Picking A Pruning Contractor

Grandmother Live Oak behind Ojai City Hall with beautiful form.

Hiring a well qualified pruning contractor (arborist) is not always as easy as it sounds. The hardest part is finding an arborist who knows how to prune properly. We hope the following steps from consulting arborist Jan Scow can help you accomplish this with the minimum of stress.

First ask yourself, “Why am I pruning this tree”? To clear the house of limbs? To reduce fire risk? To improve the “aesthetic” of the tree (make it look the way you want it to look), reduce failure risk, etc. Trees don’t “need” to be pruned for the sake of pruning.

Second ask questions of potential contractors. This will verify that they are well educated about proper pruning practices.
What questions should you ask?

1. Is there an ISA Certified Arborist in the company who will be present during the pruning? This can be verified by going to the ISA website at https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist

2. Ask them about their pruning philosophy. Here are the “correct answers:”
   -Less pruning is better, pruning is generally bad for trees.
   -Topping is very damaging to trees and should be avoided.
   -Trees are not “too big”. This is a common ploy to get work.
   -Thinning a tree is generally not a good practice unless there is some specific reason (to improve a view through tree, etc.)
   -Trees that may be “at risk” of failure can often be pruned to make them safer. Removal should be a last resort. Too many trees are removed unnecessarily in the name of “safety”.
   -Removal of interior foliage (often referred to as “suckers”) is not a good idea.
   -Do they know what “lion tailing” is? (Be concerned if they don’t know or think it’s a good thing to do.) It is the practice of removing most or all foliage from the limbs except at their very ends.

3. Beware of someone who contacts you and says, “ I noticed your tree needs to be pruned (is dying, is unsafe, is too big, etc.).” Those who are seeking work may have something in mind that has nothing to do with your tree ($).

4. Ask somebody you trust who has had experience with a pruner they like. Or ask an objective professional arborist who doesn’t prune who they would recommend (e. g. a “consulting arborist”).

5. Finally, before actually hiring a contractor, you need to verify the following items: They should have a valid, current California Contractor’s License (a D49 license is required by State law for any tree contract over $500). This can be confirmed by visiting the State website at https://www.cslb.ca.gov . They should also have current business liability insurance and worker’s comp (this protects you in case of an accident). Don’t take anyone’s word for this, get proof.
   
   By following these steps, you can be a responsible steward of your part of the community forest, and help your trees be healthy and beautiful for years to come.