Buying tree care services

Flower & Garden Magazine, August-Sept, 1996 by Denise Cerny

When Mary Rivera Opened her door to a tree care worker in November 1992, the Kalamazoo, Michigan, resident wasn't prepared for a high-pressure sales pitch.

"We're working in the neighborhood, ma'am, and we noticed this large tree in front of your home looks half-dead," the workman said. "I don't think it's going to make it. We recommend you take it down. I'd be worried that a good storm this winter would bring it crashing down on your house.

"We can take the whole thing down, cut it up and cart it away for $300. We're only in the neighborhood today. Should we go ahead?"

Rivera knew little about tree diseases and had just moved into the neighborhood. She had no idea exactly how vigorous the 18-inch-diameter cherry tree was. It was November and, indeed, the tree looked half-dead. The money was no problem, but Rivera had second thoughts.

Rivera called the local newspaper's garden columnist for advice. Go slow, she was told, and get a written diagnosis or estimate.

When the workers returned, they showed her a patch of missing bark and said the tree was dying of "a worm." Sorry, they could not provide a written diagnosis or estimate. They never came back.

When spring arrived in 1993, Rivera's tree was healthy. Winter storms did not fell it and the dollar-size patch of missing bark was likely caused by lawn maintenance equipment or children playing. Rivera had narrowly avoided a tree care scam.

To the legitimate tree care industry, these salesmen are known as "door knockers"; stories of their fast-talking, fear-inspiring sales pitches aren't hard to come by.

In another Kalamazoo neighborhood in 1992, a door knocker attempted to sell homeowners a cure for a cottony maple scale problem that most people hadn't noticed. "He would go around and find some of the things that almost anyone who is observant can see, and would sensationalize them to promote his business," said Don Paulsen, the manager of parks and grounds for the city of Kalamazoo.

Balking at the cost of $55 to $125 per tree for systemic injections to control the scale, neighbors banded together and began asking Paulsen's office to pay for the treatment on their street trees.

Paulsen investigated the situation. Black sooty mold, an after-effect of many scale and aphid infestations, was obvious on sidewalks and structures beneath the maples. Paulsen agreed that cottony maple scale was present but told residents it would not kill their trees. Kalamazoo's policy is not to spray unless a tree's life hangs in the balance.

Coincidentally, Paulsen talked with administrators in nearby Lawton. In the summer of 1991, the same tree care salesman sold Lawton a $2,000 contract to control cottony maple scale on 66 street trees. Numerous homeowners also had trees on private property treated.

Village clerk Kay Gailhouse has since learned the $30-per-tree "cure," as the salesman put it, only lasted 30 days. At least half the maples infested with cottony maple scale in 1991 had symptoms again in 1992.

At the time it looked [like a] good [option]," Gailhouse said. "I think we were in an absolute panic and didn't know where it [the apparent epidemic] was going to go. In retrospect I don't think we did our homework like we should have...I don't think we checked it out to see if [cottony maple scale] was fatal, and we didn't compare prices."

A CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO BUYING TREE CARE

The key to protecting yourself and your landscape from unscrupulous tree care practices is simply to arm yourself with as much information as possible before purchasing treatment for your trees. Follow the dozen tips below to more wisely select a tree care operator to work in your yard or city.

1. Check in the telephone business directory under "Trees" or "Tree Care Service." Although anyone can list themselves in the business pages, it indicates some degree of permanence. The busiest tree care companies -- those booking weeks in advance -- are likely the best in town.

2. When contacting a tree care company, ask if staff members are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The ISA's Arborist Certification Program identifies individuals who have passed exams, engage in continuing tree care education and demonstrate proficiency in tree biology, diagnosis, maintenance practices and on-the-job safety. If staffers are not ISA-certified, inquire whether the company or any employees are members of the ISA, the National Arborist Association or state nursery or arborist associations.

3. Beware of "door knockers," who often operate in affluent neighborhoods or after storms looking to make quick money. Most legitimate businesses don't have time for prospecting and do not endorse this approach.

4. Ask for a written diagnosis, details of work to be performed (including cleanup) and a total cost estimate. This paperwork should be submitted on company letterhead. Many times you can substantiate the diagnosis of insects or disease and appropriate treatment by contacting your county cooperative extension service.

5. Suggest what you want done, but keep an open mind. While you may think cutting down the tree is the only option, an experienced arborist may have some methods to preserve it. If you ask for bids on tree removal, that's likely what you will get.