Bad Planting Can Cost You Big Money!

When it comes to commenting on the work of other companies in the “green industry” I try to be diplomatic. I like to support the other branches of the industry but when it comes down to it, I feel my responsibility as an arborist is to the trees (and bushes) and the people who spend money on them.

Unfortunately, I spend a lot of my time looking at trees that are stressed or dying because they did not get a good start in life. What I am talking about is the proliferation of bad planting!

I recently consulted with an old customer who had just moved to a new house. When I say new I mean the home was newly built and the landscaping was newly installed. She had noticed that some of the plants were not looking very good. She called me because she had been very satisfied with the care she had gotten on the trees at her old house. We walked around her new property and I was obliged to point out the problems. Most of them had to do with bad planting:

·         trees planted too deep

·          burlap left on

·         twine left on

·          wire cages left on

·         hole not wide enough

·         planted too close to house

·         too much mulch!  

I’d like to be able to say this was an isolated case but this is the norm rather than the exception.  There is sufficient information available on the right way to plant trees so that is not the problem. What it boils down to is this---time is money and the less time you take to plant trees the more money you can make. In a word----GREED!

I advise my customers to educate themselves on the proper planting techniques. I have brochures I give them. I suggest they be home when the planting is being done so that they can make sure it is done correctly. They are the customer. We are talking about thousands of dollars’ worth of plant material. They have to be pro-active to ensure that their money is not wasted.

The final word of advice I give homeowners is this---don’t be fooled by the one year guarantee that companies offer. Trees are designed by nature to last hundreds of years. One year in the life of a tree means very little. I can dig a hole in someone’s driveway, plant a tree and it will last one year in its own rootball! Don’t be impressed by this sales trick.

There are other things to consider such as plant selection and placement. We have a saying, “the right plant in the right place”. Many problems can be avoided just by following this rule. Consult a certified arborist before making your choices. Do some research at arboretums and online. Even if you do everything right there is no guarantee the trees will live so it is best not to do anything wrong.