improper mulching

It's not as bad as all that, all the time. I get a fair amount of pres work, some motivated by ordinance, some by knowledgeable clients, some reached by rep and word of mouth. Some towns require ISA cert, some BCMA.

Pricing is variable; in this market, a consultant can charge as much as a 2-man crew with full kit.

The best advertising is to show off a successful pres job years later. Beyotching about failures makes everyone wanna change the subject.
 
TreeLogic said:
I think pricing is a roadblock for me on this though. Do we charge the same as other tree work/hr?
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Yes, figure out the manhours and then price it. I'll be looking at our clients new plantings more closely. At least that will give us a better chance of rescuing the poor trees!
 
wow! look at all of these horrible stories about tree demise! All because of improper mulching. It just makes me sick. I had a guy call me about a bunch of trees he wanted pruned the other day. I went and looked at them. They were all in bad shape from years of neglect. I began to educate him on different issues. When i showed him girlding roots he kind of got the deer in the headlights kinda look. Havent heard back from the guy. Tried making him understand what i was saying by even using a metafore like " you house can look great but if it has a bad foundation it will not last" He still didnt seem to get it. So sad because some of the trees were old and could have possibly been saved. So frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hey Guy sorry to hear about your experience with that guy. So sad he could have learned from you. What a blessing he missed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
twig, i've seen that look a lot. People hate to admit they screwed up. I uncovered sgr's under a volcano in front of NCSU's Forestry building for a class in Urban Forestry, and showed students how to prune them and keep the flare clear. I went back to find it all covered up, literally and figuratively--this at our land-grant U!!
It's a sign of a certain group's screwy priorities imo that we do not have a BMP on root care yet. We have 40 years of data on this; see the references in this peer-reviewed piece (buy the whole book!) http://www.historictreecare.com/wp-...LBG-III-Managing-Stem-Girdling-Roots1.doc.pdf share away!

and here's the earlier verison; http://www.historictreecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Root-Pruning-TCI.pdf
 
treehumper said:
When it comes to construction we are sorely lacking in our marketing to architects, designers, developers, contractors and, the clients themselves. When dealing with specific elements of the job, say like, plumbing, then the appropriate expert is contracted to perform the work. Yet when dealing with trees and their preservation, who is the expert? From experience it's not the excavator, or even the landscape architect or contractor. We need to be getting the word out that it's worth calling us in.
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Registered Consulting Arborist, Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Certified Arborist.(other local/regional credentials). We need to have tangible products that we deliver to our clients. Just telling them something usually doesn't go much further than that conversation. Written reports and gis layers that can be incorporated into the initial design phase. Tree Protection Zones and guidelines for installation that seamlessly fit with the technology that these other disciplines routinely use.

Clear. Concise. Communication.
 
Exactly. That works for larger scale development, sustainable building or where by-laws and ordinances impose the requirement. Too many small builders have no motivation to spend the money regardless. Even when the initial design phase incorporates such input, it still comes down to the landscape contractor to get the trees in the ground. This is the point at which we need to be interjecting our skills. This would realize better planting.
 
can we start a forum of just funny stuff you see people do, be it landscaper, homeowner, or whoever? i see stuff that makes me laugh to myeslf all the time driving, i would kill to see some of the treasures you guys find.
i once unburied a root flare from a dogwood that had rotten down to almost to the heartwood. i explained to the home owner whoever planted this tree planted it too deep, and then it had been mulched year after year, and the irrigation at the base was only making it worse. Unfortunately he had basically done the whole landscape himself and he took it all as an insult and thought i was trying to run him for a new planting. woulda thought I told him his wife was ugly or something he was pissed at me
 
+1 treegazer. Every project has a site plan that is approved by someone. That's a place in the process where a check on the design specs will show opportunities for improving guidance and giving trees a chance. Most towns have this stuff online, and it helps to get to know someone in your local planning dept.

This is an excellent tool for informing clients and the general public--like mulch, it should be spread wider!
 
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I want to thank the op for making this post. About a month ago I had volcano mulched about 50 plants. Today I went out and started clearing the mulch from around the roots. I found that the stems of my plants were wet and that my fig trees had started growing hair roots into the mulch. I got the mulch cleared back maybe 6" from the stems and I think that my plants are much happier now.

Many of these plants were 10 years old and producing fruit. It could have been a tragic loss.

Thanks again.
 
very nice jwp. that's what we're looking for.

Remember, 3" of mulch is a good thing, just not anywhere on the trunk. Everywhere else under the dripline is great.
 
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