When you think of deforestation, you probably think of people chopping down hundreds of trees in order to make room for businesses, or residents, or something else to benefit humans. When this occurs, trees are no longer able to grow there, and it has a considerable impact on both nature and the people that live in the surrounding areas.
However, sometimes, trees need to be chopped down or pruned because they have a disease. Just like humans, trees can get sick. When this happens, there’s a great chance that they will fall down, which could cause severe damage.
In one United States forest alone, twenty-five percent of the tree loss was not due to deforestation but to foreign diseases and pesticides. There are many different types of diseases that trees can become affected by, which is why tree surgeons, also known as arborists, are so important.
If you’d like to learn more about tree surgeons, what they do, and how they can positively impact your garden, keep reading below.
What Is a Tree Surgeon?
Simply put, a tree surgeon takes care of trees. They are responsible for planting, pruning, felling, and the general treatment of trees. Because of what the job entails, it is often considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs.
Just like when you visit a specialist when you become sick, tree surgeons are specialists at treating trees. They don’t just cut them down to make space for something or to use them for resources. Tree surgeons help preserve trees, which is a task easier said than done.
Though it may seem like any person could become a tree surgeon, it’s not a job done by someone that isn’t serious about it. Tree surgeons are professionals that are specially trained, follow all protocols, and have access to the proper equipment.
The best place to find a professional tree surgeon is in an experienced tree care company. The Local Tree Expert, for example, connects homeowners with companies with the best tree surgeons. This guarantees tree owners not only the best services but also safety for their trees and homes.
What Does a Tree Surgeon Do?
So, now that you know what a tree surgeon is, it’s time to explore just what tree surgeons are responsible for.
One of the most important jobs of a tree surgeon is conducting initial inspections and hazard assessments. This will help to assess the health of the tree and the potential danger involved. The assessments will help decide how much work needs doing and how long the job will take.
If it’s work done at a public site, it will help determine how the public will be affected. If it’s work done at a private site, this will involve a discussion with the customer stating what the customer requires and estimating the cost and length of time it will take to complete the work.
After assessing and inspecting, one of the primary jobs of a tree surgeon is planting and maintaining trees, which is technical and follows a strict process.
Planting, in particular, must be done with extreme care. This means knowing the right spot in the ground to place the tree and making sure each tree will thrive in that particular climate. When the tree is planted, in order to maintain it as it grows, cables or supports may be required to ensure that the tree grows properly.
This is especially important when growing trees on uneven ground or ground that surrounds hills. Arborists will also help prepare the area before planting new trees, especially if old trees were removed due to disease.
What Is Felling?
Besides planting and maintaining trees, tree surgeons are responsible for felling and pruning trees, especially when the trees are sick. Felling a tree is an involved process and the main reason that this career is deemed dangerous.
When you are felling a tree, you are chopping it down. Most people understand that this is better left to the professionals because of the different factors that need to be considered. Arborists need to use the proper equipment, which generally means a chainsaw, which is a powerful and dangerous tool.
They also need to develop a plan for how the tree will fall, ensuring that it will not fall on anything, anyone, or any other trees. To guarantee this, one must consider the land’s slope, how the tree is leaning, and how tall the tree is.
Not all trees can be felled in the same way, which is why it’s better left up to professionals. Some may need chopped in a different direction or use a different type of notch. Also, because trees fall with extreme force, there is a strong chance that debris will fall, which can be dangerous if not properly prepared.
Why Pruning Is Important
Another job that arborists hold is the pruning of trees. Pruning trees is essential and about much more than just making your tree look better. When a tree has dead branches or branches that are weak, it can negatively affect the tree’s overall health. A tree surgeon can identify which branches need removing and will climb the tree using harnesses to do so.
This is another reason that tree surgeons are regarded as being dangerous. Climbing tall trees can increase the risk of bodily injury, and it’s vital that professionals with the right equipment are doing the job.
Once they remove the identified branches, the tree should be lighter and healthier. This also prevents the tree from collapsing and can lengthen the life of the tree. This can also be essential if the tree’s branches overlap with electrical wires or if a tree gets damaged by a major storm.
The tree’s health can be preserved when the proper precautions are taken. This can also prevent trees from damaging homes and properties and avoid them needing to be chopped down altogether.
Working Tools Used
Tree surgeons train to use all of the tools that they need to take care of and maintain trees. Though you might have access to a chainsaw, it’s probably not the best idea for you to use it unless you’ve had the proper training.
Arborists will use chainsaws both when cutting down trees and when pruning them. This helps to make the process quicker, especially when dealing with heavy branches. Generally, the chainsaws use gas or electricity, and many of them have different bar lengths depending on what job is being done.
Harnesses are used when climbing trees to ensure that the tree surgeon won’t fall. Often, tree surgeons will be pruning a tree using a chainsaw while being suspended in the air, which of course, goes back to the job being dangerous.
There also might be hand saws and axes involved when the work does not require chainsaws. Hand saws are especially helpful when pruning certain branches at awkward angles that chainsaws could not get access to. It is also a safer way when it is unknown how the branches will react when cut off.
Other tools used to access trees include ladders and rigging kits. Ladders are mostly utilized for mid-level branches and are easier to use than setting up a harness. Rigging kits ensure that the tree surgeon can get into and exit the tree safely. They typically include mounting straps, working lines, pulleys, and a lowering device.
Safety Tools Used
The safety tools involved are just as necessary as the working tools. These include helmets to prevent any heavy limbs and debris from causing damage. There are also chainsaw boots, which are water and stain proof and prevent accidental cuts from the chainsaw from occurring.
And, of course, all tree surgeons should have a first aid kit on standby. Some accidents are inevitable when doing a job such as this. Though this work also requires liability insurance, having a first aid kit on site can help solve immediate problems using things like gloves, bandages, plasters, sterile wipes, and face shields.
How Tree Surgeons Can Benefit You
So what exactly can a tree surgeon do for you, and why would you need one? If you have a yard or garden that contains trees, they’ll most likely need maintenance eventually. If your tree becomes sick, it does not mean that you’ve done something wrong. It can be a natural occurrence or something that is entirely out of your hands.
Tree surgeons can come in and take all of your worries away. Many companies, such as GraftinGardeners Tree Surgeons, do much more than the pruning or felling. They can help in case of emergencies if trees fall or become damaged due to storms.
Also, many tree surgeons provide stump removal services, which could otherwise become very difficult, because they have all of the necessary equipment involved. They also offer hedge trimming services, making sure that your hedges are adequately trimmed while also ensuring your trees’ health.
Keeping an eye on the health of your trees can prevent any long-term damage and save you money. If you call the professionals right away, you might only need a small pruning, which is much cheaper than felling.
Tree surgeons can also help if you have specific requirements you need to adhere to for a home owner’s association. If you need hedges trimmed in a certain way or branches pruned, they can do this for you in a way that will benefit the tree and will be healthy for it.
How to Become a Tree Surgeon
As mentioned above, tree surgeons are professionals and should be treated that way. Though you can become one without necessarily having a college degree, studying and having background knowledge on arboriculture is very helpful.
Tree surgeons need to know about all different kinds of trees, tree diseases, and the proper treatment for whatever might come up. They also have to have extensive knowledge of all of the above-mentioned tools, as well as basic first aid training.
Arguably the most important skill a tree surgeon should have is physical fitness. The day to day activities involved in this career requires extreme physical exertion, whether that is climbing tall trees and using chainsaws or cutting down large trees. This also means that a tree surgeon has to be okay with working at great heights, which can be a fear for many people.
They also must be able to work outdoors no matter the elements. Outdoor work is freeing and fulfilling, but depending on where they are working, snow, rain, sleet, or scalding hot weather could occur, and probably will.
Being able to work outside no matter the weather is essential, and this also means being able to properly use all of the tools no matter what. The added elements of weather can make the job more difficult, but it is a massive factor to correctly doing the job.
A great way to get into this field is by volunteering with conservationist organizations or getting an apprenticeship under another tree surgeon, acting as a groundworker and assistant. A lot of the job requires learning on the go while studying the informative sides in your free time.
Promoting Tree Care
A tree surgeon is someone that promotes tree care. This is more important in today’s world than ever before, with more trees getting cut down and dying. Trees are essential to human life and deserve protection.
However, they can also pose a threat when they have diseases and become sick, and tree surgeons can prevent that from occurring. The best thing to do is to pay attention to your trees and to call the professionals if you notice something amiss.
You could save the tree’s life and your money at the same time! If you found this article helpful and informative, check out more of our Earth-related articles today.
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