Pruning & Trimming

How often a tree needs to be trimmed depends on the age of your tree. Generally, for mature trees, you will need to prune them every 3 to 5 years. Younger trees should be pruned every 2 to 3 years.

It's best to have your trees inspected annually by a qualified tree professional to see if they need any trimming. This annual evaluation will allow you to quickly address any problems between major prunings.

Storm events may also cause damage that needs to be addressed immediately.

Often, you'll know when it's time to prune a tree.

For example, it may have an unattractive shape, branches may be hitting your roof, or low branches could be blocking your view or obstructing traffic and pedestrians.

Perhaps you're seeing deadwood throughout the tree or broken or hanging branches that pose a safety risk.

Whenever you think there may be a safety hazard, call us at 703-969-6207 for a tree inspection. Safety is always a good reason to prune a tree!

Generally, winter (the tree's dormant season) is a good time to prune trees, but that doesn't mean it's the only time. And some trees are best trimmed in late spring or early summer. It’s important to consult an expert that can do a thorough examination before trimming. If it’s done in the wrong season, it can worsen diseases, reduce (or even eliminate) flowering and fruit production, and jeopardize the health of your trees.

Generally, cutting off dead branches may help a tree, but every situation can be different. When done correctly, cutting off a dead branch will allow the tree to focus on its healthy branches and promote more growth.

We prefer to meet with you before starting work to ensure we all agree on what's being done and the expected outcome. Plus, we love meeting our customers!

However, if you've already had a good conversation with our team and cannot be present while work is being done, we can proceed with pruning work with your approval.

We do not top trees. Also called "hat-racking," this process of cutting trees to make them shorter is not only harmful to the trees, but it's also illegal in many locations.

Yes. Not only does pruning help your trees live a longer and healthier life, but it also improves your property's curb appeal and increases your property value.

>> Learn more about why tree trimming is important

The type and size of the power line and proximity to the pruning we'll be doing dictate how we will approach performing the work. Any job that involves pruning near a power line requires a thorough inspection by one of our experienced tree professionals. We'll coordinate with the local power company to disconnect power to the line(s) in or near your tree if necessary.

Safety is always our first consideration when working near powerlines, so we take extra care to ensure our crews are safe. This might mean that scheduling your pruning job will be delayed while we make proper arrangements with the power company.

Yes, you can! Winter is the dormant season for most plants and trees, making it an ideal pruning time.

Cold temperatures and short daylight hours usher in dormancy and, like hibernating animals, trees and shrubs turn their energy use down to its lowest setting and settle in to snooze until spring.