A lot of home DIY projects are being spurred on by the ever-rising costs of services. So, it is understandable why people are choosing to try and do things for themselves when it comes to home improvement projects. But some projects and tasks should be left with professionals who are certified for the job. We are talking about tree related projects and tasks. A lot of people are deciding to bring out their own chainsaws and clippers to try and manicure their yards. However, there might be some disadvantages to this approach when it comes to the health of the shrubs, trees, and potentially your own. You might be asking yourself “what is the need to hire an arborist when I can do it myself?”. Well, we are here from Five Star Tree Services to answer this question for you about why you need professional tree care services.
We are going to begin with some facts. When trying to figure out what expert to go with, you should pick an arborist for your tree and shrub related projects. They know how to properly remove trees, plant trees, prune them, and take care of them. It is their job, after all. Arborists are properly trained and certified to operate the appropriate equipment safely and skillfully. Most homeowners don’t actually have some of the proper specialized equipment needed to do certain jobs. Also, arborists can give advice about things like diseases, planting, fertilization, and why soil aeration is important, among many other tips and tricks that are extremely helpful.
Removing A Tree
To begin, let us go over tree removal. This is one of the trickier tasks to accomplish, whether you are a trained arborist or a regular homeowner. a trained arborist will be able to inform a customer if their tree actually needs to or can be removed or not. Most people will look at a dead or dying tree and say it is obvious that it should be removed. But a trained professional will be able to tell if it is too crowded or dangerous to actually remove it safely. For a regular person, this can be hard to determine.
On another hand, if pruning can’t fix a tree obstruction, this is when a removal might be required. Another reason for a removal might be customer preference to change out the existing tree for a different one. Skilled and professional arborists are able to assess the situation and make recommendations as to which trees are best suited for the location, growth rate, soil conditions, etc.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs
The next popular project is pruning. This is one that a ton of people attempt to DIY. But if you are looking for a little something more than the basics, trained arborists can go above and beyond what normal people can do. They can create works of art with perfect cuts that are completely eye-catching and pleasing. They can do this while also keeping the health of the plant in consideration. Maintenance and overall health improvement for the plants is #1, artistic aesthetic is second. Pruning is a great way to help promote growth and fullness in the plants. In order to get the best shape and appearance for your trees and shrubs, a professional arborist is required. When pruning, considerations for adequate sunlight filtration is extremely important. This requires very strategic pruning to take place. Something that a regular person might not know about or know how to do properly. It is also important to get rid of inner dead branches. Also known as deadwood. Depending on the size of the tree, leaving this to the professionals is imperative.
In certain situations, pruning can actually be dangerous and risky for homeowners to try and do on their own. For instance, if a bad storm cracks a tree or the tree is completely rotted or diseased, this is when DIY is strongly not recommended. The best course of action is to call an experienced skilled arborist to take care of this dangerous situation.
Planting Shrubs and Trees
There is actually a science and technique to planting shrubs and trees. You can’t just go in blind and expect your trees to survive and thrive. You need to know the right types of trees that will survive in your yard. You also need to know the right amount of sunlight each needs, the type of soil required, soil acidity, as well as wind exposure, if it has enough room to fully grow, and proclivity to diseases. Trained arborists will know all these things and more, they will be able to talk to you about it to find the perfect foliage for you.
How To Pick the Right Arborist
Picking the right arborist for the job can be difficult. Not all are the same and not all have the same experience and expertise. A great way to weed through and find the best one for the job is to ask for their referrals, certification, and insurance.
For legitimate arborists, they will possess a certification from an accredited organization, like the International Society of Arboriculture, or I.S.A for short. There is a standard level of knowledge and experience that need to be met in order to obtain the certification and pass the comprehensive exam. Candidates also need to maintain their certification with continued education in order to stay current with industry techniques and practices.
Looking for proof of insurance is extremely important before hiring anyone. This ensures that any work done on your property is covered for personal accidents, as well as property damage, should these arise. Asking for WSIB is also important. Every homeowner looking to hire someone to do a job for them on their property needs to be able to obtain these documents. They need to be presented before any work takes place.
Doing research into each tree care company is important. Reference checks are a good way to see the quality of work by people who have experienced the companies first hand. This way, you can get reliable feedback before hiring a company blindly. You can use Homestar for reviews, Google, or ask around your neighborhood.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
We hope we might have swayed your opinion about DIY solo pruning or tree removal projects. The best thing to do when you need a job done is hire a professional. Five Star Tree Services is here to help you with everything you will need when it comes to tree care and maintenance. We have a team of professional, certified, trained, and skilled arborists that will be able to help you with whatever you need. Give us a call today at (416) 990-3355! If you want to learn more about us or our services, you can visit our website!