1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,840 Wister Dorta: But Mike Tyson says it very well. 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,600 Wister Dorta: Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the mouth. 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:11,920 Wister Dorta: And when extreme weather happens, preventative maintenance is a good way to talk to people about what's going on. 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:20,720 Wister Dorta: But I look at it like focusing on the biome that you have and keeping that healthy so that it doesn't feel like preventative maintenance. 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,720 Wister Dorta: It actually just feels like some type of health plan. 6 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,240 Wister Dorta: 3, 2, 1. 7 00:00:31,980 --> 00:00:39,100 Chantel Davis: Welcome to Rooted in Care, where we amplify the voices of our clients and dive into how tree care plays an integral role in our everyday lives. 8 00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:50,780 Buddy Marshall: Whether you're familiar with a tree or new to our community, we're here to bring the service industry together to explore the deep rooted connection between people, trees and the environment. 9 00:00:52,060 --> 00:00:55,500 Chantel Davis: I'm Chantel Davis, Chief revenue officer at A Tree. 10 00:00:55,820 --> 00:00:58,500 Buddy Marshall: I'm Buddy Marshall, VP of Commercial sales. 11 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:01,500 Chantel Davis: We'll dig into what matters most to you. 12 00:01:01,690 --> 00:01:07,600 Chantel Davis: Yes, your input shapes how tree care enhances the beauty of our communities while protecting our natural surroundings. 13 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:14,480 Buddy Marshall: Let's get to the root of thoughtful tree care for your property, your city, your home. 14 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,320 Chantel Davis: Welcome to Rooted in Care. 15 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:28,170 Chantel Davis: Today we're tackling one of the biggest summer challenges for trees, and that is drought straight stress. 16 00:01:28,730 --> 00:01:37,210 Chantel Davis: So from visible symptoms to unseen soil issues, we'll cover how to protect your trees through smart watering, root care and policy awareness. 17 00:01:37,690 --> 00:01:39,530 Chantel Davis: Joining us today, we're very excited. 18 00:01:39,610 --> 00:01:41,210 Chantel Davis: We have Wister Dorta. 19 00:01:41,210 --> 00:01:45,130 Chantel Davis: He's the Western Regional Technical Specialist at arborjet. 20 00:01:45,130 --> 00:01:47,610 Chantel Davis: Wister began his career in New York City. 21 00:01:48,010 --> 00:02:01,360 Chantel Davis: He was shaping urban tree protocols and leading tree protection efforts, really before bringing his expertise to Santa Monica to focus on preservation, drought resilience and city forestry, which is pretty cool. 22 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:08,479 Chantel Davis: With advanced degrees and multiple professional certification, Worcester is leading sustainable urban arboriculture. 23 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:18,160 Chantel Davis: And today he's actually going to be sharing what every property manager and honestly, tree owner needs to know before the summer heat hits, because we know it gets hot. 24 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:30,400 Chantel Davis: So together we'll dive into smart irrigation tips, the importance of root and soil health, and what the California Assembly Bill 1572 means for your trees moving forward. 25 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,000 Chantel Davis: So, Wister, thank you so much for joining us. 26 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:41,760 Chantel Davis: Before we jump in, today's topic, can you just tell our listeners a little bit about your background, who you are and how you got into this work? 27 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,400 Wister Dorta: Really nice to meet you and thank you for having me. 28 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:56,460 Wister Dorta: I grew up in New York City in Brooklyn, New York, and I kind of came up through some cool gardening and tree programs through like the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and some other things. 29 00:02:56,460 --> 00:03:04,300 Wister Dorta: And I was advised by AP environmental science teacher that if you wanted a guaranteed job, go into the environment. 30 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:07,340 Wister Dorta: And it kind of stuck with Treece. 31 00:03:07,340 --> 00:03:10,220 Wister Dorta: After I got my degree in environmental and forest biology. 32 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:11,380 Chantel Davis: I love that. 33 00:03:11,380 --> 00:03:11,980 Chantel Davis: Look at that. 34 00:03:11,980 --> 00:03:12,740 Chantel Davis: It is smart, right? 35 00:03:12,740 --> 00:03:14,140 Chantel Davis: We always got to care about our environment. 36 00:03:14,460 --> 00:03:16,500 Chantel Davis: So your teacher did you right. 37 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:17,580 Chantel Davis: Look at where you are today. 38 00:03:18,450 --> 00:03:25,250 Chantel Davis: So to kind of get it started, we're going to really just dive in Wister and get to know you and your career based on your history. 39 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:27,570 Chantel Davis: And you said you grew up in New York. 40 00:03:27,970 --> 00:03:30,210 Chantel Davis: You actually did a full 360, right? 41 00:03:30,210 --> 00:03:34,690 Chantel Davis: You went from coast to coast, New York to Santa Monica, California. 42 00:03:35,090 --> 00:03:38,530 Chantel Davis: You might have kept the accent, but you are living in a very different area. 43 00:03:38,930 --> 00:03:50,160 Chantel Davis: So working in trees in New York City and then now doing drought planning in Santa Monica, did you ever think that this industry would take you to where you are today? 44 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:58,320 Wister Dorta: It's been a treat to not only go from Brooklyn to Santa Monica, coast to coast, but now I also work in Hawaii. 45 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,400 Wister Dorta: So I'm like coast to coast. 46 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,160 Wister Dorta: And it's been a blessing to be able to navigate and support. 47 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:12,160 Wister Dorta: I'm really grateful that I grew up in a busy place and from a young age were told you have to work hard to stand out and above. 48 00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:15,180 Wister Dorta: Otherwise you'll just get caught up in the rest of the ocean. 49 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:18,860 Wister Dorta: So coming to California was a unique challenge. 50 00:04:19,579 --> 00:04:27,180 Wister Dorta: And it really was an opportunity for me to broaden my expertise on different species palettes, weather patterns and microclimates. 51 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:38,700 Wister Dorta: And it was an opportunity that somebody identified as right up my alley when it came to tree preservation, rock construction, and updating protocols for urban forestry programming. 52 00:04:39,370 --> 00:04:51,490 Wister Dorta: So it was a treat to be able to muster up and take a plane across the country with two duffel bags and land at 4 in the morning and then go right into HR to get, you know, hit the rubber. 53 00:04:51,490 --> 00:04:52,730 Wister Dorta: Meets the road, as they say. 54 00:04:53,690 --> 00:04:56,530 Chantel Davis: So you moved all the way from New York with two duffel bags? 55 00:04:56,530 --> 00:04:58,970 Chantel Davis: I think that's what I got out of it, which is pretty impressive. 56 00:04:59,050 --> 00:05:01,130 Chantel Davis: So I went back home to get. 57 00:05:01,130 --> 00:05:02,890 Wister Dorta: A couple of sneakers and stuff, but. 58 00:05:03,210 --> 00:05:05,610 Chantel Davis: You know, there we go. 59 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:08,620 Buddy Marshall: Leave home without the Jordans, man. 60 00:05:08,620 --> 00:05:09,260 Buddy Marshall: Come on now. 61 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:11,260 Buddy Marshall: Did I have those? 62 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:15,740 Buddy Marshall: So Worcester, I mean, man, coast to coast, travel all over the place. 63 00:05:15,820 --> 00:05:18,860 Buddy Marshall: He's probably dealt with a lot of different situations. 64 00:05:19,020 --> 00:05:23,500 Buddy Marshall: So what's a tree care moment or lesson that's really stayed with you over the years? 65 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:24,620 Buddy Marshall: And obviously you've. 66 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:30,460 Buddy Marshall: You've probably come across plenty of situations, but what's one or two things that have kind of stuck out to you. 67 00:05:30,460 --> 00:05:50,640 Wister Dorta: And it's been a blessing to be able to navigate and support landscapes in other places and put in the research to give those patients the help they need for speaking of trees, a tree care moment or lesson that stayed with me over the years is someone once told me, don't hesitate to say yes to a new challenge. 68 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,080 Wister Dorta: It will unfold from there. 69 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,280 Wister Dorta: And it really gave me a little bit of, we all need a little bit of a push forward. 70 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,120 Wister Dorta: That's how I learned how to swim. 71 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:00,760 Wister Dorta: Just got thrown in the pool. 72 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:09,240 Wister Dorta: And I think also it's a great opportunity for people to take those words from others and carry that baton and run forward. 73 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:11,360 Chantel Davis: I love that. 74 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,040 Chantel Davis: That's awesome. 75 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,800 Chantel Davis: And I love that you refer to the trees as your patient. 76 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,920 Chantel Davis: So I've got a sweet spot there because they are right. 77 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,880 Chantel Davis: They're so important and I think sometimes overlooked. 78 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:27,240 Chantel Davis: And that's really why we're doing what we're doing as we're kind of getting to know you and what you do. 79 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:38,720 Chantel Davis: Could you help our listeners kind of understand when it comes to watering trees and keeping them hydrated, what is one misconception you often hear that would be important for people to know? 80 00:06:40,560 --> 00:07:01,760 Wister Dorta: I think people sometimes focus on deep watering and I like to use the formal term of field capacity because it's challenging to isolate water just in the drip line of a tree and then the rest of the soil is dry so it can get like absorbed out. 81 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:16,760 Wister Dorta: But understanding what and how much water the tree really needs, depending the size and species, is what will allow you to talk about hydration versus like deep watering. 82 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,040 Wister Dorta: People just misunderstand it. 83 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,000 Wister Dorta: Like you just got to let a hose run all night. 84 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,840 Wister Dorta: And it's all species dependent and site specific. 85 00:07:24,270 --> 00:07:27,110 Chantel Davis: We like to keep it really simple for our viewers, right. 86 00:07:27,110 --> 00:07:29,390 Chantel Davis: Explaining why it's so important with what you do. 87 00:07:29,390 --> 00:07:32,830 Chantel Davis: And we always tell ourselves we need to drink a certain amount of water, right? 88 00:07:32,910 --> 00:07:37,310 Chantel Davis: We have to make sure we stay hydrated and we should have the same thought process. 89 00:07:37,550 --> 00:07:39,950 Chantel Davis: So as we're going through this with you, Mr. 90 00:07:40,029 --> 00:07:46,190 Chantel Davis: I just want everybody to kind of remember that we need to take care of them just like we take care of ourself and our animals. 91 00:07:46,830 --> 00:07:48,350 Chantel Davis: They are a living species. 92 00:07:48,350 --> 00:07:49,150 Chantel Davis: It's very important. 93 00:07:49,550 --> 00:07:56,800 Chantel Davis: So how have attitudes about tree irrigation and water conservation evolved over the past decade? 94 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,680 Chantel Davis: Because I know that's been an ever changing topic and kind of coming front and center. 95 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,480 Chantel Davis: So how do you think it's evolved in your experience since you've been doing it? 96 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,840 Wister Dorta: We have listeners from all over the US and the world. 97 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:16,120 Wister Dorta: And they all have different water frequencies when it comes to rain and opportunity for irrigation. 98 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:23,120 Wister Dorta: And, you know, the image and cost of using water has definitely changed drastically. 99 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:28,920 Wister Dorta: When I came to California in 2014, having a hose out on your lawn was like a faux pas. 100 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:40,720 Wister Dorta: And it was all these different, like, parameters that people upheld each other to, which, as you know, it makes sense and it can be interpretive. 101 00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:50,429 Wister Dorta: But for sure, I think what matters is understanding what it is that you have, where is it, and what is the consumption. 102 00:08:50,829 --> 00:08:52,149 Wister Dorta: It's just like anything else. 103 00:08:52,149 --> 00:08:57,709 Wister Dorta: If you have a habit that costs a lot of money, you need to be able to make enough money to supplement that hobby. 104 00:08:58,109 --> 00:09:08,829 Wister Dorta: So understanding your water tables, like the M. Wheelo in California Metropolitan water efficiency ordinance, they have hydro zones and some water. 105 00:09:08,909 --> 00:09:11,629 Wister Dorta: Some sites of the landscape will get more water than others. 106 00:09:11,629 --> 00:09:13,549 Wister Dorta: And that's how you focus your budget. 107 00:09:13,629 --> 00:09:13,949 Wister Dorta: Right? 108 00:09:13,949 --> 00:09:22,010 Wister Dorta: So it's really important to just zoom out and focus on what it is that you're dealing with. 109 00:09:22,010 --> 00:09:22,370 Wister Dorta: Right? 110 00:09:22,370 --> 00:09:24,010 Wister Dorta: Act locally, think globally. 111 00:09:24,410 --> 00:09:31,650 Chantel Davis: You got to make sure that you're investing in the right things and making sure you know what's needed to really be able to take care of your trees. 112 00:09:31,650 --> 00:09:35,730 Chantel Davis: And you said the joke, make sure you have the money to invest in your hobby. 113 00:09:35,730 --> 00:09:37,730 Chantel Davis: And I think most people probably don't do that. 114 00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:42,360 Chantel Davis: But I do say we should use the money, right, to invest in our trees. 115 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,760 Chantel Davis: You live in California, I live in Northern California. 116 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,240 Chantel Davis: So it is getting into the season of fire season, right? 117 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:49,920 Chantel Davis: We don't love that, but it is happening. 118 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:50,920 Chantel Davis: It's getting hot, right? 119 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,160 Chantel Davis: We're getting, you know, triple digits. 120 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:58,640 Chantel Davis: And you don't think about, you know, we have a lot of hardscape in our front yard, but we still have a lot of trees, right? 121 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,720 Chantel Davis: We got to make sure that we're taking care of those trees. 122 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,080 Chantel Davis: So I think that's really good to kind of think about it that way. 123 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,400 Chantel Davis: It should be part of kind of our daily routine. 124 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:13,650 Buddy Marshall: So, Worcester Chantelle mentioned hardscaping and talked about, you know, more on the residential side. 125 00:10:13,650 --> 00:10:24,730 Buddy Marshall: Give us some examples of what challenges that professionals and property owners are facing right now when it comes to summer tree care, since it is getting warmer out there. 126 00:10:25,530 --> 00:10:30,890 Wister Dorta: I think having the right people giving you the education is important. 127 00:10:31,450 --> 00:10:34,550 Wister Dorta: I mean, everybody's out there trying to sell something, right? 128 00:10:34,550 --> 00:10:36,110 Wister Dorta: They're called sales arborists. 129 00:10:36,270 --> 00:10:39,870 Wister Dorta: Most clients are not in the field of wanting to be sold. 130 00:10:40,430 --> 00:10:40,830 Wister Dorta: Right. 131 00:10:40,910 --> 00:10:52,590 Wister Dorta: They're more about being taught and shown results that will support their desire into having a successful landscape with your Help. 132 00:10:53,230 --> 00:10:55,070 Wister Dorta: There are case by case scenarios. 133 00:10:55,710 --> 00:10:58,190 Wister Dorta: I always like to say no two sites are the same. 134 00:10:58,910 --> 00:11:13,160 Wister Dorta: But being able to have people understand what they dealt with in the past and not repeating that will give them the opportunity to a understand how much it will cost, but also what it will reap in benefits in the long term. 135 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:19,400 Wister Dorta: Because as trees become larger, their environmental benefits do enhance and become greater. 136 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,960 Chantel Davis: We're getting into what I call the meat right. 137 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,120 Chantel Davis: Of the conversation now. 138 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,160 Chantel Davis: Our listeners are going, okay, right? 139 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:26,360 Chantel Davis: Like what do I do now? 140 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,440 Chantel Davis: Because clearly it's something that you're identifying. 141 00:11:28,850 --> 00:11:30,770 Chantel Davis: So I always like to say, let's get practical here. 142 00:11:30,770 --> 00:11:31,090 Chantel Davis: Right. 143 00:11:31,330 --> 00:11:37,250 Chantel Davis: So for our listeners, you know, they want to know how can they identify drought stress early. 144 00:11:37,410 --> 00:11:37,730 Chantel Davis: Right. 145 00:11:37,730 --> 00:11:39,170 Chantel Davis: And avoid that long term damage. 146 00:11:39,170 --> 00:11:39,370 Chantel Davis: Right. 147 00:11:39,370 --> 00:11:40,290 Chantel Davis: That you're talking about. 148 00:11:40,530 --> 00:11:45,570 Chantel Davis: So for those listening, drought stress isn't just about droopy leaves, right? 149 00:11:45,570 --> 00:11:46,330 Chantel Davis: That's what I think it is. 150 00:11:46,330 --> 00:11:49,970 Chantel Davis: Like, oh, the leaf is droopy or it looks like it's dying, so it must need water. 151 00:11:50,370 --> 00:11:52,970 Chantel Davis: There are some invisible effects, right? 152 00:11:52,970 --> 00:11:53,890 Chantel Davis: I know you'll talk about it. 153 00:11:53,890 --> 00:11:57,870 Chantel Davis: Visible effects that affect drought and property owners just miss it. 154 00:11:58,110 --> 00:12:01,790 Chantel Davis: And so it could be within the soil, it could be in the root system. 155 00:12:02,350 --> 00:12:03,990 Chantel Davis: You probably know this better than me. 156 00:12:03,990 --> 00:12:06,510 Chantel Davis: That's the basis of what I know about it. 157 00:12:06,510 --> 00:12:16,350 Chantel Davis: So what are some early visual symptoms of drought stress that a property owner should watch out for when they're going outside and looking at their property and their trees? 158 00:12:16,990 --> 00:12:28,490 Wister Dorta: I think the cool thing about having properties and overseeing their evolution is the weather is typically semi consistent. 159 00:12:28,570 --> 00:12:28,930 Wister Dorta: Right. 160 00:12:28,930 --> 00:12:38,570 Wister Dorta: And understanding weather patterns and when it begins to become hot and when rain becomes less or rain becomes more prevalent. 161 00:12:39,130 --> 00:12:46,930 Wister Dorta: Soil probes are an amazing opportunity for you to poke around your site and see how much moisture is in your soil. 162 00:12:46,930 --> 00:12:55,040 Wister Dorta: And I do believe that most people have a signature plant in their landscape that is kind of like the telltale of watering, right. 163 00:12:55,040 --> 00:13:01,960 Wister Dorta: They have this one pot that has some species of, you know, little bush or plant that starts weeping. 164 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,640 Wister Dorta: And that's kind of what tells them things are it's really hot outside or whatever it is. 165 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:23,180 Wister Dorta: But if you're paying attention to the weather, it's either on the client end to understand where they live and how it's like, or on the service provider end to be able to kind of forecast and show what are trends that are coming and how it is that you can be supportive. 166 00:13:23,180 --> 00:13:28,740 Wister Dorta: And that turns more into a holistic plan versus feeling like you're being sold something because it's becoming drastic. 167 00:13:29,140 --> 00:13:31,140 Wister Dorta: I did a presentation in Arizona. 168 00:13:31,220 --> 00:13:37,380 Wister Dorta: And I pulled up the top five cities, annual precipitation and like square miles. 169 00:13:37,380 --> 00:13:43,140 Wister Dorta: And I was able to show them that over the last five years, this is how much precipitation on average you received monthly. 170 00:13:43,870 --> 00:13:55,310 Wister Dorta: And it was able to showcase dry times so that clients can be informed statistically versus just, hey, it's hot outside, right? 171 00:13:56,030 --> 00:13:58,190 Chantel Davis: Yeah, that's, I mean that's really interesting. 172 00:13:58,190 --> 00:14:01,510 Chantel Davis: I know we, you know, we have business up in the Pacific Northwest, right. 173 00:14:01,510 --> 00:14:04,070 Chantel Davis: You get a lot of precipitation there. 174 00:14:04,070 --> 00:14:06,790 Chantel Davis: And then in California, Southern, right. 175 00:14:06,790 --> 00:14:08,750 Chantel Davis: You get more just drought. 176 00:14:08,750 --> 00:14:10,430 Chantel Davis: Northern California, we get a mix, right? 177 00:14:10,430 --> 00:14:11,390 Chantel Davis: We're kind of a balance. 178 00:14:12,210 --> 00:14:17,690 Chantel Davis: But being able to have that data and I think to paraphrase it's preventative maintenance, right? 179 00:14:17,690 --> 00:14:21,570 Chantel Davis: Like don't wait till something, you know, drastic is happening. 180 00:14:21,570 --> 00:14:31,170 Chantel Davis: And you're calling a plus tree because your tree fell down right on your house or your car because it was, you know, from the inside out, it was dying. 181 00:14:31,570 --> 00:14:33,490 Chantel Davis: And we get a lot of those calls. 182 00:14:33,490 --> 00:14:37,690 Chantel Davis: Just last week we had a couple calls come in and there was a little bit of wind. 183 00:14:37,690 --> 00:14:40,790 Chantel Davis: But I think these trees just were sick, right? 184 00:14:40,790 --> 00:14:43,910 Chantel Davis: And they weren't taken care of and they weren't doing that preventative maintenance. 185 00:14:43,910 --> 00:14:53,190 Chantel Davis: So that is so important as people think about it, preventative maintenance really prevents an emergency or something drastic from happening that you can't come back from. 186 00:14:53,350 --> 00:14:55,670 Chantel Davis: So that was very helpful. 187 00:14:56,150 --> 00:15:00,470 Wister Dorta: I like to say if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. 188 00:15:01,030 --> 00:15:08,540 Wister Dorta: And having that plan in place, love it will allow your signature site glow or at least withstand those heat waves. 189 00:15:08,940 --> 00:15:11,020 Wister Dorta: But Mike Tyson says it very well. 190 00:15:11,340 --> 00:15:13,740 Wister Dorta: Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the mouth. 191 00:15:13,740 --> 00:15:27,980 Wister Dorta: And when extreme weather happens and you suffer from summer limb drop or extensive winds or oversaturated soils and you know, tree failures of other like unpredictable or extreme nature. 192 00:15:28,220 --> 00:15:34,470 Wister Dorta: But preventative maintenance is a good way to talk to people about understanding what's going on. 193 00:15:34,550 --> 00:15:43,670 Wister Dorta: But I look at it like focusing on the biome that you have and keeping that healthy so that it doesn't feel like preventative maintenance. 194 00:15:43,670 --> 00:15:47,590 Wister Dorta: It actually just feels like some type of health plan. 195 00:15:48,230 --> 00:15:52,430 Wister Dorta: And that's kind of like the cool part of this industry because we're able to. 196 00:15:52,430 --> 00:15:58,600 Wister Dorta: And it's just like people, there's going to be a tree that never went to the doctor for 50 years, just like grandpa or whatever. 197 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:04,440 Wister Dorta: And then there's going to be a, a tree that sees the doctor all the time for whatever reason it is, right? 198 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:11,440 Wister Dorta: Whether they are hyper focused on what's going on in development or there's actually something happening and it's chronic. 199 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,080 Chantel Davis: Yeah, I laughed. 200 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:15,200 Chantel Davis: I'm like, okay, don't. 201 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:16,440 Chantel Davis: My family listens to this. 202 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:22,000 Chantel Davis: And I could just correlate it to one of each of them, like one that goes to the doctor, one that doesn't go to the doctor. 203 00:16:22,930 --> 00:16:24,210 Chantel Davis: But I think it is so important. 204 00:16:24,290 --> 00:16:24,610 Chantel Davis: Right. 205 00:16:24,610 --> 00:16:27,010 Chantel Davis: I know you said don't call it preventative maintenance. 206 00:16:27,010 --> 00:16:29,490 Chantel Davis: It's just education is really how I'm looking at education. 207 00:16:29,650 --> 00:16:36,050 Chantel Davis: If you know and understand it from people like yourself, then you're aware of it. 208 00:16:36,290 --> 00:16:38,330 Chantel Davis: So it just, it works out for you. 209 00:16:38,330 --> 00:16:39,810 Chantel Davis: So you know the signs to look for. 210 00:16:40,050 --> 00:16:42,410 Buddy Marshall: So yes, routine. 211 00:16:42,410 --> 00:16:43,290 Buddy Marshall: And those stay. 212 00:16:43,290 --> 00:16:43,890 Buddy Marshall: I love those. 213 00:16:44,610 --> 00:16:46,370 Buddy Marshall: We use those in the Marine Corps a lot. 214 00:16:46,850 --> 00:16:48,850 Buddy Marshall: You don't have to get ready if you stay ready. 215 00:16:48,850 --> 00:16:49,410 Buddy Marshall: Let's go. 216 00:16:49,930 --> 00:16:53,090 Buddy Marshall: So Chantelle mentioned a couple of trees that she's seen. 217 00:16:53,090 --> 00:16:55,370 Buddy Marshall: You know, just a little bit of wind knocking them over. 218 00:16:55,530 --> 00:17:02,570 Buddy Marshall: So maybe tell us why soil health is so important, especially in drier, compacted areas. 219 00:17:04,490 --> 00:17:06,890 Wister Dorta: Well, it's site specific. 220 00:17:07,450 --> 00:17:14,210 Wister Dorta: And you have a different balance of how you label soil in a landscape. 221 00:17:14,210 --> 00:17:14,410 Wister Dorta: Right. 222 00:17:14,410 --> 00:17:17,010 Wister Dorta: It's usually influenced by people. 223 00:17:17,730 --> 00:17:19,890 Wister Dorta: It's very rarely natural anymore. 224 00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:27,810 Wister Dorta: When developments occur, the soil that's put back in may be amended for the site. 225 00:17:27,890 --> 00:17:30,410 Wister Dorta: And you have to support and keep that moving forward. 226 00:17:30,410 --> 00:17:40,530 Wister Dorta: Just like we take multivitamins to supplement those nutrients in our bodies due to the diets available to us in site specific to the species. 227 00:17:41,900 --> 00:17:46,540 Wister Dorta: And what I like to talk about soil health is dirt is dead. 228 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:47,500 Wister Dorta: Right. 229 00:17:48,140 --> 00:17:54,460 Wister Dorta: And soil is a biome that varies where you are with basic nuts and bolts structures. 230 00:17:55,500 --> 00:18:11,980 Wister Dorta: Being able to feed mycorrhizae and microbes in the soil and making sure that you have beneficial insects hanging around in your soil and in your canopies will support any type of impacts from outside stressors. 231 00:18:12,700 --> 00:18:18,380 Wister Dorta: You can go to the USGS to learn about soil profiles that are native to the areas you live in. 232 00:18:19,420 --> 00:18:28,620 Wister Dorta: And you can do your own Google searches on what are those parent profiles due to the geology of the way the area was shaped naturally over the millions of years. 233 00:18:29,980 --> 00:18:43,300 Wister Dorta: Then you're able to understand drainage and what's going on with nutrient availability and absorption or traditional types of water drainage or absorption in your soil and understanding the mitigation of that. 234 00:18:43,540 --> 00:18:49,940 Buddy Marshall: I think that's very important that you mentioned, you know, having like we have good bacteria and bad bacteria for our bodies. 235 00:18:50,260 --> 00:18:51,580 Buddy Marshall: So same with the soil. 236 00:18:51,580 --> 00:19:00,380 Buddy Marshall: We need, we need those insects and some of those things that some homeowners consider pests might be Actually helping your soil because they're infiltrating that soil. 237 00:19:00,380 --> 00:19:01,540 Buddy Marshall: So that's good information. 238 00:19:01,780 --> 00:19:04,060 Chantel Davis: This is where I go in a chat, GPT it, right. 239 00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:05,780 Chantel Davis: Because there are so much information there. 240 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:07,720 Chantel Davis: But it is good, right? 241 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:08,480 Chantel Davis: It's all about education. 242 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:16,600 Chantel Davis: Go and look up, you know, the information in your region, right, in your area to really understand it based on the climate that you live in. 243 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:17,720 Chantel Davis: So that was really helpful. 244 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:22,160 Wister Dorta: Yeah, I think maintaining moisture with, like, mulch is huge. 245 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:27,720 Wister Dorta: Compaction comes from different areas, whether it's from foot traffic in New York City. 246 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,680 Wister Dorta: In Manhattan, you have traffic from big trucks on the street and subways beneath. 247 00:19:32,290 --> 00:19:40,210 Wister Dorta: And a tree that's maybe 10 inches in Manhattan could easily be 18 or 20 inches in a residential neighborhood in Queens or Staten Island. 248 00:19:40,610 --> 00:19:54,210 Wister Dorta: So, like, understanding how that compaction impacts your trees and understanding the trees that you have, whether they're considered urban tolerant, heat tolerant, salt tolerant, all those buzzwords. 249 00:19:54,210 --> 00:19:59,970 Wister Dorta: But it really gives you that, that support because there's some trees that will grow out of your ear if you let them. 250 00:20:00,190 --> 00:20:08,510 Wister Dorta: And there's other trees that they really, truly are delicate and they really need that perfect setting to enjoy themselves. 251 00:20:09,310 --> 00:20:13,870 Chantel Davis: Well, let's kind of continue on our education journey that we're on. 252 00:20:14,350 --> 00:20:21,870 Chantel Davis: So what would you say are some of the hidden impacts of drought stress that make trees more vulnerable in your mind if you had to pick a couple? 253 00:20:22,350 --> 00:20:23,790 Wister Dorta: I look at trees like a business. 254 00:20:24,190 --> 00:20:27,870 Wister Dorta: When business is good, you get, you hire more employees and you grow. 255 00:20:28,350 --> 00:20:31,150 Wister Dorta: So, right, you get more leaves and you expand your territory. 256 00:20:31,710 --> 00:20:38,350 Wister Dorta: And when business isn't good, you start losing employees and you start having to get rid of some of those assets. 257 00:20:38,430 --> 00:20:40,430 Wister Dorta: So you then start dying back. 258 00:20:40,990 --> 00:20:49,230 Wister Dorta: And proper drought stress weakens the tree's ability to withstand pest pressure that may already be present. 259 00:20:49,790 --> 00:20:50,150 Wister Dorta: Right. 260 00:20:50,150 --> 00:20:53,350 Wister Dorta: When it comes to pines, boring insects are already in the canopy. 261 00:20:53,350 --> 00:21:01,110 Wister Dorta: But if they're not hydrated enough, they're not able to push out enough SAP to expel or push out those challenging insects. 262 00:21:01,110 --> 00:21:02,190 Wister Dorta: Same with us, right? 263 00:21:02,270 --> 00:21:07,070 Wister Dorta: If we're working too hard, we're more susceptible to becoming sick. 264 00:21:07,630 --> 00:21:12,670 Wister Dorta: Or if you get a cut on your arm and you don't wash it, those germs were always there. 265 00:21:12,830 --> 00:21:37,540 Wister Dorta: It was just that you became susceptible to that because of that weakened state and understanding work around trees, any type of impacts from pruning or root, impacts of excavation, drought compaction in water quality, all of those things kind of like layer up to what that is, you. 266 00:21:37,540 --> 00:21:52,870 Chantel Davis: Said in such a simplistic form, but it was so powerful just around just like our lives or work, when something is flourishing, right, you see more leaves, you see it growing, you can visually, right, experience it. 267 00:21:53,030 --> 00:21:58,430 Chantel Davis: But when it has stress on it, and there's an underlining issue, you see that kind of die down. 268 00:21:58,430 --> 00:22:02,710 Chantel Davis: You don't see that healthiness that you typically would want to see when you're looking at it. 269 00:22:02,870 --> 00:22:04,950 Chantel Davis: And I think that's just an important message. 270 00:22:04,950 --> 00:22:06,950 Chantel Davis: You may not realize that just in life, right. 271 00:22:06,950 --> 00:22:15,750 Chantel Davis: There's so much to that, and it's great when we talk about this, that there are so many correlations to our work life, our personal life, and the environment. 272 00:22:16,150 --> 00:22:19,630 Chantel Davis: And it needs to be in a talk track every single day when we're. 273 00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:20,710 Chantel Davis: When we're living our lives. 274 00:22:21,570 --> 00:22:24,290 Chantel Davis: So I want to kind of transition because there's so much we want to talk about. 275 00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:27,810 Chantel Davis: So I want to dive into irrigation. 276 00:22:27,890 --> 00:22:29,010 Chantel Davis: I know you're very excited. 277 00:22:30,290 --> 00:22:35,410 Chantel Davis: So we want to know what smart, efficient watering actually looks like for trees. 278 00:22:35,810 --> 00:22:43,890 Chantel Davis: Which is going to lead me to my first question, which is what is the ideal water frequency and depth for trees in the summer? 279 00:22:44,130 --> 00:22:55,280 Chantel Davis: What I've learned since I've been in the tree care industry for a good nine months is that we've seen recommendations like 5 to 10 gallons of water per inch of truck diameter. 280 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,360 Chantel Davis: And that surprises a lot of people. 281 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:03,840 Chantel Davis: And I just want to talk about why is that amount necessary and why is that important for people to know? 282 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:20,280 Wister Dorta: I've seen some drastic charts that implicate too much water because it's kind of like an expel spreadsheet that you just drag across and it tells you if the tree is this big, you need like this many thousands of gallons of water to water it or whatever. 283 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:27,480 Wister Dorta: Very large trees may require larger amounts of water to recover from drought stress. 284 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:33,320 Wister Dorta: There are other support systems, like a product that arborjet makes called Hydrotain. 285 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:41,440 Wister Dorta: Like retaining hydration, it captures atmospheric moisture that you would lose to evaporation, and it turns it back into water droplets. 286 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:41,800 Wister Dorta: Right? 287 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,000 Wister Dorta: So you're maximizing the applications. 288 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,400 Wister Dorta: We're already under the pressure of using less water. 289 00:23:47,800 --> 00:24:01,800 Wister Dorta: So now being able to take that lower quantity of water and amplifying the dose of the droplets that those roots can uptake will definitely be more advantageous than losing it to evaporation. 290 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:10,190 Chantel Davis: You talked about so often, whether it's going onto Google or talking to someone, people are looking at a spreadsheet, right? 291 00:24:10,190 --> 00:24:13,190 Chantel Davis: And they're saying, well, the data says this is what we need to do. 292 00:24:13,750 --> 00:24:17,110 Chantel Davis: And data is a great, I think, foundation. 293 00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:21,310 Chantel Davis: But it's the elements that data and spreadsheets don't show. 294 00:24:21,310 --> 00:24:24,310 Chantel Davis: And that's what you talked about, which is the evaporation piece. 295 00:24:24,310 --> 00:24:24,669 Chantel Davis: Right. 296 00:24:24,669 --> 00:24:34,470 Chantel Davis: You've got a product because if you do that watering and that evaporates at a faster rate than what you anticipated, it does make a difference. 297 00:24:34,790 --> 00:24:40,070 Chantel Davis: So I wanted to make sure we just kind of stuck on that because that was really powerful with what you said. 298 00:24:40,150 --> 00:24:50,110 Chantel Davis: And then we can kind of dive into the irrigation piece because a lot of people think, well, I saw it, I did exactly what I was told to do, why are we still getting these effects? 299 00:24:50,110 --> 00:24:52,790 Chantel Davis: And so that's something we just want to double down on. 300 00:24:53,350 --> 00:25:12,790 Wister Dorta: I, I saw a professional, I don't remember if he was a PhD or not, but he had these really cool charts that typically come from turf management on those like formulas that will allow you to understand what is the hydration for that site. 301 00:25:13,670 --> 00:25:28,390 Wister Dorta: And I had a presentation where I just pulled up a few different images from Google and he took my image and put it through his spreadsheet and was showing me that some of those charts could have inaccuracies. 302 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:42,680 Wister Dorta: And I thought it was really fascinating because it was from just a quick Google search, but understanding some math or relying on the professionals that are regular with those tidbits of information, it was really what makes your money worth your while. 303 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:55,570 Wister Dorta: I did a young tree mortality study before I left my old job in Santa Monica and I was able to showcase more trees dying in green turf than and with no turf. 304 00:25:55,890 --> 00:25:56,250 Wister Dorta: Right. 305 00:25:56,250 --> 00:25:58,690 Wister Dorta: Because you're dealing with the right tree for the right place. 306 00:25:59,170 --> 00:26:19,170 Wister Dorta: And drought tolerant trees or climate adapted trees that are trending for certain sites and then they're installed in a nice green lawn setting will actually potentially succumb to root rot or other water prone influences because they're not designed for that in nature. 307 00:26:19,570 --> 00:26:19,890 Wister Dorta: Right. 308 00:26:19,890 --> 00:26:43,620 Wister Dorta: That's the crazy part about what we're dealing with is we're dealing with landscapes where trees and plants are from all over the world due to certain traits that we enjoy and prefer and then having to make them coexist, whether they're in the same ph zones or the same watering frequencies, or the same light requirements or soil conditions. 309 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:49,590 Wister Dorta: So sometimes we overdo it as people and we kind of over care. 310 00:26:49,990 --> 00:27:07,750 Wister Dorta: I think when it comes to all of that, it's making sure you understand what plant you have, making sure you understand that your irrigation is dialed into that site, whether it's a flooding system or the right amount of drip emitters or nothing. 311 00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:10,710 Buddy Marshall: I've got another soil question for you. 312 00:27:11,190 --> 00:27:17,180 Buddy Marshall: So I've heard you say the Trees don't just need water, they need a healthy environment to absorb it. 313 00:27:17,420 --> 00:27:22,380 Buddy Marshall: So what kinds of soil treatments or amendments can help make that happen? 314 00:27:22,780 --> 00:27:33,420 Wister Dorta: A long time ago when I transitioned into arborjet, I had one sheet like spec sheet from a product we used to carry called Arborchar. 315 00:27:33,740 --> 00:27:40,620 Wister Dorta: And at the time it was a little ahead of what people were being used to using in their landscapes. 316 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:46,640 Wister Dorta: And A plus is now creating their own biochar which is, it has its support. 317 00:27:47,520 --> 00:28:06,800 Wister Dorta: And I do think that amendments a understanding your soil with a soil test so that you can understand the balance that you need for what it is you're trying to grow happily be having plants that are adapted to that site so they can thrive and you don't have to do too much work to make it, you know, welcoming. 318 00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:11,700 Wister Dorta: You have humic acid and fulvic acids, right? 319 00:28:11,700 --> 00:28:13,460 Wister Dorta: You have food for your microbes. 320 00:28:13,540 --> 00:28:20,860 Wister Dorta: You have really cool kelps that are labeled as nutrient supplements or bio stimulants and then supports. 321 00:28:20,860 --> 00:28:24,020 Wister Dorta: I really think that Hydrotain is an amazing product. 322 00:28:24,020 --> 00:28:26,420 Wister Dorta: It's kept my plants alive while I'm on the road. 323 00:28:26,900 --> 00:28:29,980 Wister Dorta: It lives for labeled 12 weeks in the soil. 324 00:28:29,980 --> 00:28:34,140 Wister Dorta: But if it's really hot, I like to tell people every two months just reapply it. 325 00:28:34,140 --> 00:28:35,790 Wister Dorta: And it gives you that. 326 00:28:37,390 --> 00:28:45,550 Wister Dorta: I think it gives you that window to take advantage of growth versus worrying about heat and drought, stress. 327 00:28:46,270 --> 00:28:50,110 Wister Dorta: But really, you know, understanding the role of nitrogen. 328 00:28:50,110 --> 00:28:59,230 Wister Dorta: There are charts that talk about how too much nitrogen can implicate challenges in absorption of other nutrients, micro and macro, in your soils. 329 00:28:59,790 --> 00:29:09,430 Wister Dorta: And also, you know, there's a lot of talks about the biome of the soil and inoculating with certain beneficials. 330 00:29:09,830 --> 00:29:20,110 Wister Dorta: But I really think that if you're feeding and supporting the soil, the existing biome will kind of replicate and become more healthy without having to inoculate. 331 00:29:20,110 --> 00:29:26,790 Wister Dorta: But if you are having to inoculate because it was a really bad setup, then understanding how to keep that soil alive. 332 00:29:27,430 --> 00:29:35,270 Wister Dorta: Because just like us, you take one vitamin today that's not doing anything, but you for sure are doing it over the course of X time and you'll see different results in your body. 333 00:29:35,270 --> 00:29:39,230 Chantel Davis: Just like exercise, you've got some good reminders not only about trees, but life. 334 00:29:39,230 --> 00:29:49,430 Chantel Davis: You know, buddy was talking a lot about soil, but I want to dive into what's the biggest mistake that people are making with irrigation habits, like the changing of irrigation habits. 335 00:29:49,590 --> 00:30:02,270 Chantel Davis: Because I know for many viewers they're asking are the built in irrigation systems that they have enough or should we actually encourage our viewers to supplement it. 336 00:30:02,270 --> 00:30:03,990 Wister Dorta: With water audits are great. 337 00:30:04,310 --> 00:30:18,070 Wister Dorta: I think it's an excellent opportunity for an existing or new service provider on a property to be able to review what's functional, what's broken, what needs adjustment. 338 00:30:18,870 --> 00:30:32,090 Wister Dorta: And I do believe that more people over water because they think it'll be helpful versus reviewing and planning out what's going on there and updating as needed. 339 00:30:32,570 --> 00:30:32,850 Wister Dorta: Right. 340 00:30:32,850 --> 00:30:35,130 Wister Dorta: If you, if you begin to feel thirsty, you're over. 341 00:30:35,130 --> 00:30:37,370 Wister Dorta: That's already a sign of dehydration in your body. 342 00:30:38,090 --> 00:30:55,950 Wister Dorta: I believe that fertigation systems are super helpful if you're able to install one on your property so that you don't have to spread granular and water it in and look like you're the criminal with a hose out when it's hot, or be able to just pump right in the liquid support right into your plant root zones. 343 00:30:56,190 --> 00:31:05,790 Wister Dorta: It provided they're installed appropriately, you know, making sure that your overhead sprayers aren't hitting the trunks of trees to implicate decay on those trunks over time. 344 00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:13,150 Wister Dorta: And kind of like, think about it like, what do you have, what do you want and what do you need for that site? 345 00:31:13,950 --> 00:31:15,670 Wister Dorta: So an audit is always important, right. 346 00:31:15,670 --> 00:31:22,580 Wister Dorta: If you don't do it for your budget or you don't do it for your caloric intake or whatever it is, you're not realizing what it is that's going out. 347 00:31:22,740 --> 00:31:31,700 Wister Dorta: You may be able to save water or actually, you know, refine areas that maybe are receiving water and they don't need to be there. 348 00:31:32,660 --> 00:31:33,380 Chantel Davis: That's so important. 349 00:31:33,380 --> 00:31:33,740 Chantel Davis: Right. 350 00:31:33,740 --> 00:31:45,260 Chantel Davis: I always say utilize and reach out to people like yourself and tree companies that can give you more information because it's more than just, oh, the tree needs some watering, or oh, the plant needs some watering. 351 00:31:45,260 --> 00:31:46,340 Chantel Davis: So I think there's a lot there. 352 00:31:46,820 --> 00:31:51,020 Chantel Davis: Well, I want to kind of dive in because this is something that's kind of a hot topic, especially in California. 353 00:31:51,020 --> 00:31:57,580 Chantel Davis: And I'd like to say that, you know, California, when it comes to environmental initiatives, kind of like leads a charge for the West Coast. 354 00:31:57,580 --> 00:31:57,820 Chantel Davis: Right. 355 00:31:57,820 --> 00:31:59,380 Chantel Davis: And then the other states follow. 356 00:32:00,260 --> 00:32:09,540 Chantel Davis: So there is, for everybody listening, there's a major change coming with a policy we have in California. 357 00:32:09,540 --> 00:32:14,900 Chantel Davis: It's called the California Assembly Bill 1572, which I know you can talk about here in a minute. 358 00:32:15,580 --> 00:32:19,500 Chantel Davis: But I want to break down what it means and how it can actually affect trees. 359 00:32:19,660 --> 00:32:20,860 Chantel Davis: I think that's really important. 360 00:32:21,260 --> 00:32:27,180 Chantel Davis: So, you know, for our listeners, you might not be familiar with AB 1572, because I wasn't. 361 00:32:27,180 --> 00:32:27,420 Chantel Davis: Right. 362 00:32:27,420 --> 00:32:29,500 Chantel Davis: I don't know all the bills that are going to be out there. 363 00:32:29,740 --> 00:32:43,940 Chantel Davis: But this one actually prohibits drinkable water use for irrigating non functional turf on commercial, municipal, industrial, institutional and multifamily properties starting in 2027. 364 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:45,780 Chantel Davis: So it's not today, but it's in the future. 365 00:32:46,580 --> 00:32:59,380 Chantel Davis: And although trees are, we call, technically excluded from this restriction, their health can still be compromised because what's going to happen is, you know, irrigation zones are going to be reduced or removed because of the policy. 366 00:33:00,340 --> 00:33:12,520 Chantel Davis: And so even though AB 1572 excludes trees from your perspective, because I'm sure this is something that, you know, why should we be concerned about its impact on the health of our trees? 367 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:18,600 Chantel Davis: Because I know that's not what the intention of the bill is, but we do foresee some kind of impact to our trees. 368 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:47,440 Wister Dorta: We talked a little bit about this earlier, was like, you know, recalibrating your irrigation or, you know, non functional turf can be subjective to some people, but when I used to work around parks, if you have somebody on a hillside with a hand mower kind of like pushing up and down and it's all this work to maintain it, I would consider that more non functional turf than a sports field or a passive area for people to be able to just take some sun in. 369 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:55,840 Wister Dorta: And you know, as an arborist, turf versus trees is always a very challenging topic and I always encouraged removing turf. 370 00:33:56,080 --> 00:34:05,210 Wister Dorta: But when I came onto arborjet, a college yellow, I learned a lot more about being able to have healthy turf without overconsumption of water. 371 00:34:06,010 --> 00:34:11,210 Wister Dorta: And I do believe that, you know, potable water is important. 372 00:34:11,370 --> 00:34:18,170 Wister Dorta: And being able to have water to drink and shower and do other necessities are very a part of our everyday life. 373 00:34:19,050 --> 00:34:46,100 Wister Dorta: Now when it comes to limiting or rewiring people's thoughts on what non functional turf is, I do believe those are opportunities for homeowners that are diyers and landscape contractors or service providers to re enhance properties with other plant materials that are adapted to those sites. 374 00:34:46,580 --> 00:35:00,330 Wister Dorta: But also being able to use water more wisely is something we've already been doing in California and in other states that are dealing with issues like in Utah or maybe New Mexico or Arizona. 375 00:35:00,570 --> 00:35:08,570 Wister Dorta: Arizona had like a large amount of water brought in for irrigation versus traditional use. 376 00:35:09,050 --> 00:35:11,450 Wister Dorta: I learned that many years ago in undergrad. 377 00:35:11,850 --> 00:35:19,930 Wister Dorta: So like were talking earlier about updating irrigation, tearing out turf around trees can be a bit sensitive. 378 00:35:19,930 --> 00:35:37,510 Wister Dorta: I saw a lot of retrofits occurring when I came to California in 2014, and in 2015 and 2016, I would see die back in trees because the drought setup and the irrigation for turf will promote more roots in the top x inches of soil. 379 00:35:37,510 --> 00:35:49,910 Wister Dorta: And when people are tearing out 6 inches of turf plus another 2 inches for base to install decomposed granite or to install artificial turf around trees, it can become a little bit debatable. 380 00:35:50,150 --> 00:35:54,670 Wister Dorta: But it will for sure rip out fibrous roots around the drip line of the tree. 381 00:35:54,670 --> 00:36:00,670 Wister Dorta: And I think that's what's important for people to understand is what are they tearing out and how is it that they're doing those processes. 382 00:36:00,670 --> 00:36:07,110 Wister Dorta: You can use pneumatic air excavation in some instances where you'll move soil, but not really tear up roots. 383 00:36:07,110 --> 00:36:09,270 Wister Dorta: You'll just have to rehydrate them because you're using air. 384 00:36:09,990 --> 00:36:24,940 Wister Dorta: And also understanding where you need to take that turf out or where you need to do that work around trees and how will it implicate in the long term, Especially for big developments, Plant growth regulators are really helpful. 385 00:36:24,940 --> 00:36:33,500 Wister Dorta: We make short stop 2sc is very helpful during construction and it's very helpful for trees in drought and other stress. 386 00:36:34,459 --> 00:36:43,340 Buddy Marshall: So in your opinion, what happens to trees when irrigation systems are shut off and there's no alternative watering plan? 387 00:36:46,470 --> 00:37:00,390 Wister Dorta: I saw that a lot when I first came town and it was a blessing to be able to be a fresh set of eyes coming to California in 2014 versus the day in and day out of what people were already used to. 388 00:37:00,870 --> 00:37:03,990 Wister Dorta: And I did see sites that were fully shut off. 389 00:37:04,230 --> 00:37:12,100 Wister Dorta: And you did see the trees impacted over the sometimes even months, depending on when it is that it occurred. 390 00:37:12,420 --> 00:37:14,340 Wister Dorta: But think about like your caloric intake. 391 00:37:14,660 --> 00:37:21,100 Wister Dorta: If you're eating X amount of calories and you're doing X amount of exercise, then you have that budget. 392 00:37:21,100 --> 00:37:29,380 Wister Dorta: And if you just stop eating anything, you stop eating sugar or you stop taking caffeine, your body goes through this type of shock and stress. 393 00:37:29,380 --> 00:37:39,470 Wister Dorta: And trees go through that same stress, especially when they're used to receiving maybe some people would say plentiful or adequate amounts of water. 394 00:37:40,030 --> 00:37:44,230 Wister Dorta: Some trees might even say thank goodness that I'm not getting over watered. 395 00:37:44,230 --> 00:37:53,070 Wister Dorta: It's always going back to situational awareness and what it is that is happening on site specific to those species and that soil blend. 396 00:37:53,550 --> 00:37:56,910 Buddy Marshall: It sounds more like it's a like a climate question. 397 00:37:56,910 --> 00:37:58,270 Buddy Marshall: What part of the country are you in? 398 00:37:58,270 --> 00:38:00,270 Buddy Marshall: Kind of the way you spoke of earlier. 399 00:38:00,830 --> 00:38:04,680 Wister Dorta: Don't just hard shut it off, just dial it down over time. 400 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:05,720 Wister Dorta: Right. 401 00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:10,240 Wister Dorta: I wanna, I never drank coffee when I was younger and I used to love really sweet coffee. 402 00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:16,520 Wister Dorta: And I went from Four sugars to three sugars to two sugars to one sugar to half sugar to no sugar. 403 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,879 Wister Dorta: And now I drink straight black espresso. 404 00:38:18,879 --> 00:38:19,240 Wister Dorta: Right. 405 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:28,980 Wister Dorta: So I think it's the same for your watering impacts and I think it also will benefit your watering bill when you understand that fine balance of. 406 00:38:30,420 --> 00:38:37,780 Wister Dorta: Or a sweet spot per se, of like, what's keeping your plants happy and what's keeping your bill happy as well. 407 00:38:38,980 --> 00:38:40,340 Chantel Davis: Yeah, that's a big one, right? 408 00:38:40,340 --> 00:38:40,660 Chantel Davis: I think. 409 00:38:40,660 --> 00:38:42,660 Chantel Davis: I think everybody perked up when you said that. 410 00:38:42,660 --> 00:38:42,980 Chantel Davis: Right. 411 00:38:43,140 --> 00:38:49,140 Chantel Davis: Managing your bill because it is so expensive for water here and you never know when to water. 412 00:38:49,140 --> 00:38:51,940 Chantel Davis: But then when you see everything dying, you're over watering. 413 00:38:51,940 --> 00:38:52,100 Chantel Davis: Right. 414 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:53,860 Chantel Davis: Because they're like, no, I don't want everything to die. 415 00:38:53,860 --> 00:38:55,750 Chantel Davis: So it's such a balance. 416 00:38:55,750 --> 00:38:56,110 Chantel Davis: Right. 417 00:38:56,270 --> 00:39:05,230 Wister Dorta: We did a cool project at a cemetery with Hydrochane and ensured that they saved tens of thousands of gallons of water, if not hundreds. 418 00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:09,630 Wister Dorta: They also saved like 60 grand in their watering bill. 419 00:39:09,950 --> 00:39:10,830 Buddy Marshall: So, wow. 420 00:39:11,390 --> 00:39:25,160 Wister Dorta: You're using money to supplement what you would pay for in the bills, but you're also actually preserving a resource that you're actively using daily in your soil for your plant health, which is super cool. 421 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:39,640 Wister Dorta: And those are the things that really intrigue people is when they see results and they see the data that supports versus just being said, hey, trust me, or, you know, I've had some and it was great. 422 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:43,560 Buddy Marshall: So kind of staying on the same track, but a little bit different. 423 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:49,960 Buddy Marshall: How can switching to recycled water or gray water or removing the lawns without a plan hurt tree root zones? 424 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,460 Wister Dorta: Purple pipe is something popular in California. 425 00:39:52,460 --> 00:40:10,900 Wister Dorta: I'm not sure if it's called the same in other states, but reclaimed water typically comes from captured water from streets and buildings that goes through some type of processing and is comes out on the other end as usable water for landscapes in a different setting of pipes. 426 00:40:11,380 --> 00:40:18,980 Wister Dorta: And the cool thing about it is when it does rain, water is being funneled into specific tanks and sites and process to be used. 427 00:40:20,010 --> 00:40:32,730 Wister Dorta: The challenging part about it is one site that I worked around was if it's not raining, they're running clean water through the site to then be treated again to keep the system in motion. 428 00:40:33,210 --> 00:40:45,890 Wister Dorta: And you can actually be dealing with overly processed water to boil that down in an easier way is reclaimed water systems have reports that go out and talks about what's going on in the water. 429 00:40:45,890 --> 00:41:22,160 Wister Dorta: And your local reclaimed water facility should be able to provide you, as a homeowner or as a landscape professional or tree professional to understand how that will impact the existing Soil that you're dealing with and the long term effects of how that can impact certain trees that may be sensitive to bicarbonates or salts or other ingredients in reclaimed water because you are dealing with stuff that's being washed away from buildings and streets and being caught and processed for that system. 430 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:30,640 Chantel Davis: So if someone's then trying to reduce turf or kind of reworking their irrigation, what would be one thing they must do to protect their trees? 431 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:34,080 Wister Dorta: With all that being said, understand their root zone. 432 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:36,240 Wister Dorta: Some trees can. 433 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,090 Wister Dorta: So like the drip line is like the easiest way to look at a root zone, right? 434 00:41:41,090 --> 00:41:46,450 Wister Dorta: That's where the tree is naturally extending its arms to capture water when it rains. 435 00:41:47,410 --> 00:41:49,730 Wister Dorta: And that's where many of its roots will be. 436 00:41:49,730 --> 00:42:00,450 Wister Dorta: And it can extend maybe another 1.5 times that, provided that's it's soil and not concrete or a building or a curb or something. 437 00:42:01,410 --> 00:42:07,660 Wister Dorta: And understanding that some trees are more tolerant of that impact than others. 438 00:42:08,220 --> 00:42:17,820 Wister Dorta: And also how can you supplement the regeneration of those roots or the impacts from that procedure? 439 00:42:19,340 --> 00:42:22,100 Wister Dorta: We have a product called Nutra Root that's really awesome. 440 00:42:22,100 --> 00:42:28,340 Wister Dorta: It has a little bit of hydrotain in it has some humic and some humates in it with a little bit of kelp and it gives support. 441 00:42:28,340 --> 00:42:30,060 Wister Dorta: It's a low MPK 2 to 3. 442 00:42:30,060 --> 00:42:35,660 Wister Dorta: So it's not anything to really, you know, blast a tree with macronutrients. 443 00:42:36,300 --> 00:42:45,980 Wister Dorta: But you know, applied monthly or quarterly could really give that tree what it needs to kind of deal with the stress that it will endure from those retrofits. 444 00:42:46,300 --> 00:42:47,860 Chantel Davis: Yeah, that's helpful, right? 445 00:42:47,860 --> 00:42:49,620 Chantel Davis: We want to avoid the stress, right? 446 00:42:49,620 --> 00:42:51,740 Chantel Davis: That's a, that's a great way to think about it. 447 00:42:51,980 --> 00:42:57,340 Chantel Davis: So as we kind of wrap up, I always like to leave our viewers with what I call it like a hot topic question. 448 00:42:57,340 --> 00:43:02,000 Chantel Davis: It's the question that they all have, especially in this type of conversation. 449 00:43:02,720 --> 00:43:10,800 Chantel Davis: And if you could leave them with one thing, what is the most important action tree owners can take before this heat really sets in? 450 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:12,720 Chantel Davis: Because it is right around the corner. 451 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:14,640 Wister Dorta: I think that's a great question. 452 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:22,480 Wister Dorta: Respective to tree owners and dealing with drought, giving those roots an optimized opportunity for hydration. 453 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:28,760 Wister Dorta: Being that whatever water you do put down, less of it will be lost to evaporation. 454 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:36,200 Buddy Marshall: So Worcester, where can people learn more or get help with soil and drought specific care? 455 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:40,440 Wister Dorta: Arborjet.com is a great start. 456 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:58,010 Wister Dorta: Our Arbor RX program is huge and really gives some high end, non over fertilized like support for what it is that you're dealing with. 457 00:43:58,010 --> 00:44:00,970 Wister Dorta: In your home front, I don't really like to call it fertilization. 458 00:44:00,970 --> 00:44:02,930 Wister Dorta: I prefer to call it soil health solutions. 459 00:44:03,890 --> 00:44:04,810 Chantel Davis: Yeah, that's awesome. 460 00:44:04,810 --> 00:44:05,330 Wister Dorta: Virtual. 461 00:44:05,570 --> 00:44:06,210 Chantel Davis: No, that. 462 00:44:06,210 --> 00:44:07,250 Chantel Davis: That's fantastic. 463 00:44:07,250 --> 00:44:14,290 Chantel Davis: Well, you know, Lister, thank you so much for digging into all things drought roots, water wise wisdom. 464 00:44:14,690 --> 00:44:19,600 Chantel Davis: You know, to your teacher who told you to do this, she definitely brought you down the right path. 465 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:24,920 Chantel Davis: I think there's so much that you're bringing in education to people every single day. 466 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:28,520 Chantel Davis: And for me, right, I always kind of take notes as you're talking. 467 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:34,840 Chantel Davis: If there's really one takeaway is your trees don't just need water, right? 468 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:35,640 Chantel Davis: They need care. 469 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:36,680 Chantel Davis: I think that's what your. 470 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:37,560 Chantel Davis: Your theme was. 471 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:39,320 Chantel Davis: Trees don't need water, they need care. 472 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:43,400 Chantel Davis: I think these small adjustments can really make a difference, especially when the summer heat. 473 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,310 Chantel Davis: Right, starts to kick in. 474 00:44:46,270 --> 00:44:50,710 Chantel Davis: So what I would tell our viewers is just make sure you check your irrigation systems, right? 475 00:44:50,710 --> 00:44:53,470 Chantel Davis: Give your root zone some love. 476 00:44:53,950 --> 00:44:58,190 Chantel Davis: And if you're not sure what your trees need, you call the pros, right? 477 00:44:58,670 --> 00:45:07,870 Chantel Davis: So A plus and arborjet have your back because I think there's so much education and knowledge that you can hear on this call from what we can bring to the table. 478 00:45:08,030 --> 00:45:12,860 Chantel Davis: So with that, I just want to thank you personally for joining us on Rooted in Care. 479 00:45:13,660 --> 00:45:19,900 Chantel Davis: Until next time, keep cool, stay rooted, and water wisely. 480 00:45:20,060 --> 00:45:21,940 Chantel Davis: So really appreciate it, Worcester. 481 00:45:21,940 --> 00:45:22,580 Chantel Davis: Thank you so much. 482 00:45:22,580 --> 00:45:31,340 Chantel Davis: It was, it was fantastic learning everything about not only what you do, but how much you care about the environment and our trees. 483 00:45:31,340 --> 00:45:33,820 Chantel Davis: And that resonated through this whole process. 484 00:45:34,380 --> 00:45:34,860 Wister Dorta: Thank you. 485 00:45:34,860 --> 00:45:35,260 Buddy Marshall: Thank you. 486 00:45:35,340 --> 00:45:36,220 Wister Dorta: I appreciate it. 487 00:45:36,530 --> 00:45:37,450 Wister Dorta: Thank you, Chantel. 488 00:45:37,450 --> 00:45:38,290 Wister Dorta: Thank you, buddy. 489 00:45:38,450 --> 00:45:48,050 Wister Dorta: And I think the most important thing that we're learning is having trusted professionals that are informed to help you make the moves that you need for your landscapes. 490 00:45:48,290 --> 00:45:59,170 Wister Dorta: That way you can take a little bit of more time to enjoy yourself and let the people that you trust with your landscapes, you know, flourish in the things that they focus their time and energy on. 491 00:46:00,930 --> 00:46:04,370 Chantel Davis: Thank you for listening to this episode of Rooted in Care. 492 00:46:04,810 --> 00:46:16,170 Buddy Marshall: We have a fresh lineup of new episodes ready to drop, so tune in each week to hear people just like you share their experience and insights on how tree care impacts our daily lives. 493 00:46:16,810 --> 00:46:18,490 Buddy Marshall: Subscribe to Rooted in Care. 494 00:46:18,570 --> 00:46:22,330 Buddy Marshall: We're on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you get your podcasts. 495 00:46:22,330 --> 00:46:30,850 Chantel Davis: Tell us what you thought of this episode by leaving a review, commenting, or look us up on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. 496 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:37,000 Buddy Marshall: This podcast is a plussed up production created in collaboration with Chorus Studios. 497 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:39,000 Buddy Marshall: Stay rooted out there.