Landscaper and arborist can sometimes be conflated. They work in a similar field: the maintenance of a property’s outdoor greenery and plant life. They both keep those plants lush, healthy, and beautiful. However, they differ in their specialties and the type of services they offer. No home or property can just have a landscaper or an arborist to satisfy its plant life needs. It will need both at different points to maintain its beautiful greenery. Below we’ll explain the differences between a landscaper and arborist.
Landscapers
Landscapers, sometimes called groundskeepers, provide a wide assortment of services for maintaining the presentations of outdoor areas. They typically focus on gardens and any other greenery in outdoor areas. Most landscapers tend to the gardens by caring for and transplanting the plants. They care for lawns with watering, mowing, seeding, and sodding. Some more proficient and experienced landscapers design the gardens or yards they maintain. They can also service and maintain the presentation of other outside installations like ponds, rock gardens, or even playgrounds.
Landscaping is more generalized in its services, which is why it provides more regular, weekly care to a property’s exterior. There is even some crossover with arborists. Some landscapers will provide minor tree and shrub pruning and trimming services. However, this will often lack the quality and expertise of an arborist. Typically, they are restricted to trimming select branches of small trees or bushes that are growing near structures. Landscapers will typically lack the equipment and expertise of a specialized arborist for dealing with veteran or larger trees.
Arborists
Arborists, along with horticulturists and lawn care specialists, differ from landscapers through their specialization and expertise. Landscapers are greenery Jacks of all trades, while arborists are tree masters. Arborists focus their services, proficiency, and equipment on servicing trees. That specialization relies on technical training and a set of certifications. True arborists, like those at Advanced Tree Care, are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) among other associations. Those certifications indicate that an arborist is dedicated to and professionally trained in tree care.
An arborist’s specialization and certification mean they can provide expert tree care services. They are familiar with the soil conditions necessary for different tree species and are adept at various soil enhancement techniques. They can prune larger and older trees. Advanced Tree Care specializes in canopy retrenchment pruning. This pruning reinvigorates the canopy of an old, veteran tree and is a delicate process. It requires the specialized assessment and understanding of an arborist. Larger and older trees can need structural reinforcement. Arborists possess the specialized knowledge to ensure a tree’s crack or splits do not spell the tree’s end or damage an owner’s property.
Only an arborist can also assess storm damage and determine the best clean up strategy and the appropriate tactics to prevent future damage for that tree and the surrounding area. Landscapers and property owners cannot usually safely remove severe storm damage to a tree, and you should always contact a certified arborist for their storm damage services. Arborists have the knowledge to diagnose and treat a variety of ailments or pests affecting a tree. Landscapers can provide some pest removal services, but they do not always have certification from the province such as our team at Advanced Tree Care. Arborists, like those at Advanced Tree Care, will first use non-chemical controls to pests and disease. Pesticides are used as a final resort to save a tree that can no longer help itself.
Focus Makes All the Difference
While you’ll both see landscapers and arborists outside tending to plants, there are key differences between the services they offer. Landscapers will water your trees, and an arborist will provide specialized inspections and tree care. Certification defines the differences and level of expertise arborists have for tree knowledge in comparison to a landscaper. Another difference is that arborists continue to provide their expert tree care services in the winter. The winter is a great time to inspect and prune your trees so book with Advanced Tree Care today.
