anyone offer planting?

[imagineero]

I get asked reasonably often by customers about replanting when I do removals. I usually give them some recommendations about suitable species, and the names and addresses of some good nurseries just wondering if any of you guys offer planting as part of your service? If so, how do you price it? Do you do soil testing as part of it, or just chuck 'er in there?

Shaun

 

[sgreanbeans]

Every time I do a removal, I offer a new tree. I usually charge double my cost. I don't do soil test very often, but it happens. If I do, I charge for my time and double the cost of the test, depending on the level that the customer wants to go. I always buy my trees at hi-end nursery's, have better survival rate. I will warranty, but have never had to. When they die, it is always a water issue on the HO's part. Then they have to pay all over again, and pay for the removal. Actually, I did get in one dispute over a river birch. Had a huge warm up in the middle of winter and all the birches in the same area started to pull water, then it went into a deep freeze, jacked them all up and they looked real bad for a while. HO wanted me to replace his, but I knew it would be fine. We made a deal, he watched me take the tree home and plant it next to my garage. Then I gave him a new one. If the one I took home, lived. He would pay me for all cost and the cost to pay my guys to help me plant it at home. Its about 40ft tall now and AWSEOME! He gave me a check with a smile and a pat on the back. It sounds impractical, and most of the time it is, but I try to replace every tree I take, whether it be at home or elsewhere, I try to do 1 for 1. Its a paranoid karma kinda thing

 

[flushcut]

I offer planting as well, charge about double. I do not warranty the tree for the fact HO's are responsable for the watering, my guess is 1:5 water properly.

 

[NCTREE]

I offer it as a service, it's usaully double the cost of the tree. I recommend trees that grow well in the neighborhood and guarantee the tree for two years only if they keep it watered. I find that most people like to do it themselves but have no clue how to do it right.

 

[BCbound]

I have it listed as a service but don't push it. Thinking about ditching it soon. I find it hard to make money on. We don't have any nurseries near by us. By the time I add up my actual cost of a tree+delivery+proper install, I should be charging triple. No joke.

I say proper install since I can't compete with the landscapers that buys and just drops in a hole. Deep hole, not level, basket still on.

 

[imagineero]

I'm thinking it can't be much of a money maker, it's more of a karma thing? I could see making some money on a row of photinias at double, or a semi mature specimen, but most people are looking at small pot stock of (australian) natives, we're talking $20~$50 here. I can't even justify swinging by the nursery on the way to the job for that sort of money. Some guys offer planting as part of a 'garden makeover' kind of service, where they remove undesirables, trim, spread mulch and plant.... but that's moving away from being a tree service and more into being a gardener/landscaper. We have some ongoing tree maintenance contracts with people owning large properties, but they tend to have regular gardeners for the other side of the work. The more I think about it, the more I think I ought to just stick to tree work.

Shaun

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I plant a good amount of trees. I normally take the price of the tree and double or triple it depending on qty being planted. My dingo works great for planting treees

 

[StrataTree]

Only when our faller drops a tree on a H/O's Blue Spruce or some such thing. Keep some landscapers cards in the book though just in case we get asked.:msp_wink:

 

[stltreedr]

I offer it quite a bit and do a little. I also double the retail price, but get wholesale cost. No soil testing, just knowledge of what usually works well in the area and the specific site we are dealing with.

 

[ronnyb]

We offer it and do quite a bit of planting. I go 3x upto 3 inch and 4x up to 5 inch. No warranty. In the average year we normally plant 150-200 trees.

 

[ATH]

I do plant...sometimes associated with removals I have done, more often not. Just planted a 3" Bur oak today.

I do need something to move the trees better - a ball cart works well on trees no larger than 2" or 2.5". Most clients I work with are willing to pay more for a larger tree, and they get heavy real quick! A mini is on my wish list!

Regarding soil tests: I do sometimes, but most of the time I am familiar with the site enough to make recommendations. For example, the Bur oak I planted today: she asked about a red maple when we talked 2 weeks ago. I told her the soil was a little wet and pH too high for that to do well. When we showed up to plant today, she said something about wishing for a red maple instead of the oak, and I thought to myself "maybe I should have done a pH test." Then we dug the hole. The soil characteristics confirmed the site is not fit for red maple. After that tree was in, I visited another client around the corner... I forgot she has a chlorotic red maple in her front yard - it is not healthy due to high pH! I should never have second guessed myself, and am glad we stuck with the bur oak :biggrin:

Finally, how to compete with the "do all" landscapers...just like everything else: sell expertise. Every time I find a wire cage on a tree that has been in the ground for 15 years, I point it out. Every tree that is planted too deep, I point it out. Explain why it takes time to plant a tree correctly, and why they want an expert doing it rather than "whoever". Make it make money for you. Even if it is not a high profit margin deal (it is not for me...even doubling the cost of the tree), it does make some money AND more importantly, it keeps me as their go-to guy for all things trees. Plus, they have a new tree that will need some attention in the future, and guess who they are going to call!

I thought about dropping the service...but I have found it is valuable to keep. Anybody want to sell me a Ditch Witch SK755 on the cheap? :msp_thumbup: - sure would make the tree planting easier on me.

 

[mikewhite85]

We plant all the time. Usually it's an extra couple hundred bucks in the pocket after a removal. We do mostly 15 gal and 24" box sizes. I charge 100 for 15 gal and 300 for 24" unless I am required to follow crazy city of Los Angeles specs for street trees. Then it's considerably more.

 

[derwoodii]

I get asked reasonably often by customers about replanting when I do removals. I usually give them some recommendations about suitable species, and the names and addresses of some good nurseries just wondering if any of you guys offer planting as part of your service? If so, how do you price it? Do you do soil testing as part of it, or just chuck 'er in there?

Shaun

great idea shaun lends itself to good customer care and so follow up and referred work.
Many Councils or Shires will ask for suitable replanting as part of their local tree removal codes so your helping the resident here already Timing is a trick as hard to plant mid summer and species selection debates may burn your site time for a job fee that would mostly be less than $100. Still the idea is sound offer it when suits you and the job. More often planting can be done easy but some pit falls follow when/if the tree suffers and struggles you may be called back so give aid so no guarantees less pre priced.

Thus to avoid grief while being the good tree guy my thought are offer to just pre dig the hole set aside mulch tell customer to go down buy a what not species tree plant it them selves and be happy if they refer your good work on.

 

[capetrees]

Offer planting? No way. Was in that biz for a long time and got out. As mentioned, issues like soil tests, compatabiltiy, watering, etc. are all reasons I stay away. I'll always refer them to a local landscaper, the landscper in turn always refer me for removals and trimming. I don't want the call back whining about why it's tilted, why isn't it growing faster, why it didn't flower, can I plant more, or the ever feared, "while you're here ....." and we look at all aspects of the landscaping for the property. :msp_scared:
No thanks.

 

[squad143]

I'm with Capetrees on this one. It takes me too much time and is too much aggravation.
I make way more $ in the same amount of time doing a removal than planting. I'll refer it to the landscapers.

 

[formationrx]

...

i plant trees all the time... mostly starters, replacements, or screeners... it makes me feel good to give a tree a new home.. and get it out of that damn pot (they hate the pot)... i like to mix peat moss with some really good soil and toss it in hole... its kinda cool to plant and watch after a tree... even cooler is to have that same tree lift you up to heavens and show you a unique view of the world... its empowering... in a healing kinda way...

one time i showed up at this old lady's house... she was so upset that her thundercloud flowering plum was dying...
she went on and on about how she loved to stare at this tree thru her bedroom window every morning... she would go out and watch the bees working along and she just loved the flowers... i felt bad cuz no one had ever taken care of it... the structure was shot and it was on its way out... well i talked her into swapping it out with a flowering cherry...ya know change it up and have a new beginning... well when that new tree pushed and opened up she called me so excited... she sounded reborn... its not common but trees can mean an awful lot to certain people... i think its small price to pay for a little digging... and i like putting my face into it and getting dirty... its good for my soul:msp_wink:...

 

[NCTREE]

i plant trees all the time... mostly starters, replacements, or screeners... it makes me feel good to give a tree a new home.. and get it out of that damn pot (they hate the pot)... i like to mix peat moss with some really good soil and toss it in hole... its kinda cool to plant and watch after a tree... even cooler is to have that same tree lift you up to heavens and show you a unique view of the world... its empowering... in a healing kinda way...

one time i showed up at this old lady's house... she was so upset that her thundercloud flowering plum was dying...
she went on and on about how she loved to stare at this tree thru her bedroom window every morning... she would go out and watch the bees working along and she just loved the flowers... i felt bad cuz no one had ever taken care of it... the structure was shot and it was on its way out... well i talked her into swapping it out with a flowering cherry...ya know change it up and have a new beginning... well when that new tree pushed and opened up she called me so excited... she sounded reborn... its not common but trees can mean an awful lot to certain people... i think its small price to pay for a little digging... and i like putting my face into it and getting dirty... its good for my soul:msp_wink:...

Nicely said! It feels good to dig some earth and plant. It's a change up from doing the same old same old. I'm hoping in a few years to wind down the tree work and get CSA going. Don't get me wrong I love tree work and will always look to it for some quick money but I find much more satisfaction in the in growing food.

 

[Slvrmple72]

25 six foot arborvitaes in our lovely soil ammended rock that Ohio is famous for... plus mulch around the raised bed area. I find great satisfaction in planting stuff in the soil. It is a great feeling to look at the landscape years later that you have been a part of.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I find great satisfaction in planting stuff in the soil. It is a great feeling to look at the landscape years later that you have been a part of.

I do too. My brother was a hi-end home builder, until the market died. I did all his landscape. I like going thru the hoods that he built in and checking out everything years later and seeing how big the trees and shrubs are, but then sometimes, I go by and the HO has done something stupid, like putting red mulch around them, I hate that crap!

 

[treeseer]

Selling replacement instead of removal lets the clients know that trees have value, therefore tree care is a good investment.

After the job is over, they will talk about that new tree and the nice man who put it there. Better PR value than an empty space they have to mow. :frown: