Understanding the Difference: Arborist vs. Tree Surgeon

There are two main professions in tree service: arborist and tree surgeon. People tend to conflate these two terms all too often. However, there are many categorical differences between an arborist and a tree surgeon. They can work together to give every homeowner a wonderful ecosystem and a healthy garden life. Here, we are going to closely compare the differences between these two types of professionals. We will approach this difference by defining both these professions one by one.

What is an arborist?

To put it simply, arborists in Guildford are tree doctors. They specialise in the science of arboriculture. They extensively study a tree’s symptoms; they diagnose the tree’s condition so that they can develop a proper treatment plan. Understanding the trees and their relation to the overall ecology is a very nuanced business.

It takes more than intuition to properly fathom the many nexus of relations between the tree and the surrounding ecology. So, this discipline almost has the status of science. This is precisely why arborists can provide knowledgeable advice on tree planting, soil conditions and other aspects surrounding the tree and the environment.

Who is a tree surgeon?

While the arborist conducts a thorough diagnosis of the tree and develops a tree wellness plan, the tree surgeons on the other hand administer the treatment. Like medical surgeons, the tree surgeons specailise and excels in the meticulous techniques such as pruning, trimming, felling, removal and so on.

Tree surgeons in Guildford require extensive field experience, extreme precision and rigorous training. Removing or felling a large tree, as you can very well guess, is a dangerous venture: quite a lot of things can go wrong with it. But this is where the tree surgeon’s art and technique truly shine. They can carry out these mammoth tasks with the aid of specialised tools, measured steps and unrivalled swiftness. Their responsibilities consist of clearing trees and debris after the storm, stump grinding, tree pruning, pest control, disease management and much more.

The similarities and differences between tree surgeons and arborists

Both the arborists and the tree surgeons specialise in the science of arboriculture. However, while the arborists find out the root cause of the disease and can help take proactive measures, the tree surgeons’ responsibilities lie in executing a lot of these plans. They also work for disaster management and cleaning up your garden, landscape and so on. We have both expert tree surgeons and arborists in our team. If you need help with any tree-related problem, Roots and Shoots is always here to help you out.