Routinely pruning your trees every three to five years is not necessary
But it is a good idea to prune a tree with dead wood—especially when the dead branches are more than two inches in diameter.
These signs mean your tree might be in big trouble
If you see mushrooms or other fungi growing on your tree, or if a big limb breaks off during a storm, have me out for a tree inspection before it’s too late. Those can both be signs of a bigger problem. If the branches of your tree are dying back from the tips, especially at the top, your tree is probably already a goner. Another bad sign: The tree goes straight down into the ground like a telephone pole, instead of flaring out at the bottom.
When you get the estimate for the work and think we’re gouging you, remember this:
A three-man crew probably has more than $200,000 in equipment on your property, each guy is probably making less than $20 an hour, and we pay 33 percent in worker compensation, one of the highest rates of any industry. We probably aren’t making a big profit.
I don’t have time to help your neighbor out
If I come for an appointment between April and October, I probably don’t have time to go over to your neighbor’s or daughter’s house and talk to them too. If you have a friend who needs my advice, mention it when you’re scheduling me.
If someone offers to ‘top’ your tree to make it safer, kick him off your property
Topping was accepted 45 years ago, but science has since shown that’s the worst thing you can do to a tree. Another bad sign: Someone who wants to sell you fertilizer without testing your soil first.
Be careful of people who knock on your door and offer to trim your tree
Good arborists don’t need to canvas neighborhoods looking for customers. A lot of you hire so-called tree experts who are really just a guy with a chainsaw and a pickup truck. You think you got a great deal, but the work is atrocious and you won’t even realize it until the tree has already started to decay.
I’m a jack of all trades
I once hung a swing for a client from a branch 35 feet off the ground. And I’ve rescued a few cats too.
It really irritates me when you do this:
One thing that gets my goat is when people say, “I’m calling everyone in the book to get the cheapest price.” I usually jack the price up when I hear that.
I don’t like your pets
I’ve been bitten by plenty of “happy and friendly” dogs. So if I ask you to leave your dog inside, please respect that.
Real arborists never talk about ‘feeding’ your trees
Trees make their own food, arborists manage a tree’s soil.
Sources: Jud Scott, a consulting arborist in Carmel, Indiana; Dennis Panu, a consulting arborist in Thompson, Connecticut; Ed Milhous, a consulting arborist in Haymarket, Virginia; and Aaron Dickinson, a master arborist in Glastonbury, Connecticut.