Thread: nursery forum

I check out the nursery forum from time to time..and theres never much on there sadly...surely the nursery forum should be one of the busiest forums..after all isnt arboriculture all about the planting, care and maintanance of trees in an urban enviroment...we spend so much time gassing about mature trees and vetran trees it seems like we pay very little attention to the planting of new trees for future genartions...like i said once before on here planting new trees is part and passle of being an arborist..lets get in our minds a little about replanting and a bit less on take downs[no disrespect to climbers]..it could also be a little profitable

Right on brother. Unfortunately we don't ship to UK. As a matter of fact I almost wish I was there because not only do I produce small trees but I have 3 VW 412 type 4 vehicles that I know would sell better across the pond than down here in Dixie. Plant superior trees.

Elmore kids teanagers and adults love VWs overhere..you wanna check out what they do to VWs overhere..keep up the tree growing ..i hope you give out an instruction manual with your trees..ive seen alsorts just lately ..trees planted too deep ..trees planted with grass growing right up to the stem ..and obviously lots of poor pruning

Rollacosta,

I'm not going to disagree with your post by no means, but I think arborists here in states have a different view on tree planting, than what you guys have in England.

I've been on both sides of the fence on this one. I come from a nursery, landscape background. I just happen to stumble into arboriculture by accident. There are some firms that do install trees, but as a general rule most arborist don't. This is usually landscapers work.

The reasons are many and varied.

Most new planting occur in new developments for housing. Things haven't changed one bit from the last forty years. All topsoil is stripped from the site. What is left is nothing more than hard compacted clay [ builders loam ] with maybe an inch or two of topsoil sprinkled on it, which has always been handled wet. Not exactly what I would call a good conditions for planting a tree[s], of course every one wants a warranty, and the guy who plants it is in some way forever responsible for it. Digging holes in conditions like this with just hand tools is really labor entensive, you need a jack hammer instead of a spade or shovel.

Another reason is labor and insurance are higher for arborists than they are for landscapers. Unless you can prove your company is doing say 50% tree planting and 50% tree trimming, you won't get a break on liability and work comp insurance.

Most people just handle the tree planting on their own, they can handle this part, but can't get rid of a big tree or prune one.

I'm sure others have different views on this, but for me tree planting has never really been what I would call a good experience.

It can be a profitable side line, if you can juggle the two businesses, it is hard to do though at least from my point of view, seems you do one or the other, but fail when you try to do both.

Larry

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It can be a profitable side line, if you can juggle the two businesses, it is hard to do though at least from my point of view, seems you do one or the other, but fail when you try to do both.
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Larry you're right, but I still like the sideline because I don't sell removals, I sell replacements. It feels good to put something back, and a growing advertisement for your company.

My background is also in the nursery, I find most nursery folks don't give a rip about ISA principles much less have the more than basic knowledge that would give them the ability to advise a consumer on care and such of their new plants. The mentality is still: sell, sell, sell. Plant health is only a concern if they are obviously unsellable. Proper pruning is not much of a concern generally. My last experience with the nursery before I resigned was a discussion with the 21 year old field production supervisor (4 year college educated journeyman in hort production), when I was chatting with him about proper pruning ( I was asking him to show his grunts how to do basic pruning in a very polite way), he immediately became very defensive and agressive pointing out the fact that he " knew all about pruning; crown reduction, crown thinning, crown raising and clearing!" after which he went out to the back forty and promptly 'headed back' <employers term, aka topped> a 1/4 acre of Liquidambar, I am afraid though that he doesn't have a clue about what a branch collar may be or why it is something he should be encouraged to identify. Long story short, his (and my former) employer procedded to go out to the red sunset maples on the driveway in mid March (about 11 years old maybe 12-14 inch caliper) and chainsaw them wonderfully, stubs galore, way big open wounds bleeding like mad. sad.

We do it all, I remember reading on the ISA board a long while back everyone saying I couldn't imagine mowing a customers lawn or doing any landscape work after I was the tree god that trimmed the trees.
I was thinking , Good, more work for me I hope all the tree co's around here keep that attitude and don't venture out of tree service only. There are quite a few that advertise Landscaping and Tree service here now but I think most of them are landscapers farming the work out or their idea of tree care is fertilizing them to death , no trimming.

seems a little silly to me that we Arborists carry out so many take downs but dont try and sell a replant job ..id have thought that with your leggs already under the table [working for client already] it would have been fairly easy to sell a new tree .as the reason most trees removed are trees that are too big for the clients garden or so they think why not give them some advice [sell] on a suitable replacement garden friendly tree..im going to give it a try..i think i will find it fairly easy...also another tree planted is another tree job for a future Arborist possibly yourself or your children ,grand kids..future company ...also how many of us have seen a mature deformed tree that you wish you could have pruned when it was young,and made it a nice shape or given it a good scaffold ,ive seen plenty

in todays economy..every little $ helps..replanting also shows the customer that we/you are a proffesional long term company..not a quick buck outfit

My goal this year is to plant 60,000.00 in trees thats wholesale. I plant alot of trees. The guy I sub for knows that its the easiest way to keep me off his back about removals. Its modway thru April and I,ve put in 14 1.5-2.5 caliper trees, not quite one aday but more than some do in six months, not that it means anything.I just cant consider myself a Forester/Arborist without planting alot. I wish more tree companys did it because 90% of my rremoval work is a result of poor landscape design, selection.