When does a person become a "tree surgeon"?

[skyhuck]

TBH, our work is so subjective and continually changing. I have very little interest in what my "peers" have to say about what is the right. or wrong way to prune a tree.

 

A few years ago rips and tears were the work of the cow boy, now its "fracture pruning".

 

I come one here to pick up tips on ways of getting the job done and for a laugh, not to see if I'm doing it right, my customers are the final arbiter of that one.

[Albedo]

Fair enough skyhuck, but in terms of doing it right, my customers are the last people I would ask for an opinion. In fact I tell them how I'm going to do what they want doing. If they don't like that, I will walk away.

 

for example job next week, I'm reducing a cherry, my way which I've explained to the customer. I can't take off as much as he wants as the tree doesn't offer a nice reduction that way. He has agreed to my way. If he had insisted on his way, I would say sorry, but I'm not having my name associated with that type of work and see ya later.

[skyhuck]

Fair enough skyhuck, but in terms of doing it right, my customers are the last people I would ask for an opinion. In fact I tell them how I'm going to do what they want doing. If they don't like that, I will walk away.

 

for example job next week, I'm reducing a cherry, my way which I've explained to the customer. I can't take off as much as he wants as the tree doesn't offer a nice reduction that way. He has agreed to my way. If he had insisted on his way, I would say sorry, but I'm not having my name associated with that type of work and see ya later.

 

And what if he had wanted it felled???

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

TBH, our work is so subjective and continually changing. I have very little interest in what my "peers" have to say about what is the right. or wrong way to prune a tree.

 

A few years ago rips and tears were the work of the cow boy, now its "fracture pruning".

 

I come one here to pick up tips on ways of getting the job done and for a laugh, not to see if I'm doing it right, my customers are the final arbiter of that one.

 

I appreciate what your saying Huck, BUT...

 

Since when was "Joe Public" qualified to say what is right?

 

The science of arboriculture is and always will be progressing, even the Technical aspects of what we do on a day to day basis are being driven forward, we move on, technicaly and scientificaly.

 

We (ALL) should never asume we have nothing to learn from "peers"

 

(and you say i fancy myself!)

[Albedo]

I would have felled it without any thought whatsoever, and taken his money

[skyhuck]

I would have felled it without any thought whatsoever, and taken his money

 

Does that not make you more than a little hypocritical??

[Albedo]

Does that not make you more than a little hypocritical??

 

Just build the scenario a bit.

 

Small front garden on an estate, little cherry tree getting too big.

 

Options - remove it and get rid of problem

Reduce it - commit to future maintenance

 

He really wants to keep it but smaller.

 

If he didn't want future maintenance costs, its his tree and its his right to remove it. I can do that and be happy that it doesn't make me look bad.

 

If I had reduced it as much as he wanted it would look horrible without being a pollard and he didn't want a pollard. So he had to take my explanation of what would be a nice reduction that I would put my name to, or fell it.

[skyhuck]

I tell people whats best, if they still want something else I explain the consequences and if they still want that I will do it. It's there tree.

 

Are you worried about what the neighbours will think or other tree guys??

[Albedo]

I tell people whats best, if they still want something else I explain the consequences and if they still want that I will do it. It's there tree.

 

Are you worried about what the neighbours will think or other tree guys??

 

Very, very good question!!!!

 

My brain is hurting thinking of an answer. Don't think I've ever thought about the why of it.

 

I think the most truthful answer is that I'm not worried about what anyone else thinks. I'm worried that I would know that I did that, I couldn't look at it and know it was me that did it:001_smile:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Very, very good question!!!!

 

My brain is hurting thinking of an answer. Don't think I've ever thought about the why of it.

 

I think the most truthful answer is that I'm not worried about what anyone else thinks. I'm worried that I would know that I did that, I couldn't look at it and know it was me that did it:001_smile:

 

i still get required to do things to trees that go against the grain, sometimes you just have to swallow your pro pride and be "told" thats not your fault, so dont feel guilt over it. At least if anyone asks you could justify your reasons for it being less than kosher