Trees—just trunks, branches, and leaves or needles, right? Wrong. Trees are air machines. They absorb our exhales, and we breathe in theirs. They are time towers, steadily rising and expanding over decades or centuries. They are providers, producing fruits, nuts, and other useful products. They are shelters for us and other animals.
Few people view trees the way Jim Lyman does. As the president and owner of Animas Valley Arborist (AVA), Lyman can look at a sapling and—like a fortune teller with a crystal ball—visualize its mature 80-foot form one hundred years later.
“I always enjoy planting new trees,” Lyman says. “There’s something about that—to give a tree a new home, to enhance a yard or the landscape with a tree. I think that’s very rewarding.”
Founded in 1978, AVA is a full-service tree care company. Typical services on their docket include consultation and planning, planting, pruning, leaf collection, and tree or stump removal. They also specialize in insect control, disease mitigation, general plant healthcare, and soil management to maximize a tree’s lifespan.
AVA staffs four arborists certified through the International Society of Arboriculture and a Board-Certified Master Arborist. Lyman explains the certifications: “It’s almost like having a doctorate. When we consult with people on their yards and landscaping, we have the knowledge and credentials to give the best advice for their trees.”
Lyman landed with AVA as a college student attending Fort Lewis College. “I needed a job, and I happened to land with Animas Valley Arborists in 1987, where I started learning the trade from the ground up.” He was drawn to landscaping, having grown up mowing lawns and doing yardwork for pocket money. However, he quickly discovered arboriculture was much more than “yardwork.” From AVA’s founder and Four Corners tree-whisperer, David Temple, Lyman learned that houses create their own microclimates as heat, shade, and moisture pool in different areas. That sprinkler systems can make or break a tree’s lifespan. And that trees and all other plants on a property must be carefully selected to support each other.
“There’s a synergy there that needs to happen,” he says.
As homeowners transition out of winter and into spring, AVA shares their top tips for tree care.
Pruning
Lyman notes, “Winter and early spring are great times to prune trees. During this time of year, we can see the structure of a tree clearly. That gives us an advantage when doing structural pruning on middle-aged or really young trees.”
Mulching
AVA strongly urges homeowners to ditch aesthetics in favor of a mulch’s nutritional value. Lyman points out that while cedar and pine mulch may look great, they do not feed your trees. Instead, AVA advises using organic woodchip mulch made from old trees. Lyman explains, “It has the most organic material in it and cool microbes that benefit the soil most.”
Skip weed fabric and plastic barriers. These products choke off a tree’s access to moisture and nutrients in the mulch, cutting a tree’s lifespan in half and reducing the return on investment. AVA suggests putting down woodchip mulch and topping it with more decorative bark mulch for maximum curb appeal.
Sprinkler Systems
“That’s probably one of the biggest problems with growing trees—watering,” Lyman attests. “Either you’re not giving them enough water, or you’re giving them too much.” AVA plans and installs sprinkler systems and sets ideal schedules to provide the most efficient watering.