Take care selecting someone to prune trees

You’ve seen them on your way to work. Perhaps they are in your neighborhood. Maybe there’s one outside your front door right now. I’m referring of course, to the trees that are victims of shoddy pruning work. Like a bad haircut, poor pruning takes forever to grow out, but worse than a haircut, bad pruning opens your plant to insects, disease and other hazards that may eventually kill it. That’s if doesn’t die of embarrassment first.

Most large trees are pruned by someone other than the property owner. Few of us have the time, skills or equipment necessary to take on such a big project. The trick is to find someone capable of doing good work for a fair price. The following guidelines should help you find a professional tree care provider.

First, spend a little time choosing an arborist; don’t hire the person who knocks on your door offering to prune your trees. Would you hire a door-knocker to do plumbing or electrical work?

A good place to start is with a list of arborists certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. These professionals have a minimum of three years of experience and have passed a rigorous test that covers all aspects of tree work. A local list is available online at treesaregood.org or isa-arbor.com. You can also get this list by calling the Master Gardener Plant Clinic.

Make sure your arborist is bonded and insured. Even the most experienced can have accidents. As the property owner, you might be held responsible for damages caused by an uninsured worker. Avoid becoming a victim by asking for proof of insurance.

Get a written estimate and make sure it addresses all of your concerns. Define what work you expect to have done, when it will start and finish as well as who is responsible for cleanup. Does the estimate list the total price you will be paying, including travel time and tax? Be upfront with your expectations, get it in writing and you’ll avoid problems later.

Ask for references and check them. Think of this like test-driving a car before buying it. If there are any references near you, check out the arborist’s work in person. Make sure it adheres to current practices, which means no topping and limiting the amount of live wood removed.

Get more than one estimate and then decide which combination of skill, price and timing best meet your needs. The cheapest bid isn’t always the best, especially if it means having corrective work done later. By following these rules, you’ll be much happier with the results and so will your trees.