1. Soil temperature.

- shade stimulates microbial activity by lowering temps.

2. Air temperature.

- LiDAR data shows that dense groupings of trees lower air temperatures more effectively than evenly spaced tree canopies.

3. Biomechanics.

- wind loading dynamics and damping will be favorable displacing force.

4. Soil moisture.

- lowered temperatures reduce evaporation while the additional rhizosphere functions as a reservoir increasing capacity.

5. Wildlife Habitat.

- increased biodiversity through having more potential habitats.

6. Root fusion.

- like species roots will connect translocating resources. Trees will work as a community to increase group vitality.

7. Preservation.

- protection of permeable surfaces is possible. (No room for construction)

8. Uptake.

- lowered air temps keep stomata open while additional rhizosphere increases hydraulic conductivity.

9. Drought tolerance.

- source to sink symbiosis, increased uptake, shade and soil moisture capacity all assist.

10. Storm water runoff retention.

- trees intercept storm water aiding in flood prevention. More trees, more interception.

And furthermore,

Why plant just one when ten has more fun?

02/10/2023

Reaction wood is “special” wood formed in response to stress.

Not to be confused with wound wood, it can be caused by wind, gravity or other stress.

(A bird feeder on the end of a branch being one of them)

The “special” references the large growth rings containing more than normal lignin and cellulose. (lignin in softwoods and cellulose in hardwoods)

Angiosperms form tension wood on the tops of the branches, acting as a support being pulled upon.

(In the situation of continuous stress on a vertical branch, i.e. wind loading, the wood forms on the stress side)

In the case of gymnosperms, compression wood is formed on the lower side (or opposite stress) acting as a support being pushed upon.

Both types of reaction wood have a secondary goal of influencing the growth direction growing AGAINST the stress.

So with all of that said,

Why is there more wood on the lower side of this oak branch?

Tension Wood Failure.

When the tree identifies that support for the branch is waning, it develops large amounts of normal wood in an asymmetrical manner.

Hence lower wood when there should be upper.

Showing a different kind of failure.

02/08/2023

Removal of branches over rooves is a detriment to trees and owners alike.

Here are 10 reasons to leave those lowers alone.

1. Surface friction.

- wind speeds increase with height and exposure. Removal of lower branches increases height and exposure while reducing friction.

2. Leverage.

- lower branches have strength with a windward lean. They are less likely to break, taking the fight to the wind.

3. Consequence of failure.

- for them it is not a far fall doing less damage should the fail.

4. Reaction wood.

- gravity stimulates structural wood development which strengthens. These branches are stronger than others.

5. Vitality.

- there is a direct correlation between Live Crown Ratio and Vitality. Lower branches assist with uptake, soil shading, wood functionality etc.

6. Wind loading protection factor.

- interior branches are buffered. It is common when lowers are removed that others fail.

7. Money.

- there is a reduction in cooling costs from shade and heating costs with windbreak.

8. Diversion of resources.

- removal creates a response (biomass replacement) which is a respiratory cost. This cost comes at the expense of other areas. ie structural wood development.

9. Crown shyness.

- in nature trees grow in close proximity without contact. This tendency is mostly true in urban forests when we leave well enough alone.

10. Target protection factor.

- the consequence of a failure is reduced should an upper branch in the crown, or whole tree, fail.

In short, lower branches protect occupants. Quite the opposite is believed to be true.

And if all of this isn’t enough, it costs nothing to leave them alone.

What more could one want?