Key Points:
- An ISA-Certified Arborist is the best landscape professional to provide tree healthcare, maintenance, and structural risk assessments.
- Arborists, landscapers, and lawn care providers all serve distinct purposes, and knowing the differences among them can help homeowners hire the right professional.
- Arborists respond to tree emergencies but also provide pruning, pest control, seasonal maintenance visits, and a range of other services.
While landscapers, arborists, and lawn care providers are all outdoor professionals, each has its own area of expertise on a given property. Some Frederick County homeowners may have a lawn care crew or landscaper, but it’s important to know that these professionals are not qualified to diagnose or treat any tree problems that may arise. Only a certified arborist is trained to handle tree healthcare and structural risks.
At Baker Tree Care, our ISA-Certified Arborists deliver exceptional tree care services in Frederick County, Montgomery County, Hagerstown, and surrounding communities. Let’s review the key roles within the landscape industry and why an arborist is the best choice for your tree care needs.
Who’s Who in the Landscaping Industry?
There are three key roles within the industry—an arborist, a landscaper, and a lawn care provider—each serving a distinct purpose. While their roles sometimes overlap, it’s important to understand their areas of focus and limitations before bringing someone on to care for your yard.
Landscaper
Landscapers design, build, and maintain outdoor spaces, such as yards, gardens, and patio areas. More than gardeners, landscapers alter and refine the structural elements of a landscape while maintaining plants.
With a primary focus on aesthetics and upkeep, their responsibilities often include:
- Planting new shrubs, flowers, and trees
- Mowing and fertilizing lawns
- Trimming hedges and shrubs
- Cleaning up debris, such as fallen twigs and branches
There is no standardized criterion for landscaping, although many states require licenses for specialized landscape work. For example, the Maryland Department of Agriculture is responsible for issuing pesticide applicator certificates and licenses. If you are vetting landscape professionals, ask about their licenses before moving forward in the hiring process.
While landscapers may be knowledgeable about tree and plant health, they are not professionally trained or certified to diagnose tree issues or conduct structural risk assessments.
Lawn Care Provider
Unlike landscapers who handle the aesthetics of your entire landscape, lawn care providers focus solely on turf health and appearance. More than just mowing, these professionals offer a range of lawn-specific services.
Their core services include:
- Putting down seed for new growth
- Fertilizing the soil to improve grass growth
- Removing weeds to keep the lawn neat
- Treating and preventing pests
Maryland lawn care professionals must be certified and licensed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture to offer fertilization services. If they also handle pesticide applications, they need a license and certificate from the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Regulation Section.
When hiring a lawn care provider, it’s important to know that, given their specialization, they are not qualified to work on your property’s trees, shrubs, or other plants. Their soil assessments are limited in scope and do not account for how soil health connects to tree and plant vitality.
Arborist
Arborists are professionals in arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants. ISA-Certified Arborists have earned certification from the International Society of Arboriculture, which is the industry’s most respected credential, and are required to recertify every 3 years through continuing education units.
Of the three roles, arborists offer the largest range of services related to your landscape’s health and appearance:
- Conducting tree risk assessments to ensure tree stability and property safety
- Safely removing undesired, hazardous, or dying trees
- Diagnosing tree problems and diseases
- Providing plant healthcare services such as fertilization and invasive plant management
- Pruning tree branches in hazardous positions
- Preventing pests and regional threats through proactive monitoring
Arborists have the equipment and experience necessary to provide professional tree care that accounts for your landscape’s entire ecosystem, not just one aspect.
Why This Distinction Matters
An arborist is the only expert trained to deliver long-term tree healthcare. This matters most when safety concerns arise.
Imagine if one of your trees’ branches is hanging over your fence. While a landscaper might attempt to trim back the branch, an arborist has been trained in proper pruning techniques and will ensure the tree’s health and structure are considered, mitigating future threats from neighboring branches. There is a distinction between tree trimming and pruning: Trimming focuses on shape and aesthetics, while pruning aims to improve the tree’s health and structure by removing damaged or dangerous branches.
Another example is soil care. While lawn care providers can fertilize and share insights about the health of your soil, they may not be able to provide a complete picture the way an arborist can. Soil health provides the foundation for tree and plant health. Working with a specialist who can assess every component of your landscape—both individually and as part of the whole—enables a better understanding and more accurate treatment plans.
When to Call an Arborist
Most homeowners call a local arborist for emergencies, such as storm damage. However, arborists can also provide regular maintenance visits, preventive treatments, and more. Here’s when you’ll want to call an arborist over another landscape professional:
- Tree Symptoms: From emerald ash borer to scale insects, pest infestations in Maryland can weaken trees over time. Keep an eye out for small, D-shaped exit holes or honeydew residue on your trees, along with other signs of tree stress—canopy dieback, leaf yellowing or premature leaf drop, leaning, and any other sudden symptoms. A certified arborist can assess your trees and get to the bottom of their issues.
- Safety Hazards: Leaning and exposed roots are signs of instability that an arborist looks for during a tree risk assessment. They can also prune branches too close to the home or power lines.
- Consultation for Removal: From safety hazards to aesthetic concerns, a certified arborist will assess your needs and manage the tree removal process from start to finish.
- Seasonal Maintenance: When an arborist visits your property every few months, they are more likely to catch early warning signs and take action before issues develop. This also means a decreased risk of tree emergencies in the future.
Protect Your Trees and Landscape with Baker Tree Services
Since 1996, Baker Tree Services has provided Western Maryland with expert, personalized tree care. Our arborists are ISA-Certified, follow the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) pruning practices, and are committed to a higher standard of tree care. From air spading and fertilization to tree healthcare and pest and disease control, we’re committed to protecting your trees and maintaining the health and beauty of your property.
Our service areas in Maryland and Pennsylvania include:
- Adams County, PA
- Carroll County, MD
- Franklin County, PA
- Frederick County, MD
- Montgomery County, MD
- Washington County, MD
For 24/7 emergency tree care or to schedule a consultation for tree care services, call 240-868-6217 or contact us online today!
FAQs
When should I call an arborist instead of a landscaper?
You should call an arborist when your concerns involve tree health, safety, or structural stability. Certified arborists are trained to diagnose diseases, identify pest infestations, assess hazardous trees, and perform professional pruning. While landscapers focus on the appearance and maintenance of outdoor spaces, arborists provide specialized care designed to protect the long-term health of your trees. They also hold a pesticide applicator license and meet a 3-year certification renewal requirement.
Can an arborist help improve the health of my entire landscape?
Yes. Because trees play a major role in soil quality, water usage, and overall ecosystem health, certified arborists often take a holistic approach to landscape management. Their recommendations can support the long-term health of surrounding shrubs, plants, and turf while addressing underlying environmental factors that affect your trees’ growth.
How much does an arborist cost in Frederick County?
The cost of hiring an arborist in Frederick County varies depending on the service, the tree’s size and condition, and the complexity of the work. Services such as tree inspections, pruning, risk assessments, and removals are typically priced differently based on site conditions and equipment needs. The Baker Tree Services team can schedule an on-site consultation with a certified arborist for you, who can provide an accurate estimate.
What qualifications should I look for when hiring a Maryland tree care professional?
Homeowners should look for an ISA-Certified Arborist with deep regional knowledge and a strong local reputation. Certification from the International Society of Arboriculture demonstrates advanced knowledge of tree biology, pruning standards, risk assessment, and industry best practices. Certified arborists must also complete ongoing education to maintain their credentials and stay current with evolving tree care techniques. You can search the society’s directory for professionals in your area.