Maintenance protects landscape investment

by Steve Vert

SBJ Contributing Writer

For homeowners, landscaping can be a case of pay me now or pay me later.

If trees, shrubs and plants are added during construction, the purchase price of the house can go up. If it's done later, after the home is purchased, landscaping can require a significant outlay of time and money.

Either way, professionals such as Kevin Harrel, owner of ArborCare Of The Ozarks, say the best way to recoup the investment is to help landscape plants reach maturity.

"The rule there is the more mature trees and shrubs are, the more valuable they are. So having them removed every few years for lack of proper care defeats the purpose of putting them there in the first place," Harrel said.

For many homeowners, protecting a landscaping investment could mean finding a service to evaluate the situation and recommend a course of action: prevention, treatment, trimming, pruning or removal.

"Initially, a service can help with proper selection of trees and shrubs," Harrel said. "Later, there are health problems that attack trees and shrubs. The service can address them by recommending cultural measures, such as additional watering, chemical or biological controls."

Noel Boyer, plant health care supervisor for T-N-T Tree Service Inc., said the most important advantage a service offers is knowledge.

"We have certified arborists on our staff," Boyer said. "Certified arborists have more knowledge about what's right for trees. In other words, they know trees, not just chain saws." If knowledge heads up the plus column, Boyer said, cost can often be the biggest disadvantage.

"Using a service isn't cheap sometimes," Boyer said. "But when you're talking about trees that can add thousands of dollars to the value of property and quality to your life, I think it's worth it."

Harrel said cost can depend on the individual service and the care provided.

"I've seen jobs such as removing a large tree with poor access run as high as $5,000," Harrel said. "On the other hand, my specialty insect and disease prevention and control can be quite economical."

Setting up a plan of care for a typical landscape, including multiple visits and potential applications, might run only $500 to $600 per year, Harrel said.

"Generally speaking, services figure their prices like everyone else: the cost of materials and time," Harrel said. "They should be able to supply a firm price prior to doing any work."

Professionals recommend homeowners in the market for a landscape service consider the following criteria:

Training. The first thing Harrel said he'd want to know, is if the service is trained to do the work offered. "Certification is the indicator there," said Harrel, a certified arborist himself.

"The people who ought to be hired are those who've taken the time to have the education and field training, and have demonstrated that knowledge," he added.

According to the International Society of Aboriculture, which issues the certification, candidates must document three year's field experience, pass a comprehensive test, and complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years.

"If you don't meet the continuing education requirement, the certification is revoked," Harrel said. A college degree isn't necessary, Harrel added, although it may provide expertise not available anyplace else. Those with a formal education a two- or four-year degree in a related field do get a break, however. Their degree can be used to satisfy part of the requirement for field experience.

Applicants for certification with degrees need only work two years in the field.

"Continuing education can be completed in several ways," Harrel said. "Self-study courses from professional journals, seminars like those conducted at the Springfield Nature Center each year and formal academic courses are examples. The key is they must be approved by ISA for continuing education credit."

Insurance. Working with trees can be hazardous. And because the potential exists for property damage, Harrel said liability insurance is a vital criteria when choosing a service. "They should be able to do the work, and be financially responsible for any consequences that occur," he said.

Trust. For Boyer, the most important steps in choosing a service are references and safety.

"We have a book full of happy customers. People they can call and ask about the kind of work we do," Boyer said. "And as for safety, check to see if their crews wear hard hats, safety glasses and shirts all the time like they're supposed to."[[In-content Ad]]