Finding the right arborist to manage your old oak tree

I was just looking at your website, https://shadetreeexpert.com/, and really liked what you said about veteran trees. We have an oak in our back yard, which is definitely a veteran. It has quite a bit of mistletoe and some rot… I would like to have it topped/trimmed to avoid danger to my house/fence/kids, but I don’t want to remove it. Do you have an idea what that might cost?

Thanks for any help you can give
Stephen

The cost would depend on where you live, the expertise of the arborist you hire and the difficulty of the work based upon the nearness to your house and access of arborist equipment.

First find an ISA certified arborist in your area who understands reduction pruning. Any arborist who says he will top your tree is not worthy of getting your money. Topping is a technique that has been discredited for more than 30 years. Use the question as a test of the prospective tree service but don’t top your tree.

You need someone who understands both reduction pruning and tree risk assessment.

To find a certified arborist in your area, go to:

http://www.isa-arbor.com/faca/findArborist.aspx?utm_source=homepageclicks&utm_medium=homepagebox&utm_campaign=IAmA

To read about topping, go to:

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/topping.aspx

Picking the wrong arborist can really screw up your tree and make it a bigger liability instead of a reduced risk. They will all tell you they have at least 25 years of experience. But the important information is whether they have been to class to learn the latest pruning research and techniques. That is more important than having been doing the work incorrectly for 25 years.

Good luck

Chuck