TreeMendus Arbor Care is a tree health company in Syracuse, Utah, owned by ISA Certified Arborist Caleb O’Brien.
We don’t just trim branches or remove trees when something’s wrong. We figure out why the tree is sick, stressed or declining, and then treat the root cause instead of chase after the symptoms. Hi I’m Caleb, and I’ve spent over 26 years in the trees, and now work with homeowners, estate owners and property managers across Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Morgan and Summit Counties in Utah. Think of me like a doctor’s visit for your trees: a real diagnosis first, and then a plan to help them recover.
I’ve worked with trees for over 26 years. I actually started in Australia (you’ll notice my accent when we meet) doing brushfire hazard reduction, land clearing and roadside maintenance projects around Sydney, and then moved into transmission line clearing, where I learned to climb. I came to Utah to spend 7 years with a residential tree company, and 5 more years running operations for a full service tree company in Park City. Then decided to go out on my own.
I’m an ISA Certified Arborist, and I’m Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. I’m currently working towards my Board Certified Master Arborist credential, which is the highest level of certification that the International Society of Arboriculture offers.
TreeMendus is small by design. When you call the phone number, you’ll get me or a call back from me. I’m the one who diagnoses your trees, and also the person who will treat them and check back on them next season.
ISA Certified Arborist #UT-4450A • Tree Risk Assessment Qualified • Working toward Board Certified Master Arborist
Winter Watering and Drought Protection
Winters are dry here in Utah, and evergreen trees tend to lose moisture through their needles long after the sprinklers are shut off. When a tree goes into the winter season already thirsty, it often shows up in the spring with brown and burned needles. We get ahead of this by pairing deep root watering with a soil conditioner that helps the dirt hold onto moisture, so your trees head into the winter ready.
The heavy, wet snow that we get in the winter (plus the wind gusts) will find the weak limbs of your trees fast. And with the leaves off, a tree’s structure is a lot easier to see than other times of the year, so right now is the best time to check your large trees near your home, driveway and walkways. Property managers and HOAs can also plan out next year’s budget based on what we discover.
The things you can see (yellow leaves, thin canopy or dying branches) will usually trace back to something you can’t see (compacted soil, girdling roots, tree planted too deep, or even construction damage). We’ll find that first, then fix the cause so you can stop paying for the same treatments every year.
If a tree can’t be saved, I’ll be upfront about that and tell you. But if your trees are actually healthy and just need watching, that’s what I’ll recommend. Everything I do comes back to “The Tree Comes First”.
I’ve got no commissioned sales reps and no contracted, rotating crews. The arborist who diagnoses your trees is the same one who treats them and follows up.
We have a Lifetime Tree Warranty, and annual service agreements that include 4 monitoring visits a year. Problems get caught early on, instead of after the damage is already done.
Recently a silver maple at this home was just a little yellow and paler than it should have been, and a few of its branch tims were in really rough shape. The easy assumption was that it just needed more water or some fertilizer.
Before treating anything, I wanted to rule out the usual suspects: root problems, compacted soil and the tree’s watering schedule. Once I confirmed it was an iron and magnesium deficiency, I used a macro infusion. This is where I primed the tree with water, and then fed an iron and magnesium mix directly into its vascular system. That helps get around northern Utah’s alkaline soil, which locks up the iron that’s already in the ground.
By next spring it’ll be deep and healthy green, but most of the work on that job happened before the treatment ever started!
Every service I provide starts with a diagnosis, so you only pay for what your trees actually need.
A full property walk through, a real diagnosis and a plan, all from one arborist.
Trunk injections that protect pine, spruce and fir before beetles move in.
Preventive treatment for ash trees, the best defense against this invasive borer.
Yellow leaves with green veins? We find out why, then get iron where the tree can actually use it
Air spading to expose buried root flares and remove girdling roots that slowly choke a tree.
A qualified look at whether a tree is likely to fail, and what to do about it.
Anyone who’s got a truck and a chainsaw can call themselves a tree service. But an ISA Certified Arborist has at least 3 years of professional experience (or a combination of of education and experience) AND has passed the International Society of Arboriculture’s exam on tree biology, diagnosis and care. One step further is being Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, which is training to judge whether a tree is likely to fail and what to do about it.
For you, that means you get a diagnosis that’s based on evidence instead of just a guess, problems are caught before they get too expensive, and an honest answer if a tree can’t be saved. For estates, commercial properties and any tree that represents real value, that isn’t an extra expense, it’s protection.
A consultation isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a diagnostic visit, and here’s how it usually goes:
I don’t just look at the tree you called about. I check soil, drainage, sun exposure, root collars, irrigation and any recent construction, because the tree you’re worried about is often a warning about the others.
In plain and simple language, you’ll understand what’s happening with your trees and why, and you’re welcome to tag along and ask me anything.
Some properties need treatment now, some need only monitoring, and some need nothing at all. Whatever it is, you get a plan built around your trees, your budget and your timeline, with no pressure to make a decision.
Tell me what’s going on with your trees, and I’ll get back to you usually within one business day, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We’ll talk it through, and I’ll explain what a visit involves, and what it costs before anything gets booked.
Rather talk now? Call me at (801) 403-4496
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Our clients rate us 4.9 stars on Google. Read their reviews to see how we’ve helped homeowners, estate owners and property managers across Northern Utah.
The price of consultations really depends on where your property is located, and what we’re likely looking at. We cover a lot of ground here in Northern Utah, so one tree in a Kaysville home’s backyard and a 40 acre estate in the Ogden valley are very different visits. Call me at (801) 403-4496 and tell me what’s going on, and I’ll walk through what’s involved and what it costs before you commit to anything.
You’ll get a walk through of your property, a health evaluation of your trees (looking at soil, drainage, irrigation and any pest or disease issues) and a plain language explanation of what I find. And if treatment makes sense, we’ll talk through the options that will fit your budget.
Tree consultations usually are 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the property and how many trees we’re looking at.
No. At TreeMendus we’re focused entirely on tree health, which is the diagnosis, treatment, planting and long term care.
That’s totally ok! You’ll still get a plan that you can act on whenever you’re ready, and there’s no pressure. Lots of clients use a consultation to understand their trees’ condition and then decide on treatments later on.
Salt Lake County, Davis County, Weber County, Morgan County, Summit County and Ogden Valley. If you’re nearby but not on that list, give me a call. We may still be able to help.
