Planting Trees...do you also hate it?

NickfromWI

NickfromWI

King of Splices
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
4,992
Location
Snowless California
We've decided to stop planting trees. For the past three years we'd do it for clients. We charge double what anyone else charges and we still end up doing a ton of work helping clients pick tree species, then going and tagging good trees at the nursery, then getting trees delivered or going to pick them up, then planting, then follow up when things don't stay awesome for the new tree...and all that for like maybe $50 profit on the tree.

We can make better money and deal with less hassle by not doing it. I charge more than I think ANYONE in LA to plant trees. How the heck are people buying a 15 gallon tree for $75, planting it for another $75 and actually making money?
 
15 Gal tree=tree cost + $350-$500 depending on species. That also includes 8 days of babysitting over two months.
 
We do it for larger jobs, 10 trees or more. I find it's easier money that most removals or prunes, but that's in my market.
 
They drive me crazy as well. If I can do it in a front yard fine but now I have a tree for a back yard up that the boxer can't pick up. :dur: I get great stock from 4 hours North but they are horrible on shipping dates, I may throw in the towel as well
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7
I'm spending half a day to drive to moorpark to select a 24" box tree tree that I'm buying for like $150 and planting for $600.

I'm paying the crew to drive out and plant the tree so you subtract 2 guys for a couple hours to go plant a tree and we are only clearing like $150 on the tree which means I invested half of my day and only earned the company $150. I coulda sold one for $2,000 and then we'd be golden!

Yeah- this tree planting is for the birds.


love
nick
 
Then bid what you need to get, quit doing it for a loss.

Their choice to accept the bid or not. If they ask about the pricing explain all the detail you go to for their new tree. Some will appreciate the effort just like they appreciate your care of their mature trees.

And that way less chance the landscaper gets a in and next time trims the trees too.
 
Since I plant upwards of 25000 each year, I would probably have found another profession if I hated it!
 
I planted one once, didn't enjoy it much.

Wont do it now unless its part of a bigger contract and can't be avoided.
 
We have done very little of it. Transplanted some that were planted too closely, oh, and with a cylinder of felt around them from the inside of the pot. Pushing on the tree a little bit, I saw a perfect circle of soil move. Hmmmm. Also, transplanted an anniversary present japanese maple from one property to another.

Seems hard to make any money at it.
 
I did a 130 piece planting job years ago and did it well. However in the month following, we had 19 days of very heavy rain. Things started to show some wilt, mostly because there was a little bit of transplant shock going on at the same time. But when the rain stopped, the customer, against my demands, kept watering the hell out of the job twice a day to make everything stop turning soggy and brown. Then she came after me legally to remove the whole job and replace and replant out of my own pocket. Came after me of course after every single piece on the property had gotten acclimated and returned to being lush and green. She made the demand I redo the whole job while things were showing signs of wilt and I of course refused and told her to be patient while this freak weather passes. Well, as summer showed its face and things returned to normal, she wasn't willing to let go the fact that I stood my ground against her. By the way, her husband is a doctor and his 4 brothers own a GIGANTIC law firm with offices all over the state. She wasn't used to not getting her way.

She never won legally with me, but she cost me a ton of time, tons of certified letters back and forth, tons of stress, and about a grand in assorted costs to keep all my ducks in a row and laid out well for the court room. That was my last planting job. The new fella she hire to come in and critique my work and pull and replant things that were already taking root, got hammered one night after a battle with her and ripped half the planted material out of the ground.

Planting has risks. Even the best job leaves a lot of variables that are out of your hands. You can get people to sign contracts and agree not to touch your work for x amount of time, but in the end, when you aren't around, they'll often do as they see fit, an possibly blame you for a bad outcome. They may not get anywhere, but you end up spending time and money to get them out of your hair. If you aren't backing good money on it, find something else to do.
 
I let the custy pick out the tree at the nursery of my choosing, I transport, I plant, and I DO NOT warranty the tree that is on the nursery.
 
I was putting together a bid once for 80 spruce trees and the customer asked if I will warranty them. I said no. She told me Home Depot warranties trees and I should as well.......
 
No lie. She was upset to know that my business can't match the policies of Home Depot. I haven't had a chance to look through Home Depots tax sheets but I really don't think I'm working off the same figures they are. I had to explain that to her and I'm still not convinced she understood. I did do the work and did have to beg like a homeless man to get paid for it as well. This was earlier on before I learned to walk away from potentially bad jobs. I was still in that phase of "me me me!!! Pick me! Ill do it!!!"
 
I had a planting job a few years ago, rich woman spent 30k on a selection of trees to plant across parkland.
It pissed down from start to finish (about 10 working days)
We dug a hole with a digger stood the tree in it, pushed the spoil back with the bucket and tracked around it once to firm it in.
Strangely they all pretty much survived. She paid day rate, it got me out of a financial crisis.
Didn't enjoy it though!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19
Tucker you raise a good point and one of the biggest reasons I'm stopping. Once the tree is planted, I SHOULD be done with my part of the deal. Get the check and go.

But, at least in LA, if there's a slight prob, it remains my responsibility for which I will never make another dollar for going out and looking at the trees again.


love
nick
 
I always included in the contract that the trees were out of my hands upon completion but that contract only protects me in the end. I doesnt protect me from them harassing me about it, bad mouthing me around the community, or taking me to small claims court just to find out that they get nothing from me.

If I found the profits to be greater, id love to sell more planting work. My client base doesn't want to pay for a follow up program either. What can I do at that point? For me, it's best to avoid planting jobs unless its just a handful of trees tied into a larger job such as some removals where there were better margins mixed into the gig to justify it in the end.
 
The nursery has a warranty on the tree but my replanting has a cost. Then again dumpsites and nurseries are plentiful in my service area, it's kinda nice. I can't imagine having to spend a full day just going to look at nursery stock. That would drive me nuts!
 
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