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Table of Contents

Questions you should ask How to hire a tree doctor 3 reasons to avoid using an arborist

Arborist

Finding the Best Arborist/Tree Doctor

How to se lect a Tree Doctor or

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What's wrong with this picture?

First up, a quick safety test… What’s wrong with the picture on the cover of this guide? 1. No eye protection – imagine getting sawdust or splinters in your eye while 100 feet up

a tree. Protective eye wear is a must! 2. No protective chaps or chainsaw-proof pants –to protect the legs against injury from

the chainsaw, both while on the job and starting the saw.

You should pay attention to how safety conscious an arborist is. Why does it matter? Because a lower chance of injury and accident means a safer, simpler, cheaper job for you. And if an arborist cares about looking after himself, he’ll also likely care about looking after your trees and protecting the rest of your property while on site too!

What services should a good Arborist be able to provide?

A quality arborist should be able to handle a wide variety of services such as: TREE FELLING - Tree felling is obviously actually cutting down a whole tree which is generally the last resort. FORMATIVE PRUNING - Formative Pruning is the process of removing dead, diseased, conflicting, touching and objectionable branches of a tree or shrub to improve the plants health, increase production of flowers or fruit, or to direct growth and appearance. THINNING - Thinning is the selective cutting of branches to laterals to allow better light penetration and reduce possible wind damage. This technique is ideal in situations where trees have grown too large or too dense & have obscured your view. Thinning the canopy opens up “windows” through the tree, allowing better light penetration, air circulation, whilst maintaining your view, and the correct form of the tree. SHAPING - Shaping selectively removes limbs to better define the natural form or to diminish unwanted encroachment. SHAVING - Shaving smoothes the canopy of the tree or shrub into a formal shape. Suitable for topiary plants. CROWN REDUCTION – Crown reduction reduces the overall height of the tree by cutting back to selected growth points. This is done in place of TOPPING and is better for the tree as it promotes growth from the selected points.

CROWN LIFTING - Crown lifting raises the height of the canopy by the selective removal of lower limbs and branches which improves visual and physical clearance.

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HEDGING - Hedging flattens back to a selected distance. This is done to the top and side of the hedge. DEADWOOD - Dead wooding removes any dead or dying branches. FIREWOOD - Firewood means that the trunk and larger branches of a felled tree will be cut into approximately 300mm deep rings. STUMP GRINDING - Stump grinding should be the grinding of the whole root ball & all significant roots to a depth of up to half a metre and the surface roots should be removed as well. Often it is merely the grinding of that portion of the stump that is visible at ground level to a depth of 100mm to 150mm below ground. But if only ground down to this depth, any other tree planted will more than likely die. Also if the stump isn’t fully ground out, the worst case scenario is that the tree you’ve just removed could actually grow back! The tailings (stump grindings) should go back in the hole that they came from. The tailings should be compacted down and will then turn into dirt in due course leaving the job neat and tidy. CABLING & BRACING - Cabling is the securing of two or more stems together. This allows both stems natural wind movement together, yet prevents them from being “torn apart”. Bracing is the “propping up” of very large, heavy drooping limbs, for support. The less weight or strain on the branch union, the less likely it is to fail. EMERGENCY TREE CARE - Storms can result in limbs or even entire trees to fall, often landing on other trees, cars or even homes or other buildings. A storm-damaged tree can be a very large weight and therefore dangerous to remove or trim. A quality arborist can ensure the job is done in a safe manner, but also reduce the risk of further damage to property. CHIPPING - Branches and foliage removed can be put through a chipper on site to avoid you having to dispose of them.

How to find a good Arborist in the Auckland area

So you have a tree or trees on your property and need one or more of the services mentioned above and have decided it is time to bring in a professional. When hiring an arborist or tree doctor there are many things to consider when making this important decision. Think about the last time you purchased a car. Chances are you didn’t go to the yellow pages, choose a dealership at random, and buy your car from the first lot you visited. Many times, though, this scenario

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describes the way people find an Arborist -- they look in the phone book and call the Arborist with the largest ad or the first one listed. But much like purchasing a car, finding a qualified Arborist requires research and comparison shopping.

7 Steps to finding a good Arborist:

1.) Check they have a valid insurance policy. Be sure that the prospective arborist you

are considering is fully insured, with comprehensive public liability insurance. Your

selected arborist should be able to provide you with a copy of his or her insurance

policy. Given that trees are often near buildings and houses if something goes wrong

this can be very costly! Ensure they have sufficient liability coverage. Up to $3-

4,000,000 is a good level. If they don’t have coverage you could be held responsible

for any damage they cause. Don’t risk it!

2.) Get two or more references. Check if they’ve done work that is similar to the job you

are wanting done. It’s also a good idea to even visit and check out some of their

previous work or even talk to other customers of theirs.

3.) Ask how long they have been in business. An arborist that has been in the industry

for say a decade or more could be expected to be providing a quality service.

4.) Get at least one other bid for the job to make sure they are not ripping you off. That

doesn’t necessarily mean you should go with the lowest quote as you need to

compare the experience of each company, along with the skills/qualifications of their

staff and therefore their ability to perform the given work. Also make sure the Tree

Surgeons are quoting on the same specifications for the job you want done to be able

to compare “apples with apples”.

5.) Don't rush into a decision just because you are promised a discount if you sign an

agreement now. Be sure you understand what work is to be done and for what

amount of money. It is generally not a good idea to pay in full until the work is

completed.

6.) Find an arborist that has a good safety record. Ask if they’ve had to make any claims

on their insurance policies?

7.) Ideally get flat rate estimates so you know the total you will pay beforehand. Get the

quote in writing. Be sure it is clear as to who will do what so you know things such as:

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• Who will clean up and remove cut limbs from your property?

• If the quote includes things such as chipping, or removal of stump grindings from

the site

3 reasons to avoid using any Arborist: If your research into an Arborist uncovers any of the following, it’s best to avoid them like the plague: 1.) They use the practice of “topping” a tree. This is the clumsy cutting off of the top of a

tree, which leaves stubs or smaller limbs. Usually, the objective is to reduce the size

of the tree. People may feel that their trees have become too large for their location.

Topping is NOT the answer. This harmful practice will make a healthy tree hazardous,

and can kill them.

2.) They use climbing spikes on anything but trees that are about to be felled and

removed completely

3.) They remove an excessive amount of live wood.

3 Other hints for finding an Arborist: The best place to start asking about arborists is your family and friends. Other good sources of referrals include your local garden centre or plant nursery. The city or regional council may even be able to provide a list of recommended tree surgeons who are familiar with the regulations in your area. When asking for referrals, be sure to check the type of job the arborist was called in to accomplish. Also check Google Places (Local Business) search results. These appear when you search for an Arborist in your city at the top of the Google results page. A little red pin is beside each business. People can write reviews of Arborists under their local listing. See if anyone has left a review of the Arborist’s performance. If an arborist has good reviews on the Google Places Local Business Directory then it is a good bet they will do good work for you too.

Some good questions to ask: Were you happy with the quality provided by the arborist?

Everybody has their own ideas of quality, so you should if possible take a look at their

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tree or trees and judge for yourself as to whether the end result is attractive.

Did the Arborist leave the grounds in a tidy state after the job? If an arborist was sloppy with one customer chances are they will be sloppy with all of them. If you are left to clean up after your Tree Doctor, this will cost you more in time and money and frustration.

Were they courteous and polite?

This is a very important consideration. The entire experience, from beginning to end, needs to be as stress free as possible. Plus if the Arborist enjoys their job, the quality and attention to details will be better. The customers attitude can and will affect the entire job. Hopefully this will be the first question you ask. If the answer to this question is “no” then do not go any further, you don’t want to work with that person.

Things to look for in a qualified Arborist There are a number of qualifications that can set a professional Arborist apart.

• Insurance Be sure that the prospective arborist you are considering is fully insured, with comprehensive public liability insurance. Your selected arborist should be able to provide you with a copy of his or her insurance policy. Given that trees are often near building and houses if something goes wrong this can be very costly! Ensure they have sufficient liability coverage. $3 - 4,000,000 is a good level. • Training Check how their staff are trained. For example do they have New Zealand Horticulture Industry Training Organisation qualifications? Or alternatively, have they had 10 or more years of on the job training. Avoid cowboys that just hack down trees without any formal training as mistakes in this industry can be costly.

• Safety Commitment

Accidents can happen with almost any home improvement project. So ask your prospective candidate what steps he or she will take to prevent injuries and property damage. Again if an Arborist is good at his work he or she will be able to answer this question with ease. Also check what health and safety programmes they have in place for their staff.

• Clean Up

Ask the Arborist how he or she intends to leave the work area once the job is completed. You don’t want to be cleaning up for hours after they’ve left your home.

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FINAL TIPS * Small business Arborists will be much more affordable because their overhead is lower, however they may also not be able to offer as large a range of services due to potentially not having enough equipment for larger jobs.

* If it's a big job, ask a number of Arborists and discard the cheapest and most expensive options. The cheapest will have underestimated and will sting you for it later and the most

expensive doesn't really want your business, probably because they have work up to their eyeballs already.

ABOUT US Who are we? Auckland Tree Masters is owned and operated by Matt Baird. Matt has 15 years experience as an arborist. Prior to owning Auckland Tree Masters he had an arborist

business in Australia for 4 years where he specialised in difficult access areas climbing trees no one else wanted to. He also has worked for a number of orchards and also New Zealand Rose Company. So while Auckland Tree Masters can safely remove large difficult trees, they also have a great deal of experience with finer garden work such as rose pruning. Auckland Tree Masters offer pensioner discounts and would be happy to give a free quote, advice or an arborist’s report with prompt, professional and friendly service.

What makes us different? 1. Sick of tradespeople that don’t phone you back? We know how frustrating it can be

waiting around wondering if you’ll hear back from someone. Our guarantee: Phone us for a quote on (09) 281 3205 and we’ll call you back by 10am tomorrow (at the very latest) or you get $150 off your quote.

2. We make a point of leaving your grounds as tidy as when we arrived. When we remove a tree, we remove all branch chippings and leaf-blow all other waste from paths etc. We’ll even get on your roof and blow the sawdust out of your guttering. Some customers even say their grounds are tidier than when we arrived!

3. Auckland Tree Masters has $5,000,000 public liability insurance unlike many other arborists who may only have $1,000,000. Which, with the price of housing today just isn’t enough insurance coverage. Not that we’ve ever had to make a claim due to our stringent safety policies and practices.

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4. Aboriculture is more than just a business to owner Matt Baird. He is passionate about plants both big and small and spends his spare time in his own large garden and orchard. So you can be confident he will treat your garden with the same care and respect he does his own.

5. We also give pensioner discounts as a way of saying thank you to an important part of our community.

What do our clients say? “I highly recommend Auckland Tree Masters to any potential clients. Matt is a highly skilled individual and a true professional which clearly shows in his work. My willow resembled a manicured bonzi tree once he had finished with it. Not only was the quality of the work outstanding the tree’s were felled and chipped in such a fast and efficient manner I was blown away. Matt went the extra mile which is a rear find this day and age. If your looking for all these qualities stated above in a arborist then Matt is your man.” – Steve Turner “We would just to like to thank you for your continued support of our services. Your donation of extensive amounts of timber suitable for firewood processing has been hugely beneficial to us. As you are aware our service employs men with an intellectual disability and every little bit helps to keep our service running. We have really appreciated your support in the past and look forward to this continuing in the future.” – Maureen White – Matea Trust “We would thoroughly recommend Matt of Auckland Tree Masters. He stands out from the rest with his professionalism, manners, efficiency and skills. We had our concerns regarding a large cedar on our property we wanted felled. He took the job on with care and skill; the tree was downed in a flash, and he did an excellent job of cleaning up afterwards. Thanks Matt!” - Shelly Draga Dr. David Rowland- Referee Phone 09 424 3490 or 09 486 6388 Free Quote? So if you’d like a free quote for any arborist work then phone us now on 09 281 3205 or email quotes@arboristsauckland.co.nz. We guarantee to call you back by 10am tomorrow morning at the absolute latest or you’ll get $150 off your quote! Or visit http://arboristsauckland.co.nz/ for more information about the services we perform and areas we cover.

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