Liriope’s Muse: Tree Care Tips from a Master Arborist

Ever wonder what a day for an arborist looks like at Eric Putnam BCMA, Inc.? Well wonder no further, I’ll break it down for you!

Each arborist begins their day at 7 am at EPBCMA Headquarters in a meeting with myself, ISA Certified arborist and writer of this blog, our full spray crews, and of course our mentor and owner Eric Putnam (BCMA).

These meetings are centered around their continuing education, so we may read one of my weekly blogs, talk about a recent discovery, discuss and present a disease, ailment, or pest that is common to our service area so they can become familiar, or simply delve into the ISA Certification Study Guide. We use these meetings as team building as well, so we share any positives we’ve had with customers or personally throughout the week and we leave it open for discussion if by chance the arborist stumbled across something in the field that they’ve never seen before or wanted to share with the rest of our team! (This is often where I get inspiration for my blog topics. They identify a common question or issue from customers and I answer it through a blog!)

On Wednesdays, we hold an estimating arborist check-in meeting where we discuss sales and any concerns or compliments that the customers may have had for each of them throughout the week.

After these meetings, the arborists will look at their pre-routed and time-blocked schedule to get an idea of their travels for the day but also to get to know each customer they will be visiting and their specific concerns.

Our arborists cover a service area with a radius of over 60 miles; that’s just over 11,000 square miles! With much of this area being located within the Greater Houston metro, travel times can vary significantly due to many factors such as traffic and the varying needs of each customer and site. For that reason, we schedule appointments in time blocks to maintain a realistic route and to give our arborists the flexibility to reach you within the scheduled window, even if traffic is heavy that morning or a prior appointment takes longer than expected. Our time windows begin at 9AM to 1PM and end with 1PM to 5PM. In this time period each arborist will visit 5-10 clients all across greater Houston.

Before travelling to the job, the arborists will contact the customer letting them know they are on their way and what their expected ETA will be so that they can be prepared for the visit. Now what each jobsite looks like can very heavily from residential front yard, commercial property, to large multi-hundred acre ranch. But what does not vary is their process.

First, the arborist will speak with the property owner or manager to understand their concerns and identify the specific tree(s) in question. From there, they conduct a thorough inspection of the target tree(s) and the surrounding site conditions. This “whole picture” approach is critical; details like nearby structures, recent herbicide use, soil conditions, irrigation patterns, and past disturbances can all influence what’s happening and what the best plan should be.

If the request is for pruning, the arborist evaluates several key factors before recommending a scope of work: the customer’s objective (such as clearance, aesthetics, or risk reduction), how that species responds to pruning, and how to achieve the goal without causing unnecessary stress or long-term harm to the tree. They also assess practical job-site considerations, including access, obstacles that could hinder crews, the amount of debris that will be generated, and the estimated labor hours required to complete the work safely and efficiently.

For tree removal, the process is similar but with additional risk-focused considerations. The arborist determines whether the tree truly needs to be removed or whether it can be preserved with proper care. They assess the hazard level (for example, internal decay, structural defects, or root instability), the tree’s location relative to targets like homes, driveways, fences, and power lines, and the safest approach for removal. Just like pruning, they also estimate debris volume and crew time to ensure the project is planned correctly from start to finish.

Plant Health Care (PHC) looks different because it often requires going deeper than what’s visible at first glance. When a diagnosis isn’t immediately obvious, the arborist will investigate the broader landscape history, like recent construction, changes in drainage, soil compaction, irrigation issues, herbicide exposure, and other stressors that can trigger decline. Once the cause is identified, the arborist works with the customer to build a customized care plan tailored to the property, the tree species, and the client’s goals.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) follows a similar diagnostic approach, but with a focus on identifying the pest(s), determining severity, and selecting the most effective and responsible treatment strategy. The arborist evaluates how extensive the infestation is, whether the tree is treatable and worth saving, and whether nearby trees are susceptible and should be addressed proactively. They also consider the underlying conditions that may have led to the outbreak (such as drought stress, poor soil health, or improper pruning) so the problem is solved at the root, not just treated on the surface. From there, they develop a plan based on the specific pest case and the unique conditions of the customer’s landscape.

After formulating a treatment or tree work plan that works for the customer and the landscape, the estimate is then off to our office to get the work scheduled and completed.

Finally, they spend the remainder of their afternoon following up with previous customers and with homeowners who have received an estimate but haven’t yet approved it. This time is used to answer any last questions, clarify the recommended scope of work, review options and timelines, and make sure each customer feels confident about the plan before moving forward. And that completes a day in the life of one of our arborists!

In short, our arborists start each morning with training under myself and our Board-Certified Master Arborist, Eric Putnam. From there, they head out across our expansive service area to complete inspections and consultations, and they finish the day by following up with customers, answering any remaining questions about the diagnosis and recommended treatment plan, and helping get the next steps scheduled.