Tree care professionals, known as arborists, are highly trained and knowledgeable about tree care and pruning. An arborist must be certified through one or more international, national or local organizations. In short, an arborist is a tree expert who has studied the science of arboriculture. These specialists care for trees and ensure that these majestic plants can live in harmony with us humans (as well as with our homes) safely.
Arborists can assume the following responsibilities:. Arborists are considered tree doctors who specialize in caring for trees. This could include acting as a consultant to determine the type of trees to be used in designing a landscape, pruning them for optimal health and growth, or diagnosing and treating trees with diseases. Arborists also provide assistance with structural problems that arise with trees by working directly with customers or consulting with landscape companies.
Arborists can help people learn and understand what nutrients help trees grow, what diseases infest trees, and how the immune system of trees works. Sometimes I hear the term “tree doctor”; is it a real thing? Fortunately, there are “tree doctors” and, like human doctors, they need to receive an education, have experience, and may have certain specializations. Like human doctors, “tree doctors”, called “certified arborists,” rely on many other professionals to provide the highest level of care. Once again, it may be useful to compare a “tree doctor” to a doctor.
In most cases, especially at a larger clinic or hospital, the primary care doctor will diagnose a disease or condition and issue orders for further testing, prescribe medications, or refer specialists. An example of this is tree pruning, felling or cutting of hats, in which the entire crowns of the trees or the main stems are removed, generally cutting the main stems or ends crosswise, leaving large and unsightly stems. Nurses and patient care professionals are responsible for the daily activities of treating diseases, and each of the various members of a tree care team has a particular set of skills that allow trees to receive the highest level of care. Certified arborists are trained in all aspects of tree care, including proper pruning, health assessments, pest and disease diagnosis, irrigation and fertilization, planting, and basic tree safety protocols.
You can prune small trees that are your height or less, but let a professional take care of the taller ones, as they have the right equipment to safely climb the tree and remove the branches. They can also detect any diseases your tree may have and help you address them before it's too late or they spread to neighboring trees. While all ISA-certified arborists must understand proper tree pruning for health and safety reasons, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the arborists themselves who perform the pruning or other tree-related work. Pruning trees regularly can improve their overall health and growth, and an arborist will know exactly how to prune your specific variety of tree to ensure that it thrives.
Like a trusted doctor, a trusted tree specialist knows when to ask for help to ensure that your trees are expertly cared for. In France, a qualified arborist must hold an ornamental tree management certificate and a qualified climbing arborist must have a tree pruning and care certificate; both issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, any tree in the United Kingdom can be covered by a tree conservation order and it is illegal to perform any work on a tree, including felling or pruning, before seeking permission from the local council. They will also help you plant these trees correctly so that they receive adequate light and space and can care for them until the trees have developed well-established roots.
Not only do trees offer majestic, natural beauty and provide shade from the heat of the sun, they can also add value to the property. While much of the care and maintenance of trees can be done on your own, the most important jobs, such as pruning tall branches, diagnosing diseases, and removing dead trees to make way for new ones, must be done by a certified and trained arborist. Depending on the jurisdiction, there may be a number of legal issues surrounding arborist practices, including boundary issues, public safety issues, heritage trees of community value and neighborhood issues, such as property, obstruction of view, impacts of roots that cross borders, nuisance problems, quarantines for diseases or insects, and the safety of nearby trees. An arborist can help you plant young trees to ensure healthy growth or maintain your existing adult trees.
. .
