Maureen Sexsmith-West
ISA Certified Arbortist, PR4600A
I am reprinting this bulletin from STOPDED.
This STOPDED e-Bulletin has been bcc’d to all the STOPDED members. You are encouraged to pass the following article on to others or have it placed in your local paper and newsletters.
Urban Trees are Important – Hire the right person to prune your tree
Trees are a big part of our urban environment. They supply economic and human health benefits for our citizens not to mention the increase in property values their presence generates. It takes many years to grow a mature tree and maintaining the tree health is extremely important and worthwhile.
Tree maintenance
Pruning is an important component of keeping your tree healthy and can help to prolong its life span if done properly. This tree maintenance practice removes dead, diseased or undesirable limbs. In addition, pruning produces strong, healthy, attractive trees. You need to understand why, when and how to prune.
It is recommended to hire a professional arborist who is qualified and experienced in pruning. Arborist should be certified and belong to a professional organization such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). This will issue that the person you have hired has met specific eligibility requirements. ISA certified arborists are also required to take continuing education to recertify every few years. Always check references and try to check out trees that have been pruned previously by the person you are hiring.
Useful Advice
Avoid tree service companies that recommend “topping” to control tree height and safety. Topping, the practice of removing large branches and tops of trees, has become one of the urban forest’s major threats. It dramatically shortens the lifespan of trees and creates hazardous trees rather than eliminating them. This type of cutting results in unsightly weak regrowth that becomes more vulnerable to insects and disease. The large open wounds also can attract invasion of rotting organisms. A topped tree is more likely to break or uproot in a storm than a healthy tree.
Tree care for the future
We need to take care of our trees so they can be appreciated by future generations. It takes a long time to grow a mature tree in our harsh environment and improper pruning can quickly put a tree into rapid decline. A loss of trees is not just an ascetic loss but has real economic, health and safety impacts.
Janet Feddes-Calpas STOPDED Executive Director www.stopded.org
STOPDED Hotline: 1-877-837-ELMS
