Tree Service in Kendallville, IN

Tree Service in Kendallville is shaped in part by a summer day many residents still talk about. On July 14, 1992, an F2 tornado with estimated peak winds of 157 mph tore through the city, destroying 31 homes, injuring 28 people and causing more than $13 million in damage. No one died. It is a reminder that dealing with weak trees before a storm costs less than dealing with them after one.

Getting ahead of the next storm

No pruning makes a tree tornado-proof. But for the much more common summer thunderstorms and winter wind, a few steps reduce the odds that a tree damages your home:

• Remove dead trees and dead limbs, especially over the roof, drive and bedrooms
• Thin or reduce crowns that are top-heavy or lopsided
• Address co-dominant trunks with cracks or decay at the union, by cabling or removal
• Check roots after any construction, trenching or driveway work near the tree
• Clear limbs from the service drop, with the utility's help

On a walk-through, we will point out which trees are in good shape and which deserve attention.

The city in numbers

Kendallville was founded in 1849 and named for Amos Kendall, the eighth U.S. Postmaster General. It sits about 988 feet above sea level, well above Fort Wayne's 758 feet, and had 10,271 residents and 4,452 housing units in 2020. Census QuickFacts shows a 61.8% owner-occupied rate and a $133,200 median owner-occupied value. Neighborhoods near the Kendallville Downtown Historic District have older homes and mature trees; newer areas on the edges have younger trees that benefit most from structural pruning.

Lakes and wet ground

Bixler Lake, where the city holds its July Fourth fireworks, and the other lakes and wetlands of Noble County mean many yards have pockets of wet soil. Trees in wet ground root shallowly, and those roots give way more easily in saturated soil. If a tree near the water has started to lean or the soil around it has cracked, we recommend having it looked at.

After a storm

If a tree is on your house, call your insurer, take photos and keep clear of any downed wires. Indiana Michigan Power notes that during storm restoration, property owners are responsible for removing tree debris on their property. We remove trees from roofs and structures, clear driveways, and come back for the remaining cleanup and stump grinding once the urgent work is done.

Ash, maples and the downtown blocks

The streets around the Kendallville Downtown Historic District have older homes with large maples and the gaps left by ash lost to emerald ash borer. Purdue Extension warns that dead ash becomes brittle and dangerous to climb the longer it stands, so if one is still in your yard, take it down soon. Maples here tend to need deadwood removal and some reduction of long limbs over roofs.

Stumps and replanting

After a removal, we can grind the stump below grade, rake out the chips and leave the spot ready for topsoil. If you plan to replant, set the new tree a little away from the old stump, where the ground isn't full of decaying roots, and call Indiana 811 at least two full working days before digging.

Request an estimate

Call (260) 305-9252 or use the form. You can call any time and leave details; we will get back to you to schedule a visit.