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Some trees are more sensitive than others, and pruning some trees in the wrong season, or at the wrong point of the branch may cause damage that will take years to repair or worse death of the tree. Experienced arborists unfortunately make the job look too easy, so there are a lot of cowboys who say that they’ll be able to trim a few trees for you, but more often than not you will find yourself in a position of having to call certified arborists to try and undo the damage that has been done.
There are a range of trees that readily grow in the Portland area, and some of these trees grow very large if left alone. Redwoods, walnuts, elms and maples are all amongst the type of tree that need to have regular pruning to avoid being in danger of growing into overhead lines or becoming a concern to nearby buildings in a major storm. Your arborist should be able to offer a tree service that not only plans out the best options for timing and method of pruning, but also advise on how to ensure the long healthy life of your tree.
Heritage Trees
This is a unique type of classification, with over 300 heritage trees having been listed in Portland alone. If you have a heritage tree on your property (and they can be on private or public land), you will need to get a permit from the Urban Forestry Commission before you are able to do any tree work at all. Permits are free, but your arborist will need to ensure that they have the appropriate permissions before they start work. You can go to this link to know more: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/40280.
Tree Pruning & Trimming
Tree pruning is an essential part of maintaining a healthy tree in an urban environment. It is not simply a case of sawing off a branch, a certified arborist will talk with you about what you want and offer suggestions on how to achieve that. Often people are looking for a way to increase the light they get into their property without loosing the beauty of the tree, or to create a certain look from their trees. Regular pruning helps keep your trees healthy by removing dead or diseased branches (which may simply have been knocked a bit too much in the last storm), but it also allows for your tree service company to start to create the look that you are after.
Tree pruning can be done at any time of the year but pruning during different growth stages will have different effects. If you want to encourage your tree to create smaller or specifically shaped tree then allowing spring growth might be recommended, whereas if you are wanting to encourage growth then before spring might be a better option.
Tree trimming tends to be more for conifers and hedges which have a tighter branch structure. Often people think of this as being for aesthetic control, but it is also concerned about the health of the plants (click here to learn more about tree care).
Tree Removal
This can be very dangerous, and expensive, if not done correctly. Your arborist needs to be experienced enough to know which branches to cut, where they will fall, and how to bring the tree down so that it does no damage to people or surrounding structures. If you check YouTube you will see a lot of tree felling fails.
People often need a tree removed because it has become dangerous. Either it is dying, or has been severely damaged in a storm, and if it is not removed with some haste could cause considerable damage, even death if someone happens to be walking past as it falls. If it is not safe to immediately fell a tree your arborist will be able to make suggestions on how you can increase the safety of the area until they are able to remove the tree.
However, sometimes the tree is simply blocking your view, creating too much shade or is in a location where you want to add a new building or structure. No matter what your reason for needing a tree removed you want to work with someone who understands that you may want it removed, but that you’re still sad it’s going. You want to work with someone who genuinely likes their job as a tree specialist.
For more information about tree service, call up Thousand Oaks arborists to assist you!
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