Tree Trimming & Pruning

Late winter through early spring — roughly February to early April here — is ideal for most species. The tree is dormant, its structure is visible without leaves, wound closure begins as soon as growth resumes, and the insects that spread disease are not yet active. Oaks and elms specifically should not be pruned between April and October because of oak wilt and Dutch elm disease. Dead, broken or hazardous limbs are the exception: those come off whenever they are found, in any season.

As a rule, no more than 25% of the live canopy in a single season, and considerably less on a mature or already stressed tree — often 10 to 15%. Leaves are how a tree feeds itself, so over-pruning starves it and triggers a flush of weak, upright water sprouts. If a contractor offers to take half the tree off, that is a warning sign rather than a service.

No. Topping — cutting main limbs back to stubs — is rejected by the ISA and by ANSI A300 standards. It removes the tree's food supply, exposes the interior to sunscald and decay, and the regrowth attaches only to the outer layer of wood, so the new limbs are far more likely to fail than the ones that were removed. Where a tree genuinely needs to be smaller, proper crown reduction cuts back to a suitable lateral branch instead.

Most mature shade trees do well on a three-to-five-year cycle. Young trees benefit from lighter training pruning every two to three years, which is far cheaper than correcting structural problems twenty years later. Fruit trees generally need annual attention.

Always, and it is included in the quoted price. Brush is chipped on site, logs are hauled away or cut to firewood length if you want them, and the lawn is raked and blown clean. If you would like the wood chips left behind for mulch, just say so — they are yours.