CONTRIBUTED CONTENT: Tree talk

When talking with customers about tree removal, it is rather easy to understand the parameters and objective of the work: With as little impact as possible, make the tree disappear. With pruning, the conversation is more nuanced and subjective. It is critically important to get on common ground with a client and starts with some basic education. Education on the species, type of pruning, tree health, age, what to expect for response growth, and objectives of the pruning. This all starts with proper and understood tree and pruning vocabulary.

The three terms that I want to offer you today are structure, form, and health. While they may seem synonymous, they are very different. Let’s start with tree health. Tree health is vitality. How is the tree functioning as a living system? As an example, most customers will call in asking for a site visit of their tree to determine if it is healthy. Upon visiting, I may find a very healthy tree but one that may also be structurally unsound.

This happened last week. I looked at a very healthy maple downtown that had a full crown of leaves, was growing with great vigor, and had no disease or insect problems. The main trunk, however, had a hollow stem from an old wound. Yes, the tree is healthy, but it is also “structurally” unsound. The neighbor’s tree right next to it was structurally sound (no cracks, decay, good branching), but it had a very thin crown, and the leaves were small and yellow. This tree was structurally sound but unhealthy.

Another tree I looked at two weeks back was a sunburst honey locust. The crown was full, the leaves were normal, it was experiencing good growth annually, but the two main stems were splitting apart and in jeopardy of complete failure, with the end result being the entire loss of the tree. “Yes, the tree is healthy, but structurally unsound.”

In many ways, this description of “tree health” separates itself and defines “tree structure. Structure is architecture and mechanics. In other words, the skeletal structure of the trunk and branches. Are they solid, well formed, and growing in the right place?

“Form” is more about aesthetics. How the tree looks and occupies its space. Every tree has its natural form or shape. Many are upright and narrow, like a conifer. Others, like a Norway maple, are round and spreading.

Next week, we will talk about using these three terms in pruning specifications and where, at times, arborists and clients can end up on opposite pages on the end result.

As always, for further questions, quotes, or consultations, give us a call today, 208-762-5800!

For more information on Grace Tree Service, check out our website at gracetreeservice.com.