do you all top trees

[Carburetorless]

Have to agree with beans on this. Like he mentioned in one of his earlier posts, if he has to resort to hackery to put food on the table, then he needs to change professions. I'm not just going to do what the HO wants. That defeats the whole purpose of trying to be a reputable business man. Seems to me if someone is just willing to do whatever for a dime then how much do they really care for their profession. And then how does that reflect on said profession? Now I know I'm young in this profession and still have a lot to learn, however it doesn't matter my climbing skills and how well I yield a chainsaw if I don't care how a tree looks or its health when I'm done and whether or not my client understands what I do/have done. If I don't teach them, I'm just leaving someone else the opportunity to pull one over on them again.

I'd love being able to do things the way I think they should be done, and whenever I can I do it that way.

If my digi cam wasn't giving a lens error I'd take pics of what the competition here does. They hack trees worse than anything I've ever seen, but they're doing great.

Maybe I'm over estimating the competition, maybe if I put myself out there and do good work people will see the light and drop the competition's service for mine. If there are any trees left by then.

 

[Carburetorless]

Back when I worked on airplanes, sometimes a customer would want something that wasn't correct to be signed off as airworthy because they thought it would be too expensive or time consuming to fix right.
I NEVER did it. Twice, I was told by my boss to sign it or else I didn't work there anymore. Both times I said " Give me 10 minutes to pack my toolbox and I'll be gone". Both times they looked at me with shock on their faces, cause nobody had quit that way before. Also, in both cases, somebody else signed it off.
So yes, I was out of work and they still got what they wanted, but if the crap hit the fan, I didn't have to worry about my backside in the grinder.

Then you moved into your parents basement.

Some people have real principles and others just use their lips to spead BS.
Rick

I'm not *speading* any BS, that's for sure.

 

[SoiLLclimber]

No way, no how will I be doing that. Maybe if ya didn't cut all those limbs off, your rope may have been caught by a branch instead of falling to the ground.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Then you moved into your parents basement.

I guess that would be your move, but because I am good at what I do, I had no problems getting good references from people that mattered. It often meant that I had to relocate, but I often ended up in better jobs at better pay because of it, so I guess in the end things worked out OK.
People willing to sell out are the same everywhere..... they always blame their lowering of standards on somebody else. And they are often clueless about how others see them.
Rick

 

[sgreanbeans]

Look, its like this, easy peasy, if you top trees, then you are a hacker. You may be a pro hacker, but if you top trees, your a hacker. No point in arguing the point! Its a done deal. No one person can decide, the industry as a whole decides, and they have decided, that if you top trees, your a hack. Not calling names, that is the true description of some one who tops trees. It does not matter what the reason is (again, on occasion it may be justified) its wrong to do so, not because some of us "don't like it" because it has been studied and proven to be bad, on all fronts. Some guys take pride in their occupation, pride in their knowledge and pride in the fact that they may have taught somebody a thing or two about trees, that will have a impact on all those who know the individual that leaned from the Arborist. Others invade and dilute the pool

The fact that some of you guys are trying to justify it, on this site, ArboristSite. It speaks volumes.

 

[Grace Tree]

I think most old people look at trees as they do any other vegetation. The grass grows, you clip it. The hedge grows, you clip it. The tree grows............It's surprising how many different ways the HO will ask for topping after you refuse. Just give it a haircut, just trim it even on the top, just shorten it up and so on. They can get a little angry when you say no but so what? One of the best diffusers is one that I stole from someone here on AS. "I want you to top that tree. Why, are you afraid that it's going to poke a hole in the sky?
Phil

 

[ClimbMIT]

View attachment 223789

I couldn't believe this picture when I saw this. Lol! No disrespect, but that is a shame. That would never fly over here in New Orleans. I love trees and that is why I am doing what I do. I would find a new profession if I had to do that to make money.

 

[Carburetorless]

Then you moved into your parents basement.

I guess that would be your move, but because I am good at what I do, I had no problems getting good references from people that mattered. It often meant that I had to relocate, but I often ended up in better jobs at better pay because of it, so I guess in the end things worked out OK.
People willing to sell out are the same everywhere..... they always blame their lowering of standards on somebody else. And they are often clueless about how others see them.
Rick

I don't know what happened with your airplane job, and I'm still not sure how it ties into tree care.

All I'm saying is, it's easy to just walk away from responsibilities when you have somewhere to walk to. I don't have that option, I have to make a go of it win or lose, and losing isn't an option.

You obviously have a safety net, otherwise you wouldn't have walked away from a good job. There are a lot of people that don't have that option. You should count yourself lucky instead of bragging online.

 

[Carburetorless]

Look, its like this, easy peasy, if you top trees, then you are a hacker. You may be a pro hacker, but if you top trees, your a hacker. No point in arguing the point! Its a done deal. No one person can decide, the industry as a whole decides, and they have decided, that if you top trees, your a hack. Not calling names, that is the true description of some one who tops trees. It does not matter what the reason is (again, on occasion it may be justified) its wrong to do so, not because some of us "don't like it" because it has been studied and proven to be bad, on all fronts. Some guys take pride in their occupation, pride in their knowledge and pride in the fact that they may have taught somebody a thing or two about trees, that will have a impact on all those who know the individual that leaned from the Arborist. Others invade and dilute the pool

The fact that some of you guys are trying to justify it, on this site, ArboristSite. It speaks volumes.

Let me make myself clear once and for all.

I don't top trees that haven't been topped before.

If trees have been topped before, then it becomes necessary to top them again(a.k.a. re-topping).

If I re-top a tree, I don't hack them down to the stubs like the competition does, I only remove the limbs that are a problem, dead limbs, diseased limbs, limbs that look like they're going break away.

If that's being a hack, then I'm a hack. If you have a better solution to the problem of trees that have been topped before(other than don't top them to begin with), then please enlighten me.

Maybe you have some magic dust you can sprinkle on hacked trees to restore them to their original condition. If you don't, then I'm going to maintain them as best I can.

 

[Grace Tree]

Let me make myself clear once and for all.

I don't top trees that haven't been topped before.

If trees have been topped before, then it becomes necessary to top them again(a.k.a. re-topping).

If I re-top a tree, I don't hack them down to the stubs like the competition does, I only remove the limbs that are a problem, dead limbs, diseased limbs, limbs that look like they're going break away.

If that's being a hack, then I'm a hack. If you have a better solution to the problem of trees that have been topped before(other than don't top them to begin with), then please enlighten me.

Maybe you have some magic dust you can sprinkle on hacked trees to restore them to their original condition. If you don't, then I'm going to maintain them as best I can.

Google tree CROWN RESTORATION and spend some time reading.

 

[Carburetorless]

Google tree CROWN RESTORATION and spend some time reading.

I have already; O.K.?

O.K.?!

 

[Carburetorless]

I couldn't believe this picture when I saw this. Lol! No disrespect, but that is a shame. That would never fly over here in New Orleans. I love trees and that is why I am doing what I do. I would find a new profession if I had to do that to make money.

Are you telling me he's sporting a billboard that boldly states they top trees, not just any tree, but ANY TREE!

And now he's busting my balls for doing a little clip and snip here and there on trees that have already been topped before(probably by him)!

Unfrickingbelievable! :msp_thumbdn:

 

[Grace Tree]

I have already; O.K.?

O.K.?!

Then why do you make statements like,
If trees have been topped before, then it becomes necessary to top them again(a.k.a. re-topping).

"re topping" isn't restoration.

 

[Carburetorless]

Then why do you make statements like,
If trees have been topped before, then it becomes necessary to top them again(a.k.a. re-topping).

"re topping" isn't restoration.

Let me make sure I've got this straight; You're topping trees so that you can go back and restore them later?

 

[Grace Tree]

Let me make sure I've got this straight; You're topping trees so that you can go back and restore them later?

View attachment 224074
Son, if you think this is me you r-e-a-l-l-y need to get up to speed. Look at the sign and then look at my location and try and make sense out of it and then get back to me.

Phil

 

[Carburetorless]

View attachment 224074
Son, if you think this is me you r-e-a-l-l-y need to get up to speed. Look at the sign and then look at my location and try and make sense out of it and then get back to me.

Phil

Lol, Yeah I noticed that before.

Anyway,

I've always been amazed at a trees ability to renew it's self, and as a result I believe that there is a tree friendly way to go about topping or re-topping as it were.

I only take or kull the weakest looking branches, and leave the better ones, the ones that have a more natural and strong appearance to them.

I don't know if that's the correct method, but it looks better than topping them out like a cotton wood.

I've done search after search on the subject, but I can find little more than an explanation of what crown restoration is, and no information on the actual procedure; Maybe you could point me in the right direction?

 

[Grace Tree]

Start here
https://www.google.com/search?q=tree+crown+restoration&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a
Don't make me do your work for you

 

[ddhlakebound]

I've done search after search on the subject, but I can find little more than an explanation of what crown restoration is, and no information on the actual procedure; Maybe you could point me in the right direction?

Are you sure you're interested, because it involves NOT topping the tree for a first, second, or third time?

I've always been amazed at a trees ability to renew it's self, and as a result I believe that there is a tree friendly way to go about topping or re-topping as it were.

and a ? for you Carbie....

What does all that sapwood (grown or re-grown) do? Does it serve a purpose for the tree?

 

[Carburetorless]

Are you sure you're interested, because it involves NOT topping the tree for a first, second, or third time?


and a ? for you Carbie....

What does all that sapwood (grown or re-grown) do? Does it serve a purpose for the tree?

It provides nutrients, and minerals, and I guess it also protects the tree like a scab. I know it attracts and catches bugs, I'm not sure if that serves any purpose though.

Some of it can be tasty. When I was a kid we used it to doctor our balls(our baseballs, get your head out of the gutter).

 

[Carburetorless]

Start here
https://www.google.com/search?q=tree+crown+restoration&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a
Don't make me do your work for you

That's the same search page I got, it's all commercial sites for tree care services.