Tree Trimming & Pruning in Fort Wayne, IN

Tree trimming and pruning done well makes a tree safer in a storm and keeps it growing well for decades; done badly, it starts decay and a mess of weak sprouts. Pro Tree Service Fort Wayne prunes to the national ANSI A300 standard: cuts made just outside the branch collar, no more live wood removed than the tree can handle, and no topping. For most Fort Wayne yards the work comes down to taking out dead wood, reducing the weight on long limbs, fixing tight forks on young trees and keeping branches off roofs, chimneys and driveways.

Silver maples need regular attention

The city's forestry plan names silver maple as the main tree in Fort Wayne's canopy. They grow quickly, reach a large size and have weak wood, and older ones tend to form several upright stems joined at tight V-shaped forks. Those are the trees that drop big limbs in summer storms. Thinning the crown and shortening the longest, heaviest limbs reduces the load on those forks without stripping the tree. A large silver maple over a house is often best checked every few years.

Oaks get pruned in winter

Purdue Extension reports oak wilt in more than 60 Indiana counties. Sap beetles carry the fungus to fresh wounds, and the risk runs from March through late November, so Purdue advises pruning oaks from December through February. Red and black oaks are far more susceptible than white or bur oaks. If an oak limb breaks in summer, the broken stub is cut clean and the work is kept to the minimum needed.

Types of pruning

Crown cleaning removes dead, broken and crossing branches. Crown thinning takes selected branches out of a dense crown to let wind through. Crown raising lifts low limbs over sidewalks, driveways and lawns. Crown reduction shortens limbs back to a lateral branch to pull weight away from a roof or a wire. Structural pruning on young trees picks one main leader and removes competing stems while the cuts are still small, which avoids bigger problems later.

Street trees and wires

If the tree is in the strip between curb and sidewalk, it is likely a city street tree, and the city requires permission for any work on it; requests go through 311. Indiana Michigan Power trims for line clearance near its lines. We keep well away from energized lines and work on the rest of the tree.

When to schedule

Late fall through winter suits most deciduous trees in northeast Indiana: the structure is easy to see without leaves, and many insects and diseases are inactive. Dead and broken limbs can come out any time. Spring, while leaves are forming, is the time we avoid for heavy pruning on most species.