OnSite Tree Services

Before and After of a removal where we hand carried these crabapple trees up two flights of stairs. Thank goodness they were not any bigger 😅
If you have a tree removal or trimming job you’d like a quote for, call/text us at 260-508-6657, or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Owner, Jake McDonald, posing with the face cut of a recent removal. The work we completed was probably one of the best investments this homeowner has recently made concerning the safety of his house and property. When we started this removal, we were aware of internal decay due to the severe swelling at the tree’s base. However, this extreme level was a bit unexpected. This 80 foot tall oak was growing very close to the front of the home, and extended well over the roof line. It would take very little to topple a tree in this condition, and it likely would not have stood much longer. We had recently discussed the possibility of adding resistance drilling to our risk assessment process, a method of safely checking standing trees for structural integrity. We will likely be adding it to our regimen within the coming months. If you have trees you would like evaluated by our certified arborist, you can call/text 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Before & After of a house on Lake Wawasee where we removed a storm damaged maple on Wednesday.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through our immediate service jobs. We should be back to our standard schedule in the next week!

There is potential for severe weather tonight, so please take proper precautions!
If you experience a tree related emergency, we are ready to respond. In the event of a tree on a home we will work directly with your insurance company to get the process completed as smoothly as possible.
We’ll be monitoring our customer phone line and messages, so if you experience an emergency we can get help to you as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to call us at 260-508-6657!

It can be a hard choice to lose shade in the yard, but sometimes trees pose greater risk than keeping them is worth. If you have trees that you are on the fence about keeping, or you’d just like to be better informed about, you can book a free consultation with our certified arborist by calling 260-508-6657 or filling out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Have you inspected your tree's root flare lately? Root flares – the area where a tree's trunk meets the roots – are crucial to overall tree health. They join the trunk to the earth, hold the weight of the tree, and withstand the pressures of gusty winds. But improper care of root flares is one of the most common causes of decline in urban trees.

The vast majority of urban root flare issues are due to our own lawn care practices. Mowers, string trimmers, and other equipment can wound a tree in this critical area, damaging or removing bark and paving the way for base decay or pest and pathogen entry. (See the first picture with the area highlighted in blue)

Many people who use mulch or topsoil to avoid this issue run into others. Trees will grow additional roots to exploit the added topsoil, and these roots often girdle – or "wrap" – the trunk and buttress roots, impeding the flow of water and nutrients to the rest of the tree. Excess mulch or soil can also trap moisture against the bark of the tree, causing decay and other issues.

Image 2 shows improper mulching, with the root flare covered. Image 3 shows a proper application of mulch, with the root flare left uncovered. Image 4 shows a small girdling root that had grown over the root flare of the tree, due to rocks and topsoil being applied over the root flare. Images 5 and 6 show a much larger girdling root that had developed due to the same improper practice.

A thin bed of mulch, or other landscaping aggregate, that permits airflow and leaves the majority of the root flare exposed is the best way to prevent both physical and environmental damages to the base of your trees!

If you are concerned about the condition of your tree's root flare, call us at 260-508-6657 for a free consultation with an ISA Certified Arborist, or fill out the form on our website, onsitetreeservices.com. We’d also be happy to get you a quote for delivery of organic, dye-free mulch!

Before ⬇️ & After ⬆️ of a dead tree removal

Pruning is the process of removing limbs or branches from a plant.
We prune trees for a variety of reasons, but most commonly; improving aesthetics, providing clearance on buildings and utility lines, removing dead wood, and elevating canopies so our clients no longer have to duck when mowing! Trees in good health generally respond well to routine pruning, but care must be taken by the arborist not to cause adverse effects. Poorly placed cuts can hamper CODIT response, leading to the formation of decay. Pruning trees in poor condition can inhibit recovery. Improper cutting technique can lead to peeled bark and a large, difficult wound for the tree. And removing too much foliage at once can often "shock" a tree into producing an unsightly multitude of small but fast growing shoots in an effort to quickly replace its photosynthesizing organs (leaves). In order to provide the best care for the tree, as well as the best solution for the client, an Arborist must be able to properly assess the tree before pruning, and predict the tree's response to the proposed pruning.
At OnSite Tree Services, we adhere to standards set by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA's Best Management Practices — Tree Pruning) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI A300) to ensure that we are leaving healthy trees and happy clients in our wake!
Pictured, you can see examples of old and new pruning cuts on a locust tree. The old cuts, circled in blue, were made 1 year ago, and they are on their way to sealing. We pruned two additional limbs this past week, which were a bit larger than we typically would make cuts on. The one that is outlined in red was a broken limb that had split and peeled badly and was in need of pruning to reduce the amount of damaged/dead tissue on the tree. This way the tree will have a much better chance of successfully sealing that wound. The pruning cut, circled in pink, was made to reduce the limb (outlined in pink) which was reaching over the peak of the roof. Not only was it causing moss growth on the roof, but it also had a higher risk of damaging the roof than any other if it were to fail, like its neighboring limb.
If you have questions or concerns about your trees or would like a free quote/assessment you can call us at 260-508-6657 or fill out our request form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Tonight’s weather has some severe potential for our area. Keep your wits about you, and stay safe everyone!
If you experience a tree related emergency, we are ready to respond. In the event of a tree on a home we will work directly with your insurance company to get the process completed as smoothly as possible.
We’ll be monitoring our customer phone line and messages, so if you experience an emergency we can get help to you as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to call us at 260-508-6657!

*** Outdated Information ***

Good evening, Hoosiers! Tonight is a severe weather alert night, with the extreme northwestern corner of the state under an Enhanced Risk (orange 3 out of 5), a good swath of northern and central Indiana under a Slight Risk (yellow 2 out of 5), and an even bigger swath of northeastern, central, and west central Indiana under a Marginal Risk (dark green 1 out of 5) for severe weather hazards including damaging high winds with gusts of 70+mph, torrential rain, and the possibility for a couple tornadoes.

While the over all threat, in our book, may be diminishing as the system responsible starts to lose some steam, this will be a night that you will need multiple ways to receive weather warnings just in case.

We expect a line of storms to quickly march across the state with fast-moving storm motions and high winds. This will be a nocturnal event beginning somewhere between midnight EST/11pm CST and 2am EST/1am CST and lasting through Wednesday morning somewhere around the 7am EST/6am CST region.

More or less, we can expect a higher octane version of what we saw last night. Be weather aware!

Tomorrow will bring its own set of risks primarily to the southern half of our state, and will be talk about that in detail tomorrow as further data becomes available.

This evening's severe weather forecast is brought to you by our sponsor, FBi Buildings, Inc., the Midwest's top source for all things related to post-frame construction!

🎼 There must be 50 ways to kill a tree 🎼

As I’m looking at some upcoming informational posts, I’m curious to know if our followers have any questions on topics regarding trees? Whether it’s related to care/maintenance, planting, identification, health issues, or anything else that you may have ever wondered about trees, please feel free to drop a comment or question down below!

"Trees don't heal, they seal!" Many of our clients have heard us say it, but what does it mean? Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees (CODIT) is the process by which trees respond to injury and pathogens. First proposed by Dr. Alex Shigo in the 1970s, this widely-accepted theory describes chemical and physical changes to plant cells that serve to slow the spread of decay. This "sealing" effect allows trees to continue to grow, and often thrive, after loss of limb or bark. The success of this process is dependant upon many factors, most notably the size and location of the "wound" and the condition of the tree as a whole. Some species, such as white oak and sycamore are great at compartmentalizing decay. Others, such as red oak and silver maple, tend to struggle to "seal" completely, often resulting in large hollows or sections of brittle, dead tissue encased in a ring of "wound wood". It's important to note this process in your trees from time to time, especially in the years following pruning or storm damage.
The following images are examples of this sealing process around pruning cuts. The wounds circled in blue are fully sealed, while the ones circled in pink are well on their way. You may recognize the image with the red circle, as it was also used in our post on topping a couple weeks ago. The red circle shows an example of a wound which the tree struggled to completely seal, leaving an opening to a large hollow with brittle, dead tissue surrounding it.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments. And if you would like a free quote or evaluation of your trees you can fill out our form at onsitetreeservices.com or call/text us at 260-508-6657!

We hope everyone is staying safe through the storms tonight. If you don’t already follow Indiana Storm Chasers, we would like to recommend following their page as they closely monitor and report on all severe weather.
If you experience a tree related emergency, we are ready to respond. In the event of a tree on a home we will work directly with your insurance company to get the process completed as smoothly as possible.
We’ll be monitoring our customer phone line and messages, so if you experience an emergency we can get help to you as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to call us at 260-508-6657!

Indiana Storm Chasers Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors engaging Hoosiers with life-saving weather information, severe weather videos/photos, safety plans, live storm chasing, weather hazard education, and more

Sharing some action shots from the dead oak we took down at Richard and Nancy Hess’s property a while back. You may recall seeing the video showing a large population of flying squirrels that we evacuated before felling the tree. All of which made it safely to a nearby den tree.
If you’re looking to have trees removed, trimmed, or evaluated by a certified arborist give us a call at 260-508-6657. You can also fill out our request form at onsitetreeservices.com!

We receive many questions from homeowners about tree topping, usually for the purpose of reducing risk to homes or other nearby structures. But is it an acceptable alternative to the removal of risky trees? According to the International Society of Arboriculture and other professional organizations, it is not.

Topping is a severe pruning procedure in which the top portions of limbs are removed from the tree, reducing the size of the tree as a whole. These large diameter, poorly placed cuts can introduce decay, increase disease susceptibility, and drastically reduce the amount of foliage left to the tree. In response, the tree produces rapidly growing epicormic sprouts (often called sucker sprouts) as well as attempting to compartmentalize, or "seal off" the decay as it spreads. Oftentimes, the end result is numerous, long and fast-growing shoots perched atop a hollow "knuckle" where the topping cuts were made. This new growth is structurally weak and prone to wind damage, and often returns the tree to its former size within a short number of years.

In the following photos, red lines indicate where previous topping cuts were made. You can also see the hollow knuckles where the decay from those cuts was not successfully sealed. In this particular tree, that we removed last week, many of the epicormic sprouts extended dangerously over the roofline. The last photo shows a cutaway of one of those hollow knuckles and the rotting cavity that traveled at least 10 inches down into the limb.

If you are concerned about a tree that has been topped in the past, call us for a free consultation with an ISA Certified Arborist.
260-508-6657
onsitetreeservices.com

We are looking to grow! Please feel free to share!

We are currently looking for a full time climber/lift operator.
Ideally this person will have experience in this position/industry, but we are also willing to invest extensive training in an individual if we feel like it’s a good match. Reliable transportation and valid drivers license are required.
Ideally this is a long term position with opportunity for advancement. We are a business with a team type mentality, and we are dedicated to quality service, honesty, and hard work.
Pay will be heavily dependent on experience/ability. Starting pay for an experienced individual would be in the 25$/hr range with opportunity for increase in pay based on the responsibility you can handle.
Based in Noble County.
Please message us if you are interested, or shoot Jake a text or call at 260-508-6657!

Before and after of a willow removal. This particular job was a leave lay where we only hauled away the largest portion of the trunk. Some clients opt for the potential cost savings and/or just want some yard work and wood to keep, and we are more than happy to quote jobs to fit your needs.
If you’re looking to have trees removed, trimmed, or evaluated call/text us at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

This before and after look shows a large oak we removed from a lake property. The tree was very close to the water, leaned toward the house, and was a bit too close for comfort. Taking our time to carefully rig down all the brush and logs we avoided damage to the patio below it and left the homeowner with a brighter, safer deck space.
If you’ve got trees you’d like removed, trimmed, or evaluated give us a call or text at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Some shots from our first nice weather work day of the year. Hopefully all of you got outside to enjoy that little ray of spring!!
If you’d like to have trees removed, trimmed, or evaluated give us a call/text at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Our team member, Seth Slabaugh, has spent the winter months studying and just this week received the results of his ISA Certified Arborist Exam. We are proud to announce that we now have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff, putting us another step closer to providing the greatest quality of service possible to our clients. Congratulations to Seth on this big accomplishment!!

Seth Slabaugh
IN-3751A

Before and after of another big removal. This oak was huge, ancient, and unfortunately in position to crush this entire house if it were to become compromised. It’s sad to see old and beautiful trees go, but good to know we are giving people peace of mind in the safety of their homes. If you are looking to have your trees removed, trimmed, or professionally evaluated you can fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com or call/text 260-508-6657!

We safely removed two massive trees, a sycamore and a maple, that towered over this lake house. We had multiple days of rigging down the canopies and the rake up was intense. Luckily, two awesome neighbors wanted the logs, so we saved a bit of time running trailers. If you’re looking to have your trees removed, trimmed, or evaluated you can call us at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Here’s a few action shots from our graveyard removal job this fall. This rotted trunk had a whole colony of mice in it that began swarming during the felling cut 🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭
If you’re looking to have a tree removed, trimmed, or evaluated you can give us a call or text at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

Before and After of a graveyard removal we completed in October. Both trees were heavily decayed, and the one on the left actually contained an active honeybee hive that we rigged down and relocated!
If you are looking to have trees removed, trimmed, or assessed you can fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com or call/text 260-508-6657!

A few pics from yet another beautiful morning we worked this fall. We’ll be craving these days on all the cold ones we work through the winter 🥶 Nonetheless, we’ll still be trimming and removing trees every week. If you have trees you’d like to get a FREE quote or assessment on you can call/text us at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

One last look at this monster.
And as always, if you’ve got trees you need evaluated, trimmed, or removed you can fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com or call/text us at 260-508-6657!

Here is a before and after, to give another perspective of the big sycamore we removed a while back. Large trees that are very near a home, and in tight quarters between houses, are always tricky. And this may have been our most lengthy, difficult removal of 2023. I’ll share some photos to give perspective of the trunk logs next week!
If you need your trees removed, trimmed, or evaluated you can call/text us at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!

OnSite Tree Services is giving away $3,000 worth of work!
For a lot of us, money is tight, and things we need to do get put on the back burner for lack of funds. As a small, family owned and operated business we feel the crunch as well. Help us help you as we strive to broaden our reach and client base. We are offering $3,000 of free, residential, tree removal or trimming work. This offer is limited to a single location inside a 30 minute range from Albion, Indiana. The winner may also use this as a credit towards a job larger than $3000 or even transfer the prize value to a friend or family member. Team member, Seth Slabaugh will be quoting the work.
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY you must like this post, like our page, share this post, invite all of your friends to like the page, and comment or message with a screenshot of your sent invites.
Once you have completed the entry requirements your name will be added to a drawing that will take place two weeks from today, on November 8th. We will contact the winner immediately after the drawing.
A friendly reminder, as there are always scammers popping up, we will never ask you for card or bank info in relation to this giveaway.
Thank you all for your support, and good luck!

A quick, little removal we completed recently over a beautiful patio space. This dead cherry made quite the dust cloud going through the chipper. We’ve still got just a bit of space left in our fall schedule, so if you’ve got tree removal or trimming that you want completed before the heavy snow starts, now is the time to get on our books. You can give us a call/text at 260-508-6657 or fill out the form at onsitetreeservices.com!