Why trim
Low limbs shade out the grass underneath them, scrape the top of your car and make mowing a fight. Dead branches drop in the first big Kansas wind. Limbs rubbing a roof or hanging over a fence cause damage that costs more than the trim. A good trim fixes all of it and helps the tree grow stronger.
The best time to trim
For most shade trees, late fall through early spring is ideal. The leaves are off, so we can see the structure, and the tree is dormant, so cuts heal cleanly once growth starts. Dead or hazardous limbs can come down any time of year.
Brush and overgrowth
Fence lines, back corners and lot edges that have grown into a thicket can be cleared and kept mowable afterward. It's a good winter or early-spring project before the mowing season starts.
Proper cuts
We cut back to a branch collar or a healthy side branch, not flush cuts or stubs, and we don't top trees. Finding the right place for a cut matters for the tree's health and how it grows from there.