Tree Health Idaho

Idaho has unique soil, irrigation and weather conditions that affect our trees health.

This site is to help direct folks in the Treasure Valley to tools that help you understand what your trees need.

Site administrator is Ted Smith, a Certified ISA Arborist that has been working on Idaho Trees for over twenty years.


This winter was one of the more severe weather situations than we've had in years and it drastically affected our trees. Some of the damage has been obvious with limbs torn and Ceders browning but often we do not see the internal problems for months.

A tree can recover from one or maybe two health issues, but added stress is often the final downfall. You need to know how to take care of your trees and that is the focus of Green Team Management.

Helpful Blogs DIYlawntime.blogspot.com
                      Tree Guide for Homeowners                      

Tree Evaluation

A Tree Evaluation is the only true way to know the health of your tree. 


Looking at a sample of leaves or a photo ignores critical factors such as site condition, long-term growth history, soil compaction, irrigation, pruning wounds, and vigor.


Green Team Management has a twenty page Tree Health Booklet as well as a twenty page Tree Pruning Booklet that walks you through an illustrated explanation of what it takes to help your trees. You keep a Booklet after the evaluation to be able to go back to for future reference as well as a written evaluation of your trees health.

Cost is $39 within 20 miles of downtown Eagle and .50 a mile travel charge past that distance. Link to more information on GTM Tree Evaluations

Proper Pruning for Health

Pruning incorrectly kills more trees over time than any other action.

To help insure you understand proper pruning techniques, Green Team Clients are given a twenty page illustrated manual and Ted Smith teaches classes at D&B Supply and Evans Building Supply in Eagle on pruning.

You may never actually do the pruning, however it is so important to know if the person you are hiring to prune your trees actually is doing it correctly, armed with this manual you can ask the right questions and there is even a test at the back you can use.

Video on Proper Pruning

Airspade - aerating the soil around your tree for health

Aerating your soil around your tree can be a critical part of permanently improving your trees health.

Trees need macropores or air space in the soil around their roots. When that soil becomes compacted the tree is literally suffocating. This leads to a continual decline in health each year until the tree dies.

The process is to use a very large air compressor to move the soil without disturbing your tree's roots.

Then we amend the soil with compost, peat moss and worm castings to create fertile soil. The end result is a healthy self-sustaining tree.

Here is a video link to a job we did in South Boise
Part 1, preparing the yard
Part 2, airspade in action