Tree Trimming in Mountain Home, AR

Signs a tree needs trimming

You'll usually notice one of these first: branches touching the roof, a dead limb with no leaves while the rest of the tree is green, branches hanging low over a driveway or boat ramp, or a crown so thick that grass won't grow under it. Leaves piling in the gutters every week in fall is another good hint.

What does a good trim include?

We cut deadwood first, because that's what falls. Then we clear the roof, chimney and driveway, take out branches that cross and rub, and thin the crown so wind can pass through it. Each cut is made just outside the branch collar, which lets the tree seal the wound.

We don't top trees. Chopping the top off an oak or a maple causes a burst of weak shoots and usually starts rot that ends in a removal a few years later.

When is the best time to trim?

For oaks, late fall through winter is best. Oak wilt is present in Arkansas, and the beetles that spread it are most active in spring, so we avoid fresh cuts on oaks from about February through June unless a limb is dangerous. Pines and maples can be trimmed most of the year. Dead limbs can come out any time.

What affects the price of trimming?

• How many trees, and how big.
• Whether a climber is needed or a bucket truck can reach.
• How much of the work hangs over the roof, a deck or lines.
• How much brush there is to chip and haul.

Trimming for lake homes and view lots

A lot of homes around Norfork Lake and Bull Shoals were built for the view, and twenty years later the oaks and cedars on the slope below have grown right into it. Topping those trees is the wrong fix. It leaves stubs that sprout dense, weakly attached shoots, and the tree looks worse within a few seasons. The better approach is to thin and raise the crowns: removing selected limbs so you can see through the canopy and lifting the lowest branches so the view opens up underneath.

Shoreline managed by the Corps of Engineers has its own rules about cutting vegetation, and permits may be required. If your trees are on or near that boundary, check with the Corps lake office before any work. We only trim on private property, and we'll help you figure out where the line is.

Clearance cuts around the house

Limbs rubbing a roof wear away shingles and give squirrels a bridge into the attic. Branches hanging over a chimney are a fire risk, and leaves packed into gutters cause water problems. We cut limbs back to a proper union, not to a stub, so the tree can seal the wound and keep growing without throwing a flush of sprouts back at the roof. Utility lines are a different matter: anything touching a power line is for the electric company or a line-clearance crew, and we'll tell you if that's what you're dealing with.

How often should trees be trimmed?

Most mature shade trees in a yard do well with a trim every three to five years. Fast growers like silver maple and sweetgum may need it sooner. Young trees benefit from light structural pruning early, which prevents many of the weak forks that later need cabling and bracing.