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!

Luke Brunner, arborist and business developer in Detroit, talks about what it takes to care for trees during the wintertime, including snow and ice protection, pruning, mulching and general planting tips.

In this episode we cover:

• Should I leave the snow and ice on my tree? (0:58)
• Should I treat young trees and mature trees differently in winter? (2:26)
• Growing trees meant for different climates (3:06)
• Oak and elm damage and pruning (7:02)
• Maple and pine damage and pruning (11:00)
• Do arborists work in severely cold weather? (12:36)
• What Luke does as a business developer at Davey (13:45)
• Volcano mulching (14:57)
• Mulching trees in winter (17:17)
• Luke's green giant arborvitaes (18:32)
• Why this job is right for Luke (21:11)
• Shoutout for Detroit (21:50)

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

To learn more about winter tree care, read our blogs, Tree Care: Winter Tree Protection for Roots, Trunks and Branches, Don’t Skip a Winter Tree Inspection: Why Cold Weather Reveals Hidden Tree Risks, Seasonal Tree Care Checklist: How to Keep Trees Healthy This Winter and Protecting Newly Planted Trees from Frost & Cold Winter Weather.

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!

Dr. Dan Herms, vice president and general manager of the Davey Institute, takes us through Davey's newly completed SEED Campus. Since its opening in August 2025, several programs, trainings and initiatives have started taking place there, which is strengthening safety, training and research in the green industry. You can watch this podcast in video form to see the completed property come to life. Watch the YouTube video, Tour the Completed SEED Campus with Dr. Dan Herms.

In this episode we cover:

• What does SEED stand for? (0:46)
• Climbing center (1:12)
• Sustainability (1:36)
  • SITES certification and the stormwater retention program (2:00)
• Dan's feelings about the SEED Campus opening (2:42)
• Research initiatives (3:09)
• Arboretum (3:48)
• The Davey Institute offices, classrooms, archives and event center (4:17)
• Golf greens (5:16)
• Bog (5:41)
• Training programs at SEED (6:38)
• Utility training (7:29)
• Canopy walk (8:21)
• Greenhouses (9:28)
• Tree research plantation (9:54)
• Why is SEED important for Davey's clients? (10:35)
• What's next for the campus? (11:11)
• What are Dan's hopes for the future of the SEED Campus? (11:54)

To watch Doug's tour of the property with Dr. Herms, watch the video on YouTube here.

To learn more about the SEED Campus, visit www.Davey.com/SEED.

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

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!

Throughout the Talking Trees podcast, we’ve asked Davey employees questions like "How did you become an arborist?" and "Why is this job right for you?" In this special episode, we’ve compiled eight arborists' inspiring answers that share the journeys that brought our team to where they are today.

In this episode we cover the stories of:

• Brad McBride, district manager of Davey's West Cleveland office (0:46)
• Chelsi Abbott, plant pathologist with the Davey Institute (2:04)
• Aaron Hoot, district manager of Davey's Dallas office (3:47)
• Jason Parker, district manager of Davey's Warminster office (6:49)
• Kevin Sproule, assistant district manager of Davey's Edmonton office (7:54)
• Taylor Judd, sales arborist at Davey's East Denver office (9:02)
• Joe Berg, district manager of Davey's East Bay office (11:05)
• Natascha Batchelor, sales arborist at Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, in Cape Cod (12:31)

To learn more about careers at Davey, visit www.Davey.com/Careers.

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

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!

Jacob Ryg, district manager of Davey's South St. Paul office, debunks common winter tree care myths and shares practical tips to keep your landscape healthy throughout the season.

In this episode we cover:

• Does a tree need water in the winter? (0:45)
• How much watering does your tree need? (1:58)
• Minnesota's season so far (2:30)
• Should all pruning wait until spring? (2:52)
• Snow and ice damage trees (4:38)
• How to manage wet snow on trees (5:22)
• Prune before winter sets in (6:33)
• Can tree care wait until spring? (7:34)
• Tree wraps (9:20)
• Should you let trees heal themselves? (11:05)
• Don't rake up all your leaves (12:29)
• Prairie lawns (14:57)
• Plants and grasses for prairie lawns (16:44)
• Environmental impacts of prairie lawns (18:42)

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

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!

Matt Scott from Davey's Raleigh office talks all about tree pruning, including best practices, safety, ideal times to prune and why a certified arborist is best for the job.

In this episode we cover:

• What can homeowners prune themselves? (0:46)
• Assess if your tree needs pruning or not (1:42)
• Safety while pruning (2:57)
• Teaching clients to prune from the ground (4:00)
• When is the right time to prune a tree? (5:45)
• When to prune an oak or elm tree (7:28)
• The worst things homeowners can do to trees (8:22)
• Have a certified arborist prune your trees (9:24) (20:45)
• The importance of the right tools (10:43)
• Pruning cuts (12:36)
• Fixing bad pruning mistakes (14:40)
• The artistry of pruning (18:15)

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

To learn more about pruning and tree care, read our blogs, What is Pruning? Importance, Benefits & Methods of Pruning, Signs Your Trees Need Pruning and our other pruning blogs.

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!