Absolute Family Solutions

ome or landscaping. We can haul everything away, or leave the wood for you to split. Your estimator can give you several options. We have a standing reputation for quality work, a quick response time, and competitive rates. Our company is always available for all of your tree care needs. Trimming and Pruning Reasons for pruning: Removing hazardous dead limbs that can damage property or cause injury when they fall, promote new growth and tree health, control shape and aesthetic quality, increase strength by eliminating weak branches, improve your view for line of sight safety or curb appeal, reduce mold & mildew build up on roof and siding, branches rubbing against your house or roof, and the most common reason, trimming branches away from your house helps prevent squirrels, rats, and similar pests from getting into your house. Types of tree trimming and pruning: Raising the Canopy: In this type of tree trimming only the lower limbs on a tree are removed. This is the most popular type of pruning. The end result is increased curb appeal. Crown or Canopy Cleaning: This type of tree trimming is removing only unhealthy branches. This is part of routine tree maintenance. All dead and diseased limbs are removed. Limbs too close together or with attachment points too close together are removed. Crown or Canopy Thinning: In crown thinning, the first step is to perform crown cleaning and then go on to remove more branches with a focus on increasing aesthetics, improving light pe*******on, improving air flow, improving visibility or a combination of the above. It is not recommended to remove more than 25% of the trees foliage producing limbs in one year. Crown or Canopy Reduction: Canopy reduction is used when a tree has outgrown its environment and cannot continue to grow upward. This is most often due to interference with overhead utility lines and is best done as part of a yearly maintenance program where a small portion is removed each year. Tipping or Topping: Topping is similar to canopy reduction except the reduction is often removal of nearly 100% of the foliage producing limbs. Tipping or topping is the last resource before complete tree removal. Not all trees can withstand this type of pruning. Shaping or Training Young Trees: Starting with young trees is the best way to prune. A little work in the first 5-10 years of a tree’s life can save a lot of work later. Trees respond well to pruning when young and can be trained towards a desired shape. When trees are really young you can focus on shape and as they get older you can focus on removing branches that are too close together or even rub against each other, as well as branches that have weak unions. As stated earlier, it becomes more problematic to prune trees as they get older. Application of Wound Dressing Paint: When limbs are pruned properly (Not leaving a stub and not flush cutting too close to the trunk) wound dressing should not be necessary. However, using a black wound dressing can help aesthetics if several limbs are removed. When to Prune: The best time to prune most trees is late winter or early spring. (Basically after winter’s worst but before they put on new growth.) This is critical because if you wait until ornamental trees break dormancy and begin to bud before pruning them you will be cutting off some of this year's blooms. For that reason, some experts recommend pruning ornamental trees immediately after they bloom. However, pruning outside the recommended time frame increases sap loss and the risk of infection. Making Correct Pruning Cuts: It is critically important when trimming larger limbs that you know where and how to cut them. Where to cut involves not leaving a nub and not flush cutting into the branch collar. Where the branch joins the tree in most types of tree there will be a noticeable collar. Stump Grinding What is stump grinding? A stump grinding machine is a little bigger than a large lawn mower. It has a wheel with sharp teeth that grind the stump into fine mulch. Stumps are ground 4-7" below ground level. When finished, the mulch from the stump is raked back into the hole where the stump was and in the place of a stump you have a small bed of mulch. Why you should consider stump grinding: Removing stumps by cutting them out manually can be a back breaking and time consuming process. Chemical treatments can speed the decomposition of the stump, but this process can still take years to complete. Fires rarely get more than the surface of the wood, and can cause legal headaches if they get out of control. With stump grinding, the entire process is complete within a few hours, and there are few (If any) possible complications.