It’s easiest for our tree service to cut down trees in the winter, when the leaves have fallen from the branches. Winter is also considered the most environmentally sound time to remove a tree.

Removing trees during the wildlife breeding season stresses out birds and other creatures, so be sure to ask us about those factors when you want a tree removed.

As with tree removals, the best time to trim and prune trees and shrubs is in the winter, when most plants are dormant and less susceptible to disease and insect damage.

Proper pruning addresses five main issues:

• Dead wood
• Dying wood
• Damaged wood
• Disfigured wood
• Diseased wood

We cut twigs and branches back to healthy wood or, when necessary, to the ground. We also prune branches and twigs that cross and rub on one another. Pruning can be done any time of the year but is best in winter.

It’s best to remove only 10 to 20 percent of tree branches from the edge of the canopy at a time. For large trees, we remove the ends of limbs that are between one to four inches in diameter. For smaller, ornamental trees and fruit trees, we thin them by removing limbs ¼- to ½-inch thick.