A lot of the pruning and trimming we do in Tompkins County is about living closely with large, old trees. In Ithaca and Cayuga Heights, limbs stretch over porches, chimneys and the neighbor’s driveway. On the Cayuga Lake shore in Lansing and Ulysses, owners want a view without stripping the trees that hold the bank together.
Jason Tubbs looks at each tree’s structure before deciding what comes off. The goal is a tree that is lighter where it needs to be, clear of the house and still growing the way it should. His itemized plan lists each tree and the work proposed, often with a lighter and a fuller option so you can choose. The $50 consultation fee is credited to the job once you accept.
Timing your trim to the Finger Lakes seasons
Late winter, while trees are dormant, is a good window for most structural pruning. Without leaves, Jason can see every crossing branch and weak fork, and cuts close well as spring growth starts. Maples may drip sap from fresh cuts in late winter, which looks alarming but does not harm the tree.
Dead wood is different. Dead limbs over a walkway or parking area can come out any time of year. During spring and summer, bats and nesting birds use trees, so timing and a quick wildlife check matter before larger cuts are made.
Sidewalk, streetlight and sign clearance in Ithaca
City of Ithaca Code Chapter 306 expects private trees to be kept clear of sidewalks, streetlights and signs. Low limbs over a sidewalk are a common reason Ithaca homeowners and landlords call us. Raising the crown solves the clearance problem while leaving the tree’s shape intact.
Trees growing in the public strip or on city land are another matter. Pruning those needs written permission from the City Forester. In Cayuga Heights, right-of-way trees fall under the Village Forester, so check with the village before planning work on a curbside tree.
Opening a Cayuga Lake view without butchering the tree
Topping a tree for a view leads to weak, fast regrowth and a worse view within a few seasons. On lakeside lots from Lansing up the east shore, and on the west shore around Trumansburg, we use selective thinning and view windows instead. Removing chosen limbs through the crown lets light and sightlines through while the tree keeps enough leaf area to stay healthy. As a rule of thumb, a mature tree should not lose more than about a quarter of its live crown in one season.
Work a pruning plan can include
- Deadwood removal over roofs, decks and walkways
- Crown raising over driveways, sidewalks and parking pads
- Thinning dense crowns that catch wind off the lake
- Reducing long limbs that reach toward a neighbor’s house
- Structural pruning on young trees in Dryden and Groton yards so they grow stronger forks
Pruning & Trimming Questions From Tompkins County
A branch from the street tree in front of my Ithaca house hangs over my porch. Can you cut it back?
If the tree is on the public street or city property, it needs written permission from the City Forester before anyone prunes it, under City Code Chapter 306. Contact the city first. If it turns out the tree is on your side of the line, Jason can plan the cut during a $50 visit.
How much can you trim off before it hurts the tree?
For a mature tree, Jason generally keeps the live wood removed in one season to about a quarter of the crown, often less for older or stressed trees. Dead branches don’t count toward that. If a tree needs more work than that, he will usually split it across two seasons.
Can you trim the branches growing into the wires to my house?
We don’t work on or near energized lines. Call your utility first: NYSEG serves most of Tompkins County, and Groton also has a municipal utility. Once the line is made safe or the branches are clear of it, Tubbs can handle the rest of the pruning on the tree.
Want the full picture? Read our pruning & trimming guide, or see everything we do in Tompkins County.