basic tree trimming instruction for landscapers

SkwerI

Treehouser
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
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Location
central Florida
I have an unusual request to fulfill tomorrow. One of my regular clients owns a big landscape outfit (they have 50 employees just in the maintenance division) and he asked me to meet one of his crews at a shopping center tomorrow morning and instruct them on proper pruning of some smaller oak trees in the parking lot. The difficulty lies in that parking lot pruning is about the worst thing you can do to oak trees and it goes against most of what I regularly preach to anyone who will listen. Anybody have some basic tips (Paul B?) that I can use to get these guys heading in the right direction?

Hopefully I'll have a translator as almost all of his employees are Hispanic.
 
Skwerl. I would keep it simple; right tool for the job (branch thickness of a dime or less is secateurs aka pruners, quarter size branches are for loppers and bigger than that should be a saw), collar cuts, three step cut for hand saws, pruning 'dose', understand minimum clearances for pedestrians/vehicles, lowest permanent branch and timing (seasonality). I think that should be pretty straightforward.

If they are keeners start towards species natural growth habit and how to 'control' that to the desired end.

And dont do it for free ;)
 
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  • #3
Oh, I'm getting my normal bucket truck rates, he's not a cheapskate with me. 8)
 
Around here it would be an aweful time of year to do major pruning to young oaks. Not sure what a "parking lot" prune entails. I would just prune one the right way for an example and let them figure out the details!
 
groovy. get someone to video it, could be the first addendum to the Treehouse how to series... :/:
 
What is the goal of the pruning? To provide clearance for vehicles and pedestrians? To open up the canopies for security lights?

Nothing should be cut without a specific goal or purpose in mind.
 
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  • #8
Good points, thanks for helping me organize and focus a bit.
Thanks for the email, Paul. :thumbup:
 
Visual aids, such as pictures of "good" and "bad" examples. A picture speaks a thousand words. Remember that there is loss in translation.

Sounds like a cool and interesting gig that will advance landscapers skill sets, and advance tree care on an additional basis beyond what I imagine you do when you are talking to your contracting companies (companies which hire you).
 
When they want them stripped up for clearance,
You can leave small laterals to provide better trunk caliper and sun/wind scald prevention.

Cool GIG, Brian
 
Have a feeling you'll do fine once you get started with them. Hopefully they will absorb what is what. You get to supervise the prunes?
Could be a nice gig once a year or something :)
 
Sounds like a sweet gig Brian. You might mention the common tree myth that branches get higher as the tree grows, this should be helpful in the parking lot scenario especially. I agree with Paul too stick to the basics, probably help the guys a ton.

jp:D
 
Those students are fortunate to be taught be a man like you Brian. Hopefully they take it all in.
 
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  • #18
I've never adhered to that line of thought, Rajan. IMO there is plenty of work for all of us and there's no need to think of other tree guys as 'enemies'. The more we know and the better we all get, then the more we raise the standards of the industry as a whole in our area. These young kids working for the landscaper aren't going to take work away from me, but one of them may take up the slack some day when I retire.
 
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  • #20
Yeah, it ended up being just one crew and only one guy was really interested. I covered some basics, explained why I was doing what I was doing as I trimmed a small tree and warned against the consequences of getting sloppy with a gas powered pole pruner. If nobody ever tells you that chainsaw scars and flush cuts can hurt a tree then you'd never know.
 
Up here every landscaper fancies themselves to be tree guys. They are the biggest competition because they give the work away for nothing. I am sure you will teach them how it should be done and done correctly.
 
If given an opportunity, we all should, better work leads to higher standards leads to more realistic pricing and a better market when competing against equal abilities and knowledge. There will ALWAYS be lowballers and hacks, I choose not to compete with them. ;)
 
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  • #23
Do you think a doctor should avoid sharing improved techniques with other doctors?
Aren't we supposed to be 'tree doctors'?
IMO the health of the trees is every bit as important as making money.
 
When I try to teach or expand the knowledge of a colleague or their crews, I usually end up expanding mine also. ;)
 
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