Blooming roses, budding lilac shrubs, ripening tomatoes – a small landscape in your backyard can provide many gifts, especially during summer. But, landscape owners also have to face some of the downsides of summer, mainly tropical showers and thunderstorms. Various parts of North America will experience “above-normal hurricane seasons” in 2022.
What can landscapers do when heavy winds start blowing in their backyards? The priority is ensuring that their homes, the people in their homes, and other outdoor structures are safe. After that comes tree care. Most landscapers pour their blood, sweat, and money into their landscapes. So, protecting these investments and the joy they bring is important.
That’s why so many property owners across the country regularly receive professional tree care services. These experts do more than just clear away fallen trees and branches. Arboriculture is serious science. It’s the science of cultivating, managing and protecting plants and trees. An expert who specializes in arboriculture is a professional arborist.
Who are Arborists?
In tree care services, there are some tasks that only experts can perform. For instance, climbing a ladder to prune or remove hanging, broken branches. These jobs are best left to professionals. By “professional” we don’t mean people who can use chainsaws. For these types of jobs, you’ll need professional arborists or “tree doctors.”
A professional arborist is someone who specializes in providing plant and tree care services. Their services include – soil management, pruning, diagnosing and treating plant diseases, and teaching plant owners safe plant management practices. Just like physicians are experts in human biology, arborists are experts in tree biology.
What is a Certified Arborist?
Just like physicians, arborists too have to pass exams to legally practice arboriculture. Aspiring arborists have to get degrees in relevant fields (e.g., botany, biology, etc.) to start off their careers. They then have to gain at least 3+ years of experience in the field. Only then can they apply for certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
A certified arborist is a professional who has passed the ISA’s exam and obtained up-to-date certifications. A certified arborist tree care expert will have to recertify every three years. So, getting personalized tree care services from these professionals is pretty safe. But, not every arborist is certified. Many scammers even pose as arborists.
Finding Certified Arborists
These scammers are called “storm chasers.” Do you know how roofers go knocking on every door in a community right after a hailstorm? The same happens with tree removal services. Of course, unlike certified arborists, storm chasers are not experts. They’re certainly not to be trusted with your trees and shrubs. So, how do you find certified arborist tree care experts?
· Check for Credentials: From learning about new, local rules/regulations regarding landscapes to providing emergency care – certified arborists do a lot. That’s because certified master arborists have to have high levels of knowledge to do what they do safely and legally. So, only hire certified tree care experts from accredited providers of tree care services.
· Recommendations: Look for reliable recommendations from neighbors, local business owners, friends, etc. Also, search the ISA website for certified arborist recommendations. To narrow down your search, only hire tree trimming experts who offer insurance. Request for copies of their liability insurance right from the go.
· Get Several Quotes: Ask for quotes/estimates from multiple tree care companies. Carefully review and compare each quite to find the deal that suits you the best. As with any other home renovation project, never pay upfront.
Most importantly, look for a certified arborist who is willing to provide personalized tree care services.
What are Personalized Tree Care Services?
Tree care and arboriculture aren’t cheap professions. You may have to pay a bit more for customized services from specialists. But, the top certified arborist tree care experts provide services that are worth the slightly extra pay. These experts will give specific details regarding what they’re pruning, how they’re composting, and how they’re managing the tree diameters, etc.
What will your backyard go to look after it gets such specialized care? The best it can ever look. Certified arborists do everything – from using chip trucks and chippers to log haulers and stump grinders to get top results. Here are the services certified arborists provide to improve the development of each plant, tree, and shrub on your property –
· Tree Trimming
Regular tree trimming and pruning keep the health and beauty of plants in check. Inexperienced landscapers often employ poor cutting techniques that damage the growth of their plants. Certified arborists do the opposite. They provide science-based plant and tree care for different species of plants. These custom trimming and pruning techniques help different species of plants in your landscape grow optimally.
· Health Inspections
Just like regular tree trimming, regularly inspecting your trees’ health is equally important. Unlike inexperienced landscapers, a certified arborist can diagnose and treat all types of major tree diseases. From pest infestations to fungal growth to environmental damage – arborists look for different symptoms of tree damage. They provide personalized treatment to instantly address these symptoms. These regular, timely checkups ensure that each plant in the tree grows to be resistant to pest infestations or diseases.
· Tree Planting/Transplanting
Want to create a fire-resistant lawn on your property? How about a drought-resistant patch of shrubs in your backyard? A certified arborist tree care expert will be able to manipulate your landscape to plant different species/types of trees. They understand the soil quality, watering, and sun exposure requirements of different plant species. They can help you plant specific trees/plants that thrive and add value to your property for years to come.
· Emergency Tree Removal
Arborists can take down sick, distressed, and damaged trees if they pose safety risks to the homeowners. They can also transport and dispose of the trees they take down.
A professional arborist will provide customized services to suit your landscape’s most urgent needs. Their proactive tree care can ensure that your property and your landscape remain lush and healthy all year round. Our certified arborists have been providing personalized tree care services for several years. The personalized care they provide to every tree, shrub, and plant they supervise is the best in the market. Have a landscape in need of specialized care? Contact Emerald Tree and Shrub Care company now!
