Commercial Tree Forums should be the ONLY Forums

[jason j ladue]

mario, i was mostly playin w/ya i know you realize that, but part of what i said was serious- if you ever need a hand, drop me a line. i'll climb that 140 for ya... jason

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Sounds like a deal.

But how about 140' + 1" ?

What if I need 140' plus 1" ?



This is totally off-topic, but when I was in Cannon Beach last fall, I happened to grab the newspaper laying in a pizza place there the day after a climber from a ways north of there did a rescue of some doctor guy than hang-glided into a tree in Ecola park the day before.

When I got back in town, it was on the news too. Did you hear or read about that guy?

(seems he has cut into his own body several times the article says)

Anyhow, the tall tree thing reminded me of that.

 

[Gopher]

Forum for Arborists

Let me ask all of you this question, "Would you go to an on-line forum sponsored by attorneys for legal help following the abduction of your spouse?"

I certainly hope not.

Therefore, I agree with M.D. Vaden's candid approach to all of us by asking us to look at the part of this forum open to non-arborists. What benefit are we providing, and at what cost (with this part of ArboristSite)?

Also, one reader had an in depth discussion with his eye doctor; wonderful. Another question for all, "How many people claim to be eye know-it-alls?" And, "How many people claim to know-it-all about trees and tree care?" I hope you see (pun intended) the difference. It is for this reason that I feel we do need to proceed cautiously with what we say.

I had one client question me about a portion of his bill. He said "only attorneys and doctors charge like that." This guy is a wealthy man, too. I said, "Well, you requested an appointment with me at a specific time on Saturday morning, so you could squeeze me in between two other people (landscaper and architect), and then you picked my brain for 45 minutes; and now you think all of this time is free?!" He saw my point, and I have done more tree care for him. He has along way to go, though. Following some excavation past one of his prized Crimson King Norway maples, I called him and let him know that I thought the excavator was supposed to stay farther away. His reply, "I don't think that many roots were disturbed; they didn't dig that deep." I was going to do some more explaining to him (I already had once) but I just shut up and now this spring we will assess the damage.

Like the song says, "Start Spreddin' the News...", but let's start, "Takin Care of Business" because "Money...It's a Sin".

Take care all.

 

[jason j ladue]

i realize that there is a certain liability in offering advice in tree care. this is definitley legitimate cause for the use of caution. i think to make a bit of a disclaimer, especially where there is a (distinct) possibility for damage/injury to occur, would be wise. such a disclaimer may not be legally binding though and rather than to take any chances, it would be most prudent/lucrative to offer a consultation in person. it is easier to make a more accurate diagnosis/assessment of the situation thusly, and the pr aspect is invaluable- people want direct contact w/their advisors more often than not, and it is a more tangible service. however, to close a forum to those w/intelligent concern or questions regarding their trees is contrary to my own philosophy. some questions are definitely answerable on line, and should be fielded gladly by those who posess the knowledge to do so...we are after all given this forum. we should try and make the most of it by showing our apprecition in the form of helping others w/less expertise than ourselves. now, one more thing to think about. at the risk of sounding hippie and karmic:has anyone ever given you a hand, purely from the kindness of their heart/in the spirit of selfless enlightenment, along the way toward your profession. i know the reason you became a professional is so that you could make $ but come on...i dont think it very difficult to see both sides of the coin (at least to some extent)

 

[Ghivelder]

Sorry I'm a bit late here...
I think that Mr. Vaden fails to understand the true nature of the web.
FREE INFORMATION is the very essence of the Internet and information has never been a substitute for the work of a professional. Think of how much information is avaiable online about heart surgery. If I needed one, I guess I would be happy to read about it, but that doesn't mean I would try to do it myself.
There is obviously no difference between consulting the Internet and going to a library. This is really a conservative way of seeing things. I spend hours reading stuff online. Is it worthless just because I didn't walk to the library? And what library? Unless you live beside the Library of Congress, I doubt your local library could compete with the web (Yes, I know the information online is chaotic - but that's a different matter).
I understand Mr. Vaden is nostalgic of a time when information could be protected and made into a family resource. Think of violin makers, for example, who used to pass their craft from father to son. Today, you can get online the exact measurements of violins made by the best makers in the world and still, somehow, they (and not us) are still the best makers in the world. But the information is there for everyone...
We also should not forget, as rich inhabitants of the first world, that there are millions of people out there that cannot buy a book nor have a library nearby. With the increase of cheap (or free) access to the Internet on public schools around the world these people will have access to information that, unlike us, they couldn't get any other way.
You should consider, Mr. Vaden, that the hitchhikers you see sitting down with their thumbs up could be just taking their breath for a minute after a five hours walk...

Sergio

www.treeclimbing.it

 

[underwor]

One of the hardest concepts to sell has been Plant Health Care, as it was designed to be used, not simply changing the name of your spray department to your PHC department as many companies did. This concept that people should buy information from me to keep their trees healthy so that they do not have to buy my emergency services later on does not make sense to the average person, who things trees just "grow on trees" so to speak. One thing that those who have made a success of this business of selling information have learned is that it is easiest to sell it to an educated person. A person whom has been converted by a few samples of free advice that make great sense. Things like trying a garden hose to wash off spider mites if there are very few and you have good water pressure. This advice is followed up by directions to test for spider mites again following the treatment with a sheet of paper held under the branch and if a large number is still observed, then hire someone to spray. If you are down to 4 or 5 mites on the sheet, then it is not a problem for a while. I will attach a photo at the end of this of a tree in Bismarck ND that had the top half eaten up by mites and the bottom, where the sprinkler hit was totally mite free. This tree was so bad I told them to have it sprayed, but I also pointed out what the lawn sprinkler had done to prevent the problem and I got about 3 call backs for other advice, all paid after that. Again, it is easier to sell information to an informed person!!!!

http://165.234.175.12/photos/Pathology/spider mite wash.jpg

 

[underwor]

When I was doing the consulting in the previous article for the city of Bismarck, they charged $25/half hour, it is now $30 i think. They actually had more calls as they raised the prices. The people thought they got what they paid for. They started charging to encourage the local fellows to get into this line of work more so they would not have to, but to my knowledge, no one has stepped in, so they do even more now through the city. Once people found out where the service was available, they started calling. Before they were educated, they did not know where to start.