Murphy Tree

Name: Murphy Tree
Address: Barrington, RI, US
Telephone: +14014404178

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Arborist services including risk assessment, pruning, supplemental support systems, root flare excavation, tree removal, and stump grinding.

09/27/2026

Snow load from the February 2026 North American Blizzard damaged many trees in the Northeast. Removing bent or broken limbs may severely diminish trees planted for privacy which develop a "dead zone" (older tissue where there are no buds; these areas will not fill in with new foliage).

Murphy Tree can apply miniature supplemental support to restore bent/damaged limbs. Multiple failed limbs on these trees were restored with micro cables and bracing rods. Broken limbs will continue to live and grow as long as sufficient live tissue remains attached to the trunk.

Notes:
- Do not tie limbs together. Tied limbs will eventually be girdled and die.
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Trees with a single dominant trunk and strong scaffold limbs will fare better with snow load. Structural pruning during a tree's early development is critical.

09/04/2026

To better manage the growing list of booked work, Murphy Tree is transitioning to a new work order process. Approved proposal work will be assigned a work order number and placed in queue. While work will roughly be completed in the order it was approved, factors such as weather conditions may lead to some shuffling. A rough timeframe may be suggested but not guaranteed. Murphy Tree will reach out as time becomes available to complete your work. Work with timing requirements may not be a good fit for Murphy Tree at this time.

Murphy Tree previously would issue estimated dates for work. This has been discontinued. These dates were rarely accurate and the practice involved a disproportionate scale of administrative work. Rest assured, if you have been issued a work order; you are in the queue and your work will be completed with time. All previously booked clients will receive a work order number in the next week or so.

Delays have been unusually long this year. Winter work was postponed due to heavy snowfall. This spring and summer have had a higher volume of activity than previous years. Also specialized AirSpade equipment recently became operational and Murphy Tree began working through a long backlog of postponed root flare excavation work that required it.

At the time of posting (September 4, 2026), booked work is expected to consume the remainder of 2026 and the beginning of 2027.

07/03/2026

The same structural pruning principles that apply to trees can also be applied to most shrubs:
- Select and isolate a single dominant central leader
- Remove upward and downward oriented limbs
- Thin clusters of limbs competing for the same space
- Reduce limbs with poor taper

This is particularly important for snow load. The February 2026 North American Blizzard damaged many plants and trees throughout New England. A well-structured plant will have snow load evenly distributed on all sides of the leader.

Well-structured plants are also more adaptive for landscape changes such as adding a nearby shed or pruning to a property line.

This boxwood has not been pruned since planting. It also did not have a dominant leader extending all the way to the top so one was created by adding a splint. The splint will be removed after new growth hardens and it holds its shape.

Structural pruning is a job for hand pruning shears. Every cut is carefully placed. Hedge trimmers will promote bushy growth and poor structure and should only be used for shaping applications on plants that have previously been structurally pruned.

06/28/2026

Murphy Tree is offering delivery of tree protection micro enclosures. Each micro enclosure is built per the findings of the University of Minnesota Extension to deter deer from browsing and rubbing. Optional netting can be included on the bottom to also exclude rabbits which can damage twigs, thin bark, and root flares.

Enclosures are approximately 60 inches in diameter and 50 inches tall. Each half is bent into a half-circle and weighs about 17 pounds; they are easily managed by hand. All galvanized steel construction; 100% recyclable. Completely freestanding and the halves can be opened for maintenance activities; clamps are included to secure them closed. Although not necessary, the bottom can be staked in place. Burial is not recommended; tree roots may grow through buried portions and be damaged during removal.

These micro enclosures work by creating a small space that deer fear being trapped inside; they do not need to be an impenetrable fortress. UMN trials showed them to be nearly 100% effective.

Cost including delivery to Murphy Tree's service area is $125 per micro-enclosure. Add $50 for 2ft high netting along the bottom to exclude rabbits.

Reference:
https://extension.umn.edu/central/protecting-plants-deer

06/21/2026

Supplemental support cable installation on a pine with codominant stems and a bark inclusion in the union. Strong winds during installation gave an opportunity to see it work.

06/19/2026

Making good use of the AirSpade on this buried oak root flare.

Discovered what appeared to be a large girdling root. However, one benefit of the AirSpade is the ability to expose fine details not possible with manual excavation. Close inspection showed this root has fused to the buttress. Attempting to remove it would impose unnecessary damage to the tree. This root will be retained and monitored.

06/01/2026

Declining, dying Arborvitae are in the top 5 reasons for calls received at Murphy Tree. Entire rows of trees seem to decline simultaneously. Owners suspect disease or pests but the cause is almost always GIRDLING ROOTS.

Poor quality nursery stock and/or improper planting practices result in roots growing up, over, and around areas that will strangle (girdle) the tree. Symptoms often begin when the trunk grows to the diameter of the container the plants came from; hence the seemingly simultaneous decline of rows of similarly aged trees.

Treatment involves use of an AirSpade to carefully excavate the root flare and precisely remove these roots before they strangle the tree.

Early intervention is key to success. By the time symptoms show, it may be too late to save the tree. Murphy Tree can help identify buried root flares on your trees and provide treatment before they become a problem.

Conditions like this are best prevented by selecting quality nursery stock and planting properly.

05/31/2026

Murphy Tree is pleased to announce the addition of an AirSpade to its toolkit. A powerful jet of compressed air removes soil from roots without damaging them, enabling inspection and precise pruning of defects such as girdling roots which are a leading cause of tree decline locally. This AirSpade achieves treatment quality not possible with manual excavation.

05/23/2026

Murphy Tree offers a wide range of services for all trees, big or small:
- Pruning
- Tree removal
- Stump removal
- Supplemental support systems
- Root flare excavation
- Removal of fallen tree parts
- Sample collection, diagnostics (via URI Plant Laboratory)
- Risk assessment
- Firewood splitting

Services not currently offered:
- Fertilizer/chemical applications
- Tree planting

Current areas served include Barrington, RI and adjoining towns (East Providence, Riverside, Warren, and Bristol).

Free site visits to discuss trees and proposed work can be booked on Calendly: www.calendly.com/murphytree.

03/30/2026

Half of this locust fell in a storm. The half that remained standing was compromised with decay. A rigging line was set in the tree slightly lateral to the lay on the decayed side. These extra steps make for confident felling.

Address

Barrington, RI

Telephone

+14014404178

Website

https://calendly.com/murphytree

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