What is a tree health assessment?
One of the most important services we offer at ecoLogic is the tree health assessment. Folks often don’t know what to expect when they request these assessments so let’s break it down.
A 15 acre property in southwest Ohio that is being converted into an active arboretum and education center with the help of ecoLogic. We conduct inventory, identification, and sign placement for each tree on the property.
The first step in the process is you noticing issues affecting the health of your tree/s. Congratulations! Many people never reach this point until it’s too late. If you are here and reading this post, you are already a step ahead! Early detection is the #1 most important factor in caring for your trees and keeping them standing tall for as long as possible.
After you contact us, we may call or text or email to ask a few clarifying questions. This is also a time for you to send photos or any other information that may help us prior to the actual assessment.
Once we’ve chatted and set up a time to do the assessment, an ISA Certified Arborist will visit your tree/s and ask you some questions like…
When did you first notice symptoms?
When did these symptoms first start?
What kind of yard maintenance do you do?
Are the trees exposed to herbicides? Lawn mowers? Weed whackers?
Do you have animals that might urinate on the trees?
After we get some basic information on the history of your trees, we will do a thorough visual assessment. This might include scraping away from soil at the base of the stem, or using binoculars to see the very tops of trees. We may even use fancy tools (like a rubber mallet) to ‘sound’ the tree which can give us some knowledge on the structural integrity of the tree - think knocking on the drywall to find a stud.
Large cavity at the base of a hickory tree experiencing significant crown decline.
We will take pictures throughout the visual assessment, noting growth patterns, signs and symptoms, environmental issues (e.g., slope, drainage patterns), and anything else that might be relevant to the health of your tree/s. Some people like to be present for this entire process and ask questions - that’s great! This often gives us a chance to learn even more about you and your goals, as well as the history of the land. All of these things ultimately help us assess the health and resilience of your tree/s.
A typical assessment at a residential property will last an hour or slightly less.
After we have assessed your tree/s, asked questions as nauseum, and taken many photos, we will return to our cave (i.e., office) and put all of these things into a pretty report for you to reference later. These reports will have links to external resources for jargony terms like frass and chlorosis.
Depending on your unique situation, ecoLogic can also connect you with crews that can prune or remove trees, providing cabling and bracing services, or pesticide applications. Depending on the specific needs (e.g., emerald ash borer treatment), we may be able to conduct services at the time of assessment. EcoLogic is also available to answer questions about pictures or information in the report and have options available for continued monitoring.
Below is an example report.