I would only call a tree doctor it appeared the tree had some unknown disease, or probably never. The only time that I would get any one else involved with the trees on my lot is if there was wind damage, that was too large that I could not handle with my chainsaw.

at my knowledge level.. probably never ... i would only need to call the chainsaw dude ...

but i dont know what you are getting at ....

you can get a good start here.. with a couple pix of a plant.. so we can first ID ... then opine if there is a problem.. which would then require an on site inspection ...

never forget.. they are not children.. who might need an annual inspection.. or wellness visit ....

ken

Some of the most prolific contributors to this forum are arborists, themselves. Many here probably know much more about trees, themselves, than the average person. So, if you are asking about our own, personal use of arborists (other than ourselves), you may not get as much of a response as you would if were asking when the average homeowner/gardener needs such a professional.

Personally, I would consider contacting someone else if there was specialized equipment that I needed but didn't have, or, maybe if there was a situation where the amount of work was greater than I wanted to deal with or where I felt uncomfortable with the responsibility of the job (giant dead half-rotten tree hanging precariously over a house).

Scope of work too big or situation too dangerous to handle on your own. Too big includes merely being able to get up into a tree and do some pruning out of dead twigs. Anybody not used to this should probably hire somebody who is to do it instead. Especially where the work really calls for safety gear that an arborist will have.

I have a lot of trees so I have an arborist who comes at least once a year and we walk around and make notes and prioritize. She generally doesn't do most of the work. Some of the work she does do, some I do, some I have other arborists do. I have a plan for my trees, help them develop proper branching structure, identify problems and work to correct them. Some years I only pay her for an hour or two's time, some years I have more work done. I would not be without her advice and knowledge.

I disagree with much of ken's remarks. Trees that are inspected and taken care of on a regular basis live longer and cause fewer problems in the typical urban, suburban, and rural settings. Period.

My favorite place to inspect trees, in a long career of doing so, is at the growers, where a tiny bit of corrective pruning can prevent a lifetime of developmental problems as a tree grows.

I call in the big guys to do climbing-a-ladder-with-a-chainsaw stuff. But I'm not above using my laser pointer to show the arborist where to make a cut, lol.

Trudy, if you have trees on your property that are valuable in any way, then investing in their long term well being is an excellent investment. A well trained ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified professional is who to seek out. They may cost you less $$$$ in the long run than the cheap guy with magnetic signs on his truck, believe me.

An investment in your trees is money well spent.

Sometimes I might collect a quote or two from an arborist if I see something on a tree that alarms me. Mushrooms, wet wood, that type of thing.

Sara Malone I envy you, if I recall correctly, your in the UK, and if you are, in the Uk they don't have Billy Bob with his chainsaw running around claiming to be an arborist. I know sooner or later I'm going to need a good arborist for my Pin oaks, I am sure my other oaks will need some limbs cut, but, I will flip my gourd if I get someone who doesn't listen to me and cuts whatever they want to. I am glad that most of my trees are planted where they will not have to avoid power lines. The Pin oaks will need to avoid lawnmowers.

WE have Pinus Strobus which have been pru ned horribly by the power company for several years past. Besides the White Pines there (so far) haven't been any other trees that have met the power lines in height yet.

lol... california has never been called england ... right sara ...

we still dont know the scope of OPs situation ... nor much of anything other than the bald questions ... which is fine ... but you should understand.. you are getting answers from both small home gardeners.. and some who nearly have estates ...

if we had a bit more background ... we could hone in on the situation ...

ken

Yeah Ken's right - I'm in Northern CA. It's really easy to find out who is a real arborist. Perhaps one will chime in here, but the International Society of Arboriculture certifies arborists and you really don't want to use anyone that is not certified. Even if you have a small garden, if you have even one tree that is important to you, it is worth having an assessment from an arborist. An arborist bills out at generally somewhere between $70-100/hour. So for me, to spend maybe $200/year to get a review of several dozen trees is worth it. But even if I only had 2-3, I would want an assessment of their condition and to learn what I could do to keep them healthy. Of course you need to find not only someone qualified but someone ethical, and there are various ways to get referrals. For example, find out who the arborist for your city or town is, look them up, call them, and if they can't do the work (you may be too small a job), see who they recommend. When I get work done that involves climbing or equipment, I use Bartlett Tree, which is a national company with a great safety record and is properly staffed and insured. Do a little reading and see what works for you. Some people think that arborists are expensive but to me it is the best deal going.

I agree entirely with what Sara has posted. In my area, one can access two kinds of arborists - "consulting arborists" that do onsite evaluations of tree health, hazard assessments and evaluate structural issues or identify problems. And working arborists - those guys with the skill, equipment and liability insurance to get up into the trees and do the actual work. Often they will work in conjunction with each other.

It's not all that hard to find a certified arborist - you can access the ISA data banks for names in your area. Or check online for local companies/individuals. But make sure they are certified by the ISA (most will use that designation on their website or in their adverts). "Billy Bob" with some ropes and a chain saw is NOT necessarily an arborist unless his credentials indicate such!!

I know some 'Billy Bobs' with amazing technical climbing skills in bringing down trees. Some can swing from tree to tree like Tarzan. I also know a few certified arborists that could use some more education on pruning, diagnosis, and tree identification. I've met a lot of them over the years when they bring me chips. The skill level and knowledge runs the complete gamut, certified or not. Certification is a good benchmark though.

Some of my friends have worked for them. One even lost his life in an 'accident' involving an insured certified arborist. One even killed his customer! It's a dangerous occupation, even if you're just picking up limbs and pieces of trunk. That's how my friend died. Another friend had to have a metal plate installed in his forehead. His kids throw refrigerator magnets at him at the breakfast table.

The bottom line is insurance. CHECK IT!

mike

Sorry to any Billy Bob's who may know better than those who have certifications and all, including your "real" metal headed friend Mike, and Sara Malone, I am not sure why I thought you were in the UK. I had no idea that you could check a tree services insurance. How do you go about doing that? Do you ask them for proof of it, or check the BBB? I can see room for plenty of danger in this field of course, wood is damn heavy. We had to have a Tulip tree removed a few years ago, but they cut it down in small pieces. It was pretty big too, it had rotten wood at the bottom. A family took the wood to burn. I don't remember who cut it down, someone who the family knew. It was done free to us. I guess anything could've happened. I guess we were lucky nobody got hurt. I don't remember paying anyone to cut it down, so I think it was free to us.

Some of them will have it on their websites. For example, Bartlett puts their certificate of insurance on their website for anyone to view. You should have no reluctance in asking an arborist about insurance. It's not just how heavy the wood is, they are often swinging chain saws around up in the canopy, feeding large limbs into chippers that handle enormous diameters, etc. You can also ask your homeowners carrier what is covered on your own insurance.

Poaky....yes, you simply ASK for their proof of insurance and ISA certification. Just like you would any other contractor. I think that the BBB is dumb and pretty useless. You won't get listed by them, no matter how stellar your business is, unless you pay to join. What the heck??

You don't want your homeowners insurance to be hit if some terrible accident happens when tree work is being done. The tree company's insurance should cover home damage, injury, etc.

Even the cheapo guy hired to take down a bad tree needs to have decent insurance in the event that he drops a limb on your house, or car, or cuts his leg,

Every so often I read up on this site: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/

Seems they talk the physical side of tree care quite a bit.

You don't want your homeowners insurance being hit, but you may want them representing you with the other insurance company. They are better at it than the homeowner usually is, and they are much more averse to paying out than the policyholder. That's one good reason to have insurance.

Good to know guys, for the future, hopefully far into the future. But, when you have trees, you know you'll need an arborist at some point.