CLIMBING SPIKES used during my Queen Palm Maintenance

[taxman]

Have 30 or so 10 year old Queen Palms in my yard between front and back. Some are obviously larger than others, but very healthy and tall.

62 year old guy claiming to be arborist with experience in even Florida for 30 some years was referred to me by a friend. Turns out he just happens to know quite a few of the same people I know so I immediately trust him. He quotes me 40 dollars a tree to trim em up. I grind him to 30 and begins. With a chain saw, he trims out all the exposed "boots" up the trunk, looks good, but after he leaves neighbors comment on the fact that 20 of the trees he used spikes to climb them to the top while carrying his chain saw strapped to his side. They mention many negatives, diseases, bug, etc.

Wow, noticed alot spike mark holes, and am seeking opinions here to see what I can do at this point, since not too sure about the guy now.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

there has been discussions on here about the use of spikes on palms, none of them around here so idk but maybe try the search feature.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Maybe $40 was the spike free trim.....

 

[Rftreeman]

Maybe $40 was the spike free trim.....

lol.....

 

[taxman]

lol.....

This may be a joke to you guys, but thought forum would take question a little more serious.

The trouble with forums that professionals are apart of, unfortunately you get condescending answers from some individuals that make it perfectly clear that there better than you.

ADMIN: feel free to extract this homeowner question from the forum, thank you.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

Maybe $40 was the spike free trim.....

This probally isnt a joke. Since you worked him down on his price, he figured he'd work you down on work maybe? From what ive read on hear palms are a PITA to climb spikeless so im sure hooking would be faster ie less expensive. Didnt you mention the climber was also 62 to some guys spikeing a tree is way EASIER than climbing a rope.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

This may be a joke to you guys, but thought forum would take question a little more serious.

The trouble with forums that professionals are apart of, unfortunately you get condescending answers from some individuals that make it perfectly clear that there better than you.

ADMIN: feel free to extract this homeowner question from the forum, thank you.

If there's a joke here you posted it, and as far as condescension and superiority complexes are concerned, it seems rather an obvious case of projectionism on your part, which in turn makes this second post of yours twice as funny as the first. But I digress...

Step out of your shoes for a minute and consider that you come in here with a screen name like "taxman" (whatever that means) and explain that you have 30 or so Palms, some rather tall, in your backyard in sunny so. cal. that you requested maintenance for.

The 62 yr old Arborist of supposedly 30 years’ experience shows up to climb and trim them and gives you a fair price of $40 a piece, which I think is a real bargain regardless, especially in so cal. And you "grind" him to drop his prices 25% for this specialized, strenuous, and dangerous work. So he knocked 25% of his effort, time, and risk off the job as well. Who can blame him, really? Some might, but sympathy will be hard pressed to find I should think....especially in here.

Granted, it's his chosen profession and what not, I get that, and he did accept the job, I'll give you that as well. However, I can hardly believe you couldn't afford $40 a tree, but instead you chose to "grind" him down, and you got what you paid for, in a sense, as far as I'm concerned. He must have needed the money.

I personally refuse to compromise and do a lesser job for a lesser price if the well being of the tree is affected, I can make adjustments to make things more affordable in other areas of a given job, or work something else out, but that's as far as it goes.

I would have countered your $30 grinding response with a polite increase to $50 and likely walked, even if I needed the money.
As far as your palms are concerned, it depends on a couple of factors as far as I’ve read, you can do your own homework, but I’ll put it this way, the money you think you saved yourself by ”grinding” this poor older man down is likely not worth it in the long run. Keep an eye on them.

 

[Rftreeman]

This may be a joke to you guys, but thought forum would take question a little more serious.

The trouble with forums that professionals are apart of, unfortunately you get condescending answers from some individuals that make it perfectly clear that there better than you.

ADMIN: feel free to extract this homeowner question from the forum, thank you.

you get what you pay for in this business, you "grind him down" as you say on price then complain that you got what you paid for......

 

[beastmaster]

I for years climbed all palms with spikes. That was how you did it if you didn't have a bucket truck. Now not so much. I regularly climb this one queen palm thats over forty feet tall in a patio next to the roof. I use a 32 foot extension ladder, then spike up rest the way. I know there are several technics for making that last 10 feet but there slow and a pain and were only getting 60.00 for this palm.
I personally know of no one who uses SRT or special hitches to do palms.(I will if the price is right.)
90% of queens I see can be gotten to with a ladder. I know the whole spikes cause disease thing, but its mostly spike holes are ugly.
If I had 30 queens to do and I couldn't get them with a ladder and spiking them was prohibited, I would probably charge 3X more.
I live in So. Cal. and I deal with queen palm all the time and see old spike holes in them, but I have never seen one die of any disease other then environmental.
I am 53 and I remember when spiking was the norm but I try to change with the times, a 63 old climber in all fairness probably felt he was doing them right.
I would bet any one who would of did those palm for that price would of used spikes on them for the higher ones a ladder wouldn't reach.
Next time tell your climber you want your palms done spikeless, when you get your estimate, I bet you call that old guy back up to do them. Beastmaster

 

[David (saltas)]

Palms are not trees
They are monocots just like grass.
there is no codit in palms
You can ring-bark a palm and it will still keep growing

Syagrus romanzoffiana is a weed in my opinion and I would chop them all down and plant some thing better. The spike marks are of no real concern only cosmetic.

Weeds Australia - Weed Identification - Queen Palm, Cocos Palm

 

[beastmaster]

Palms are not trees
They are monocots just like grass.
there is no codit in palms
You can ring-bark a palm and it will still keep growing

Syagrus romanzoffiana is a weed in my opinion and I would chop them all down and plant some thing better. The spike marks are of no real concern only cosmetic.

I couldn't of said it better.