Good trimming keeps a tree standing for decades; bad trimming (topping, flush cuts, hacking crape myrtles every February) shortens its life and makes it more dangerous. We prune the way an arborist prunes: remove the dead and crossing wood, thin the crown so wind passes through, lift branches off the roof and away from the service drop, and leave the tree looking like a tree.
Typical jobs in Tyler: oaks and pines overhanging a roof, limbs rubbing gutters, pecans that need deadwood cleared before the fall drop, and magnolias, crape myrtles and Bradford pears that have outgrown their spot.
What the job involves
- Deadwood and hazard limb removal over roofs, driveways and play areas
- Crown thinning and crown raising for light, airflow and clearance
- Clearance from house, gutters, chimney and the power service drop
- Structural pruning of young trees so they grow strong
- Ornamental pruning: crape myrtle, magnolia, Japanese maple, Bradford pear
When to prune in East Texas
Oaks are pruned only in the dormant season, roughly November to January, because the beetles that spread oak wilt fly from February through June and are drawn to fresh cuts; every cut on an oak is painted immediately. Pines can be limbed up most of the year. Crape myrtles are pruned lightly in late winter, never topped. Storm-damaged limbs come off whenever they happen.
Tyler's long growing season means fast regrowth, so a properly thinned crown lasts three to five years before it needs attention again.