Tree trimming is one of the most important steps in maintaining a healthy and safe tree on your property. There are many common misconceptions in the tree industry about trimming and how to manage tree inventory. Incorrect pruning can lead to disease, rot, undesirable look, or an unsafe tree, all of which is mostly irreversible. Hiring a Certified Arborist is your first step in caring for your trees. Jeff Burr (# FL-9464A) brings that knowledge to your property and can discuss what is best for your trees.
A tree evaluation and species identification will be our first step in recommending any trimming. This critical step is often overlooked with other tree service providers. Understanding growth rates, trimming techniques based on tree ID, and writing pruning specifications for successful maintenance intervals is what we do.
Outline of Some Basic Trimming Services
Hazardous limbs should be your first priority in any trimming service. Hazardous limbs can be invisible to the untrained eye. Many trees are still plagued with damaged limbs from the last 2-3 years of hurricanes. Wind twist and upper canopy damage can be relevant for several years after a large wind event.
Lower Canopy
Elevating is preformed to provide clearance from buildings, pedestrians, roadways, and visual enhancement. This correctly done will help to establish scaffold branches resulting in a well-formed healthy tree structure. Branches trimmed to an adequate height above your roof will prevent damage to roofing materials. Proper clearance will also keep animals and insects away from your home or building.
Thinning the interior portion of a tree is a delicate task for an Arborist. Proper thinning of select branches and water sprouts is key in having a successful healthy tree. Overthinning is the most widespread problem with other tree service providers and their lack of understanding on long term consequences impacting your tree’s health.
Removing Dead Wood
Every tree is prone to having dead wood. In a healthy tree this is a cycle of the tree’s growth. A tree in decline can have multiple and large limbs to deal with. Arborists are educated to remove dead wood and assess the hazards they pose to persons or property and when to recommend removal.
Structural
Almost every tree will need structural pruning sometime in its life. Most structural pruning takes place in the early years of a tree’s development. This interior and upper canopy problem is most commonly skipped or overlooked by service providers over the years. We will find these problem areas and address them for a healthy future.
Reduction Pruning
A specialized service that when implemented correctly is highly beneficial all while maintaining a healthy tree. We pride ourselves in offering this service with our specialty equipment and knowledge. As trees age and mature they tend to outgrow their space and encroach on structures. Reduction pruning can be implemented along rooflines, driveways, utilities, pools, etc. We can help discuss options for reduction and maintaining the tree but will not top or side cut you tree. Topping is not a recommended practice and has many adverse consequences.
Wind Load
This is best explained by a Certified Arborist. One of the largest sales tactics in Florida used by other service providers is to “hurricane cut your trees.” This is false; they are just trying to earn a quick dollar. We sell our service based on facts. The facts are that an over trimmed tree is more likely to fail in a windstorm. Most of wind load is excreted by downdrafts from high level winds. Fact is we see 40% more limbs fail in the upper canopy than lower due to downdrafts. Limbs in the lower or mid canopy fail at unions due to poor attachment; rot, excessive load due to overthinning. A properly maintained canopy tree is your best insurance in weathering the next storm. Ninety percent of our work following a local storm is new customer related, this is due to our risk management approach with our clients.
Superior Tree Service proudly provides trimming sevices in Melbourne, Palm Bay, West Melbourne, Malabar, Grant- Valkaria, Sebastian, Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Satellite Beach, Suntree, Rockledge, Viera, Cocoa, Port St. John, Titusville, and parts of surrounding counties. We have many recommendations on proper pruning for a safe tree and would love to discuss them with you. Let us show you the Superior way!