New campaign time?

boreality

boreality

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Location
boreal forest
I think we've got the word out there about no topping, should we move on to stay fresh and in the press. Perhaps no nails in trees or no clothes lines, tire swings. No planting under power lines there's a long list. What would be the next most tree friendly advice.
 
That was my next thought. I like that one. Is it just my backwoods location or is every landscaper planting trees improperly? Is every garden center and nursery giving wrong planting advice? Is it just to protect their one year survival warranty and we deal with the after effects? Plus this would be good for the whole industry by raising intrest in planting more trees.
 
The biggest step I see is making sustainable decisions. For example, utility clearance companies "lateral prune" the same trees every several years, revisiting the tree costs the customers more $ and most of the trees look like holly hell. A sustainable solution would be to have a realistic arborist on the staff of these utility companies, decipher what trees should stay and which should be completely removed and replant with a suitable species for under power lines. If they did this, time and money would be saved in the long run and cities would be much more aesthetically appealing. But it's all about "get rr done" right now without looking at the future.
 
After hearing of two Certified Arborist tree services spiking their way up thin bark to prune trees last year, its been on my mind that the Spike-Meisters can still be a hot topic.
 
I'm in backwoods, backwards country too but yes the landscapers and nurseries here put wrong tree wrong place all the time. And containerized girdling root disaster is major too. The one I love the most is when landscapers don't even dig a hole, they just plop down the root ball and throw some dirt around it and mulch volcano it, amazing.

I also think it would make a huge difference in the tree care industry if we could get tree benefit info out to the public more, teach it in schools, etc. Storm water, air quality, shading/cooling costs, aesthetic value, social value. For some reason the public stops at aesthetic value and thinks the rest is fluff.

This would tie into pushing for city % canopy cover, I think the USDA Forest Service says 40% is optimal.
 
Root issues

Planting stock that has NO hope of living to even 2/3 of maturity because the root system is a wreck from bad nursery practices. Pot bound, circling roots will kill the tree or have them tip over.

How can we care for trees if they die in their adolescence?

Give me a tree that needs restructuring over one with a bad root system.

Over 90% of the trees that are planted have compromised roots systems. Some could be saved at planting time with a bit of work but consumers won't pay for it.
 
i think a good way to try to get the word out , especially to teach or educate people on root systems, because that is a true statement about the root systems, people do not know what they are looking at they buy a tree, they plant it. any way, a certified arborist is like a doctor in my book, you take an oath to preserve, protect and prune properly no spikes, you could organize an educational seminar for one day or two days out of the month and hold them at the library local, or at your local ag- center, i do alot of this and it also gets my company name out there, people call ask questions, then say can i hire you? it depends on how much time you have or if a person whats to make the time to do it. not everyone can but i think it is our responsibility to educate our clients.
 
Just curious, what kind of interest is there in these sessions. I've thought it would be a good idea, but public speaking is something I'm capable of but would rather avoid. I could see it being a productive marketing tool plus a community service. A win win. I had a booth at a trade fair once and left somewhat frustrated when the guy next to me selling universal tv remotes was getting bigger crowds than me. I had a squirrel hide on a fishing line that would pop out of a hollow log and scare people. That may of been a mistake. Kept me from getting bored anyway.
 
tarzan, i am sure that the squirrel gig did not impress most people.haha but i find these talks drum alot of connections up, some of my best clients i got out of these and have maintained them for other work and they have given referrals so i think they work! lose the squirrel,
jane
 
Public education is crucial and well worth pursuing.

There are many good and viable observations here. It is AMAZING how many nurseries sell stock that has little to no chance of survival, inappropriate for the client's location and situation, send employees out who don't have a clue how to plant a tree correctly and the list goes on.

We have seen many "professionally" designed and planted landscapes that, ten years down the road, are failing. These were expensive projects and the homeowner is faced with complete or near complete failure just as the landscape should have been maturing and being enjoyed.

The better educated and aware the public is, the more they will expect. The problem with the community sessions (and I am all for them) but you are already "preaching to the choir". These people are attending these sessions because they are already interested in doing better. Not that they can't learn...they can.

However, perhaps our industry organizations, ISA and TCIA, could get in there with public service programs that promote the hiring of a qualified professional, the correct planting of a tree, the problems to watch out for, etc., etc. We need to get the information out to the person who isn't as aware of their surroundings as they should be. These people aren't even THINKING about attending a seminar on correct planting procedures. They are the ones more interested in the tv remote than what tree to plant or how to take care of it. We need to reach these people. Change their mindset to at least accept the fact that trees and their landscape are important and worth the money for the long haul.

Sylvia
 
Rather than right tree right place it should be "Leave space for trees"

Jim Skiera related this at our chapter meeting. If the tree is not considered in the planning process and space for the mature tree is not prioritized and set a side it will not matter that its the "right tree" if there is not enough space (above or below ground) to support that tree.

Planting issues should be the next campaign. Deep planting, girdling roots, and limited root zone doom more trees and prevent the canopy of the future from maturing.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Planting stock that has NO hope of living to even 2/3 of maturity because the root system is a wreck from bad nursery practices. Pot bound, circling roots will kill the tree or have them tip over.

How can we care for trees if they die in their adolescence?

Give me a tree that needs restructuring over one with a bad root system.

Over 90% of the trees that are planted have compromised roots systems. Some could be saved at planting time with a bit of work but consumers won't pay for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post Tom. I'm bothered by the popular tree nurseries charging an arm & a leg for crappy trees.

Container grown trees that stay in a container for too long is malpractice, IMO.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Planting stock that has NO hope of living to even 2/3 of maturity because the root system is a wreck from bad nursery practices. Pot bound, circling roots will kill the tree or have them tip over.

How can we care for trees if they die in their adolescence?

Give me a tree that needs restructuring over one with a bad root system.

Over 90% of the trees that are planted have compromised roots systems. Some could be saved at planting time with a bit of work but consumers won't pay for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post Tom. I'm bothered by the popular tree nurseries charging an arm & a leg for crappy trees.

Container grown trees that stay in a container for too long is malpractice, IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

I absolutely agree. There are American Nursery Standards. I have sometimes wanted to ask the nursery personnel if anyone in their company has heard of them or actually read them.

We were called out to look at a couple of trees a homeowner had planted, purchased from a local nursery. These trees were in such a bad state, they should have been culled, not sold. I was very frank with the ho in telling him so.

The average homeowner has got to be better educated in order to know what is "good", "bad" or "indifferent".
 
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The problem they are facing is the average consumer is getting their trees from Walmart. Gotta compete.

[/ QUOTE ]

I still don't think this is a viable reason to sell bad product. Whenever our clients ask us which nursery is the best to purchase from, we tell them the best one is the one that has the tree you want, in good condition, for a price you are willing to pay. Not all nurseries will have a large selection or the same selection. But the small nursery down the road may have the perfect tree for their situation. We try to impress upon them what to look for and what to beware of. Again, education is the key.

There are always the bargain shoppers who believe that paying $10 less for a tree they had to travel an hour to get is worth it...and you won't be able to convince them otherwise.

Sylvia
 
i must be pretty lucky, my clients let me pick the stock, they do not mind paying the extra, there are a few nurseries that i buy from that their stock is always good, i have visited a couple of them that i just would not pay what they are asking for the tree,plant, or shrub. their are people that want to save money this is a fact but i still promote education and most of my clients are willing to go the extra, i literally show them the good and i have shown them the bad.
 
It may be just down south. The Lawn and Garden centers down here every spring will put out the Weed and Feed fertilizer right by the cash regesters. It is one of the first things I ask when I evaluate a tree. About one-third of the time
W/F has been used. I've seen alot of this down here.
 
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