Trees are a popular way to enhance the landscape around condominiums in Massachusetts. While condo owners don’t individually own the land where their building sits, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the benefit of trees. A condo association can enlist a tree care company to provide numerous services, such as planting trees in common areas, evaluating the safety of existing trees, and improving tree aesthetics.
In this article, we examine how a condo tree care company can benefit owners and what kind of work they can perform. We’ll also explain what to look for when considering a company to handle tree care for a condominium.
Key Takeaways
- Tree care decisions for a condominium typically come from the condo board or association; it’s up to the owners to come together and determine what is best for their community.
- Partnering with a professional tree care company can enhance your condo community’s safety, beauty, and property values while navigating the unique challenges of Massachusetts weather.
- Proactive tree maintenance is critical for preventing costly emergencies and liability issues that could impact your condo association’s budget and residents’ well-being.
- The essential qualifications to look for in a tree care company, including certifications from the International Society of Arboriculture and Tree Care Industry Association, will ensure your condo community receives expert, comprehensive care tailored to New England’s specific climate and tree species.
- A skilled arborist can help your condo association make informed decisions about tree planting, maintenance, and removal that align with your community’s long-term goals and budget.
- The year-round benefits of professional tree care services, from storm damage prevention to enhancing curb appeal, can make your Massachusetts condo community stand out in the competitive real estate market.
About Condos & Tree Care in Massachusetts
In a condominium, units are owned by individuals while common areas (any areas outside the walls of an individual unit) are jointly owned by all condo owners. A condo association or board of directors manages these common areas, including the landscaping and trees, and owners pay fees to the association for that maintenance. Individual owners or members are not responsible for maintaining trees or landscaping in common areas.
How a Tree Care Company Can Benefit Condominium Owners & Condo Associations
Trees may not seem high maintenance, but problems can quickly kill a tree or make it dangerous to buildings and people. Trees face threats from diseases, insect pests, lack of nutrients, drought, and storms. Tree care companies can prevent some of these problems before they harm a tree or provide care to rectify issues with your community’s trees before it’s too late.
Below are just a few of the many ways a tree service company that specializes in serving condominiums can help your community.
Increased Safety for Residents & Structures
While we may not see as much extreme weather as some other areas of the country, Massachusetts still has its share of storms that can damage trees and potentially uproot them. Weak branches falling off during a storm or dead branches breaking unexpectedly can damage structures or injure community residents.
An arborist can assess every tree in a condominium community and provide insight into structural issues, such as weak or dead branches. They can increase safety by pruning out those branches, installing cables and braces to make them sturdier, or proactively removing hazardous trees.
WARNING: No tree can ever be considered 100 percent safe, no matter what preventive measures are taken. Always take caution around trees, especially during inclement weather.
Year-Round Tree Service
While falling branches often make us picture Nor’easters or summer thunderstorms, heavy snow in winter is often just as dangerous. An experienced condo tree care company will provide service year-round for the common areas to identify and pre-emptively remove any limbs in danger of breaking.
24/7 Emergency Tree Removal & Cleanup
If the case of a tree service emergency, many tree care companies offer 24/7 emergency tree removal services to safely handle fallen trees and clean up the common areas.
Safe & Efficient Removal Services
Sometimes, a tree cannot be saved and tree removal is the only option. Arborists generally suggest removal when a tree is too weak or damaged to be safe or is in a location where it will cause continuing problems.
Prevention of Insect and Disease Problems
Prevention is always better than fixing a problem after it develops. Two of the most significant issues a tree may face are insect pests and diseases. When insect infestations occur in small numbers, an arborist may be able to save the tree; sometimes, more severe infestations will kill the tree. The same principle applies to many tree diseases.
Increased Beauty and Curb Appeal for New and Existing Condo Owners
Pruning trees isn’t just for removing deadwood and improving safety – it can also increase beauty and curb appeal.
Pruning can shape an ornamental tree like a dogwood or magnolia and encourage better flowering next year. Many arborists choose to prune for shape in the summer when they can see the tree’s shape at full bloom.
Planting Trees for the Future
A tree care company can assist with the tree planting process for condominiums when the board wants to add more natural beauty to an area. While some may think planting a tree is as easy as digging a hole, it can actually be quite tricky to plant a tree properly.
Proper tree planting requires knowledge of several elements. Some of the considerations a tree care company will make when planting include:
- Space: It’s difficult to imagine how much space a tree will take up at maturity. A tree care company will consider how much space a tree will need and only plant something that makes sense for the size of the area and any future development plans.
- Aesthetics: One of the benefits of living in a condominium is the unified design aesthetic. A tree care company will pick trees that complement each other and work to achieve the condo board’s plans.
- Health: Some tree species or cultivars are more resistant to diseases or pests, and tree care companies may choose them if an area has dealt with consistent pest or disease activity in recent years.
- Nutrients: Trees need a steady supply of micro and macronutrients to grow and thrive. A tree care company will conduct a soil test to ensure the land is appropriate for your trees and apply fertilizer, if necessary, to aid development.
- Climate: An arborist will select trees rated for the USDA Hardiness Zone where your condo is located (most residents in Massachusetts reside in either Zone 6 or 7) to ensure the trees can handle the climate in your area.
What to Look for in a Tree Care Company for Your Condominium Community
While many tree care companies may offer services to condo owners and homeowners associations, they aren’t all cut from the same cloth. Let’s look at some of the elements that set great tree care companies apart.
A Trusted Company Willing to Act as a Resource
Too many tree companies don’t take a holistic approach to caring for trees. They may be “tree guys” who have a few chainsaws and a desire to chop down trees, but they won’t be able to provide the kind of comprehensive service a full-service tree care company can provide.
Look for a company offering plant health care, which includes tree health diagnostics, insect infestation tand disease prevention and treatment, fertilization, and arborist consultations. These companies usually have at least one Certified Arborist on staff to provide expertise and plan the best path forward for a job.
Partners in Tree Care
When you hire a tree service company experienced in working with local condominium developments, be sure they will act as a partner for your tree needs. That means they will participate in activities such as:
- attending condominium association meetings to answer owner questions,
- assisting with budget requirements for anticipated tree maintenance needs,
- providing advice on future tree planting,
- conducting a tree inventory to give a complete overview of the property’s trees and their maintenance needs,
- developing plans or suggesting new ideas that provide realistic options for beautifying the common areas (many condo associations have big plans for beautifying the common areas, but they aren’t always feasible).
For instance, large shade trees are a popular choice and can be quite striking on any property. However, not every property can handle these massive trees. Some communities don’t have the space for these trees to fully develop and others may have incompatible soil. An arborist will explain if your plans are feasible and suggest alternatives to keep your common areas looking beautiful.
Just some of the equipment the team at Regal Tree has at our disposal.
The Tools, Manpower, and Equipment to Handle Large Jobs
Condo properties vary in size, but you’ll need a company that can handle large jobs. Pruning all the trees within a community or planting an entire landscape’s worth of trees takes time and resources. The right equipment, such as a variety of cranes and bucket trucks, allows a company to handle complex jobs, such as tree removal in tight spots or emergency tree removal.
Qualifications That Set the Best Apart from the Rest
Tree care companies have numerous qualifications they can earn to demonstrate the comprehensive knowledge and professionalism they possess. Many of these qualifications require years of training and study, and you should always opt for a company with qualifications over one without. Some of the qualifications that set a tree service company apart include:
- ISA or MA Certified Arborist on staff: An ISA Certified Arborist (or the equivalent MA Certified Arborist) is an expert when it comes to trees. They can diagnose pest and disease problems and prescribe a plan to help the tree recover. Certified Arborists also must renew their certification every three years and demonstrate continuing education, meaning you will have a partner for your condominium with up-to-date information on taking care of trees.
- CTSP on staff: The TCIA certifies some individuals as Certified Treecare Safety Professionals (CTSP). Anyone with this certification has demonstrated leadership ability to perform tree work safely and coach others in the proper techniques.
- Member of the Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA): The MAA provides Massachusetts tree care companies with up-to-date local information about industry concerns.
Call Regal Tree & Shrub Experts for Quality Condominium Tree Care Services
Condo tree care has similar concerns to other residential tree care but with a communal aspect. Owners must work with the condo association to decide how they want the common area to look. And when trees reside in common areas, keeping them healthy is a concern of every condo owner.
At Regal Tree, we have the skills, resources, and training to handle any size or type of tree work for condominiums. We act as a partner for your association, working with you to develop property maintenance and enhancement plans and to schedule regular services. We have the equipment and skilled operators to handle all jobs and are available to provide long-term care to your condominium. Ready to get started? Call us at 774-719-2450 or request a quote online to learn more about how we can make your condominium safe and beautiful.
