Most pruning calls we get from around the lake start with a view or a roof. Someone in Hector wants to see the water again from the deck. A family in Watkins Glen is tired of scraping branches off the gutters. A vineyard neighbor wants shade pulled back from the rows. All of those are good reasons, and all of them can be handled in a way that leaves the tree stronger rather than weaker.
Tubbs Tree Service prunes with climbers on ropes and, where the ground allows, a bucket truck. Jason Tubbs looks at each tree during a $50 on-site consultation and writes a plan that shows exactly which cuts he recommends and a few levels of service to choose from. The $50 is credited to the job when you accept.
Opening a lake view without topping
Topping, where a tree’s leaders are sawed off flat, causes a flush of weak sprouts and often decay. Instead, we use window pruning and crown thinning: removing select limbs so you see through the tree rather than over a stump of one. On slopes above Seneca Lake, this often means working several trees a little each instead of one tree a lot. The view opens up, and the bank keeps its roots and canopy.
Timing cuts around oaks, birds and bats
Oak wilt has a state quarantine district next door in Yates and Ontario counties, though not in Schuyler. Because the disease can spread through fresh wounds, we prefer to prune oaks in the dormant season. Wildlife matters too. Bats and nesting birds use trees through the warm months, so timing and a quick wildlife check are part of every pruning plan.
Clearance over roofs, drives and camp roads
- Crown raising to lift low limbs over driveways, lawns and lake stairs
- Roof and chimney clearance so branches stop rubbing shingles and gutters
- Deadwood removal from big maples and oaks over patios and play areas
- Opening narrow camp roads so delivery and emergency vehicles fit
- Pulling back limbs near service drops (we do not work on energized lines, so for lines the utility comes first)
What drives the cost of a pruning visit
Pruning is priced by the work, not by a flat rate per tree. The number and size of trees matter most, followed by access: a bucket truck on a level Montour Falls driveway is faster than climbers roping into a crown on a steep Hector bank. The amount of deadwood, the targets below, and whether you want brush chipped and hauled or left as mulch all show up as separate lines on your plan, so you can choose what to do now and what to save for later.
Pruning & Trimming Questions From Schuyler County
How much can you take off my big maple without hurting it?
For a healthy mature tree, a light touch is best, generally well under a quarter of the live canopy in one season. The goal is to remove dead, crossing and problem limbs and leave the rest working for the tree. Jason will mark the cuts on your plan so you know what the tree will look like before anything is removed.
When is the best time of year to prune trees in Burdett?
Late fall through winter suits most trees here. Leaves are off, so structure is easy to see, birds are not nesting and oaks are less vulnerable to infection. Dead or broken limbs can come off any time of year. If you have a view project in mind, booking the consultation in late summer gives time to plan the dormant-season work.
My neighbor’s limbs hang over our Odessa lot. Can you trim them back?
We can trim the portion that overhangs your property, working carefully so the tree is not left unbalanced. Talking with your neighbor first usually goes better for everyone, and some neighbors end up sharing the work. For questions about property lines or rights, your town office is the place to ask.
Want the full picture? Read our pruning & trimming guide, or see everything we do in Schuyler County.