Trimming, Watering, and Beyond

4 Conversations To Have With An Arborist

Arborists are specialists who tell you a lot about growing trees, caring for them, and deciding when to remove them. Most folks don't have professional-tier knowledge about trees, but you can call a tree company and ask to have any of these four conversations with an arborist.

Risk Assessment

Medium- and large-sized trees represent potential risks to people and property. If you're looking at a tree and wondering if it has an unsafe lean, for example, that's a conversation to have with an arborist. If there are fire or wind risks on your property, you might want to discuss where to maintain the tree line to mitigate those concerns. An arborist can tell you when an old tree has gotten too tall for its roots and has become a potential fall risk. Thoughtful risk assessments will ensure that the trees on your property will be both beautiful and safe.

Soil

Trees get most of their nutrients from the soil. Especially if you're preparing to plant new trees, an arborist can tell you whether your location's soil is right for your preferred species. The ideal soil for a tree should be sufficient to anchor its roots while also providing enough penetration of both nutrients and water. If conditions aren't right, a tree company may be able to offer remediation suggestions.

Interspecies Interactions

Plants seem passive, but this creates the mistaken perception that you can simply put any old tree on a property and not worry about interspecies interactions. If you've ever had a black walnut tree on your property, you might know differently, though. Species like the black walnut secrete chemicals into the soil that discourage other plants from growing in their domains. This creates a host of problems from killing gardens to encouraging run-off due to the lack of root density in the surrounding soil. Knowing which trees ought to be near other plants is critical to achieving optimal health for the overall property.

Disease

As with all living things, trees are prone to diseases. Worse, some of these diseases can spread through entire forests. Something like Dutch elm disease can wipe out healthy plants on a property in a matter of years.

You need to know the signs of diseases so you can take action early. In many cases, this may mean removing members of the tree species that are susceptible to diseases that are already spreading through a region. Contact a tree company to learn more.