Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

2009 Reviews of Arborists

Looking for a tree specialist who is familiar with fig and persimmon trees who can take a look and give us a course of care. We have one of each in our North Berkeley back yard - both were full of fruit when we moved in last summer, but almost all the persimmons quickly fell off the tree except for a couple which survived and were quite tasty when ripe; the green figs seemed to do quite well, but when ripe, the fruit was actually pretty dry inside. Bill

Hello, Can you recommend a company, or individual, who can do some tree trimming, and also evaluate a large tree for its health / possible removal? Person/company should be honest, reliable, careful, and willing to remove all the ''trimmings''. Know anyone who can help us out? We're in Berkeley. Trees need some care

We have just moved into a place with a lot of old (25 years +) fruit trees, many of which we can't identify. Apparently a previous owner was an avid planter and grafter and there are all sorts of varieties of fruit trees and ''fruit salad'' trees in the yard that the person we bought from couldn't identify.

Can someone recommend a patient arborist who specializes in fruit trees and who could walk me and my husband through our yard and identify trees and explain how to prune and maintain them? It would be great to find someone who's willing and happy to talk through the process with us rather than just write up a report/yard map.

It would be a bonus if the arborist also were able to tell us which other new types of fruit trees would take well in our yard. (Apparently we're not content with the work we already have waiting for us!) Fruit tree puzzled

He'll train you in how to maintain things for yourself. He's a local businessman with a very friendly and caring attitude. His in the business b/c he likes trees and the outdoors. He won't soak you or try to get more work later, unless you need him.

He helped us in exactly this way with our very old/unmaintained grapefruit tree. Steve

2008 Reviews of Arborists

We have a dead tree and lots of others that need shaping, trimming and, in a couple of cases, possible removal. Can anyone recommend a fair-priced, reliable, bonded tree service for these kinds of jobs? Many thanks. Cheryl

Tree in front of house has big aphid infestation. Anybody know a good Tree Doctor? anon

We bought a house this past April with many fruit trees (apricot, pear, apple, plum, lemon) and we are looking for information on how to maintain the trees. We had been told it is best to prune them in the fall but are unsure as to how we should go about the pruning. We are also considering consulting an arborist, does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

We're looking for a good arborist and/or tree removal service. We're not sure if we want to have the tree removed or just cut back and are looking for a reputable service that's not too pricey. Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks.

looking for a good tree trimming service to cut back a tree that is leaning over my chimney. kasey

We need to remove 3 Giant Sequoias from our yard and are interested in recent recommendations for tree removal services. We also have a Redwood and various other trees that need a good trimming/reshaping. I've heard that the removal people are best at removal and the trimmers are best at trimming - so looking for recommendations in both categories. Thanks. Emily

2007 Reviews of Arborists

I have 2 coral bark japanese maples in my front yard and I am looking for someone that is experienced in shaping/trimmimg/pruning this type of tree. Any referrals are appreciated... Thanks!

I am recommending Dave Bellar as a tree pruner. He is knowledgeable, pleasant to work with, and reasonably priced. My trees look GREAT! It's such a relief to find someone who actually knows what he's doing and does it when he says he will. You can reach him at 415-515-4753. ef

2006 Reviews of Arborists

Consulting arborist

Can anyone recommend a consulting arborist? I need to have my trees evaluated for safety and health, but I would like someone who can also give advice about how my trees fit into my garden. What care do they need, recommendations for possible replacement trees, view and privacy issues,etc. Thanks so much! Myra

I recently had a tree removed and feel so darn lucky I've found a great arborist/tree person -- Peter Rudy of Big Chief Tree Service. (510-528-3588) I've hired him exclusively since 1997. His crew is really great, professional, fast and conscientious. I can't recommend him highly enough. Rachel

Based on a previous review by a fellow Network member, we hired Gray Shaw to prun our plum trees and various other trees. He's been great and very reasonable. However, he seems to be very busy so call him well in advance of when you want the work done. His number is 848-6752. joe

I just wanted to update the recommendation for Lara's Tree Service. I just used the service and after contacting Horatio as recommended here, got an exact quote and a quick response from his team. They trimmed two of our large trees and hauled away all of the debris. They were kind, respectful of our property and good at what they do. Adrianne

We live in the Oakland hills on a biggish lot with a lot of eucalyptus. We're looking to do a lot of work ourselves in reducing our fire burden and switching to native pants, but also recognize that we can't take some of the bigger trees out on our own. Since we know we'll have lots of work in the future, we decided to try out two companies.

The first is Roman's Tree service. We worked with Nelzon (510-781-9831 w. 408 -930-2719 c.). They gave us a very good rate on removing three large eucs, and cutting branches to firewood lengths, $1000 -- we did the hauling and clean up ourselves (since we've found that it's cheaper to get one company to do the cutting and another to do the hauling or to bundle and haul ourselves). Nelzon was professional and courteous, and returned all phone calls quickly. He seemed eager to obtain and keep our business which is better than I can say for some of the larger companies which are recommended through the parents list.

Eric from Maxwell Tree Service (510-339-3879) was also a pleasure to work with. He walked around our property and told us what work we could do ourselves, what work we could defer until later, and what work should be done in the near term. He also recommended a small number of tools he thought we might find useful (and he's proved to be correct). Eric took out a large locus tree that was leaning towards our neighbors house. We cleaned up outselves, which was easy since Eric had piled the debris exactly as we had asked him to. Eric is a Montclair resident himself, and really seems to care about the well being of the neighborhood in addition to running his business.

We recommend both Maxwell Tree Service and also Roman's Tree service for excellent rates and service. Merrilee

2003-2005 Reviews

I have used Matt Horn Landscaping and Treecare on several jobs. He has done outstanding work, especially on difficult trimming or removing of trees. His aesthetics made my wife and I very happy and his ability to remove a large cedar over my redwood deck without a scratch was impressive. His bid was firm and he stuck to it. I really can't say enough about him except that he's a pleasure to work with as well. They arrive on time and clean everything up. Ask for Matt, 510-658-6088 tom

Horacio from Lara's Tree Service is awesome! These guys came out gave us a GREAT price! did better work than I had expected, cleaned up all the mess they made and then some! And did it in NO time at all! If you are looking for quality work, great prices and someone who knows trees call Horacio at 510/729-8040. They are the BEST!!! brandi

We used M & M Tree Service of Richmond. They're certified arborists and were the most reasonable of the 3 bids received. They were very efficient and we're happy with the work they did--a 30% crown reduction on a huge walnut in our backyard. They're in the yellow pages. lw

Just sharing a recommendation for Lara's Tree Service. They just did a lot of work for us - trimming, removing, hauling - and did an excellent job. They were very thorough, clean, and took the time necessary to do a good job. Ask for Horacio - 510-729-8040. Carolyn

Earlier Reviews

The Forestree Company is an excellent longterm Berkeley resource. It is composed of graduates from the UC School of Forestry (on the Berkeley campus). The partners are certified arborists. Call 526-TREE (8733) Bruce

Try Forestree Company in Berkeley at 526-8733. The owners are UC Forestry grads (and old college friends of mine), and are reputed to be fair and skilled. I've never had any trees big or interesting enough to try them out! Helen

What kind of fruit tree for Berkeley Hills?

Looking for recommendations for fruit trees. We know we need to get dwarf varieties. We live in the Berkeley Hills and have a Meyer Lemon that does well. I'd love to have a cherry tree. Can anyone recommend one suitable to my area? Can anyone recommend any others? Also, where is the best place to buy? Thank you in advance.

City of Berkeley Tree Planting Program

Our neighborhood in N. Berkeley is in the process of using the tree planting program to replace several trees lost in the 80's drought. If you are a Berkeley resident who took advantage of this program, I would be interested to learn which tree species you chose and the plusus and minuese of that choice. Would you choose the same species again? If not, why not? There are so many to chose from, and although I have gotten the list of trees as well as read up on them, it is difficult to decide what will work best. I would welcome any feedback! sarah

Tree is dripping sticky stuff (aphids)

I've seen the archives about people who will trim or move your trees, but I'm looking for someone who can tell me if my tree is sick. I'm not sure if those are the same people or not. The tree next to the street in front of my house in North Oakland drips this stuff off it that gets on your car if you park under it. And now the tree has black spots on its leaves and what look like white spots on its branches. I need someone to tell me if there is something wrong with the tree, and if so, what to do about it and if I need to get it trimmed or doctored

What's Wrong With My Tree?

As an arborist, I think you can take care of aphids by yourself. First, if the tree is in a bad location or is getting too much/little water, light or fertilizer (most often too much fertilizer), correct this problem first. Mulch under the dripline if that's not already done. Second, get a strong pressure nozzle for your hose and knock off as many aphids as you can. They won't climb up again. If there are ants managing the aphid colony then put tanglefoot or another sticky substance around the base of tree and check every few days to make sure they haven't bridged it. If none of this works after a week or so, my last resort is to get neem spray, and while using COMPLETE PROTECTION (eyes, mouth, skin) apply this to the affected parts of the tree. Never taken me more than two applications to do them in. Neem is an organic, but obviously still potent enough to do the job, so treat it like any chemical. You can get it at Berkeley Hort. It's used in toothpaste as an antimicrobial, so it's safe in small amounts, but I wouldn't push it. And of course, this is a general recommendation, as I haven't seen the tree. Good Luck! molly

Green figs, not purple

Does anyone know where I can buy a green fig tree? (We don't like the purple ones as much.) Thanks! Figless-on-CurtisSt

Elm trees sprouting up all over our yard

We have a big backyard and there are tons of elm trees sprouting up all over it and there is one big old stump. Is there any non-toxic way to get the elm to stop sprouting up and trying to create an elm forest in our backyard?
working like heck in the backyard

Birch Tree Shedding Seeds EVERYWHERE

We are having a problem with our birch trees shedding small, brown, paper-like seeds EVERYWHERE. These little things are invading our house. We recently had work done to our home and I am wondering if there was damage to the trees during this process as I don't remember this ever being a problem prior to the work. I am not sure exactly what type of birch trees they are and have looked on the internet but didn't find an absolute answer. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am absolutely fed up with having these things take over the exterior and interior of our home. looking for a solution!

By next year's 'seeding season' you should have some evidence as to whether it is either dying or recovering by whether the heavy production is still occuring.

This is an educated guess from a horticulturist! Get an opinion from a licensed and experienced arborist as to the tree's health. I would recommend calling Brende and Lamb for this sort of thing (510-486-8733). They are good at evaluation whereas many tree companies are really only good for basic pruning and removal. Unless you want to just go ahead and take it out? There are tree companies for this purpose in the archives. Cecelia

Spraying Oak Trees

We received a flyer in the mail from Gring Pest Control asking if we wanted our Oak Tree sprayed to prevent sudden oak death from ''Spring Oak Catepillars.'' We're wondering if anyone has any experience dealing with Gring and if they do this Oak spraying on a yearly basis. Any advice is helpful, as we have a large oak in our backyard that we'd love to keep, but don't know anything about this particular service. Thank you

First off, there are many different Oak species and only some have gotten Sudden Oak Death (the Tanbark Oak), -and- this disease isn't a problem in the east bay (yet).

You don't need to spray your tree if it isn't sick, and the one and only spray that has been approved in treating sudden oak death isn't the one that this company sprays. Your best bet is to call the Alameda County Master Gardener volunteers for more information! 510-670-2200

The most important thing is that there is no reason to spray and treat a healthy tree. Especially with a chemical that is not approved by the International Society of Arborists (ISA). - Candace

Oak Moths cause damage to Oak leaves for a fairly brief period in the Spring when the larvae (caterpillars) are voraciously feeding (the adult moths do not cause any damage). If less than about 1/4 of the leaves are affected and the tree is otherwise in good health, don't worry about it- the tree can handle that. But if the damage is extensive, &/or the tree is not in great shape to begin with, action is recommended. (If the tree's not in great shape, get a consultation from an experienced certified arborist to determine the larger problem).

There is a very effective biological control for Oak Moth larvae called BT- lethal for them, innocuous to us and other critters. But it is only effective if it is sprayed on the larvae when they are actively feeding, so you must watch your tree closely for their appearance, and then spray right away. A spray too early or too late does no good.

I use Vern McQueen for landscape spraying, 841-2782. He has a Pest Control License, is reasonable, and is a very nice fellow. Cecelia