How to spot bad cutting techniques from inexperienced arborists!
Using inexperienced Arborists who practice untrained cutting, lopping or pruning techniques can result in damage to your property, trees, garden and personal injury. This also includes attempting to do it yourself! Here at Dickies Trees, we have been around for 30 and have seen it all. We’ve seen leftover jobs from inexperienced Arborist and DIY jobs gone wrong. Keep reading to learn more about how to avoid bad Arborist techniques.
Just a few of the many terms you may hear an Arborist use are;
- Felling
- Pruning
- Drop crotching
- Crown reductions
- Skirt Raise
- Trim/shape
- Topping*
The list goes on. This is why it’s so tricky to know for sure if your chosen Arborist is tending to your trees and plants suitably. *The most common and wrong choice made by some Arborists and people choosing to DIY is “topping”.
What exactly is topping you might ask? Topping is when the vertical stem and upper limbs on established trees are cut back to stubs. You may have seen trees that look like this around your neighborhood…ugly aren’t they?
This technique is a terrible tree practice which causes the trees to have injuries that don’t heal leading to weakness and unstable limbs. The tree also grows back abnormally and look unnatural. It should be avoided at all costs. Please see the diagram below showing tree growth after correct pruning and after incorrect topping. What a difference! If your arborist suggests topping, take it as a warning sign!
However, be careful, topping is also referred to as heading, stubbing, or dehorning. All should be avoided. There are many safe and suitable alternatives to topping, and the most common is pruning. Pruning should be established when the tree is still young, to ensure a proper branch structure forms when the tree grows. If you wish to reduce the size of a fully grown mature tree then a technique called drop crotching can be used. This type of pruning preserves the tree’s natural shape and allows it to grow normally.
An experienced arborist should also consider when the best time to prune is. Time of the year, how old the tree is and seasons all effect if the tree is at a good stage to prune or not. For example, Spring is a good time to prune, as the bud is just about to break and Pruning in Summer can be used to suppress growth.
Bearing in mind all of these considerations – it’s very important to understand that using inexperienced Arborists who practice untrained cutting, lopping or pruning techniques can result in damage to your trees and personal injury. This also includes trying to DIY, make sure you always get an expert opinion and a detailed quote from an experienced Arborist.
Dickies Trees are qualified arborists and tree surgeons with 30 years of experience. We specialise in all professional tree services, including tree removal, tree stump grinding, tree lopping and power line clearance. We can even deliver mulch!
We offer seven days a week service and after hours/emergency call-outs. As a major government, shire and business contractor, we are extremely professional and fully insured. We offer you exceptional, reliable service.
Give our friendly team a call on 9249 4077 to discuss your tree and garden requirements.
Cameron Dickie is the Managing Director of Dickies Tree Service, a family-owned arboriculture and tree services company based in Perth, Western Australia.
With more than 23 years of industry experience, Cameron has progressed from groundsperson to Managing Director, developing hands-on expertise across tree removal, pruning, vegetation management, risk assessment and emergency response works.
Under his leadership, Dickies Tree Service has grown into one of Perth’s most established and trusted tree service providers, delivering works for government agencies, local councils, universities, commercial organisations and residential clients across the Perth metropolitan area. Cameron is passionate about responsible tree management and best-practice arboriculture, with a strong focus on safety, compliance and long-term tree health outcomes.
