Tree and Shrub Pruning—Our crews are well versed in all facets of tree and shrub pruning. Whether we are pruning the deadwood out of a large oak, thinning a small crabapple, or fine pruning a Japanese maple, we have the knowledge and skills to accomplish the customer’s goals while maintaining tree health and protecting your landscape investment. The following pruning services are performed in accordance with the arboricultural industry’s ANSI A300 standard:
Structural pruning is the removal of live branches and stems to influence the orientation, spacing, growth rate, strength of attachment, and ultimate size of branches and stems. Young trees need just as much attention as older trees. By addressing a few minor concerns early on in a tree’s life, one can avoid major, more costly measures in the future.
Crown cleaning is the selective removal of dead, diseased, detached, and broken branches. This type of pruning minimizes the spread of decay, insects, and diseases from affected tissue to the healthy portions of the tree. It also reduces the potential damage of falling deadwood.
Crown thinning is the selective removal of small, live branches to reduce crown density. Proper thinning is done near the ends of the limbs and requires the ability of a skilled arborist to make important decisions on what should stay and what should go. Thinning can help to reduce the risk of storm damage and disease.
Crown reduction is the selective removal of branches and stems to reduce the height or spread of a tree or shrub. Proper reductions take time and a keen eye for the overall shape of a tree or shrub. We do not ”top” trees. Instead, we make cuts at the proper junctions to accomplish this type of pruning.
Crown raising is the selective removal of branches to provide vertical clearance.
Crown restoration is the selective removal of branches, sprouts, and stubs from trees and shrubs that have been topped, severely headed, vandalized, lion tailed, broken in a storm or otherwise damaged.
Tree Removal—Occasionally the need arises to remove a tree or shrub from the landscape. Urban Foresters has the personnel and equipment necessary to safely remove most trees.
Our crews are well schooled in modern climbing and rigging techniques, and we are able to accomplish challenging trees with the use of our crane. Washtenaw county residents have come to rely on our ability to remove large trees in difficult locations.
Tree Support—Due to poor growth habits, extreme weather events, and massive sizes, some trees need structural support to reduce the risk of failure and prolong longevity. Trees with tight, vertical crotches, splits and cracks in woody tissue, and over-extended limbs are examples of trees in need of these services.
Bracing and cabling helps to limit the movement of weak areas of the tree by means of the installation of bolts through crotches and cables in the upper crown. Since these methods do not guarantee the safety of certain defects, it is important to have an arborist evaluate the best course of action for your tree. All of our work meets the industry’s ANSI A300 standard for tree support systems.
Stump Grinding—Grinding tree and shrub stumps allows for replanting after tree or shrub removal. We can also bring in larger equipment if necessary.
Stump mulch is left on site and makes an excellent soil amendment, however we can haul it away for an additional cost.
Lightning Protection—Lightning strikes thousands of trees every year. While some of these trees can survive with extensive care, the majority eventually decline. Trees on hills, lone trees, trees close to water, and tall trees are the most susceptible targets for lightning. Certain species are more prone to strikes as well. Maples, Catalpas, Ashes, Tulip Poplars, Cottonwoods, Poplars, Pines, Spruces, Oaks, Black Locusts, Hemlocks, and Elms are species with either a moderate or high susceptibility to strikes. Lightning can also “side-flash” from trees to buildings in close proximity resulting in fires. The National Fire Protection Agency recommends installing lightning protection in trees that are within 10 feet of a structure.
Lightning protection does not “attract” lightning. The system is installed to merely be receptive to strikes and direct them safely into the ground without harming the tree. A copper conducting wire is attached at the top of the tree and run down the trunk into the ground and out to a distance at least 10 feet away from the root flare. The hardware can last up to 100 years and occasionally the system needs to be extended if the tree grows significantly taller.
If you have a tree that meets any of the above descriptions, or if you simply have a favorite, large tree that you do not want to lose to lightning, an Urban Foresters representative can give you an estimate for this service. The cost to install a lightning protection system will always be far less than the financial and emotional cost of removing a large, memorable tree.
