Would you hire these guys?

[DMc]

Got a call from a homeowner concerned about his trees that had been planted last fall. Had a high mortality rate and the nursery is telling him it is his fault.

The homeowner built the berm, laid the sod. The nursery just came with an auger, drilled the holes and set and braced the trees.

Personally, I have never seen a professional job of this caliber.

Dave

 

[treesandsurf]

Ouch! Looks like the Nursery is gonna have to pony up.

jp

 

[Frans]

refer him to, or print out and give him this:
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_planting.aspx

Will prove the installation was not to industry standards. With such proof, your client has enough to threaten them with small claims court.
Do not know what the initial cost was, but if it is less than your states maximum allowed in small claims court, your client can 'fill in' the difference by claiming costs associated with filing the small claims case.

 

[BostonBull]

Just an inch or two too deep........

 

[treelooker]

good glory, 10" to the first branch? Also cite the bmp's, and roast the idiots at the nursery who think they done right. Morons gotta learn someday...

 

[DMc]

I just don't get this. And I find I have no patience for it either. It really pisses me off. We're tree guys. We run chainsaws; we primarily rack em and stack em. If you are in the business long enough you acquire a love for the trees and learn quite a bit more.

So why is it, as tree cutters, it is simple for us to recognize when a tree is planted too deep. But yet nursery people who grow them, and landscapers whose job it is to plant them can't figure it out????

We will see trees planted 2 to 3" too deep even with the good companies here in our area.

Dave

P.S. Frans, thanks. Sylvia had already zeroed in on the Trees are Good info, along with several other sources.

 

[SkwerI]

Landscapers do it for the same reason they plant trees without removing the b+b wrapping or wire basket, because they are lazy and it's easier to bury the evidence than to do it right. A tree planted too deep is less likely to blow over (especially if the $6 per hour laborers did a crappy job on the staking) and therefore more profitable.

Most companies have a 6-12 month guarantee. A tree that falls over requires an extra service call, a tree that dries out will die, a tree that is planted too deep won't blow over and is less likely to dry out. So who cares if it dies after the warranty is up, or if it has root problems 5 years down the road? Most will look you square in the eye and call it "job security". Somebody has to cut it down and plant another one.

 

[NickfromWI]

Yuck. I hope they get a full refund.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I just angry when I see shoddy work like that that I know the homeowner payed good money for. One of those "I don't see it happen a lot but I have seen it enough times. Usually with me once is enough. Grrrrrrr. The other job security comment I would have is that companies that do this are our job security. All we have to do is give our client base better and thus forever have the client and future from referral.

 

[treesandsurf]

D Mc, I wouldn't describe you as a tree cutter, but a qualified, professional arborist trained and skilled in the care of trees.

Using the term tree cutter creates a poor perception of our (IMO) highly skilled industry. Maybe I'm a dreamer

jp

 

[brendonv]

I hate the word tree cutter.

I see alot of tree's buried to deep, your pics take it to a whole new level!

 

[DMc]

D Mc, I wouldn't describe you as a tree cutter...jp

Thanks. I don't mind the term tree cutter. Most of the wood cutters I know are hardworking, honest folks. The names people have used for me have changed much throughout the years. But as Popeye said, I am what I am.

My point was that this is a base knowledge that everyone involved with the growing and planting of trees should understand. :what:

Why don't they?

Dave

 

[SkwerI]

understand ≠ care
Lots of landscrapers understand that planting too deep is a death sentence, but it's a slow, long term death sentence. A tree planted too deep is more likely to live through the all-important warranty period. Believe it or not, many landscapers aren't working for the love of trees, they simply want to get paid and not have to replace dead trees out of their own pocket. Planting too deep is more effective than trying to educate every single customer on proper care and watering. Most customers are idiots and will not follow through on proper care, or they don't understand.

 

[Paul B]

I like the fact that as a small company I am available to supervise and instruct on planting when we do installations. I refer to our local standard the BC Landscape Standard (which I am happy to say I had a part in reviewing and producing the current edition (8th) that was just released a few weeks ago) as a reference for measure of performance and the Canadian Standards for Nursery stock as a reference of measure for my source material. That way if things go sideways there is something to challenge in court. I dont give any warranty on installations unless I have control over the watering.

 

[DMc]

understand ≠ care
Lots of landscrapers understand that planting too deep is a death sentence, but it's a slow, long term death sentence. A tree planted too deep is more likely to live through the all-important warranty period. Believe it or not, many landscapers aren't working for the love of trees, they simply want to get paid and not have to replace dead trees out of their own pocket. Planting too deep is more effective than trying to educate every single customer on proper care and watering. Most customers are idiots and will not follow through on proper care, or they don't understand.

Watch those negative vibes. I know this is true in some situations and we need to have a talk to those particular folks.

Our approach is to increase public awareness as often and as broadly as we can. The maintaining of a tree after planting should be discussed with an appropriate regimen determined. This is not unreasonable. If homeowners will not accept the responsibility and expect the landscapers/nurserymen to handle the aftercare, then it would not be unreasonable to expect to be charged accordingly.

More of a win/win situation than doing something you know is not going to work.

Dave

 

[MasterBlaster]

I have a landscaper friend that would NEVER do anything like that. He takes a lotta pride in his work.

 

[treesandsurf]

The guy who got me into doing tree work is a landscaper of the highest order! After seeing him work, all my perceptions of working outdoors were altered for good

jp

 

[Jamin Mayer]

Yep. That is typical landscraper work. Some aren't bad out here, but every industry has it's hacks!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yeah, we probably don't wanna go into how many trees we seen after the fact with some of the other companies getting there before we have. I love it when I get a call and go on the consult to see what I am supposed to fix after the fact... YIKES!