RECAP - CW 18/2025

This is your weekly summary of the Talking Trees podcast – diving deep into tree biology, gear, policy, soil, and society. Here’s what we explored this week:

🌱 Monday 149 - Osmosis and Root Function
We kicked off the week by examining how osmosis and root structure support water uptake and nutrient transport. From soil macropores to seaweed-based biostimulants, this episode provided practical insights for improving tree establishment and root resilience.

🧷 Tuesday 150 - Tree Climbing Spikes
Tuesday’s episode focused on climbing spurs: their construction, proper use, and the serious damage they can cause to living trees. Learn when spikes are appropriate, how to use them safely, and why correct technique matters for both arborist and tree.

✂️ Wednesday 151 - Common Sense Risk Management of Trees
We explored the second edition of the UK’s tree safety guidelines. Emphasizing proportionate, informed tree management, this episode highlighted the importance of balancing public safety with tree preservation and legal responsibility.

📋 Thursday 152 - Phytophthora
We dove into the global spread of Phytophthora, a genus of destructive pathogens threatening forest ecosystems. Learn how early detection, hygiene practices, and awareness are key to managing this persistent threat.

✨ Friday 153 - Soil Microbiome and Trees
This episode spotlighted the soil microbiome's pivotal role in nutrient cycling, disease resistance, and climate resilience. We discussed how soil health connects plant, animal, and human systems within the One Health framework.

🐝 Saturday 154 - Social Study Protect Biodiversity
We ended the week with a human perspective on biodiversity. A study from Spain showed strong public support for conservation, and we reflected on how arboriculture contributes to community resilience and ecological awareness.

Every episode this week connected the living systems beneath, within, and around trees – including the people who care for them. Keep tuning in to Talking Trees and grow with us.

Chapters

• 0:00 Talking Trees Weekly Recap Introduction
• 1:22 Growing Strong Trees: Soil & Seaweed
• 2:58 Climbing Spurs: Techniques and Tree Impact
• 4:05 Tree Risk Assessment Framework
• 4:50 Phytophthora: Pathogens and Economic Risks
• 6:22 One Health: Soil-Ecosystem-Human Connections
• 7:47 Public Perception of Tree Conservation
• 9:44 Closing and Future Episodes Preview

Transcript

Roger: 0:02

Talking Trees with Lily and Jad. Welcome to Talking Trees. Recap your weekly journey through the diverse world of tree science and nature conservation. This week, our stories span a wide spectrum of topics, from studies on tree physiology and growth exploring how seaweed extracts and soil structure, shape development to discussions on tree care practices and the balance between safety and the benefits trees provide. Join us as we revisit these compelling narratives that highlight the challenges and wonders of our natural world.

Jad: 0:42

Hey everyone and welcome back for another deep dive. This week we're taking a look at a whole week's worth of episodes from talking trees. We're talking everything from the real nitty gritty of soil science and how roots grow, all the way to those bigger picture issues. Like you know, how do we manage risk with trees?

Lilly: 0:59

Right.

Jad: 0:59

Even the economic fallout when you've got those nasty phytophthora pathogens you know causing problems.

Lilly: 1:05

Yeah, that was a good one.

Jad: 1:06

Yeah, Plus we're even going to get into how soil health and the health of entire ecosystems even ties back to human health.

Lilly: 1:14

Yeah, it's all connected.

Jad: 1:15

Yeah, the one health concept which I think is super fascinating.

Lilly: 1:18

Yeah, it's a really interesting way to look at the big picture.

Jad: 1:21

So let's jump right in. Monday's episode kicked off focusing on how to grow strong trees, which I mean? Come on.

Lilly: 1:28

Yeah, that's the foundation of what we do.

Jad: 1:29

Yeah, it's like Arboriculture 101.

Lilly: 1:32

Absolutely.

Jad: 1:33

But they got into some interesting research on seaweed extract, specifically how extracts from Ascophilum nodosum can really give seedlings a boost.

Lilly: 1:41

Yeah, that common study was pretty cool. They tested different doses of that extract and it looks like it actually has a measurable impact on how well those seeds germinate and how much the roots grow.

Jad: 1:50

Oh, wow.

Lilly: 1:51

Which is pretty amazing when you think about it. Something as simple as seaweed extract could really help us improve how well new trees get established, especially you know.

Jad: 2:00

Especially in those tough urban areas and planting sites that are already stressed.

Lilly: 2:03

Exactly, it's like giving them a little extra help to get going.

Jad: 2:06

Exactly.

Lilly: 2:06

And speaking of roots, Monday's episode also went deep on root systems and how soil structure plays a role.

Jad: 2:12

Yeah, that one got pretty technical it did, but really interesting.

Lilly: 2:15

Yeah, giuliani's team did some research comparing how different plant roots grow in different soils Barley, peas, failcress, all in different types of soil. You know, some soils are more uniform and others are kind of a mix of different things.

Jad: 2:29

Oh right.

Lilly: 2:30

And compassion plays a big role too.

Jad: 2:32

I bet.

Lilly: 2:32

Really highlights just how important it is to really understand those soil conditions wherever we're working.

Jad: 2:37

Yeah, you can't just assume every soil is the same.

Lilly: 2:40

No, you can't, Not at all.

Jad: 2:41

To wrap up, talking Trees did a nice refresher on basic tree biology.

Lilly: 2:46

Yeah, always good to revisit the fundamentals, even for us seasoned pros.

Jad: 2:50

Right.

Lilly: 2:50

You know this field is always changing, New research coming out, new best practices. To learn Gotta stay sharp.

Jad: 2:55

Absolutely Now. Tuesday's episode was all about climbing spurs. I'm sure every arborist out there has an opinion on those.

Lilly: 3:01

Oh yeah, for sure, they started off with that. Guilty of trees in YouTube video.

Jad: 3:05

Oh yeah, I saw that one.

Lilly: 3:06

Yeah, it does a great job visually breaking down how spurs are made, how to pick the right ones right proper climbing techniques. Really good resource for anyone who wants to brush up on their skills.

Jad: 3:16

Yeah, visuals are always helpful for that kind of thing. But then they jumped into the debate about spurs and how they impact tree health.

Lilly: 3:21

Yeah, that's the big one, isn't it? I mean, we all want to do what's best for the trees, but sometimes spurs are necessary. But yeah, the consensus is pretty clear Only use them on trees that are coming down anyway, or when it's absolutely crucial for safety. Otherwise, find another way.

Jad: 3:34

Makes sense, minimize that damage whenever possible.

Lilly: 3:36

Exactly. But even when spurs are necessary, there's still a lot to consider when you're picking the right type. They went into the details about. You know what they're made of, the type of pad, the length of the spike.

Jad: 3:46

Yeah, it seems like a small detail. It does but it can make a big difference in how much you're impacting that tree. So it's all about weighing those risks and benefits, choosing the tools and techniques that have the least impact.

Lilly: 3:56

Exactly, while still letting us do our job safely and effectively, of course.

Jad: 4:00

Right, of course. On Wednesday Talking Trees shifted gear to the big picture tree risk management.

Lilly: 4:05

Yeah, that was a good one. Really got into how do we balance public safety with all the amazing things trees bring to our communities.

Jad: 4:11

And to the environment.

Lilly: 4:12

Right to the environment. It's a balancing act. For sure we have to make tough decisions sometimes.

Jad: 4:17

Yeah, and that's where a solid risk assessment framework comes in. They actually walked listeners through one in the episode.

Lilly: 4:22

Yeah, that was helpful Breaking down the steps, how you identify potential hazards, figure out how risky they are and then make good decisions about how to manage them.

Jad: 4:30

They even used some real-world scenarios to show how it works in practice.

Lilly: 4:33

Yeah, everything from trees on private property to what about those big trees in public parks?

Jad: 4:38

Yeah, good stuff. Definitely things that we all deal with For sure. Big trees and public parks yeah, good stuff. Definitely things that we all deal with For sure. Okay, so, speaking of real world challenges, thursday's episode took us deep into the world of pathogens, specifically phytophthora.

Lilly: 4:49

Yeah, and they didn't shy away from the economic side of it, which can be a bit scary. Yeah, they'd hook up that study by Drake and Jones that looked at phytophthora remorum and Phytophthora carnoviae in England and Wales.

Jad: 5:01

Uh-oh.

Lilly: 5:02

And the financial risks when those things spread unchecked are huge, especially in those valuable natural areas.

Jad: 5:10

So it's not just about a few trees getting sick. It's about the potential for widespread damage ecologically and economically.

Lilly: 5:16

Exactly and to really understand the science behind it all, they brought in Hardy's research on Phytophthora root rot in forest trees.

Jad: 5:24

Yeah, they went into a lot of detail about the pathogen's life cycle, how it spreads the symptoms, to look out for all the things that make a tree more vulnerable. That kind of knowledge is crucial if we want to diagnose these diseases and manage them.

Lilly: 5:35

Right, and they didn't just focus on the problem. They also talk about the ecological impact, not just for individual trees, but for entire ecosystems.

Jad: 5:43

Yeah, it's a good reminder that our work goes beyond just caring for trees. We're stewards of those ecosystems too.

Lilly: 5:49

Absolutely. And to wrap up, Thursday they talked about ways to control it, including using phosphonates, which can be a bit tricky.

Jad: 5:56

Yeah, they are.

Lilly: 5:57

So it was helpful to hear them talk about how they work, their limitations and how to use them responsibly. You know we don't want to create new problems while we're trying to solve this one.

Jad: 6:06

Right, exactly, always thinking about that balance. Okay, so Thursday was a little bit of a roller coaster, yeah it was. Scary economic stuff, but then some hopeful control measures. Friday felt like a breath of fresh air with all that focus on connections specifically between soil health, ecosystems and human health the One Health concept. Remember they used Banerjee's work to highlight the role of soil microbiomes.

Lilly: 6:25

Oh yeah, those tiny organisms that are doing so much work in the ground. Banerjee's work really shows how vital they are for nutrient cycling, disease suppression, all of that.

Jad: 6:37

It's pretty wild to think about something we can't even see having that much impact. It really is. Really emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing soil health as a key part of what we do Right Can't just focus on what's above ground.

Lilly: 6:46

Absolutely not, and that's where Lemick's research comes in. He offers a much more holistic view of soil health and how it ties to sustainability.

Jad: 6:53

I remember them talking about those biological indicators. He discusses things we can actually measure out in the field to figure out how healthy the soil is. Yeah, like having a set of tools to peek into that hidden world beneath our feet. Fascinating stuff so cool. And then Lehman takes it even further, connecting soil health to the bigger picture Food production, water quality, human health.

Lilly: 7:13

Right, it's all connected.

Jad: 7:15

It really is. They did a great job of connecting those dots, showing how healthy soil supports healthy ecosystems, which then support us.

Lilly: 7:22

It's a beautiful cycle and it's a great reminder that our work as arborists is a part of something much bigger.

Jad: 7:28

It really is. They also mentioned some of the things that can hurt a soil health Unsustainable land use, pollution, climate change.

Lilly: 7:35

Yeah, important things to be aware of, especially with all the environmental challenges we're facing.

Jad: 7:38

For sure. Speaking of challenges, saturday's episode took us all the way to Spain to look at something that often gets overlooked public perception of tree conservation.

Lilly: 7:47

Yeah, they featured a study that asked a really interesting question Do people think it's more important to protect biodiversity or to utilize natural resources? Tough question.

Jad: 7:56

It is.

Lilly: 7:56

And to get at that, they did a survey to see how much people support different conservation measures, even those that might mean restricting property rights or development.

Jad: 8:05

Wow.

Lilly: 8:05

Yeah, big questions.

Jad: 8:07

So what did they find?

Lilly: 8:08

Well, it turns out, people in Spain are pretty committed to conservation, which is encouraging.

Jad: 8:13

That's good to hear, but I'm guessing it wasn't all good news.

Lilly: 8:16

Right. They also found a pretty big communication gap between the experts and the public.

Jad: 8:20

What do you?

Lilly: 8:21

mean. Well, people care about trees and nature, but they don't always understand the science behind the conservation efforts or why we do certain things.

Jad: 8:29

Ah, so we've got some work to do. They do.

Lilly: 8:36

If we want people to support conservation, we need to do a better job of explaining the why. I agree. Why are we making these recommendations? How does tree health connect to all these other things that people care about? We got to connect those dots.

Jad: 8:41

We do so. It sounds like arborists have an even bigger role to play here.

Lilly: 8:45

Right. We're the ones on the front lines interacting with clients, with communities. We have a chance to educate people about trees and the science behind what we do.

Jad: 8:52

We're like tree ambassadors.

Lilly: 8:54

We are and if we can effectively communicate the value of trees, the need for conservation, we can start to bridge that gap between what the experts know and what the public understands.

Jad: 9:05

It's about empowering people to become advocates for the trees too. Exactly, wow, what a week.

Lilly: 9:10

So many great topics covered, really relevant to our work as arborists.

Jad: 9:14

So, as we wrap up our deep dive into talking trees, I think it's safe to say that we've gotten a lot out of it.

Lilly: 9:19

We have lots of great information, lots of different perspectives on the world of arboriculture.

Jad: 9:24

We explored all the science behind growing strong trees, how to communicate the value of trees to people.

Lilly: 9:29

It's been a great journey and I hope everyone listening got something out of it too.

Jad: 9:33

Knowledge is power right.

Lilly: 9:34

It is.

Jad: 9:35

The more we learn, the better we can care for trees and those ecosystems they support.

Lilly: 9:39

So keep asking those questions, keep learning, keep sharing that passion for trees.

Jad: 9:43

And join us next week for another deep dive. Until then, happy tree climbing everyone.

Roger: 9:50

Thank you for joining us on this week's Talking Trees Recap. We've journeyed through a diverse landscape, from exploring tree physiology and the impact of seaweed extracts and soil structure on growth, to balancing tree care practices and tackling forest health challenges posed by pathogens. We've also reflected on the vital link between healthy soil and overall well-being, and considered society's evolving attitudes toward protecting endangered flora, alongside the importance of effectively sharing scientific insights. Thank you, nurturing the green that sustains us.