Trees are living things, and like anything with that much power they need regular checkups and maintenance. The right pruning keeps a tree healthy, clears limbs away from your roof and lines, and cuts down on what a storm can break off.
Good pruning is selective. It removes the branches that are a problem and leaves the tree’s natural shape and strength intact. Bad pruning, like topping a tree or stripping its interior, weakens it and creates more work later. Our plans are built to keep your tree healthier after we leave than before we came.
What Pruning Can Do for Your Trees
- Remove dead, diseased and broken branches before they fall
- Clear limbs off roofs, gutters, chimneys and siding
- Raise the canopy over driveways, walkways, lawns and roads
- Thin the crown so wind and light move through it
- Reduce weight on long limbs that reach over a house or deck
- Train young trees early so they grow into a strong structure
Types of Pruning, in Plain Terms
You will see these terms in your plan, so here is what each one means.
- Deadwooding: taking out dead and dying branches, the most common safety pruning
- Crown raising: removing lower limbs to create clearance underneath
- Crown thinning: removing selected interior branches to reduce density and wind load
- Crown reduction: shortening long limbs back to strong side branches to reduce size or weight
- Clearance pruning: cutting back limbs that touch or crowd a building
Timing Your Pruning
Many trees are best pruned while dormant, from late fall into early spring. The structure is easy to see with the leaves off, and fresh cuts are less exposed to insects and disease. Oaks in particular are best pruned in the dormant season.
Dead, broken or dangerous limbs are the exception. Those should come out whenever they are found. Jason will note in your plan which work is urgent and which can wait for the best season.
How Much Should Come Off?
Less than most people expect. Removing too much live canopy at once stresses a tree and triggers a flush of weak sprouts. A well-pruned tree should look natural, not freshly cut. If a tree needs more change than one visit can safely give it, we will spread the work over two or more seasons and say so in your plan.
What Affects the Cost
- Tree size and how many trees are in the plan
- How the canopy is reached: climbing, bucket truck, or both
- Limbs over roofs or wires that must be lowered on ropes
- How much brush there is and whether it is chipped, hauled or left
- Combining pruning with removals or other work in one visit
Pruning & Trimming by County
Every county we serve has its own trees, terrain and rules. See what pruning & trimming looks like where you live:
- Pruning & Trimming in Tompkins County, NY
- Pruning & Trimming in Tioga County, NY
- Pruning & Trimming in Chemung County, NY
- Pruning & Trimming in Cortland County, NY
- Pruning & Trimming in Schuyler County, NY
- Pruning & Trimming in Seneca County, NY
Common Questions
When is the best time to prune?
Many trees are best pruned while dormant, between late fall and early spring. Dead or dangerous limbs should come out whenever they are found, in any season.
Do you top trees?
No. Topping cuts the main stems back to stubs. It weakens the tree, invites decay and causes fast, poorly attached regrowth. If a tree is too big for its spot, crown reduction or removal is the better answer.
Can you trim branches hanging over from my neighbor’s yard?
Often yes, but talk with your neighbor first, and check with your town or an attorney if there is any disagreement about the tree. When everyone agrees, Jason can plan the cuts at the property line so the tree stays healthy and balanced.
How often should my trees be pruned?
Most mature trees benefit from a check every few years, and young trees do well with lighter, more frequent structural pruning. Trees over a house or driveway are worth a look after any big storm.
Will pruning save a tree that is already declining?
Removing dead wood can buy time and lower the risk, but it will not reverse decay or a pest infestation. Jason will tell you honestly whether pruning or removal is the better use of your money.