The Mistakes that Novice Arborist Savannah GA Make

Arborists spend a lot of time in the trees. They have to know the right way to do things, or they may end up hurting themselves or damaging property. Novice arborists often make mistakes that can lead to injury and increased liability for their company.

In this blog post, we will look at some common errors made by novice arborists so you can avoid them!

What are Savannah arborists?

A Savannah GA arborist is a fully licensed, professional service that manages, prunes, protects and takes care of trees. They also inspect trees for signs of infection or disease. If they find any symptomatic trees, arborists report the situation to the appropriate authorities or tree services they belong to so that steps can be taken to prevent further damage to the yard or property.

An ISA-certified arborist or tree services use their knowledge of different types of trees to provide effective treatments while working in sync with nature.

What is an arborist's role?

An ISA-certified arborist works closely with tree owners and other stakeholders to ensure that each tree performs its vital functions within the local ecosystem. When the tree becomes hazardous or poses a threat to people, structures, or other healthy trees, the certified arborist can advise on tree care or tree work and offer solutions that range from minimization to complete tree removal.

What are the most common mistakes that novice Savannah GA arborists make?

1) Not understanding the dynamics of a tree's growth

One of the first mistakes novice tree care services makes is tree trimming without knowing its structure and how it connects to other parts of the tree. A tree service should not assume that just because they see a unit extending outward from one place, it attaches onto another part of the tree on its opposite side. They need to look for signs of swellings called leaf nodes, which indicate where branches grow out from trunks or stems.

This information can be found in reference materials such as Arborist Field Notes. An ISA-certified arborist should also know what type of pruning tools to use when cutting into a branch, either ligature, notch, flush, or feather cuts.

2) Using the wrong tool for the job

Using tools that are not designed for arborists can cause injury and damage that will eventually kill trees. For example, using hand saws to prune branches is slow and inefficient compared to using power pruners. Not only do you risk injuring yourself in the process of using hand saws, but you also put tree branches in jeopardy by not making accurate cuts.

When using power pruners, it's important to remember how sharp these tools are and not injure yourself while trying to cut. Certified arborists should always read manufacturer manuals before attempting to use new equipment.

3) Not having the proper training

Novice arborists should not be afraid to seek out more information to provide an excellent service to residents. Anyone serious about working in this field for a long time will find it advantageous to continually gain new skills and knowledge through seminars, online courses, conferences, or mentoring relationships with expert arborists.

Having an expert look over one's work can also be beneficial when trying to improve your abilities. For example, if you're unsure how many branches you can safely remove during pruning, ask another Savannah arborist what their reactions would be after looking at your work. They may recommend that you leave some branches to avoid damage by removing too many at once, or they can give tips on the best tree removal techniques.

4) Cutting branches that have been dead for a long time

While it may seem beneficial to cut through or damage limbs, you could be doing more harm than good by doing so. Some tree species can recover from being stripped of their bark from cutting though others cannot.

The only way to know if a specific type of tree is likely to recover from such an injury is through studying each species and its reaction to damage. For example, some trees will become sick even after removing one branch, while others can recuperate after many years of growing again.

A certified Savannah tree service should allow the tree's internal defenses to work first before taking drastic measures like cutting away at a limb to prevent illness in these types of susceptible species.

5) Not considering the impact of the work

One of the essential things for novice arborists to remember is that we can all make mistakes and that mistakes made while working on trees and plants do not always result in death or injury.

However, some inexperienced workers fail to understand how their actions can affect more than just themselves. For example, if you're spraying chemicals onto certain plants, there could be negative impacts on other plants growing near them, such as damage or illness from chemical drift.

A certified Savannah tree service should recognize how their work directly affects their environment and plan accordingly not to endanger anyone or anything else.

6) Failing to provide proper pruning techniques for specific trees

Many common trees are found in Savannah and surrounding areas, and you should know how to prune them safely and correctly. For example, if you want taller trees, you can remove lower branches and allow more sunlight to reach the higher ones.

Or, if you'd rather have a shorter but sturdier type of tree for planting near a sidewalk, you can remove high or often drooping limbs to thicken the canopy.

Knowing how and when to do tree pruning is vital for all professional arborists because improperly shaped trees can end up hurting someone if they fall in the wrong direction.

7) Failing to recognize that some tree species cannot be easily replaced

A professional tree service usually tries to save trees during construction projects, but they should always know which trees are so important that their removal will have long-lasting effects.

For example, if there are 100 Chinese elms in a residential community and 50 of them are removed because of an expanding road or new building project, it might be more challenging to replace the other 50 later on.

8) Cutting too much off

Another common mistake that novice arborists make is to cut off more of the tree than they intended. For example, if you're trying to revive a tree that's been girdled by a weed eater or your lawnmower, you should only cut off the tissues that have been damaged and leave the rest intact.

Or, if you're trying to make a young tree shorter or shapelier, you should remove only small branches at first until you see how much it's able to handle. And, if you are trying to rejuvenate a sickly tree by thinning out its canopy, you should only remove about a third of the leaves at first and see how it recovers before removing more.

Final thoughts

We all know that trees are essential to the environment, so it's crucial to help residents take care of them. But if you're a novice tree arborist and feel like your skillset isn't up to par yet, don't worry! You can still get better at your trade by avoiding these common mistakes made by novices in this field.

And when you do make a mistake, we're here with PRO Tree Service of Savannah, Georgia - one of the most trusted names in professional tree care since 2017! Our knowledgeable team will give you a free estimate on any services needed today or anytime soon. Call us at (912)244-6848 or fill out our contact form online now to get started.