Can You Make Money Planting Trees?

rugger01 said:
I absoluetly love planting but I struggle to price it in a manner that is affordable/appealing for my customers. So here are my questions;
1. How do you deal with the warranty period? How long is it? 1 year What does it cover? What does it not cover? We'll replace the tree with similar size assuming it was watered and not a "natural" cause such as deer, voles, rabbits. What happens if the tree dies? We replace it. How frequently do you get warranty claims? 1 or 2 per year
2. What is your equipment set up? tractor with loader at the shop. We plant a lot of one at a time at each property so just hand dig almost all holes. By the time equipment is unloaded and loaded back up, chained down, etc...we can have the holes dug. Not to mention a second truck/trailer. The Arbor trolley is GREAT for moving B&B trees around. We can slide them out of a dump trailer onto the arbor trolley. It's pretty flat here - I wouldn't want to try to pull up a hill. But 2 of us can move a 32-36" ball on there (it's work, but we can do it). If we have several larger trees, I'll rent a mini with auger and pallet forks to change back and forth. I bought a custom bit this year from Spiral Metals. It wasn't much more than a pre-made bit. I wanted it a touch wider and not as deep. There is no need for a 3' long auger for planting trees! That's a lot more weight to carry around. and higher to lift the arm.
3. What is your process as far as;
A. Who selects the plant and delivers it to site? I talk with client to decide on species and size. I order from wholesale nursery. I can either pick-up or they'll deliver. Last several loads have been delivered because there have been too many trees for us to pick up.
B. Do you get paid for all the pre work? Clients offer...but I just invoice when we are done. With 2 decently larger orders this year, i did have to dip into savings (retained earnings) to pay for the trees. I could have put them on credit, but the one nursery gives 2% cash discount, so I did that.
4. How do you grow this segment of your business? I don't know...more people keep calling! We get some referrals from another tree company who is backing out of planting. You might talk to other tree care companies who don't plant and ask for referrals - explain why you make them look good. Same with lawn care companies...I'm sure they get asked all the time.
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I don't have a detailed written "warranty". That just sounds like trouble, frankly. If somebody calls me with a problem, we'll talk through it and take care of it. Thought we were going to have one this year. He said "it looked good all summer, then started to look a little off in the fall". No bud break this spring. I said "we replace trees as long as they were watered" He said "I'll admit, i started well, but quit by the end of summer, and I know it was really dry". We replanted today. I'll discount the replacement cost...and sold him a watering bag with this one!

Here's the way I see the warranty issue:


And here is the auger I haven't used yet:
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As an aside...when searching for tree auger bit this is what is frequently advertised...in fact, when i ordered mine and spoke with sales rep explaining what i wanted, they asked "do you want a tapered bit - that's what we sell as a tree auger?"

I said "No, thanks. Every reputable publication for the last 30+ years says the hole should have a flat bottom.

With these things, there is NO chance the tree isn't too deep!

Tree-_-Shrub-500-521.jpg.webp
 
I used to provide a one-year warranty, but I don’t anymore. The wholesale nursery I usually buy from doesn’t give a warranty.

I usually word it something like this “select quality nursery stock-properly planted with root flares exposed” etc. But there is no warranty. I give detailed aftercare instructions. Also on the proposal is “all work completed by an ISA certified arborist”

If people shop around, they will find someone to plant trees cheaper. One of the biggest nurseries in my area uses migrant labor and just buries the root ball and leave all the twine and burlap, wired basket and everything on. They have no idea where the root flare is. I’m not even going to try to compete with that.
 
Yeah...the warranty thing is almost pointless. I point out "nurseries keep them alive for a year above ground with just some stone piled around the bottom half of the ball".

Several years ago a client asked me to evaluate a tree planting some by 3rd party. I pointed out deep planting, everything left on. They told her she'd loose her warranty if they took that off. Again, I pointed out it's not hard to keep a tree alive for a year. I ALSO want it alive in 5 and 25 years.
 
I’m loving the nursery I go with for 90% of my plantings. They don’t offer a warranty per se, yet if I find an issue I’ll inform them and the customer. They will stand by their plants.

They are grown in grow bags healed in the ground. Had a swamp oak with a root break out over the top of the grow bag which was substantial and cut. Snapped a few photos and got (we will replace this if needed). I think the tree will be fine, and if it croaks during the establishment they will still stand by.
 
I'm wondering if I wouldn't do better to sell the tree planting job and then sub out the actual planting to a landscaper. I could talk a client through what they want from a tree and make a recommendation on which species would serve their goals best, then once they accept the job send it to a landscape and occasionally quality check their planting to make sure it done right. This would provide value to my clients by giving them good recommendations and connecting them with someone who would do a good job planting. But this way I don't have a million dollars of tree care equipment sitting idle while my crew is using spades to put a saplings in the ground.
 
evo said:
I’m loving the nursery I go with for 90% of my plantings. They don’t offer a warranty per se, yet if I find an issue I’ll inform them and the customer. They will stand by their plants.

They are grown in grow bags healed in the ground. Had a swamp oak with a root break out over the top of the grow bag which was substantial and cut. Snapped a few photos and got (we will replace this if needed). I think the tree will be fine, and if it croaks during the establishment they will still stand by.
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I remember watching a video that August H posted where he was planting some ginkgo trees and I think they were 20-25 gallon containers with the root flares perfectly exposed and they were not root bound at all. And I thought are the nurseries out in the PNW really that much better?

I’m sure it varies from nursery to nursery.
 
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Woodman said:
I'm wondering if I wouldn't do better to sell the tree planting job and then sub out the actual planting to a landscaper. I could talk a client through what they want from a tree and make a recommendation on which species would serve their goals best, then once they accept the job send it to a landscape and occasionally quality check their planting to make sure it done right. This would provide value to my clients by giving them good recommendations and connecting them with someone who would do a good job planting. But this way I don't have a million dollars of tree care equipment sitting idle while my crew is using spades to put a saplings in the ground.
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That could work if you find somebody you trust and make them some planting specs they have to abide by. Here’s what I use. It could be updated. I think I made it 10 + years ago or so.
 

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macrocarpa said:
I remember watching a video that August H posted where he was planting some ginkgo trees and I think they were 20-25 gallon containers with the root flares perfectly exposed and they were not root bound at all. And I thought are the nurseries out in the PNW really that much better?

I’m sure it varies from nursery to nursery.
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Varies wildly, my preferred is an urban street tree specialty company run by a BCMA. It’s about a hour away, and for small orders I’ll pickup. But I try to build a list and order everyone’s in the fall and divide the delivery fee.
Excellent prices for the quality of stock.
Every 1 of 5 might require a little root pruning, 1 of 15+ might have some kind of ding.

The things I don’t like is they come pre pruned, and raised for sidewalk plantings. Which of course is their niche but looks like I’m planting Lollie pops in a landscape. They do take off and I’ve been astounded with their growth rates and establishment phase.
 
macrocarpa said:
That could work if you find somebody you trust and make them some planting specs they have to abide by. Here’s what I use. It could be updated. I think I made it 10 + years ago or so.
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How about this:

We also wrote specs intended to be attached/included with contracts:

Video from Ohio ISA coming soon.
 
Woodman said:
I'm wondering if I wouldn't do better to sell the tree planting job and then sub out the actual planting to a landscaper. I could talk a client through what they want from a tree and make a recommendation on which species would serve their goals best, then once they accept the job send it to a landscape and occasionally quality check their planting to make sure it done right. This would provide value to my clients by giving them good recommendations and connecting them with someone who would do a good job planting. But this way I don't have a million dollars of tree care equipment sitting idle while my crew is using spades to put a saplings in the ground.
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If you can find someone you can trust. There is literally nobody else serving my city I'd be willing to put my name on for tree planting. If you are going to refer them, why not just pass it all off? The species selection, etc eats a lot of time. Would you be able to pull 2 guys off a crew to plant while the rest are doing the bigger jobs?

Nothing wrong with saying "no" to something that isn't in your wheelhouse.

My approach is backwards from yours (not saying one is better...just 2 different things we focus on): why would I buy a million dollars of iron when I can grow a business by planting, caring for, and pruning trees without that investment. We don't do big removals because it takes big equipment that we would need to run all the time to pay for it which takes us out of the small stuff that I think we do really well with.
 
macrocarpa said:
That could work if you find somebody you trust and make them some planting specs they have to abide by. Here’s what I use. It could be updated. I think I made it 10 + years ago or so.
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Indo like what you have here.

If I might suggest a couple simple edits when you update it....first, I would change the staking line to "Do not stake unless necessary". I know it says the same thing...but it starts with the presupposition that staking is not the norm.

On the containers...more aggressive language: remove any circling roots. Shave off the outter portion of the roots to ensure outward growth. Again not drastically different than what you have, but I try to drive the point home of a few cuts isn't enough.
 
evo said:
I’m loving the nursery I go with for 90% of my plantings. They don’t offer a warranty per se, yet if I find an issue I’ll inform them and the customer. They will stand by their plants.

They are grown in grow bags healed in the ground. Had a swamp oak with a root break out over the top of the grow bag which was substantial and cut. Snapped a few photos and got (we will replace this if needed). I think the tree will be fine, and if it croaks during the establishment they will still stand by.
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So it's the Callahan warranty as linked in video above!

How big of grow bags are they using? Do they use soil or potting mixes (pine bark based?)?

I've got some seedlings in grow bags just to see how they do. I don't pay enough attention to them though!

I think is like to find a bare root nursery nearby enough to try. Obviously they are harder to store...but wow would they be easy to transport and plant!

I've also read about Missouri gravel bed nurseries when a tree is harvested and then "finished" in a gravel bed then sold bare root.
 
ATH said:
So it's the Callahan warranty as linked in video above!

How big of grow bags are they using? Do they use soil or potting mixes (pine bark based?)?

I've got some seedlings in grow bags just to see how they do. I don't pay enough attention to them though!

I think is like to find a bare root nursery nearby enough to try. Obviously they are harder to store...but wow would they be easy to transport and plant!

I've also read about Missouri gravel bed nurseries when a tree is harvested and then "finished" in a gravel bed then sold bare root.
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They use various soil blends for specific species, really have it dialed in. I'm not sure exactly how they do things (nor would I post it). Their smallest trees are 1.75" cal, and some of the larger ones get near 5" cal. Biggest I've worked with is 3.75" or so.
What I have done is get bareroot plants and put them in fairly large grow bags. The dream is to plow a trench with the mini and place the bags in the trench and back fill with arborist chips. I've been doing this above grade and had good success. The fine roots do grow through the bag but that is the goal, to get them to prune.
It essentially pollards the roots!

For planting, I'll just plow a big square hole with the mini and dirt bucket if I can. I'm sure its more mess than an augur but I really don't see the need for a huge 3' bit. How much was yours?
 
ATH said:
Yeah...the warranty thing is almost pointless. I point out "nurseries keep them alive for a year above ground with just some stone piled around the bottom half of the ball.
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You are correct, but I’ll bet my house the nurseries water those trees everyday to keep them alive.
I don’t offer a warranty because I have no idea if the customer will water the newly planted tree at an inch a week. It’s pretty obvious that they didn’t but you can’t prove it otherwise. So loss of money and time.
But I will say I haven’t lost any trees that I have planted for customers.
 
Tom Dunlap said:
I KNOW A FEW ARBOS WHO HAVE GOne the next step and become growers. Either using proper sized pots or going with a gravel bed growing system they grow trees with robust root systems. they found that buying potted material from wholesalers meant spending time de-potting and undoing girdling root issues. Cheaper to plant and grow right from the beginning. When they got into being growers they priced competitive to the nursery industry, Soon, they realized that their clients had upscale coffee and car desires and moved prices up. Not price gouging but pricing that reflected to skill and intimate care that they gave their stock.

These guys have made planting a money maker for themselves.
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We have a local guy like that here. He's been quite successful at it and has premium nursery stock.
 
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