The Importance of Hiring a Qualified Arborist for Tree Services

Trees are a vital part of our ecosystem. Not only do they provide us with oxygen to breathe, but they add beauty and elegance to any outdoor space. Investing in the care of trees for your property can provide substantial returns for your community. 

Maintaining beautiful and healthy trees brings forth ecological benefits. On the other hand, leaving them unkempt can turn them into a liability and a potential hazard. 

Caring for trees can be quite different than caring for shrubbery or flowers. Trees—whether you are pruning or removing—require back-breaking effort and can be dangerous for untrained individuals. 

It takes special equipment as well as industry knowledge to properly care for trees. A lack of skill and experience can endanger the person performing the work. For that reason, hiring an arborist is essential to keep up the visual appeal, health, and structural soundness of the trees in your community. 

What Arborists Can Do for You

By definition, an arborist is a certified individual who is trained in the science and art of caring for, maintaining, and planting individual trees. When looking for a certified arborist, be sure to look for one accredited by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) (like us here at Monarch) or a member of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). To that end, here are some services that arborists can offer:

1. Tree Pruning 

A certified arborist will know how and when to prune trees. It may seem like a simple task, but incorrect procedures will only compromise the health of the tree. Additionally, an arborist has the knowledge to identify the type of pruning method necessary to enhance the appearance, overall health, and safety of the trees.

Professional pruning entails the following: 

• Training young trees to help them develop a strong structure
• Pruning the limbs to make way for light penetration and to increase airflow through the canopy 
• Removing damaged branches and limbs 
• Removing limbs that may obstruct other structures and potentially wound the tree
• Removing dead, diseased, or weak limbs
• Creating a better structure to boost the robustness of the tree against harsh winds or storms
• Removing excessive weight at the ends of the branches
• Creating a better shape in a damaged tree

2. Tree Health Care 

The state of your tree is vital, as poor health can turn it into a potential hazard for your surroundings or passers-by. Arborists have the expertise, tools, and experience to conduct preventive care and regular maintenance. A health care plan involves checking on the tree’s structure and overall health. 

With that in mind, arborists aim to maintain the tree’s structure and overall health to keep it strong against insects, diseases, and environmental conditions. 

It should be noted that urban settings can be more stressful to trees, so regular check-ups are in order. To that end, health care for trees involves the following: 

• A preventive health and safety assessment of the tree
• A spray or injection program to control certain insects or diseases
• Proper aeration to improve root growth 
• Supporting weak branches through cabling or bracing
• Corrective pruning
• Fertilization
• Seasonal irrigation

3. Tree Removal 

Removing trees should always be a last resort. When it is necessary, however, investing in an arborist is a must. These professionals hold a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). This makes their professional opinion reliable as they have the knowledge and expertise to provide proper mitigation measures, which includes the removal of trees. 

Here are a few situations where tree removal may be necessary:

• The tree has been deemed irreparably hazardous by a qualified arborist
• The tree is being replaced by a different tree
• The tree is crowding or harming other trees
• The tree is dead or dying
• The tree is located improperly in a construction or development site 

4. Tree Planting 

The task of planting trees isn’t as straightforward as it seems. It takes a professional and trained eye to determine the right soil and specific location for optimal growth, and fortunately, arborists are trained to do just that. 

Attempting to plant trees without proper analysis of the type of seed as well as the place can lead to disastrous results in the future. For instance, trees can struggle to grow from limited space, which can damage surrounding property or items as it continues to stretch. 

Additionally, planting large trees demands industry equipment and skills, making it all the more essential to seek the help of an ISA certified arborist for proper tree planting.

5. Emergency Tree Services

There are environmental factors that can compromise the health of your trees—natural disasters like storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more. These unfortunate events can break the limbs of the tree, and in some cases, strike it down entirely. 

Once the tree breaks, it can be a hazard to people as it can impact passers-by, buildings, cars, powerlines, and other trees. Once the tree is down, you will need an arborist to move it for you as doing it your own may be dangerous.

6. Other Tree Services

Beyond pruning, planting, health care, emergency services, and removal, an arborist can also provide the following services: 

• Assess the value of a tree
• Assess the hazard potential of a tree depending on its site conditions
• Implement lightning protection systems in particular regions
• Develop protection plans regarding trees on development and construction sites
• Grind or remove stumps
• Perform cabling 
• Brace weak-limbed trees

Arborists can also offer services such as relocation of your trees, along with health consultations and health plans to prevent the development of diseases or damages. 

Even if you take pride in having a green thumb, caring for trees takes gardening to a whole different level as it involves complex techniques and tools.

If you’re are looking for a certified arborist in Orange County, get in touch with us to see how we can help.