Tree trimming is the work I do most often in Windsor. It is not the same as cutting a tree down, and it is not cosmetic. When I trim a tree, I remove what is dead, what is rubbing against your roof or garage, and the branches that cross and wear on each other. The tree keeps its own shape, and it stays healthy for decades.
What tree trimming actually is
Tree trimming is the selective removal of branches to improve the health, safety and structure of a living tree. I climb the tree myself and take out deadwood, branches that rub against your house or garage, limbs that cross and wear on each other, and growth that blocks light or sight lines. The goal is not to make the tree smaller or reshape it into an artificial form. The goal is to let the tree be itself, but without the parts that cause problems.
Many people confuse trimming with topping. Topping is the brutal cutting of large branches back to stubs. I do not top trees, ever. A topped tree is weakened, ugly and dangerous. When I trim, I work with the tree's natural branching pattern and remove whole limbs at the collar, where they join the trunk. The tree heals properly, and the canopy stays sound.
The work is done with hand saws, pruning saws and sometimes a chainsaw, depending on the size of the branch. Everything I cut gets chipped on site, and your yard is clean before I leave.
Why it matters in South Walkerville
Trimming prevents damage to your house and keeps the tree alive longer. A branch that rubs against your roof or garage shingles will wear through them in a few years. A branch that hangs over your roof collects leaves and debris, clogs your gutters, and in winter, ice can build up on it and snap it off. When that happens, the branch comes down hard, often through a window or onto a parked car.
Deadwood is a safety issue. A dead branch can fall without warning, especially after a windstorm or an ice storm. Crossing branches rub each other raw, creating wounds where disease and insects get in. Once a branch is wounded, the tree has to spend energy fighting infection instead of growing strong.
Trimming also improves the tree's structure. When a tree has competing leaders (two main trunks growing upward), the weight they carry can split the tree apart in a heavy wind or snow load. Removing one of those leaders prevents a failure later. On old silver maples along the neighbourhood streets, the limbs that come down in a July storm are always the ones that were never thinned. I would rather come back twice a year than strip a quarter of the canopy in one go, because that is how you keep the tree sound.
When to do tree trimming?
The best time to trim most trees is late winter, from February through early March, before the sap starts to rise and the leaves come out. At that time, I can see the structure of the tree clearly, and the tree is dormant, so the cuts heal without the stress of active growth. Maples are an exception: they bleed sap heavily if trimmed in late winter, so I trim them in summer after the leaves are fully out.
You should call me if you notice deadwood in the canopy, if branches are rubbing your roof or touching power lines near your private service entrance, if you see branches crossing and rubbing each other, or if a tree looks unbalanced or lopsided. After a windstorm or an ice storm, branches often hang broken in the canopy. They need to come out before they fall on their own.
If a branch is touching your roof, do not wait for spring. Call me in the season it is happening, so I can remove it and prevent water damage. If a branch is near your hydro line, I can trim it back safely, respecting the clearance distances that the utility requires. If you are not sure whether a tree needs trimming, I can come and look. A free estimate will tell you what the tree needs and when.
How I work in Windsor
You call me at (877) 386-7660 or reach out online and describe what you see. I ask you where the tree is, what species it is if you know, and what the problem is. From there, I schedule a time to visit and look at the tree myself. There is no charge for that visit.
When I arrive, I walk around the tree and look at it from all angles. I look for deadwood, for branches that are too close to the house, for crossing limbs, and for the tree's overall structure. I explain what I see and what I would do. You get a free estimate for the work, and you decide whether to go ahead.
On the day of the work, I bring my truck, my climbing gear, my saws and my chipper. I climb the tree myself and cut the branches one by one. As I cut, I lower them to the ground or let them fall if it is safe. Everything gets fed into the chipper right away. The chips stay on your property unless you ask me to haul them away. Before I leave, the yard is clean. There are no stubs, no brush piles, no mess.
The situations I run into
Deadwood removal. A dead branch is easy to spot in summer when the leaves are out: it has no foliage, or the foliage is sparse and brown. In winter, it is grey and brittle. Deadwood can fall without warning, and it also signals that the tree is stressed. I remove all of it.
Clearance trimming. If a branch hangs over your roof, your garage, or a shed, I cut it back to the trunk or to a lateral branch. If a branch is close to a hydro line serving your house, I trim it back to a safe distance, respecting the clearance that the utility requires. This is one of the most common calls I get.
Structural pruning. Some trees have competing leaders, crossed branches or limbs that rub each other raw. On young trees, I thin these out early so the tree grows strong. On mature trees, especially old maples, I remove the limbs that would fail in a storm.
Thinning the canopy. If a tree is very dense and blocks light to your garden or house, I can thin it by removing some of the smaller branches throughout the crown. This lets light through without removing large limbs or changing the tree's shape. On big silver maples, I do this carefully over two or three visits rather than all at once.
Hedge and cedar trimming. Cedar hedges and formal hedges need regular trimming to stay dense and healthy. I can trim these by hand or with power equipment, depending on what you need.
