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RTEC Treecare

RTEC Treecare

Expert Tree Care in the DC Metro Area | Call 703-573-3029 to talk to a Tree Care Expert.

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Older Trees Need Ongoing, Proactive Care: Here’s Why

Resources: Tree Maintenance

Tire swing on old mature trees

For many homeowners, older trees are like family. They’re friends. They’ve been there through the good times and the bad. They also bring both aesthetic and landscape benefits.

Older trees can:

  • provide shade
  • save energy
  • minimize stormwater runoff
  • improve air quality
  • provide wildlife habitat
  • increase property value

And, for many people, the old tree itself holds even more meaning to them and their family. Their tree holds sentimental value; after all, they’ve been with them and their homes for years.

Just like people, however, the older they get the more vulnerable they are. This makes it even more crucial to keep a watchful, proactive eye on the tree’s needs and care.

What is a Mature Tree?

Just like humans, trees have a life cycle that goes from optimistic seed to unfortunate snag. You may be asking, “What makes a tree mature?” or “What is considered a mature tree?” Well, unfortunately there is no cookie cutter answer. Tree maturity is dependent on the species of tree and is defined by whether it has reached its full height and crown size and if fruits are growing or flowers are blossoming on the tree.

If you want to know if your tree is mature, you can ask when meeting with one of our Certified Arborists.

Apples growing from old mature trees

How to Care for an Old Tree

One of the first steps to caring for older trees is understanding that their core focus isn’t on growth, it’s on survival. They’re actively working to maintain their health. After all the stress they’ve been through in their long lifetime, from storms to pests, who could blame them?

Which brings up another characteristic trees have in common with humans: the need for regular checkups. This especially rings true for older trees.

Below are reasons why older trees require ongoing, proactive care and maintenance.

  • It’s harder for older trees to cope with stress, which makes them more susceptible to disease and infestations.
  • Once the disease or infestation hits the older tree, the more difficult it is to restore the tree back to optimal health.
  • Typically, when pests are seen in old trees, they’re actually secondary invaders which means the tree has been weakened for some time and is therefore more difficult to treat.

Caring for an older tree is all about prevention, maintenance, and proactive rather than reactive care. If you have a mature tree you care about, contact us to meet with one of our Certified Arborists and discuss our Older Tree Care Package.  

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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