Expert Tree Services in Portland

Pruning 101: Types of Pruning and Trimming

Most people have a variety of trees on their property, which may all require different types of pruning to keep them healthy and strong. Often, more than one type of pruning is necessary. Pruning is beneficial to trees because it helps promote strong growth. When pruning or tree trimming is done poorly, it can damage or kill a tree.When our sales team gives an estimate, they’ll listen to your concerns first. Then, they’ll give an expert assessment and discuss the type of pruning needed for your trees and shrubs to remain healthy while promoting growth.

Pruning is mainly done for either hazard reduction (eliminating a possible hazard or danger) or maintenance (improving health and structure). The following types fall into one or both of these categories.

• Crown cleaning: Remove dead, dying, diseased or weak branches
• Crown thinning: Increases light penetration, air movement and reduce weight
• Crown raising (lift pruning): Remove lower branches to provide clearance
• Crown reduction: Decrease the height or spread to reduce encroachment to a structure, other trees, etc.
• Crown Restoration: Restores canopy structure to a tree that had been poorly pruned or a diseased tree

Once your trees are pruned by General Tree Service, you can expect them to be more aesthetically pleasing and healthier so you can enjoy them for years to come.

When is Tree Removal Necessary?

Deciding when to remove a tree can be a difficult decision. If you have a tree that you are struggling to decide what to do with, call the expert arborists at General Tree Service. Some of the reasons people decide to remove trees can be:

• Dead or dying trees that are more apt to topple in strong winds and cause damage
• Trees crowding other trees
• Growing close to home and causing structural damage

If the tree is diseased or struggling to survive, we can explore other options than removing it. If it is determined that the tree needs to be removed due to its proximity to a structure, we have professional teams of tree removal experts.

Our teams will come out and carefully remove the tree so none of your property is damaged. We will handle every step of the process including debris removal and stump grinding. All you’ll be left with will be deciding what to do with the newly empty space.

Our Team’s ISA-Certified Arborists

• 3 or more years of full-time, eligible, practical work experience in arboriculture
• Degree in the field of arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, or forestry from a regionally accredited educational institute.
• Ongoing education is a priority of all our employees as we strive to deliver the highest quality of tree, shrub, and plant health care throughout Portland, Salem, and SW Washington.

Being a certified arborist means that our employees have obtained the highest level of certification available for tree care. An arborist is an expert in caring for all types of trees in all stages of their lives.

One of the tasks that arborists are uniquely qualified for is to perform Tree Risk Assessments. Several General Tree Service arborists have a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification or TRAQ. Through education and training, arborists learn strategies that include a standardized and systematic process for identifying and assessing tree risk.

We also provide information to tree owners so they can make educated and informed decisions concerning the safety of their family and property while considering the tree’s health and longevity. Tree Risk Assessments are designed to empower home and business owners to understand the risks that their vegetation may pose to their property and customers and deal with it in a proactive manner.

Dealing with a Tree Emergency

Dealing with trees downed by a storm requires the right equipment and experience to prevent further damage. Having trained professionals makes all the difference between having the job done right and incurring more destruction when an inexperienced company doesn’t follow proper procedures.All our employees receive training in proper safety procedures as we’re not only concerned about our crews, but also your family and property. Standard procedures include wearing appropriate personal protection equipment, state of the art techniques to lower large limbs, and placing safety devices to control pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

If a tree falls on your property:

• Don’t try to move it yourself; call a tree company as they know how to safely deal with it.
• If the tree hit a power line, do not go near it. Call the power company and report the incident.
• For insurance purposes, you will want to take photos of the damage.

When you call for emergency tree service, we strive to make the situation as stress-free as possible. Upon arrival, we’ll make a quick assessment and take care of any immediate dangers to prevent further damage.

After careful evaluation, we’ll explain what needs to be done and if presenting multiple options, will explain the pros and cons of each. Our goal is to give you all of the critical information so you can make the best choice.