Residential Consultation

Xylème offers a residential consultation service for private tree owners. The consultation is intended to provide a general understanding of the tree, all in simplified technical terms.

Based on over 15 years of experience exclusively in arboriculture and urban forestry, the Xylème professional is able to diagnose the various problems that can affect your trees, including:

Identification of health problems (decline, growth)
Detection of diseases and insects (emerald ash borer)
Identification of structural defects (cavity, bark detachment, deformation)

In addition, Xylème has excellent knowledge and accreditations in the diagnosis of hazardous trees and risk management. The use of specialized methods and tools is often required to quantify the extent to which a tree with structural weaknesses represents a hazard in its environment.

From a different perspective, a consultation can serve to respond to a number of concerns and difficulties related to urban trees, including:

- To confirm recommendations made or work carried out by an arboricultural contractor (for example, tree-cutting vs conservation, or guy wiring vs pruning)
- To assess the future impacts of a construction project (for example, installation of a swimming pool, expansion of a house, rehabilitation of a pedestrian walkway, landscaping)
- To develop a tree planting program, with the possibility of professional support (for example, an ash tree replacement plan

Did you know that….

Winter is the best time to inspect your tree's overall architecture. Think about it!
A tree whose roots have been disturbed by construction may appear normal for several years and may show only very few warning signs before breaking. A forest engineer specializing in arboriculture can help you recognize these signs before breakage occurs!
Trees can contribute up to 15% of the market value of a property, or the equivalent of about $45,000 for a property worth $300,000.
Pollarding consists of drastically reducing the height of the trees in an effort to limit the risk of breakage and increase the owner's sense of security. In actual fact, this practice is far from professional, as it causes tremendous damage to trees and increases the risk of breakage in the medium and long term. Moreover, this practice is prohibited in a number of municipalities.
Just like in humans, stress is a predisposing factor for tree pests. For example, a tree stressed by a lack of water may be more vulnerable to insect attacks. Xylème can offer you advice to correct some of the stresses that are harmful to the health of your trees!
L’étendue racinaire d’un arbre dépasse largement la longueur des plus longues branches. Les racines peuvent s’étendre sur une distance équivalent à plus de deux fois la hauteur de l’arbre!
Planting a tree requires careful consideration of the desired species and planting site. Although there are many varieties and cultivars available in stores, few species are truly well adapted to urban conditions. Xylème can inform you about the best tree species for your own situation and the functions you want the tree(s) to serve (for example, to provide shade, to act as a visual screen, to attract birds, etc.).
The root area of a tree far exceeds the length of the longest branches. The roots can extend over a distance equivalent to more than twice the height of the tree!
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a terrible enemy. Without preventive treatment, all attacked ash trees decline and die within just a few years' time. Control of this insect is essentially limited to detection, injection of conservable trees and progressive replacement of trees that have been cut down. Have you developed your strategy with a professional?
Have your trees been inspected in the past 5, 10 or even 20 years? It may be wise and responsible to seek the advice of a forest engineer specializing in urban trees.
Trees are beneficial to the environment, not only because they improve air quality, but also because they capture atmospheric dust, reduce noise as well as cut heating and cooling costs.
A forest engineer specializing in arboriculture can give you an independent, objective opinion on the work to be undertaken and advise you on the essential questions to ask potential contractors.
There are many myths about the relation between tree roots and foundation problems. Did you know that it is extremely rare for tree roots to cause direct and proven damage to the foundations of a building? There are no "jackhammer" roots, no matter what the species.