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Chris Dropko hadn’t heard of arboriculture when his wife first mentioned it in conversation.
The Dropkos had served in ministry for a decade, but when they felt the Lord was leading them on to something else the idea just casually came up.
“My wife said I should look into arboriculture,” Dropko recalls. “I said, ‘What is that? Are we making arbours?’ And she said, ‘No, it’s got something to do with ropes and chainsaws and climbing trees.’ That was it. I was sold!”
A week later, he enrolled in the arboriculture course at the University of Manitoba. But when he entered the workforce, it wasn’t quite what he expected. While apprenticing, he was disappointed in the lack of honesty in the industry.
“It really drove me to want to provide excellent service to people,” he says.
He ended up starting his own business. Thirteen years later, Pine to Palm Tree Service is going strong in Winnipeg and Steinbach.
“We prune and remove trees. We diagnose sick trees and come up with treatment plans. We do spraying, stump removal and planting,” Dropko explains. “If you’ve bought a new property with trees and you’re wondering what trees you should remove, we can also help prepare for that.”
And he won’t upsell. Integrity has a lot to do with why he went his own way, after all.
“We’re not going to sell you a bill of goods that isn’t a good fit for you,” he says.
As an internationally-certified ISA arborist, Dropko’s expertise is as broad as it is informed. For example, if a homeowner is concerned about a particular tree, he’ll visit the property and provide a comprehensive assessment.
“I’ll look at things like structural integrity. I’ll look at the vascular health of the tree – basically, if the trunk is solid or has any risks or imperfections,” he says. “I check how the leaves look. Are there signs that the tree is malnourished? Are there bugs? That kind of thing. Then with the information I can gather from a visual inspection, I can give you the best course of options.”
Perhaps the tree has a good 5-10 years left, in which case pruning the deadwood, watering and fertilizing it could extend and enhance its life. On the other hand, if there’s evidence of a horizontal crack, it should be removed as quickly as possible.
And should a property owner want to replace a particular tree or plant a new one in a specific spot, Pine to Palm can even go to a nursery, source a tree and plant it themselves.
“We’ll select the tree based on the root stock and how it looks,” Dropko explains. “Then we’ll pick it up and install it for the homeowner in the right place and with the right planting techniques.”
Dropko points out that more than 30% of a tree’s life can be lost because of improper planting, so it’s important that the roots are properly teased out.
“We want to go the extra mile, because we want to come back in 10 years and see this tree,” he says. “It’s your tree, but we put our heart into planting it.”
Oftentimes, homeowners especially enjoy a particular tree and want to do whatever they can to preserve it. When that’s the case, Pine to Palm can install bolting or cabling systems, provided the tree can sustain them.
“Bolting is where we drill a hole through the tree and install a threaded rod,” Dropko explains. "With cabling, we install a high tensile cable between two of the main trunks, and what that does is give you time to call a certified arborist if it falls in a storm.”
At the end of the day, Dropko simply appreciates being able to inform people about their property so they can have a better appreciation for it.
“A lot of companies go out there and just say, ‘Cut it down, cut it down.’ But that tree took forever. We’re not in a big hurry to remove it,” Dropko says. “A wise man plants a tree whose shade he will never sit under. It’s for another generation. And so we really care about that aspect of things.”
Customers in Winnipeg can reach Pine to Palm Tree Service by calling (431) 998-TREE (8733), and those in Steinbach can call (204) 381-1577. Additional information is also available on the business’s website.