Eric Countryman, district manager of Davey’s East Pittsburgh office and the first-ever guest on the podcast, joins host Doug Oster to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Talking Trees with Davey Tree! In this episode, they discuss five common tree and landscaping mistakes homeowners make in the first five years, along with tips on mulching, planting best practices and a special giveaway for listeners!

In this episode we cover:

• Trees of Davey calendar (1:21)
• Mistake 1: Not looking at the trees or landscape when buying property (2:30)
• Mistake 2: Not being cautious when making tree or landscape changes (5:28)
• Mistake 3: Planting too deep or too close to the home (6:21)
• Consider planting smaller trees (9:23)
• Patience is key when maintaining trees and a landscape (10:41)
• Mistake 4: Over mulching on your landscape (12:25)
• How often should you mulch? (13:24)
• When to spread different kinds of mulch (14:28)
• River rock as mulch (16:10)
• Are people still using rubber mulch? (18:20)
• Mistake 5: Not doing proper maintenance on your landscape (19:31)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Send an email with your mailing address to podcasts@davey.com for a chance to win a 2026 Trees of Davey calendar!

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about best tree and lawn care practices early on, read our blogs, First-Time, New Homeowner’s Guide To Lawn Care, In Too Deep?, Should I Mulch Around Trees or Not? Yes & Here's Why, How to Take Care of a Newly Planted Tree and Fact or Fiction: Five Ways You May Be Harming Your Trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Paul Vega from Davey's Elmsford office talks about how trees adapt to winter and how homeowners can take care of them during the colder months, including frost cracking, tree dormancy, safe winter work practices and preparing for spring.

In this episode we cover:

• Elmsford's winter season (1:21)
• Frost cracking (2:04)
• Do trees freeze in the winter? (6:57)
• Are trees hibernating during the winter? (7:55)
• Arborists working in cold weather (8:38)
• How homeowners should prepare for winter (10:06)
• Snow-covered ground is good for plants (11:44)
• Beginning spring planting (12:27)
• Paul's favorite winter trees (13:14)
• Beech leaf disease (15:55)
• Have an arborist inspect your trees seasonally (16:44)
• Homeowners shouldn't use chainsaws on their trees (17:53)
• Paul's journey as an arborist (18:55)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about trees during wintertime, read our blogs, Winter Sunscald and Frost Cracks on Trees, Winter Tree Protection: Three Proactive Tips and Can a Tree Freeze to Death in Winter?.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

Jason Parker, district manager of Davey's Warminster office, walks us through what it's like to work with a Davey arborist, including the client relationship, consultations, proposals, price and safety for homeowners.

In this episode we cover:

• Tree preservation (0:44)
• How does an arborist look at a property? (1:17)
• How arborists assess homeowners' tree concerns (2:23)
• Jason's thoughts on improper tree work (3:13)
• Davey's client base (5:38)
• How do arborists react to weather events? (7:40)
• Arborist consultation (9:50)
• Client relationships (11:35) (24:23)
• Flexible proposals, quotes and contracts (15:01) (18:42)
• Safety for homeowners (17:00)
• Do people in day-to-day life ask arborists for advice? (20:54)
• Spotted lanternflies in Philadelphia (21:41)
• Coming back to clients every year (23:27)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about what an arborist visit is like, read our blogs, Why You Should Hire a Certified Arborist, What To Expect When You Request a Davey Tree Free Consultation and The Risk of Using an Uninsured and Unlicensed Arborist.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com.

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!