Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When should I prune my trees?
There's a reason to prune any day of the year. That said, most fruit trees and evergreens are best pruned December through March. Summer pruning happens after flowering and fruit set. Fall pruning benefits from a few weeks buffer before hard frost. Deadwood and removals can happen anytime. Deciduous trees — Elms, Cottonwoods, Locusts, Boxelders — can be pruned throughout the year with attention to purpose. When in doubt, reach out and we'll point you in the right direction.
Q. Why should I prune my trees?
Most commonly — preventative maintenance, or to address a hazard to people, structures, or right of ways. But pruning is really about leveraging a tree's natural responses for a specific purpose. We can prune to reduce size or encourage vigor. To slow disease or improve structure. To shape, to train, or simply to spend time with a tree worth paying attention to.
Q. Should I top my trees?
Topping gets a bad reputation, and often deservedly so. But it is a tool — and like any tool, it has appropriate uses. We may top a tree as an approach for preservation , use it as an ornamental technique, cut to a stump to encourage a fresh start or shrink a tree that’s a genuine hazard. The key is intention and follow-through. Topping without a plan for managing the response growth is where things go wrong.
Q. Should I cut down my Siberian Elms?
Probably not — at least not reflexively. Siberian Elm thrives here because the environment favors it, and we've had a hand in creating that environment. The tree is a messenger, not a culprit.
If you have established Siberian Elms on your property, treat them as the high-value shade trees they are. New trees are hard to establish. The one you have, with some attention, may already be exactly what you need.
That said, removals are a legitimate part of managing your ecosystem. When removal makes sense, go in with a clear purpose, a plan for what replaces it, and a realistic sense of the work involved.
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