Tree Trimming & Pruning in Chattanooga, TN

Tree trimming and pruning keeps a good tree from becoming a problem. In Chattanooga, where July thunderstorms roll over the ridges and an occasional heavy, wet snow loads up the evergreens, most limb failures start with something that could have been spotted: a dead branch over the roof, a long limb with all its weight at the tip, a narrow fork with bark pinched inside it. Pruning removes those weak points while keeping the tree's shape, shade and health. It is not the same as cutting a tree back hard, and done badly it can make a tree weaker than before.

What good pruning looks like

The industry standard for tree pruning in the US is ANSI A300. In practice that means cutting just outside the branch collar (the slightly swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk) instead of flush against the trunk or leaving a stub, and removing no more live canopy than the tree needs. Topping, which means cutting a tree's main stems back to stubs, is the opposite of good pruning: the tree answers with a thicket of weakly attached sprouts that break more easily than the limbs they replaced. If someone offers to top your tree, it is worth a second opinion.

Common pruning jobs here

The requests we see most are clearing limbs off roofs and gutters, raising the canopy over driveways and streets so trucks and school buses can pass, thinning dense crowns so wind can move through them, and taking out dead wood before it falls. On hillside lots, view pruning comes up too: selectively thinning branches on the downhill side so you can see the river or the ridge again without stripping the tree. Young trees benefit most of all, because a fork corrected when the branch is thumb-sized never becomes a split trunk later.

Trees that need extra attention

Bradford and other Callery pears develop tight, upright forks that tend to split; corrective pruning while they are young helps, but older pears often reach a point where removal makes more sense. Tulip poplars, oaks and sweetgums can grow very large over small valley lots and benefit from periodic deadwood removal. Pines should be pruned sparingly, since wounds and stress can attract bark beetles. Dogwoods, redbuds and other spring bloomers are best trimmed right after flowering.

Near power lines

We do not prune branches touching or close to energized lines. EPB keeps its primary lines clear, pruning to at least 10 feet on a five-to-six-year cycle. The line from the pole to your house is the homeowner's responsibility, but EPB will lower that service line at no charge so a tree company can prune safely, then put it back. Call EPB to set that up before the visit, and we work on the rest of the tree.

Timing

Late winter, while hardwoods are dormant, is a good season for structural pruning: you can see the branch structure, and cuts have all of spring to start closing. Dead, cracked or hanging limbs should not wait for any season.