Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.1.1, this is an llms-full.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Plant Health Care Services, LLC Trusted Arborist Consulting Nationwide ## Posts ### [Tree Things](https://planthealthcs.com/news/) **Published:** August 18, 2025 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Stay informed with the latest agricultural updates, innovations, market trends, and expert insights shaping farming worldwide. --- ### [How Do You Live a Phenotypic Life?](https://planthealthcs.com/how-do-you-live-a-phenotypic-life/) **Published:** September 6, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Cruising the Oregon Coast, I had to stop and take this picture. Not a pretty tree, but tough ... real tough. The fancy words are "Phenotypic Plasticity," and there is a life lesson in that photo. **Content:** I hope you're taking some time away from the "brick pit" today (aka: work). I took my time last week. Cruising the Oregon Coast, I had to stop and take this picture. Wow. Not a pretty tree, but tough ... real tough. The fancy words are "Phenotypic Plasticity." Those are some words, I know. Phenotypic plasticity just means how a tree changes in response to its unique environment. Phenotypic plasticity is the alternative to physical movement. When we get cold and wet, we find warm and dry. When we get hungry, thirsty, or tired we move and address our needs. These things don't fundamentally change us; we just move and try to be comfortable. ## Trees cannot walk away Trees cannot escape their environment. Trees are stuck, they have to stand there and take it. This tree had no advantages, no favors, no nothing. A little abandoned orphan seed. This tree had every reason not to survive. > There is a life lesson in this photo. ## Phenotypic, plastic, and the choice in between Phenotypic is the observable trait produced by an interaction. What are these interactions? For this tree the interactions are negative. The tree is growing, "thriving," on top of a rock, surrounded by heavy wind and ocean water. Yet, it lives. Plasticity is about choice ... life or death. The capacity to be molded, changed, or "broken" by life's interactions. Think about plastic under heat: it changes, it adapts, or it melts away. ## What stands in the way We interact with unfavorable odds (negative interactions) every day (i.e., stress, life issues, obstacles, etc.). It is the way of life. I love to read through Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations." He was a Stoic Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Although a modern term, Marcus understood the concept of "Phenotypic plasticity." He said, "What stands in the way becomes the way." It is a choice. Be sad, be happy, live, die: you decide. > The winds of life can make you strong, or they can break you. The rocks and crevices can defeat you or propel you to greatness ... you decide. The salty water can detour your roots and make you shrivel and die, or make you dig and anchor deep. What stands in your way becomes the way. That's how you live a Phenotypic life. Have a great Labor Day. A thought for your own yard Trees around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Post Falls adapt to whatever they are handed: compacted soil, poor drainage, too little water, too much shade. Sometimes that adaptation is impressive. Sometimes it is a warning sign. If a tree on your property looks like it is working too hard, it is worth a closer look. [Have Your Trees Looked At](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [What Is Air Spading?](https://planthealthcs.com/what-is-air-spading/) **Published:** August 30, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Air spading is becoming a go-to non-invasive technique in tree care. It uses compressed air instead of a shovel to clear soil away from roots, which makes it possible to inspect root collars, find girdling roots, and loosen compacted soil without cutting a thing. **Content:** In the wonderful world of trees and landscaping, air spading is fast becoming a go-to non-invasive technique in tree care. ## What is air spading? You are probably new to the concept of air spading. Air spading is a method that uses compressed air to remove soil from around tree roots without harm. Unlike traditional digging, air spading is non-invasive and preserves the health of the tree. The technique uses a specialized tool known as an air spade, which fires a high-velocity jet of air that lifts the soil away. ## Why air spading? One of the primary uses of air spading is tree root inspection. This is typically referred to as Root Collar Excavation (RCX). Root collar excavation involves exposing the root collars to inspect for girdling roots, which can strangle a tree over time. Air spading allows for a thorough examination without damaging the tree. Choosing air spading over traditional methods is smart. It offers several benefits: - Digging around roots with shovels can be very damaging, but air spading gently removes soil (it easily gets to the hard-to-reach areas) and leaves roots totally intact. - Air spading is a fast and environmentally sound technique. - Air spading is a great tool for compacted soils. Compacted soil hinders root growth and water absorption. Air spading helps aerate the soil, improving its structure and enhancing root growth. This is especially beneficial in urban areas where soil compaction is common. ## Air spading facts Air spading has saved century-old trees. The trees were suffering from soil compaction and root girdling. By using the air spade to remove the compacted soil and expose the root collars, arborists could prune the damaged and girdling roots and allow the trees to thrive. According to a study by the International Society of Arboriculture, air spading can increase tree root growth by up to 30% compared to traditional methods. This statistic highlights the effectiveness of air spading in promoting healthier trees. Air spading: choose wisely - **Experience:** Choose a company with a proven track record in air spading. - **Certification:** Certified arborists are qualified and knowledgeable about the latest techniques. - **Reviews and references:** Check customer reviews to gauge quality of service and client satisfaction. ## Air spading commentary I have been in the tree care business for about 35 years or so, and the air spade has quickly become a transforming and versatile technique in how we care for trees. > Are we doing something for the trees, or to the trees? Air spading offers a non-invasive, efficient, and environmentally friendly solution that is creating healthier trees and landscapes. Besides removing harmful and diseased roots from otherwise healthy trees, air spading addresses soil compaction, which is one of the most common and overlooked issues for urban trees. When soil becomes too compacted, it loses structure and porosity. This can occur naturally over time, but it is often accelerated by human traffic. Consider compaction from construction. I have chatted about this in previous blogs. When homes are built, contractors must compact the soil to meet engineering specifications for stability. (I totally get that.) These specifications ensure a solid base for structures like foundations, patios, and driveways. > However, what is good for a driveway is bad for a tree. Trees require loose, well-aerated soil with sufficient pore space to allow oxygen, water, and nutrients to move freely. Overly compacted soil makes it difficult for tree roots to penetrate or function effectively, leading to stress, poor growth, and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. ## Porosity matters. Pore space matters. ![Pie chart of ideal soil composition: 25% water and 25% air making up 50% pore space, with 5% organic matter and 45% mineral components of sand, silt and clay making up 50% soil solids](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Components_of_Soil_Pie_Chart.png)“Components of Soil” by JasonHS, licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons. Healthy soils contain a balance of solids (minerals and organic matter) and pore space. That pore space is filled with water and air: - **25% water:** vital for nutrient uptake and metabolic processes. - **25% air:** necessary for root respiration and the survival of beneficial soil organisms. This is what an ideal soil profile should look like around your tree. In natural forests, trees amend the soil over time through nutrient cycling, and Mother Nature has a way of balancing and maintaining the components good soil needs. Leaves fall to the ground, decompose, and enrich the soil with organic material. This organic matter improves soil structure, enhances pore space, and provides a steady supply of nutrients that trees need to thrive. One of the goals in the urban environment is to replicate what happens in the natural one. People like trees, and trees provide many benefits. It seems that city dwellers are okay with this, until the leaves and debris start piling up. That litter is exactly what the tree needs. Homeowners frequently hire landscapers to remove fallen leaves, effectively stripping the soil of essential nutrients. Bottom line This is why you should consider using an air spade. If the trees around your home in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, or Post Falls are struggling in packed-down soil, the fix starts underground. [Ask About Air Spading](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [The Spokane Ions](https://planthealthcs.com/the-spokane-ions/) **Published:** August 25, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** The Spokane Ions are not a science club. They are the tiny charged particles doing all the work under your lawn. Here is how soil actually holds nutrients, how roots talk it into letting them go, and why cation exchange capacity decides whether your trees thrive or sulk. **Content:** The Spokane Ions must be the local science-chem club? An exclusive membership of coke-bottle savants. You know... the wicked smart dudes with the pocket pen protectors... right? Well, not really. Ions are very non-exclusive and are everywhere, even in Spokane. ## So what is an ion? Ions are simple, just atoms or molecules that have a net electrical charge. A positively charged ion (atom) is called a Cation (pronounced Cat... Ion), and a negatively charged ion (atom) is called an Anion. Ionic bonds are molecular glue. ## Colloids, the parking lot under your lawn If you haven't realized it yet, your backyard is full of dirt. Oh, yes, it is true. Look out your window. Just maybe... you have some plants and trees back there too? Good soil is a hodgepodge of all kinds of mixed up good stuff like ions and Colloids. Colloids are tiny soil components (ex. minerals, clay particles, organic matter) spread out evenly through everything around them. Basically, these "Colloid" particles carry negative-charge docking sites, or parking spaces for nutrient Cations. These negative sites attract, absorb, and hold onto positively charged ions by ionic bonding, or electrostatic force. This "ionic" electrical force is critical to the supply of nutrients to your plants. ![Diagram showing plant nutrients held on clay particles, dissolved in the soil solution, and taken up by root hairs](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/fig2-soil-solution.png) Nutrients are either parked on the clay or loose in the water. Roots can only drink the loose ones. ## CEC: how much can your soil hold? Take a look at a label on the back of a fertilizer bag, and what do you see? Many of the nutrients exist as Cations, or positively charged atoms. You see a list of metal and nonmetal charged atoms important to plant fertility. (Metal nutrients = K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ni; Non-Metals = H, O, C.) Abundant exchangeable Cations in the soil are calcium (Ca++), magnesium (Mg++), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), and aluminum (Al+++). Now, some soils are loaded with those negative docking sites and some are nearly bare. The loaded ones are the fertile ones, because they can hang onto more Cations. Soil scientists gave this a name: Cation Exchange Capacity, or CEC. Think of CEC as the size of your soil's pantry. Not how much food is sitting in there right now, but how many shelves it has got. A soil full of Colloids has a big pantry. It can stock Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium and hold them until a tree comes asking. A soil with almost no docking sites? One shelf. Maybe a spice rack. And this one number pushes on almost everything else: how well your soil holds its structure, where the pH sits, how it reacts when you dump fertilizer on it, and whether the nutrients are even there when roots come looking. Water does the delivering. Roots do the drinking. Good soil is the Storehouse in between. Here is the part I like. It is a trade, not a handout. A root hair pushes out a Hydrogen ion (H+) and takes on a Calcium or a Magnesium in exchange. A swap meet, down in the dirt, running all day long. ![Six step diagram of cation exchange, from root carbon dioxide through carbonic acid to nutrient uptake by root hairs](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/fig1-cec-process.png) How a nutrient gets from a clay particle into your tree, one step at a time. CEC: how much nutrition can your soil hold? Sandy beach backyard: not much storage, bad for growing plants. Forested backyard, Colloid-enriched soil: a lot of storage for nutrients, good for growing plants and trees. Which one is your yard? If your trees and shrubs are sulking and you cannot figure out why, the answer is usually down in the soil. Give Will Mellott a call at 509.499.5308 and he can tell you what is actually going on under your feet, anywhere around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Post Falls. [Ask Will About Your Soil](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Fire-Damaged Trees in Spokane: Keep or Remove?](https://planthealthcs.com/fire-damaged-trees-in-spokane-keep-or-remove/) **Published:** August 18, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Not every scorched tree is lost. Here is a simple way to tell which fire-damaged trees can recover and which need to come down. **Content:** The fires raged through Spokane and the Inland Northwest, leaving a wake of charred, lifeless landscapes, homes, and structures. An inferno of uncontrollable heat reducing people's lives into toaster remnants. It makes me extremely sad. I am sorry, and from that perspective, it is hard to argue the favorable benefits of natural fire. (I understand that some of the fires were intentional, incomprehensible to me? How could someone do this?) In the Spokane area, we live in a fire ecosystem. That means that fire is to be expected. Fire is a natural, ongoing process. Fire is an integral part of a functional, healthy ecosystem. That basically means that nature has been cleansing and renewing itself with fire for thousands of years and will continue to do so. Maybe not in our lifetimes, but the trees will bounce back, they will be okay. The issue is modern society keeps flirting with nature. Nature is resilient ... modern society is not. The issue is "not if, but when." The house built on a flood plain will flood. Society moving out into the woods is a society rolling the dice, and is problematic. If you were affected by the recent fires, I am so sorry that you have to suffer through it. It is times like these that humanity can show up and begin to redeem itself. I have been rummaging through my file drawers looking for some "after the burn tree information" to give to you. I have done many post-fire tree inspections. Here is some advice and some of the steps, notes, and checklist items I use when examining fire-damaged trees. ## Be Careful and Safe At the beginning of your post-fire assessment, be careful when first entering burned areas. Trees with partially burned trunks and crowns can suddenly fall without warning. I have seen it happen. ## Identify Your Tree Identify your tree species (pine, oak, fir, etc.) and its orientation to the fire. What kind of tree is it, and how close was it to the fire? A Ponderosa Pine tree is far more fire-resilient than a Japanese maple. ## Checking the Crown (Canopy) Crown checklist - Scorched vs. Consumed: Estimate the percentage of needles or leaves burned or browned. - Mortality Risk: Trees with more than 50% to 60% crown damage face a high risk of dying, though some broadleaf trees can sprout new growth from dormant trunk buds. - Fine Twigs: Check whether branch twigs are flexible and alive, or brittle and dead. ## Inspecting Trunk and Bark Trunk and bark checklist - Circumference Charring: (Look for continuous, deep charring completely around the trunk. Bark burned off around the entire circumference means the tree will not survive.) - Trunk Base: Charred all the way around, and how deep is the charring. - Cambium Test (Hardwoods): Cut a tiny, shallow slit in the outer bark. If the living cambium layer underneath is moist and green or white, the tissue is alive. If it is brown, dry, or black, that section is dead. ## Evaluating Stability and Roots Stability and roots checklist - Root Burn: Probe the soil with a metal rod near the base to see if structural roots have burned away underground. - Lean and Wind-Wobble: Burned roots or base cavities make trees unstable. They can fall unexpectedly during windstorms. - Secondary Pests: Watch for boring dust, pitch tubes, or woodpecker activity indicating secondary insect attacks. ## Will's Reasons to Recommend Removal People and safety are "ALWAYS" first. At the end of the day, it is just a tree. Remember that. When Will says take it down - Hazard: The tree is within striking distance of a house, driveway, powerline, or walkway. - Girdled trunk: The bark is deeply charred or burned completely away around the entire circumference of the trunk. - Severe crown damage: especially Conifers (pines, firs, spruces) that have lost more than 50% to 60% of their needles. - Root damage: The ground around the base has collapsed, or structural roots are completely burned away. - Unstable lean: leaning, wobbling, wonky in the wind due to compromised roots. ## Should You Keep Your Fire-Damaged Tree? A quick way to think it through **Low Safety Risk** Well away from the house, driveway, and lines **High Safety Risk** Close to the house, driveway, or power lines **Good Odds of Recovery** Living cambium, less than half the crown burned Good odds · Low risk #### Keep It and Keep Watch - The tree has a real shot at pulling through - If it did fail, nothing valuable is in the way - Water it, protect the roots, and watch for bark beetles Good odds · High risk #### Treat the Risk or Take It Down - The tree could recover on its own - But a failure here would hit something that matters - Clear out damaged limbs now and reassess the trunk **Poor Odds of Recovery** Girdled bark, more than 60% of the crown burned Poor odds · Low risk #### Leave It Standing / Monitor - The tree is dying or already gone - Nothing and no one is at risk if it falls - A dead tree makes good habitat for birds and critters Poor odds · High risk #### Remove It Right Away - The tree is failing and it is a hazard - Sooner or later it comes down on something - Get a qualified arborist to take it out safely Fire Damage on Your Property? If you have got fire-damaged trees and you are not sure whether they can be saved, I can come take a look. Fill out the form and I will get back to you. Or call my cell if you would rather talk it through. **Will Mellott** Cell: 509.499.5308 [ Request a Fire Damage Inspection ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Signs Your Tree Might Be In Trouble](https://planthealthcs.com/tree-trouble-signs/) **Published:** June 3, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** Trees are good at hiding their problems. By the time something looks obviously wrong, the trouble has often been building for a while. The good news is that trees do give off early warning signs, if you know what to look for. Here are some of the things worth paying attention to. Leaves that look off. Leaves are one of the first places trouble shows. Watch for leaves that yellow or brown out of season, come in smaller or sparser than usual, wilt when the weather is not especially hot, or drop early. A thinning canopy, where you can see more sky through the branches than you used to, is often an early sign that something is wrong below the surface. Dead or bare branches. A few dead twigs are normal, but large dead branches, or branches that never leafed out in spring, are worth a closer look. Deadwood high in the canopy can also be a safety concern, since those limbs can fall. Cracks, cavities, or soft spots. Vertical cracks in the trunk, open cavities, or areas of bark that sound hollow or feel soft can point to internal decay. What you see on the outside is often smaller than what is happening inside. Mushrooms or fungus at the base. Fungal growth on or around the base of a tree, or on the trunk itself, can be a sign of root or wood decay. It is one of those things that looks harmless but can signal a serious problem. Leaning or heaving soil. A tree that has started leaning, especially if the soil on one side is lifting or cracking, may have a compromised root system. A sudden lean after a storm is a reason to act quickly. Damage at the base or roots. Cut or damaged roots, soil piled against the trunk, or recent construction nearby can all stress a tree in ways that take time to show. Trees and construction are a common source of trouble that surfaces years later. When to call someone. A single sign does not always mean a tree is failing, and some issues are easy to address if caught early. But several signs together, or anything involving the trunk, the roots, or a lean, is worth a professional look. A proper assessment can find out what is really going on beneath the surface and tell you whether you are looking at a simple fix or a real risk. If something about one of your trees has you wondering, it is always better to ask sooner rather than later. Trees rarely get better on their own, but many problems are manageable when they are caught in time. Will Mellott Plant Health Care Services (509) 499-5308 **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [The Secret Life of a Twig](https://planthealthcs.com/secret-life-of-a-twig/) **Published:** June 10, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** Welcome to the New Plant Health Care Services If you are seeing this, you have found the brand new home of Plant Health Care Services online. Along with a fresh website, there is a new logo and a new place to share what makes trees and plants so fascinating to work with. Thanks for stopping by. To kick things off, here is something that sits at the heart of what an arborist pays attention to, and it is smaller than you might expect. The humble twig. A twig might look like just the end of a branch, but it is actually a detailed blueprint of a tree’s health and history. Take a close look and it tells a story. The buds are the engine of growth. The terminal bud at the tip drives the branch longer, while the lateral buds along the sides form new branches. The scars are a record of the past. Leaf scars mark where last year’s leaves fell, and bud scale scars show where past seasons of growth began. Count them and you can read the years. The inner workings carry the life of the tree. The pith at the center moves nutrients, and tiny pores called lenticels let the twig breathe. Why does any of this matter? Because a twig is full of clues. The arrangement of the buds, alternate or opposite, and the shape of the pith help identify a tree species even in the dead of winter when there is not a leaf in sight. And the condition of the twigs can be an early warning sign. Weak, spindly growth can signal stress from too much shade, disease, or other trouble long before the rest of the tree shows it. That is the kind of detail that goes into every assessment at Plant Health Care Services, reading the small signs to understand the bigger picture of a tree’s health. Have a tree you are wondering about? Reach out anytime. I would love to take a look. Will Mellott Plant Health Care Services (509) 499-5308 **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [A Fresh New Look](https://planthealthcs.com/fresh-look/) **Published:** June 20, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Big news; my brand new website is live, with a fresh new logo and a whole new look. I have also included a few quick tips to keep your trees healthy through the warm, dry summer months ahead. Come take a look around. **Content:** News · Summer Tree Care # A Fresh New Look, and Some Summer Tree Care to Go With It The weather is finally warming up, the days are getting longer, and I have some exciting news to share. My brand new website is officially live, complete with a fresh new logo and a whole new look. This has been a long time coming, and I could not be more proud of how it turned out. The new site reflects the care I put into every job, and it makes it easier than ever for you to learn about my services, get to know my background, and reach out when you need help with your trees. Take a look around and make yourself at home. And since summer is right around the corner, I thought I would share a few quick tips to keep your trees healthy through the warm, dry months ahead. --- ## Quick Tips for the Season Ahead Water deep, not shallow Trees drink differently than lawns; they want water that reaches deep down to the roots, not quick surface sprinkles. If you water by hand, a long slow soak does the trick. If you are on a drip system, let it run longer and remember that emitters belong out near the edge of the canopy, not up against the trunk. Mulch is your friend A two to three inch layer of mulch around the base helps the soil hold moisture and stay cool. Just keep it from piling up against the trunk, since trees like a little breathing room. Watch the weight on those branches All that lush spring growth adds real weight to limbs, and weak or overextended branches can become a hazard once summer storms roll through. If you have got branches hanging over your home, driveway, or walkways, now is a good time to have them looked at. Keep an eye out for trouble A quick walk around your yard every now and then goes a long way. Look for dead limbs, cracked branches, or any signs of stress or disease so small problems can be caught before they turn into big ones. If you ever have questions about your trees or want a professional set of eyes on them, that is exactly what I am here for. ### Never Miss a Post Want seasonal tree care tips, reminders, and updates delivered to your inbox? Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up. I would love to keep you in the loop. Thank you for your support. Here is to a great summer ahead, and to keeping your trees healthy and strong. **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [How Much Is A Mature Tree Worth In Washington & Idaho](https://planthealthcs.com/how-much-is-a-mature-tree-worth-in-washington-idaho/) **Published:** June 22, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Most people never think about what a tree is worth until something happens to one. Here is how a certified arborist puts a real number on a mature tree, and why it is usually higher than you would expect. **Content:** Most people never think about what a tree is worth until something happens to one. A storm takes it down, a neighbor's project damages the roots, or a contractor clears more than they should have. Suddenly that tree you walked past every day for twenty years is gone, and you're left wondering what you actually lost. The honest answer is that a mature tree is often worth far more than people expect. We're not talking about firewood value. A healthy, established tree on your property has real measurable worth, and in a dispute or insurance claim, that number matters. ## How a tree is actually appraised Here in Washington and Idaho, I appraise trees the same way a professional appraises anything else of value, using accepted industry methods rather than guesswork. The most common approach looks at the cost to replace the tree, then adjusts for things like species, size, condition, and where it sits on the property. Condition matters too. A tree that's healthy and structurally sound carries more value than one already in decline. > You can buy a small tree at a nursery and plant it in an afternoon. You cannot buy a sixty year old maple. Size is where the numbers really climb. There's no nursery stock for a mature tree. So the appraisal accounts for the decades of growth you'd otherwise have to wait through, and that's often where people are surprised by the figure. I use the methods set out by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, the same framework courts and insurers recognize. That matters because a number you came up with on your own won't hold up if the situation turns into a claim or a lawsuit. A proper appraisal from a qualified arborist will. ## When the value will be challenged When a tree value is going to be challenged, by an insurer, an opposing attorney, or in court, it calls for a forensic appraisal. That means documenting everything: the tree's species, size, condition, and location, the method used to reach the value, and the evidence behind every figure. A forensic appraisal is built to stand up to scrutiny, so the number holds when someone on the other side is trying to pick it apart. This is the kind of work that supports insurance claims, property disputes, and expert witness testimony. Where this comes up This happens more than you'd think. Property line disputes, construction damage, utility work gone wrong, and trees lost to a neighbor's negligence. It also comes up with water. When a creek is diverted or a water source is cut off, the trees that depended on it can decline or die, sometimes years later, and establishing what those trees were worth becomes its own kind of case. In every one of these situations, knowing the real value of what was lost is the difference between a fair outcome and getting shortchanged. If you've lost a tree or you're worried one is at risk, it's worth getting a real number from someone qualified to give one. [ Request a Consultation ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [The Python Root](https://planthealthcs.com/the-python-root/) **Published:** June 29, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** On a morning walk I spotted what looked like a snake coiled around a maple. It was a stem girdling root, slowly squeezing the life out of the tree. Here's how to spot a python root in your own yard, and what you can do about it. **Content:** My wife and I went for an early morning walk on Wednesday. The walk was mostly peaceful, safe, and almost uneventful. Then, while strolling down the street, I stopped and stared. "Is that a cobra? Maybe an anaconda coiled around the base of that maple tree?" "No," I told myself. "Don't be silly. You're no snake expert. But that's no coiled anaconda... that's a constrictor." It was a python root, slowly squeezing the life out of that tree. ## What is a python root Experts call this a stem girdling root, or SGR for short. It's a root that grows in a circular pattern, wrapping around the trunk at or just below the soil surface instead of growing outward and away from the tree the way a healthy root should. SGRs can show up on a wide variety of trees, but they're most commonly seen on maples, the Red, Silver, Norway, and Sugar varieties, and on Littleleaf Lindens. > They're like piano wire in the hands of a well trained assassin. Year after year, they slowly, methodically, and relentlessly strangle the tree, restricting the flow of water and nutrients between the roots and the canopy. Left alone long enough, the result is the same every time. The tree is dead. Take it from me. I've been in this tree gig a long time, and stem girdling roots are bad, bad, bad. ## How to spot one in your own yard The hard part about SGRs is that the worst of the damage happens underground, out of sight, for years before the tree ever looks sick. But there are warning signs you can watch for. The clearest one is a trunk that goes straight into the ground like a telephone pole. A healthy tree should have a visible flare at the base, where the trunk widens out into the roots. If the trunk looks like it was pushed straight into the soil with no flare, something is wrapped around it down below. A few other signs are worth a second look. A flattened or sunken side on the lower trunk, where a girdling root presses in and the trunk loses its normal rounded shape. Thinning leaves or early fall color on just one part of the canopy, since the choked side often shows stress first. And branches dying back from the tips, especially up high, with no other obvious cause. If you see a maple or linden with a trunk that disappears straight into the dirt, it's worth a closer look. ## The good news There are remedies. In many cases an arborist can carefully excavate around the base, confirm what's happening, and remove the offending root before it does fatal damage. Caught early enough, plenty of trees go on to live full, healthy lives. Better yet, the best remedy begins before the problem ever starts, with proper planting. Most stem girdling roots trace back to how the tree went into the ground in the first place, planted too deep, or left to circle inside a nursery pot for too long before planting. A tree set at the right depth, with circling roots loosened or pruned at planting time, is far less likely to ever develop a python root. When in doubt If you think one of your trees may have a python root, get a second set of eyes on it. An arborist can tell you quickly whether what you're seeing is a girdling root or something harmless, and whether it's worth acting on now or simply watching. A short visit today can save a tree that took decades to grow. Until next time, keep your eyes open. The biggest constrictors in the neighborhood may not have scales. They may have roots. [ Request a Consultation ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [ANTHRAX OR ANTHRACNOSE](https://planthealthcs.com/maple-tree-anthracnose-spring/) **Published:** July 4, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** A picture of a friend's sick maple sends Will down a rabbit hole from anthrax to anthracnose. Here's what's actually going on with those blighted leaves, and why it's usually nothing to worry about. **Content:** My friend Becky sent me a picture of her sick maple tree this week. I took one look and my mind went racing down the highway, straight past the tree and into anthrax territory. I know, it's a strange leap. My brain landed on the anthrax bioterrorism scare, the postal service attacks, the white powdery substance mailed to U.S. senators back in 2001. Then it corrected itself. What Becky's tree had wasn't anthrax; it was anthracnose. Two words that sound alike but describe completely different things. In my defense, the visual mix up made a little sense. Anthrax causes something called an eschar, a word I picked up in high school biology: a dry, black scab that forms on skin. Becky's tree photo showed blighted leaves with dark, bumpy, black spots. Same color palette, wrong disease entirely. ## What anthracnose actually is Anthracnose is really more of a catch all term for a group of fungal diseases that affect trees. It's unpredictable by nature; it comes and goes depending on the weather, and it has a real fondness for cool, wet spring conditions. It also doesn't play fair. It can show up looking completely different depending on which tree it lands on, which makes it tricky to identify just by eyeballing it. > 🍁 It's a bit like that broke cousin who always shows up for the Fourth of July, uninvited, in a rusted out lime green Catalina, looking for potato salad and a little cash. You know he's probably coming eventually. You just never know exactly when. ## The good news Unlike some tree problems, anthracnose isn't guaranteed to return. It's picky about conditions; the weather has to line up just right for it to take hold. And once it does show up, the affected leaves eventually drop, and the tree typically shakes it off and carries on just fine. Bottom line If your maple looks a little rough this spring, don't panic. It's probably not a health crisis; just an unwelcome houseguest who will wear out his welcome soon enough. [ Send Will Your Tree Photo ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Volcano Mulching: A Missouri Sight, a Northwest Problem](https://planthealthcs.com/volcano-mulching-a-missouri-sight-a-northwest-problem/) **Published:** July 12, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Volcano mulching is one of the most common tree care mistakes we see around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Post Falls. Here's why piling mulch against a trunk harms your tree, and the simple donut shape that keeps it healthy. **Content:** Visiting Southern Missouri one summer day, I saw this. What is it? Doesn't it just remind you of a smokestack emerging from a volcano? Start looking around where you live; start looking for the picture above. Fact is, you don't have to be in Missouri to see volcano mulching, or wood mulch piled around a tree. This type of malpractice is everywhere, and with all the new construction and fresh landscaping going in around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Post Falls, I'm seeing it more than ever. You have probably heard that wood mulch around trees is a good thing, right? Wood mulch can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It depends. It's like ice cream. Enjoying a little dish of ice cream is great and almost medicinal, but too much ice cream; there are consequences. A little mulch is great for trees, so a lot of mulch must be better? ## What happens when you volcano mulch? So what are the consequences of too much wood mulch piled up around a tree like a volcano? It's bad, because too much mulch traps excessive moisture and heat against the tree trunk. A trunk does not like to be wet and smothered. Piling up mulch (that is, volcano mulching) encourages rot, disease, pest problems, rodents, and suffocation. > 🌋 Believe it or not, trees breathe, and volcano mulching is like a Wonder Bread bag over your face. You can sort of breathe, but you can't. ## The right kind of mulch Mulch for trees is made from shredded or chipped wood. There are many types of wood mulch; use tree leaves if you have to, but please never use grass for mulch. When wood mulching is done right, it helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate temperature extremes, and promote a healthy, attractive landscape. ## Why mulch matters: the science This part is a little techy, but stay with me. When wood mulch breaks down, it replenishes the soil with fresh carbon under the tree. Carbon is life; all living things are made up of carbon. Microbes (the microorganisms that live in the soil) love to eat chips; not potato chips, wood chips. Microbial mineralization (decomposition) is a process in which soil microbes break down wood and mine the carbon to build healthy soil. This is great for your tree. ## Give your tree a donut, not a volcano You know what is really good for your tree? A donut. A three inch thick, flat pancake donut loaded with shredded bark mulch. If you can, maintain a mulch donut ring out to the drip line of your tree. The drip line is the imaginary circle on the ground where water drips from the canopy leaves. Oh yeah, please don't forget the donut hole; the open space in the middle that keeps the tree trunk flare uncovered, unsmothered, breathing, and dry. Bottom line If you're planting new trees around a fresh build in Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, or the greater Spokane area, getting the mulch right from day one saves you expensive problems down the road. If you've already spotted a volcano or two in your own yard, it's not too late to fix it. [ Get Your Trees Looked At ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) Harris, R.W., J.R. Clark and N.P. Matheny. 1999. Arboriculture: Integrated Management of Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ (Mulch on Chapter 7, pp. 202-215). **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Ugly Dirt Or Attractive Soil?](https://planthealthcs.com/ugly-dirt-or-attractive-soil/) **Published:** July 19, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Builders strip away the good soil before your new home goes up, leaving plants to struggle in compacted dirt. A consulting arborist explains the difference between ugly dirt and attractive soil, and shares five quick checks you can do in your own yard. **Content:** The "last thing" that happens on most new home construction sites is the landscaping. Landscaping is all the pretty yard stuff, like grass, shrubs, and trees. Yet what is the "first thing" that happens when a developer buys a big chunk of property? All the mature trees are cut down; all the good-looking, attractive soil (the top layer) is slicked off and sold. Then the digging and transformation begins. The once attractive soil has turned into dirt as ugly as a troll. People refer to dirt and soil as the same thing. They are not. ## Dennis and the moonscape I pulled into the driveway of a sold new home. The owners were ready to move in, but the landscape wasn't finished. Nothing. The site was a rock-sand-dirt moonscape; yet the trees had to get planted. I am a consulting arborist, which means I like to talk, teach, observe, and be amazed; that's what consultants do. And my new friend Dennis amazed me. He was the hole digger that day, and he had to get the trees planted no matter what. > Dennis starts his hole with a pickaxe; it bounces off the dirt like a BB hitting a Sherman Tank. Dennis tried again and again with the same results. But Dennis had to plant these trees, so he borrowed an electric 32-pound demolition jackhammer. Two hours later: two planted trees, and desperate hope that the trees would somehow survive. Let me ask you: do you live in a new home, and your landscaping is not thriving? Are your plants growing in ugly dirt, or attractive soil? ## What makes soil attractive? How can you remember what I am writing about? Remember this: what makes soil so attractive are the same qualities that make a person attractive. Attractive soil is rich; rich in organic matter. Attractive soil, like attractive people, carries a magnetic charge; it draws in and holds nutrients, water, and life: microorganisms, micro flora and fauna. Attractive people usually smell good, and so does healthy soil. Good soil has a very earthy aroma; you know that fresh smell after a rainstorm. We as humans are very "in touch" with soil. Maybe it's the "Carbon Connection." All living things are made from carbon. Good soil just resonates within us; it's deeply calming, almost hypnotic. Attractive people and attractive soil are thriving and alive. Attractive people have a lot going on in their lives. So does attractive soil: > A single spoonful of healthy soil probably contains more living microorganisms than there are people on Earth. Now that's thrivin'. ## Perfect soil? Yes, it exists Let me conclude with a difference. No person is perfect; not even the attractive ones. But a good attractive soil? I think it can be. Highly attractive soil is a perfect blend of sand, silt, and clay. A perfect soil drains well yet holds just enough water, and lets trees, shrubs, and grass stretch out and breathe. Is your soil attractive? A quick check - Grab a handful. Does it smell earthy and fresh, like after a rainstorm? - Squeeze it. Does it crumble apart, or clump like concrete? - Stick a shovel in. Does it slide in, or bounce off like Dennis's pickaxe? - After a good rain, does water soak in, or puddle and run off? - Do you see life? Worms, roots, and little critters mean thriving soil. Bottom line Go check: have you got ugly dirt, or attractive soil? If your new landscape around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, or Post Falls is struggling, the answer is probably under your feet, and it can be fixed. [ Get Your Soil Looked At ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Don't Make Your Tree a Victim](https://planthealthcs.com/dont-make-your-tree-a-victim/) **Published:** July 25, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** My neighbor stood by his tree with his dad's chainsaw and no idea what he was about to do. Here is how good trees get turned into toothpicks, and three pointers so it doesn't happen to yours. **Content:** Tree pruning can be a daunting venture. You stand there looking at a shaggy monolith of wood, bark, and leaves. All those twisty branches. It's confusing. You've got to do something. But is something better than the wrong thing? Are you going to do something *for* your tree, or something *to* your tree? If I had a dollar for every phone call and every chance encounter that ended with me fixing a tree somebody had brutalized, I'd be a quadrillionaire. Am I exaggerating? A little. Not much. ## How a good tree becomes toothpicks Listen. It happens all the time. Picture my neighbor. He is standing next to his tree with a chainsaw in his hand. The saw is big. The saw is special. It belonged to his dad, who was a veteran logger. Which means the saw has more experience than the man holding it. None of these things are bad on their own. The neighbor is a good guy. The chainsaw is undeniably cool. The tree genuinely needs a trim. But put all three in the same yard on the same afternoon and you have a perfect trifecta. For an intervention. "Hey neighbor, whatcha doin'?" "I don't know." This is a true story, and he was being completely honest with me. He did not know. So I tried again. "It kind of looks like you're about to cut your tree down." "No," he said. "Just thought I'd do some light pruning." > Light pruning. He said it the way you'd say "just a trim" to a barber holding a weed whacker. 😂 Here's the thing. He wasn't going to hurt that tree on purpose. Nobody ever is. That's exactly how it happens. So before anything gets fired up, three pointers. ## 1. Start with good questions Before the pruning adventure begins, take out a piece of paper and write some down. Ask before you cut - Do I even know what kind of tree this is? - Why do I want to prune it in the first place? - What tools will I use, and are they sharp and clean? (Maybe a chainsaw is too much. Even a super cool one.) - What time of year is right for the kind of pruning that needs doing? - Can I draw a diagram of my tree and start pencil slashing my ideas? - Who can I ask? That last one is the question most people skip, and it's the easiest of the bunch. Ask Will. A phone call costs nothing, and it's a whole lot cheaper than replacing a forty year old tree. ## 2. Write out your pruning plan Once your questions are answered, really do it. Write out some pruning specs. Google it, ChatGPT it, but contact and study good resources. I can give you how to's until the cows come home. Ask me. I mean it. I will talk about trees longer than you want me to. ## 3. Follow the Four D Rule Here's one easy how to. You are never wrong removing the dead, diseased, dying, or damaged. Just educate yourself on the proper removal technique first. At that point you're doing something for your tree, not to your tree. It might look a little wonky for a while, but it will fix itself. It'll grow into itself. > Never, ever, ever, ever top a mature tree. If you planted a giant sequoia in a small backyard, that's your fault, not the tree's. Most of the time it really is simple. Good pruning is taking less, but at the right spots. The hardest part is walking away. No more tweaking, no more adjusting. Just walk. It is finished. Think about next year. If you can reach your pruning objective and the tree still looks untouched: congratulations. That's good pruning. Bottom line Staring at a tree and not sure where to start? That's the right time to call. Before the saw comes out, not after. If you're in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, or Post Falls, Will is happy to answer tree questions, talk you through a plan, or come take a look in person. No tree has ever regretted a phone call. [Ask Will About Your Tree](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [The Handyman's Secret Weapon for Tree Repair: It Doesn’t Work !](https://planthealthcs.com/handymans-secret-weapon/) **Published:** August 1, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** A duct-taped tree at a construction site reminded me of Red Green and his secret weapon for fixing everything. Turns out what works on a screen door doesn't work so well on a tree, here's why. **Content:** I was out at a construction site the other day and snapped a picture of a tree that had been repaired with duct tape. I'll get into why that's a bad idea in a minute, but that duct taped tree reminded me of *The Red Green Show*, a weekly TV comedy that ran for 15 seasons and 300 glorious episodes of handyman-filled drama at the Possum Lodge in Ontario. Lodge President Red drove a Dodge Ram cargo Possum Van. The Possum Lodge had its own prayers and philosophies, things like "I am a man, I can change, if I have to, I guess, Amen," "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (fake Latin for "when all else fails, play dead," just like a possum), and "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." ## If It Ain't Broke, You're Not Trying I believe (don't quote me) I was watching an episode about 25 years ago that featured lodge member Dalton Humphrey in a segment called "If It Ain't Broke, You're Not Trying!" Dalton was self-proclaimed as not handsome or handy, and he was married to a controlling wife. Dalton brings Red his wife's broken tree. Red doesn't consider himself handsome either, but he is a Possum Lodge Handy Man with a secret weapon. Red fixes everything with duct tape. Could it be the tree in my picture? > Duct tape is great for ripped up screen doors and taping up cardboard boxes. It's not so good at fixing trees. Red was right about a lot of things, and I'm no expert on the ladies, but it seems that if you want to impress them, you can be ugly, but they know that fixing stuff is more than just tape. Duct tape is stylish in a very manly way, and yes, I personally love the stuff. But it's bad for fixing trees, because it suffocates trees, girdles trees, and rots trees. ## Trees Have to Breathe Duct tape suffocates. Bark isn't a plastic candy bar wrapper. It's a living, protective, porous layer that needs to breathe. Tape up your lips and smash down your nose with some gray duct tape. Can't breathe? Not cool, not handy, and very unimpressive to the ladies. ## Trees Have to Grow Duct tape girdles. I went to Walmart last night to get shoes for one of my growing grandkids. The kid loves his size 5 croc shoes, but now he needs a size 6. Get it? A tree trunk gets fatter every year. The pipes that carry food and water up and down the tree get choked off with tape. Same goes for tags, wire, staking strap, paint, and blackjack roof tar (don't laugh, I've seen it). Too bad, though, Red is wrong. Trees don't like duct tape. ## Trees Need to Stay Dry Duct tape creates rot. A landscape worker I knew kept adding duct tape to his work pants, and then one day, voila, he had stylish duct tape pants. Handsome and handy. He loved how easily they washed off with a garden hose, and holes got fixed with more tape. Those pants made a statement, until one summer day when they got too hot, too heavy. It didn't go well for him. The chafing, the rash, the rot, it was too much. Nothing ever dries out. He never said anything about insects and critters, but I often wonder. > A tree wrapped in duct tape gets the same deal. Under all that tape is a warm, wet pocket that never dries out. The tree isn't mending, it's suffering. Bottom line Remember, a tree isn't a screen door or a cardboard box going back to Amazon. If you've got a tree wearing duct tape, or a new landscape around Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, or Post Falls is tanking, it's worth having somebody take a look. [ Get Your Tree Looked At ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ### [Pioneer Trees Have Hormones](https://planthealthcs.com/pioneer-trees-have-hormones/) **Published:** August 8, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Excerpt:** Every year you cut them off. Every year they come back, more of them than last time. Those little shoots around the base of your aspen aren't a hygiene problem, they're a hormone problem. Here's what's actually going on underground, and why some trees do this and others don't. **Content:** The question is, "Why do I have little tree shoots coming up in my yard?" Human Aesthetics try to override thousands of years of nature's engineering. I see it all the time. You might be guilty too. How? Think of all the little sprouts, "suckers," around the base of your tree or the "water" sprouts in the canopy. Every single year, religiously and painstakingly so, you remove all those little nasties. You want your tree to look good, but what do you get for all your hard work? A raging pruning war. Sneaky Root "suckers" populating your lawn. Have you ever wondered why? In the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area it is about the 1. Genera and 2. hormones. ## A dead language, and why that matters Genera is just the plural form of the word genus, which is how trees are classified in Latin. Latin is technically a dead language and that's why it was chosen. It won't change ... it's dead. In the tree world a two-part name system is used. The first word is genus; the second word is the species within that genus. Here is an example: Populus tremuloides, which is the botanical Latin name for the Quaking Aspen. The word "Populus" would not only include Aspen, but other like trees (ex. Poplars, Cottonwoods, etc.). The willow tree is of the genus Salix, containing around 350 species. The Sumac is of the genus Rhus, containing 35 species, and the Pine tree, Pinus (100 different species). ## Meet the Pioneers The Pines, Poplars, Aspens, Cottonwoods, Willows and Sumacs are some of the woody plants known as Pioneers. The idea of first succession in nature is where trees begin to access and establish new areas ... they are settlers, pioneering new hostile lands. These "Pioneer" trees will provide shade and cover for the development of the more desirable Genera. These trees are easy to grow and grow almost anywhere and seem to thrive under neglect. They grow fast and die fast. These trees are the go-to for building contractors and perfect trees to get their homes sold. > The mission of the Pioneer tree never changes. The mission is simple: explore, establish, and dominate, fair or unfair. A fascinating and natural phenomenon that can be extremely annoying and problematic. If you have Aspen trees or a pioneer-type tree, you will have suckers. ## Everything in life has hormones Another way to answer the question, "Why do I have little shoots coming up in my yard?" Think about this: everything in life has hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that control the cycles and seasons of life. Example: young men do the things that they do, and old men do the things they do... right? Same thing for young Pioneer trees. Hormones are always competing (checks and balances). These hormones control how and where a tree can grow, and how it will stay alive. There are many different types of hormones in trees. The root suckers in your yard are driven by an increase in the hormone called cytokinin. This is a stimulator hormone produced in the roots that promotes cell division and encourages shoot development. This hormone travels upward. Another Hormone (among all of them) is called Auxin; it is an inhibitor. It helps suppress and hold back the root suckers from going wild. ## What tips the balance When a tree (especially a pioneer tree) experiences stress, drought, pathogens, insects, root wounding, bad pruning, or even "lawnmower blight" or "string trimmer blight," etc., it creates disruption. The influence of the auxins drops and the cytokinins dominate. What happens then? > Cytokinins create rapid cell division, dormant buds begin to grow, and you got suckers. ## What can you do? Be mindful of - What is already planted in your yard (what kind of trees do you have) - How you care for the trees you have - What you plant next I'm not advocating for a no-plant list. Your yard, your plants, do what you want. I'm just advocating that you be mindful of what is happening. The urban environment/landscapers try to replicate the natural environment. Should plants (i.e., Pioneer trees with hormones) that do well in the "uncultivated" wild be introduced and encouraged in a well-maintained and cultivated backyard? That is your decision. Before you go Here is the part I really want you to hear. Suckers are not just an eyesore. They are a signal. Something knocked that tree off balance, and this is the only way it has of telling you about it. Was it drought? Root damage from a trench somebody dug last summer? A bad pruning cut? Compacted soil? Figuring out which one it is, that's the part I can help with. Call me and ask. Hope that answers the question. See you next week. [ Find Out What's Stressing Your Tree ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) **Categories:** Tree Things Blog --- ## Pages ### [Home](https://planthealthcs.com/) **Published:** September 10, 2025 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** ## Arborist Consulting and Expert Witness Expert arborist consulting services for property owners, attorneys, and organizations nationwide. [ Request a Consultation ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) ## Here to Help For Every Challenge William Mellott brings over 30 years of hands-on experience in arboriculture and urban forestry. Among the most credentialed arborists in the Pacific Northwest, he holds a rare combination of certifications that very few professionals in the field ever achieve. He works with attorneys and legal teams, property owners and developers, municipalities and public agencies, and insurance and claims professionals nationwide. ##### Tree Care [ ](https://planthealthcs.com/services) Professional tree care rooted in science. From health assessments to integrated pest management and plant health care, William brings decades of hands on experience to every property. ![Arborist Wearing Glove Inspecting Tree Bark](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AdobeStock_2033028478-1024x572.jpeg "Arborist Wearing Glove Inspecting Tree Bark Up Close - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ##### Arborist Consulting [ ](https://planthealthcs.com/services) Independent consulting for property owners, municipalities, developers, and legal professionals. Objective, evidence based assessments you can rely on for any tree or plant related challenge. ![](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Will-In-Field-Consulting.png "Will In Field Consulting - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ##### Expert Witness [ ](https://planthealthcs.com/services) Retained by attorneys across Washington, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and beyond for litigation involving tree failure, property damage, timber trespass, and casualty appraisals. ![Close-up of tree trunk cavity](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AdobeStock_2001846265-1024x574.jpeg "Close-up of tree trunk cavity with blurred arborist in safety helmet assessing tree risk in forest setting, conveying hazard inspection and structural decay evaluation. - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ###### Independent expert consulting with unbiased opinions and recommendations for every tree and plant challenge. ## Meet William Mellott Independent Expert Consulting Fewer than 2% of all ISA Certified Arborists hold the BCMA certification. William is one of them. - 30+ Years of Professional Arboriculture Experience - ISA Board Certified Master Arborist · BCMA MW-4246B - ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist · RCA #837 [ Learn More About William ](https://planthealthcs.com/about) ## Consulting Arborist Serving Spokane, Post Falls, and Coeur d'Alene Plant Health Care Services, LLC is based in Medical Lake, Washington and serves the Inland Northwest, including Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, and the surrounding communities, along with central and eastern Washington and North Idaho. Will Mellott provides on site tree risk assessments, tree and plant appraisals, diagnostics, and consulting reports across the region, and is available for larger projects in Oregon and Arizona. For legal matters, Will is retained by attorneys nationwide for expert witness testimony, depositions, and litigation support involving tree failure, property damage, timber trespass, and casualty appraisals. Client Experiences ## What Clients Are Saying " ★★★★★ William Mellott is the real deal. When our property suffered serious damage from a water rights dispute, he came out personally, assessed every tree, and produced a thorough arboricultural report that gave us a clear understanding of the full extent of our damages. Beyond his impressive credentials, what sets William apart is that he genuinely cares. He treated our land like it was his own. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Stephen Craun Property Owner, Athol, Idaho " ★★★★★ We couldn't be happier with the arborist services we received. From the very beginning, the years of knowledge and experience were evident, along with a personal, kind, and supportive approach. Will and his team completed a thorough and thoughtful assessment of the damage to the plants and trees in our yard, taking the time to clearly explain what was happening and why. We never felt rushed, and all of our questions were met with patience and genuine care. We highly recommend their services! Gary and Sharon Property Owner, Spokane, WA " ★★★★★ After having had our home appraised last year I wanted to know the value of mature shrubs and trees. I turned to New Leaf Nursery for help. They quickly recommended Will Mellott as the guy I needed to talk to. Will responded quickly and surveyed my property the next week and provided me with a detailed report. Excellent work. Sid Smith Property Owner, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Get in Touch ## Ready to Get Started? Whether you are an attorney seeking a qualified expert witness, a property owner dealing with tree damage or disputes, or a municipality needing an independent assessment, William is ready to help. [ 📞 (509) 499-5308 ](tel:5094995308) [Send a Message](/contact) --- ### [About](https://planthealthcs.com/about/) **Published:** September 10, 2025 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** ## Trusted Tree Expertise You Can Stand Behind Evidence based consulting for property owners, attorneys, and organizations across the country, delivered with honesty and genuine care. [ Request a Consultation ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) Plant Health Care Services, LLC is a plant and tree consulting company based in the Pacific Northwest, with consulting arborist Will Mellott serving clients nationwide. Will specializes in urban forest management for residences, campuses, and municipalities, along with tree preservation and restoration during construction projects. He also provides expert witness testimony, depositions, and detailed reports for litigation and insurance matters involving trees. Clients include homeowners, developers, municipalities, attorneys, contractors, insurance companies, planners, architects, landscape architects, and commercial arborists. ![Ornamental Tree](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/About1.png "Ornamental Tree - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![Tree Rings](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/About2.png "Tree Rings - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ### Trees tell a story if you know how to listen. Will Mellott has spent more than 30 years learning that language. Whether he is assessing a tree for risk, writing a report for a legal team, or teaching the next generation of arborists, his work is rooted in genuine passion for trees and the people who care for them. ![William Mellott](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_3576.jpeg "Will Mellott - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![William Mellott Hugging Tree](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_3576.webp "Hugging Tree - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![Musician William Mellott](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Musician.webp "Musician Playing Bass Guitar - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") Meet Will## William 'Will' Mellott ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist Will Mellott is the kind of arborist who genuinely loves what he does, and it shows. With more than 30 years of hands-on experience in arboriculture, urban forestry, and plant health care, he brings deep expertise and a refreshingly approachable style to every engagement. As owner of Plant Health Care Services LLC, Will provides independent tree evaluations, appraisals, risk assessments, consulting reports, expert witness testimony, and deposition support for clients nationwide. He produces thorough, well-documented reports that give attorneys and legal teams the clear, credible foundation they need for depositions and courtroom testimony. Will is also a builder and a teacher at heart. He has created urban forestry programs from the ground up, including establishing Whitworth University as the second Tree Campus USA in Washington State, and he has spent his career getting people genuinely invested in the trees around them. As a college instructor in urban forestry, he leads campus lectures, hands-on workshops, and community programs that bring the field to life. He understands that a healthy urban forest is not built through technical work alone; it takes education, community buy in, and people who feel connected to the landscape around them. Will is also the author of the forthcoming book Tree Things: You Need to Know, sharing decades of field wisdom in a way that anyone can connect with. When he is not consulting or writing, you will likely find him playing music, bringing that same warmth and passion to everything he does. - ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, BCMA MW-4246B - ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, RCA 837 - Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, TRAQ - Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified, T-PAQ - 30+ Years of Professional Experience - Available for Engagements Nationwide Read More [Request a Consultation](/contact) ![ISA Board Certified Master Arborist credential held by William Mellott of Plant Health Care Services](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/01-ISA-Board-Certified-Master-Arborist.png) ![#image_title](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/02-ASCA-Registered-Consulting-Arborist-837.png) ![ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) held by William Mellott of Plant Health Care Services](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/03-ISA-Tree-Risk-Assessment-Qualified.png) ![#image_title](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/06-ASCA-Tree-and-Plant-Appraisal-Qualified.png) ![Pacific Northwest Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture: member William Mellott, Plant Health Care Services](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/04-Pacific-Northwest-Chapter-ISA.png) ![#image_title](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/05-Western-Chapter-ISA.png) Committed to Excellence Through Knowledge - **Formal Education.** Educated through the master's level, including a degree in Urban Forestry. - **30+ Years in the Field.** Three decades of hands on arboriculture and consulting. - **The Full Credential Set.** BCMA, RCA, TRAQ, and TPAQ, backed by dual state licensing. Knowing what to look for is where every service starts, and it shapes each tree risk assessment, health diagnostic, appraisal, construction impact review, and litigation matter that follows. One tree or an entire property, the scope of the work matches the scope of the problem. Each engagement begins with a site visit and a thorough evaluation scaled to the question at hand. What you receive is a clear written assessment with findings, recommendations, and the reasoning behind them. Explore the full range of services. [ Explore Services ](https://planthealthcs.com/services/) #### Fewer than 2% of ISA Certified Arborists also hold the Board Certified Master Arborist certification. Will is one of them.​ ### Certifications, Licenses & Qualifications - **ISA Board Certified Master Arborist**BCMA, MW-4246B - **ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist**RCA #837 - **ISA Certified Arborist**Since 2001 - **Tree Risk Assessment Qualified**ISA TRAQ - **Tree & Plant Appraisal Qualified**ASCA TPAQ - **Commercial Pesticide Applicator License**Washington (WSDA) and Idaho, ornamental ### Education - **Master of Arts, Theology**Whitworth University, Spokane, WA · 2015 - **Graduate Study, Environmental Science**Oregon State University · 2015 - **Associate of Applied Science, Urban Forestry**MSU Bottineau, Bottineau, ND · 2003 - **Bachelor of Science, Humanities**Grace University, Omaha, NE · 1990 Studied plant biology at Whitworth University and completed 3,000+ hours of continuing education through the International Society of Arboriculture, plus graduated from the ASCA Consulting Academy (2021) and the Master Gardener Training Program (2020). --- ### [Services](https://planthealthcs.com/services/) **Published:** September 10, 2025 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** ## Getting to the Root of the Problem From plant and tree health to risk assessments, appraisals, and expert witness support, Will delivers clear, evidence based answers for property owners, attorneys, and organizations. [ Start with an Assessment ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) ### Find the Problem Hands on testing that finds the real cause of decline, decay, and disease, not just the symptoms. ### Know the Value Credible appraisals and risk evaluations for insurance, legal, and property decisions. ### Get Clear Answers Trusted answers and credible documentation, whether you need peace of mind or support for a legal or insurance matter. ## At PHCS, LLC, every client gets the care and attention of an independent expert, who understands the trees and land we live, work, and play on. ### An Honest, Expert Opinion - No upselling, just what your trees and plants actually need - Findings backed by evidence, not guesswork - Clear reports written in plain language - Minimize environmental impact - Standards based methods you can rely on - One trusted point of contact start to finish - Recommendations made in your best interest Ready to get a straight answer about your trees and plants? [ Get Started Now ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) ### Expertise You Can Trust, From Diagnosis to the Courtroom From the first signs of trouble to expert testimony in a legal dispute, you get clear answers and documentation you can rely on every step of the way. Reports and Legal Permits, appraisals, and expert witness Urban Forestry Inventories and tree management Construction Tree preservation and development Diagnostics Testing, treatment, and care ## Getting to the Bottom of What Is Affecting Your Trees and Plants ![Report laying on stump. Measuring tree.](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/services-1.png "Report laying on stump. Measuring tree. - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![yellow Leaf inspection](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/leaf.png "Yellow Oak Leaves with Pest Damage - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Tree-Service.png "Tree Service - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ### Diagnosis and Treatment, From the Ground Up When a tree or plant is struggling, guesswork is not good enough. Careful, hands on testing reveals what is really happening, from internal decay to hidden problems below the surface, so the right plan can follow. - Visual assessment, disease, and pest diagnosis - IML Resistograph testing for internal decay - Root collar excavation and air spading - Trunk injections and targeted treatment [ Get in Touch Now ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) ### Construction and Development Trees and development can coexist with the right planning. From protecting and preserving valuable trees through construction to managing the trees across a campus, city, or large property, you get the expertise to keep them healthy and standing for the long term. That includes tree inventories, preservation planning, and guidance that balances growth with the trees worth keeping. - Protecting valuable trees through construction - Planning tree retention for new development - Building detailed inventories and tree collections - Long term care planning for campuses and municipalities [ Get in Touch Now ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) ![Construction](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Construction.webp "Residential Tree Trimming Service - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Construction-1-scaled.png "Construction - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![Spokane Community College](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Spokane-Community-College.webp "Spokane Community College - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![Clipboard with pen lying on a fresh tree stump](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AdobeStock_1980837786-2-1024x683.jpeg "Clipboard with pen lying on a fresh tree stump. Deforestation documentation and environmental reporting. Environmental impact assessment and resource management. Site inspection and forestry audit. - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Will-Working-Office-1024x683.png "Will Working Office - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ![Example arborist tree appraisal and valuation report](https://planthealthcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PHCS-Appraisal-Report.webp "PHCS Appraisal Report - Plant Health Care Services, LLC - Plant Health Care Services, LLC") ### Reports and Expertise That Hold Up When trees become part of a permit, a property decision, an insurance claim, or a legal dispute, the details have to be right. Thorough documentation and credible expert consulting give you a solid foundation, whether you need a simple report or support that stands up in court. - Consulting reports, memos, and site plans - Permit support and documentation - Tree and plant appraisals and valuations - Expert witness, depositions, and litigation support [ Get in Touch Now ](https://planthealthcs.com/contact) --- ### [Contact](https://planthealthcs.com/contact/) **Published:** September 10, 2025 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** # Get In Touch Whether you need a professional assessment, a tree appraisal, or expert testimony for a legal matter, I am here to help. ##### Phone Number +1 (509) 499-5308 Reach me directly by phone or text ##### Service Area Based in Medical Lake, Washington, serving clients nationwide ##### Response Time I respond to all inquiries personally, usually within one business day ## Tell Me About Your Project Share some details about your project below, and I will review your inquiry and respond personally, usually within one business day. First Name: Last Name: Email: Phone: Property Location: How did you hear about PHCS, LLC? Please select Worked with me before Recommended by a friend or colleague Recommended by a professional (attorney, architect, contractor) Search engine Social media Other What can I help you with? Please select Arborist consultation Expert witness or litigation support Commercial or municipal services Tree or plant health diagnosis Tree or plant appraisal Other Project Details: Send ## Frequently Asked Questions What services do you provide? Will Mellott provides independent tree and plant consulting: risk and hazard assessments, appraisals, expert witness and litigation support, diagnosis and treatment, plant health care, tree inventories, and tree preservation for construction. As a consulting arborist, he offers objective evaluation and reporting rather than tree removal. Why should I hire a consulting arborist? Because the advice stays impartial. A consulting arborist gives objective expertise on the health, structure, and value of trees without selling tree work, so the guidance is based only on what is best for you and your trees. Do you provide urban forestry management? Yes. Will Mellott helps municipalities, campuses, and organizations manage their trees through inventories, GIS mapping, management planning, and ordinance development. He built the Urban Forestry Program at Whitworth University and has directed large scale planting projects. Do you treat trees to prevent or remove insects or disease? Yes, with minimally invasive, environmentally friendly methods. Will uses systemic trunk injection and other treatments that control most pests and diseases without noise, odor, or drift. My neighbor cut down my tree, what do I do? Take photographs and do not remove the wood, since any evidence helps. As a first step, it is usually best to seek legal advice, and Will often works in conjunction with your attorney to document the damage and provide an appraisal that supports your case. The sooner an assessment happens, the better. What is a consulting arborist? A consulting arborist is a tree expert who assesses tree health, risk, value, and provides objective reports and recommendations. Unlike a tree service, a consultant offers independent guidance rather than performing the work. What should I expect during a site visit? A visual assessment of your trees and site, with written notes and clear recommendations. When deeper analysis is needed, Will Mellott uses advanced diagnostics like resistance drilling, root collar excavation, and air spading to see what is happening inside the tree and below the soil. Can you manage tree collections, arboreta, or forested areas? Yes. Will Mellott manages trees for arboreta, golf courses, campuses, and municipalities, including designing the Whitworth University Arboretum. He builds inventories, assesses health and risk, and develops long term management plans. Are you available for speaking engagements or training? Yes. Will Mellott teaches Urban Forestry at Spokane Community College and has led workshops, lectures, and lab instruction. He is available for speaking engagements and training for organizations, professional groups, and communities. What areas do you serve? Based in Medical Lake, Washington, Will Mellott serves clients across Washington, Idaho, and beyond. He travels for on site assessments and provides consulting and expert witness services more broadly. How do I get started? Just fill out the contact form above with a few details about your trees, plants, or project. Will Mellott reviews every inquiry personally and responds with the next steps, usually within one business day. What is the difference between a certified arborist and a consulting arborist? Many consulting arborists are certified too. The difference is the role: caring for trees versus providing expert assessment and reporting. Will Mellott holds the top credentials in both tracks, as an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist. Fewer than 2% of certified arborists hold the Master Arborist credential, and fewer still carry the full combination Will Mellott does. Do you provide expert witness and litigation support? Yes. Will Mellott has extensive experience with expert witness work and depositions for attorneys, insurers, HOAs, and public agencies. His reports are prepared to withstand professional and legal scrutiny. Can you help me protect my trees during construction or development? Yes. Tree preservation is one of Will Mellott’s specialties. He assesses which trees can be retained, evaluates construction impacts, and develops protection plans so valuable trees survive the project. Can you inspect a tree on my neighbor's property? Will Mellott can give a basic visual assessment from your property or public property. A thorough assessment requires access around the tree, which needs the neighbor’s written permission in advance or their presence. --- ### [Privacy Policy](https://planthealthcs.com/privacy-policy/) **Published:** May 31, 2026 **Author:** Will Mellott **Content:** # Privacy Policy Plant Health Care Services, LLC Thanks for visiting. This Privacy Policy explains how Plant Health Care Services, LLC collects, uses, and protects information from people who use the planthealthcs.com website. It applies to the site and to the services offered here. The short version is simple: we only collect what we need to help you, and we never sell your information. ## Personal Identification Information We may collect personal information from you in a few different ways, like when you visit the site, fill out a form, sign up for the newsletter, or request a consultation. Depending on what you are doing, you might be asked for your name, email address, mailing address, or phone number. We only collect this information if you choose to share it. You are always free to skip it, though leaving it out may mean you can't use certain features of the site. ## Non Personal Identification Information We may also collect non-personal information when you interact with the site, like your browser name, the kind of device you are using, and technical details such as your operating system and internet service provider. This just helps us understand how the site is being used. ## Web Browser Cookies Like most websites, this one uses cookies, which are small text files saved to your device to make your visit a little smoother. Cookies help remember your preferences and provide anonymized tracking data. They exist to make your browsing experience better, but if you would rather not use them, you can disable cookies in your browser. The help section of your browser will walk you through how. ## Forms and Spam Protection When you fill out the contact form or another form on the site, we collect the information you choose to share so we can get back to you. To keep the forms free of spam, we use Google reCAPTCHA, which may collect information like your IP address to tell real visitors apart from automated bots. That part is covered by Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. ## How We Use Your Information Here is how we may use the information you share with us: - To answer your questions and follow up about consulting and assessment services. - To get a general sense of how visitors use the site and its resources. - To send occasional emails. If you sign up for the newsletter, we use your email address to send updates through Mailchimp. Signup is double opt-in, and you can unsubscribe any time using the link at the bottom of any email. We do not share your information with anyone outside our business, except for the trusted services that help us run the site and our newsletter, and only as much as they need to do their job. ## Protecting Your Information We use sensible practices to keep your information safe from unauthorized access or misuse. Information shared between you and the site travels over a secure, encrypted SSL connection. ## Sharing Information We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to anyone. The only sharing that happens is with the trusted service providers who help us operate the site, like our email provider, and only to the extent they need it. ## Changes to This Policy We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We encourage you to check back now and then so you always know how we are protecting the information we collect. Using the site means you understand that it is your responsibility to review this policy periodically. ---