When in Doubt, Get the Advice of an Arborist

Many homeowners whose established landscapes include mature trees find themselves questioning whether their trees need expert attention.  Most of the issues involve either disease or branches that pose a threat to the tree during a storm.  Such cases may require the advice of an arborist Seattle expert or a certified arborist in your area.

There are certainly a few things that a homeowner can do before calling an arborist.  Self-education is important and the first step you can take on your own is to identify the tree. There are many ways to gain knowledge about trees.  Your local library should have books for identification with pictures of the main components of the tree, like the bark and leaves and flowers.  In many counties throughout the U.S. there are horticulture offices sponsored by the state college with volunteers who are happy to help with identification and disease management.

In Pennsylvania, where I live, we have many Master Gardeners in these offices that are trained by Penn State's Agricultural Science Department.  They provide a service whereby the homeowner can send a sample of tree disease to the Penn State Agricultural Lab for identification and possible treatments.  As a follow-up to disease management, an arborist would be able to treat the disease and provide pruning and other necessary care.

To learn more about contacting a certified arborist visit this Seattle arborist website.

California Resident Fined for Over Trimming Trees

In La Cañada Flintridge, Calfornia resident Franklin Wang is facing thousands of dollars in city fines for over trimming oaks trees on his property.

In article published this week in La Cañada Valley Sun Franklin Wang is reported to believe that his punishment is unfair.

Arborist Seattle specialists recommend homeowners to seek professional advice on tree removal and tree trimming, not only for the safety of the trees, but also for the safety of the owner. Although Wang hired a pruning service, tree maintenance is often performed by workers that are neither tree specialist nor certified arborists. The coastal live oak trees on his property are a protected species by city ordinances and have to be trimmed by an approved and certified arborist.

Homework Wang, who is faced with paying a $3,650 fine and a deposit of $1,500 for an arborist to inspect his trees three times during the next five years, is claiming that he is victim of the pruning services. The services he hired were not approved by the city and he claims that the workers gave him a false card stating that they were. The report was made anonymously to a city code enforcement office.

Bellevue tree removal professional at Certified Arborist Tree Care, LLC recommend checking at the International Society of Arboriculture website in order to confirm that someone is an ISA certified arborist before contracting their services.