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 it, lift branches off the roof and away from the service drop, and leave the tree looking like a tree.
Typical jobs in Macon: oaks and pines overhanging a roof, limbs rubbing gutters, pecans that need deadwood cleared before pecan season, and magnolias and cherries 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, Yoshino cherry, Japanese maple, magnolia
When to prune in Middle Georgia
Most hardwoods are best pruned in late winter while dormant, before the March flush. Crape myrtles are pruned lightly in late winter, never topped. Cherries are pruned right after they bloom. Pines can be limbed up most of the year. Storm-damaged limbs come off whenever they happen; a hanging limb is not a wait-until-winter problem.
Macon's heat and long growing season mean fast regrowth, so a properly thinned crown lasts three to five years before it needs attention again.