Why Can’t I Do My Own Tree Maintenance?
If you own property, maintaining its aesthetic and its value is important to you. Not only do you want to make sure your landscaping is up to par with your neighbors’, but there is a sense of pride that goes into having trees that stand tall and look pleasing to the eye.
Many people think they can forgo the expense of hiring a tree care company to do the work for them, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Trying to trim or prune trees yourself can not only be counterproductive, but there is the very real possibility you could hurt yourself, damage property, and shorten the lifespan of your trees.
Why DIY Tree Care Is a Bad Idea
The question “why can’t I trim my trees myself?” is a common one tree care professionals hear all of the time. The reasons why certified arborists encourage their clients to hire an experienced team to maintain their yards includes a number of reasons, such as:
- Need proper training and experience – The equipment used to maintain trees ranges from small clippers to power tools like chainsaws. However, even small maintenance such as pruning trees can make a big impact on the tree’s growth pattern and overall health. It is important, for your investment and the health of the tree, to have a knowledgeable and skilled team do that work.
- If done wrong, tree trimming can be dangerous – Make no mistake: tree trimming can get dangerous. Removing a tree limb, for example, often involves equipment and training to avoid harming people and property in that area. For example, if a large tree limb shows signs of decay or disease, removing it yourself risks your own safety and the safety of others around you. Doing so could even lead to the limb falling on your home.
- Improper tree maintenance can damage trees – In addition to the stray tree limb falling on people, trimming trees improperly can cause major damage to their health. Strategic tree care involves planning and considering the health of the tree. For instance, cutting off the top portions of the tree crown, called tree topping, may appear to help maintain a tree that seems to be outgrowing its space, but topping a tree can be a deadly mistake and cost the tree its life.
What Can a Tree Care Company Do?
Although many people believe they can take on tree care themselves, it is much more economical to have an expert do the job for you. The “weekend warrior” mentality many people have about taking care of various projects around their home, including tree maintenance, is not always effective for big projects that may lead to higher costs when done incorrectly.
When it comes to tree care, a professional can complete all of the work for you. From tree trimming and pruning to removing dead or dying branches and taking a whole tree down, hiring a certified arborist for preventive tree care services just makes good sense. An arborist will not only look at your tree’s basic health, but can advise on the type of fertilizer it has, examine the tree for signs of decay and disease, and administer treatments to trees infested by bugs or other pests.
If you are looking for help in selecting the right trees for your yard, a certified arborist can help with that, too! Often associated with just basic tree maintenance, an arborist is well trained in understanding your local climate and the best trees that will thrive in the area. In Arkansas, the type of trees that are not only native trees but that thrive in our climate can range from pine trees (our state tree) to oak, hickory, and maple trees. There are also invasive species of trees arborists are aware of but most people might not think about when it comes to managing the trees on their property. This is just one more example of why working with an arborist is important!
Tree maintenance can be both proactive and reactive, depending on your needs, but you won’t necessarily know what to do if you decide to take a DIY approach to tree care. If you are looking for help tree care, contact the licensed and insured tree care experts at Capital City Tree Service!