Proper tree pruning can differentiate between a thriving landscape and costly repairs. For South Shore homeowners, deciding who handles tree pruning impacts not just their appearance but their long-term health, safety, and value. While many companies offer tree pruning services, having an ISA Certified Arborist make those critical cuts can significantly affect your trees’ future.
Key Takeaways:
- ISA Certified Arborists combine education and experience to make informed decisions about what, when, and how much to prune based on each tree’s specific needs.
- Professional arborists invest in and properly maintain a range of high-quality equipment that they keep sharp and clean to prevent disease transmission between trees.
- Through their certification process and ongoing education, arborists learn and follow industry best practices for pruning techniques while avoiding outdated or harmful methods like tree topping.
- An arborist provides immediate care and valuable guidance for future tree maintenance, similar to how a doctor treats current issues while offering preventive healthcare advice.
- Though hiring an arborist may cost more initially, their expertise helps prevent expensive problems and emergency services down the road while ensuring both the health and aesthetic appeal of your trees.
7 Benefits of Hiring an Arborist for Pruning Rather Than Any “Tree Guy”
Tree pruning is one of the most essential services you can have a professional do for your trees. When choosing who to let handle your Cohasset or Duxbury tree pruning, you’ll want to consider hiring an ISA Certified Arborist for the job.
Certified Arborists provide several benefits to trimming over hiring someone without credentials. When you want the best for your trees, choose an expert for these reasons:
1. Certified Arborists Know What to Cut – and What to Leave Alone
All you need to trim a tree is a handsaw or a pair of loppers. However, a lot goes into making the right cuts in the right place. For this level of expertise, you need an arborist.
Pruning is a science. Removing too much of a tree’s canopy or trimming it at the wrong time can have disastrous consequences. It is even more difficult because every tree species has different needs and concerns.
An arborist’s education and practical experience allows them to correctly choose when to prune trees and how much to take each time they do it. They have access to information and resources that ensure they always stay updated on new developments in arboriculture.
2. They Use the Right Tools for the Job
You may think every chainsaw or pair of loppers is the same, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a stark difference between high-quality equipment and substandard tools in tree work;
arborists use only the proper tools. Some of the principles arborists take toward maintaining and selecting their tools include:
- Arborists will always ensure their cutting tools, like loppers, are as sharp as possible.
- Arborists will sanitize their tools to ensure they do not spread diseases from one tree to another.
- Arborists typically have multiple saws of different sizes to use for different branches and trees of different sizes.
3. Certified Arborists Follow Industry Best Practices
Instead of picking a random point and cutting, pruning involves precise cuts. There are guidelines and techniques to properly trim branches without harming the tree or causing unnecessary stress.
To become a Certified Arborist, prospective tree care workers will need to demonstrate their knowledge of the best practices for tree trimming. Arborists steer clear of discredited practices, like tree topping or making flush cuts.
Trimmers who aren’t arborists won’t have this same expansive knowledge of the best way to take care of a tree, and they may make incorrect cuts or follow techniques arborists no longer use.
4. They Provide Expert Advice for Long-Term Tree Health
A visit from an arborist should be similar to visiting a doctor. In both cases, you should get some help with an immediate problem and also recommendations on what to do in the future to prevent that problem from occurring again.
After pruning your trees, an arborist can provide you with actionable advice on keeping them healthier in the future. Following this advice will give you better-looking and more vigorous trees for years to come. The average “tree guy” can’t provide the same comprehensive advice and recommendations for future tree care.
5. Safety is Their Top Priority
Pruning is a dangerous job, and it can get even riskier when someone doesn’t follow the proper safety procedures.
“A lot of people here really don’t know just how dangerous tree work can be. In our industry, we hear about it all the time – someone falling out of a tree or a branch landing on someone. You have to be really careful when doing any kind of tree work, and pruning is no different.” – Jeff Van Meter, owner and ISA Certified Arborist at Top Notch Tree
Training to become an arborist involves studying safe work practices, and safety is part of the exam. Companies with an arborist should be following safer practices than those without.
6. They Save You Money in the Long Run
Because arborists provide higher-quality service and can give you better recommendations on taking care of your trees, they can save you money in the long run. There may be a slight uptick in the initial price of hiring an arborist, but going without one will cost you down the road.
Uncertified workers likely won’t be able to catch problems as early as an arborist, and they may potentially harm your trees. In general, it is less expensive to prevent a problem or treat it early than it is to have a professional deal with an issue when it becomes extreme. Attempting to save a dollar today could cost much more down the road.
The goal of pruning for an arborist is to keep it healthy for years to come. Conversely, a non-arborist may cut whatever they feel like, leaving your tree unhealthy and demanding additional care.
7. They Have an Eye for Ornamental Tree Aesthetics
While tree pruning is very much a scientific endeavor, performing the service on ornamental trees also requires an artistic eye. Many South Shore homeowners plant ornamental trees, such as flowering dogwoods or eastern redbuds, to help boost the aesthetics of their property as well as the value of their home.
Pruning ornamental trees is a mix of boosting their health with proper trimming methods while also making them more attractive. An arborist will have a better eye for helping shape your tree than someone without formal training.
PRO TIP: Timing is critical when pruning ornamental trees in places like Scituate and Marshfield. For more information on when to trim, see our previous articles on timing the service for your ornamental trees:
Frequently Asked Questions About Tree Pruning on the South Shore
If you have questions about tree pruning and the benefits of an arborist, we’ve answered some of them below. If you don’t see your question here, we’d be happy to answer it when we inspect your trees.
What affects the price of tree pruning in Massachusetts?
The price will fluctuate depending on the tree size, the amount of pruning the company will need to do, and how difficult it is to access your tree.
How does someone become an ISA Certified Arborist?
Becoming a Certified Arborist takes years of hands-on experience in the tree care industry, followed by passing a certification exam. To stay certified, arborists must continue their education and stay up to date with the latest advancements in tree care.
Is it really that dangerous to have just anybody prune my trees?
While some non-arborists may be capable of pruning trees, not everyone who claims to be an expert actually is. Many companies advertise tree care services without the proper training or credentials. Hiring a Certified Arborist ensures your trees are in skilled hands, giving you peace of mind that the job is done correctly and safely. Taking the time to vet professionals can make all the difference in protecting the health and longevity of your trees.
What are the qualifications to look for with a tree pruning company?
Aside from having an arborist on staff, we recommend looking for companies that maintain membership with their local chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. In our area, that would be the New England ISA.
Top Notch Tree Provides Expert Tree Pruning Backed by Certified Arborists on the South Shore
Proper pruning is an investment in your property’s future. When done correctly by a Certified Arborist, it enhances your trees’ health, safety, and beauty while preventing costly problems down the road. The difference lies not just in making cuts but in understanding the science behind tree care and applying that knowledge to each unique situation.
At Top Notch Tree, our ISA Certified Arborist brings their expertise to every property we service across the South Shore. From Cohasset’s coastal properties to Duxbury’s historic landscapes, we understand the unique challenges our local trees face and how to address them. Call us today at 781-871-8008 or request an estimate online for tree pruning services.
