09-01-04 | News

Adding Arbor care to Your Business

By Leslie McGuire, regional editor

It is essential to know when to prune a tree, feed it or fertilize it and each tree is different. If you prune a tree in the wrong season you stress it and make it more vulnerable to insects and disease.

Views from the Experts – Richard Ibbarra

Richard Ibarra of RDI & Associates, Inc. is a consulting arborist in Thousand Oaks, California. He assists landscape contractors dealing specifically with native trees. “Most people think all you need to know is how to put the tree in the ground and then water it,” says Richard. “But it’s not that simple. Each tree grows differently. A pine has different needs and requirements than a poplar or a eucalyptus.”

He has difficulty with landscape contractors who simply “mow, blow and go.” Knowledge is the most important tool an arborist needs. On one job, a group of dead oak trees had been over pruned to start with. The crews didn’t realize it and were still pruning them. On inspection, it turned out they were pruning the poison oak that had overgrown the dead tree trunks.

There are issues surrounding adding arbor care to your business that concern your insurance, workers’ comp requirements, the depth of knowledge that you have and how you will train your crews.

Richard also feels that landscape architects need to be informed by an arborist which trees need to be placed where. “They should take into consideration where the tree will grow best, not simply where it will look best.” If a landscape contractor wants to add arbor care to his list of services, then what he or she needs the most–over and above the tools, trucks, crew, and safety equipment–is knowledge. An arborist is very much a horticulturalist, too. It is essential that arborists understand the science behind what they do. For example, shallow watering will cause the roots to eventually break through the concrete around them. If a specific tree needs deep watering, then it’s up to the arborist to make sure that tree is irrigated correctly. Also, it is essential to have trained crews.

 

We also got talking with several arborists from around the country and found that there are other concerns. We’ve included some of those interviews and the contact information for these excellent sources of advice.

Even though Richard Ibarra is a consultant these days, he carries two million dollars worth of insurance. He’s not climbing, he’s just advising, however, mistakes can be expensive. If what he advises either damages a tree on the clients property–or even worse, damages a tree on a neighbors property, such as cutting the wrong root–he’s liable for the replacement of what might be an extremely expensive tree. “Don’t take on too much,” he advises, “and you can’t ever stop learning.

Contact information: Richard Ibarra RDI & Associates, Inc. www.treesetc.richard@verizon.net

Views from the Experts – William Pugh

William Pugh of Sacred Earth Landscaping in Texas is a Native American arborist and landscape contractor who feels the two most important things you need to be an arborist are understanding the nature of each tree and getting good training. Most of the books are not regional, and they should be. Pugh personally advises that any arborist establish a relationship with the local universities horticulture department and get constant training. “I personally train my crews,” he says. “I get a lot of information and guidance from Texas A & M University here. I also train my guys in everything, including how to maintain the machinery, sharpen the saws and clean the blades because if it’s not done correctly your equipment gets torn up.” Even though there are books on the subject, the books aren’t localized to any particular region of the United States. More regional books are necessary, he feels, especially those that deal with the climate effects on nonnative trees.

When pruning crews shape or thin a tree, they shouldn’t butcher it. Unfortunately, pruning is the bread and butter of many landscape contractors, and sometimes they overprune trees. If a tree is overpruned, it sprouts too much the following year.

As a Native American, Bill Pugh feels it’s important to pay attention to trees. “Watch them, see their beauty, feel their energy and understand their hurts. Bark is the living part of the tree and should be treated carefully,” he states. “The inside is dead, but you can’t just chop them. Chopping hurts the tree. Scaling the tree with wire, or digging your boot cleats into the bark hurts the tree. It’s also important to know when to prune because each tree has a cycle. The tree has already decided what it needs and when. During spring and summer, you can’t prune them because their sap is running and you’ll hurt them. We as arborists have to heal the trees, not hurt them even more.”

When dealing with damaged trees, Bill thinks sometimes you need to view the tree as art. “When a tree is lightning struck if you carve out the struck part and try to shape the tree, you’re letting in disease,” he says. “Tree-Kote is good, but it pulls back and lets the bugs in at the edges. Why not enjoy the tree as it is? The tree is now a monument to survival.”

A lightning-damaged tree is often cut down, or excessively pruned to reshape it and make it look as close to what it looked like before the damage. This lets in disease and makes it harder for the tree to heal.

He also feels it is very important put in fertilizer spikes to make sure the tree has enough nutrients. If a tree is healthy to begin with, it can withstand disease or damage and heal itself. “It’s not about the money,” Bill says. “It’s about the trees. As the elders say, we need to be in tune with the plants and care for Mother Earth.”

Contact Information: Sacred Earth Landscaping selandscaping@ev1.net

Views from the Experts – John Mote

John Mote of Senna Tree Company has his own view of adding arbor care to a landscape contracting business. Senna Tree specializes in relocating large specimen trees, however, John was a “climber” for eight years and knows quite a bit about arbor care from both businesses. “Landscape contracting is super competitive,” he says. “There are so many people who might like to expand their business. But there are so many little details to arbor care. It’s important to know your limits and know your comfort zone.”

Among the details he mentions is the workers’ comp codes that are “brutal” for arborists. “They’re charging 85 cents on the dollar.” He also strongly recommends calling your insurance company and finding out what it will cost you to add that classification. “Your insurance company will check you out very carefully, so you need to do everything to make them feel at ease.”

John includes arbor care in his tree relocation business because he can get extended service contracts that way. It also makes it possible for him to guarantee the health of any tree he has moved. However, he subcontracts the arbor care out to licensed tree trimmers with their own insurance and marks up his tree care service to cover them. “I still make a 20 percent profit on the service, and the people I subcontract to also get steady work. Everyone is happy.”

Contact information: Senna Tree Company www.sennatree.com