400 Trees + Arborist Knowledge = Landscape Care

[M.D. Vaden]

Thought I'd share about how arborist or tree knowledge got me my one and only maintenance property in a suburb SW side of Portland. And I particularly don't like maintenance weekly care, so initially I tried to dodge it and get a friend there. Anyway, it started with a consultation visit RE about 400 trees on a property of about 1 acre landscape with 8 acres intended to become habitat area. Seems I recall hearing of about 30 trees having died. It was cared for by the same landscaper who installed it. My first recommendation was mulching every one of the 400 trees because apparently the drip system alone was insufficient. They started stressing and yellowing first unseasonably warm week in March of 2013. The mulch was blown on around April 2013 ... about $5000 worth of barkdust. By summer's greater heat, the trees were darker green, growing, though slow. But zero tree loss in 2014. Some stress cones.

(oh ... should add the landscapers did not cut the twine for most of the 400 trees, many wrapped with synthetic twine)

By 2014, about $15,000 worth of bark mulch has been applied. The trees are growing relatively fast now. Good color and hardly any premature cones. I'm also maintaining the place weekly, and mow it myself for the exercise across 17,000 square feet of lawn.

It was nice to make an impact and send ripples in a hilltop community, showing the difference between skilled tree care and the hack care of a landscaper who does not understand trees. The landscaper said at one point that he "cared" about trees. But care means little if you do not understand how to do the work.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Mario to the rescue! Good on you.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

My intro and consult was March 2013. In April she sent any new changes to me, and only let the landscaper do lawn care there, until June when he was let go and I agreed to provide an estimate for everything.

In April, I planted a group of Ribes sanguineum / Flowering Currant on one edge of the habitat bordering the landscape. This is April 2013 in the first photo. The second photo is July 2014, just 15 months later. The plants reached 7 feet height just over a year later. Mulched, but not on drip-irrigation. I only watered them once this year, about a week ago. They were hand-watered weekly in 2013.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Few more photos. I do not do the field mowing. A local guy does tractor hobby-work. There is a nature path, which shows in this satellite image. Goes through the habitat and circles the property. Just over 1/2 mile long. Takes 2 passes with a 30" mower. The field is only partially mowed so it's not all stubble.

 

[sac-climber]

Estate care is our bread and butter. Isn't it nice working for people that truly appreciate your skill and knowledge and will handsomely reward you for it?

Beautiful place, your photography is equally elegant as well!

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Estate care is our bread and butter. Isn't it nice working for people that truly appreciate your skill and knowledge and will handsomely reward you for it?

Beautiful place, your photography is equally elegant as well!

Thanks. They definitely appreciate skill. And its nice to work for people willing to invest to develop something nice.

 

[yarightdawg]

Thought I'd share about how arborist or tree knowledge

It was nice to make an impact and send ripples in a hilltop community, showing the difference between skilled tree care and the hack care of a landscaper who does not understand trees. The landscaper said at one point that he "cared" about trees. But care means little if you do not understand how to do the work.

Your the greatest, the best ever

 

[Overwatch]

showing the difference between skilled tree care and the hack care of a landscaper

Every profession has it's hacks.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

showing the difference between skilled tree care and the hack care of a landscaper

Every profession has it's hacks.

In Oregon, all licensed landscape contractors sit for a long exam, and are required to get CEU / CEH every year. Which to me shows that maybe Oregon's landscape board ought to drop their testing and CEU requirement, and let the homeowners be responsible for their own vetting.

Oregon actually has quite a few landscapers who do very good tree care. At least near Portland. Partly due to arborists teaching at a local college for the landscape technology degree and certification.