Our Services
tree & shrub pruning
During pruning we selectively remove parts of a tree or shrub for health, structure, growth and safety. This includes pruning to redirect growth away from structures such as buildings, wires, and other trees.
Removal of deadwood is essential for tree health and light thinning up to 25% of live growth can increase vigor. Major crossing branches (and especially those rubbing together) can cause injury, which leads to compromised strength and, eventually, failure. In pruning out the weaker branch we can prevent this.
Should your tree require it, all diseased material needs to be pruned out to attempt to control the spread. The best defense against disease is good health! If we can’t eliminate a disease, we can remove visible symptoms to help the tree stay strong and healthy.
We also offer pruning to restore trees that have been topped in the past (poor practice). With this pruning, we keep only the strongest epicormic limbs and remove/thin out the remainder (up to 25%). This allows the strongest limbs to dominate and start to look like a tree again (rather than a shrub). A topped tree will never have the same healthy structure and look it did before topping, but we can do our best to restore them in order to keep beauty in our landscape as long as possible.
Storm damage pruning & removals
Broken branches need to be taken out, but not just where they break. When a tree suffers damage, a sharp clean cut needs to be made at the branch collar or nearest supporting lateral branch. This ensures the best healing and prevents the invasion of disease and decay. Not only are broken branches dangerous to people, they are hazardous to the health of the tree if not removed properly.
In case of a storm, we will come and remove a tree that has fallen on your home, garage, car, etc. These can be very dangerous trees to deal with so only skilled professionals should handle them!
tree & shrub removal
Sometimes trees need to come down. This could be for many reasons, especially in the urban forest where we encounter many conflicts like power lines and buildings.
When removing a tree, we do sectional tree removal. This means we use ropes and blocks to bring the tree down bit by bit, safely over buildings, garages and other structures. Some trees can be dropped from the ground if space permits. Ask me about discounts for leaving firewood on site.
stump grinding
Our machine is self driving and grinds the stump with a cutter wheel that goes 6 to 12 inches below grade, removing the stump and visible surface roots. Stumps are typically prices per inch from the edge of the further surface root to the edge of the opposite surface root, or if there are no surface roots, just the stump diameter.
Aside from removing and eye sore and tripping hazard, stump grinding can reduce the amount of suckering after removal and increase the decay of roots left under the soil that aren’t visible. Some tree species will sucker and try and grow back after removal, stump grinding does not eliminate it all together but can help reduce it.
To protect our staff, yourself and your property we require clients to get line locates of their property from Alberta One-Call. This is a free service for homeowners. Do not let anyone grind stumps on your property if they are uninsured or don’t request line locates!
ORNAMENTAL shaping
It is best for tree health to encourage a natural shape. However, in the urban landscape after clearing trees from structures, they can look off balance. We can trim longer branches back to appropriate laterals in order to provide better balance and shape.
Some homeowners prefer fruit trees to remain smaller and this can be done with proper crown reduction cuts to healthy sufficient lateral branches. This will maintain the desired size and shape, however is not recommended on every tree species. This is not tree topping. Tree topping is poor practice and hazardous (please see tree topping for more information).
shrub REJUVENATION
Shrub rejuvenation is when we cut an entire shrub down to 6" inches above grade for it to grow back new and fresh! This can be done for many reasons. Maybe you would like to start over to keep the shrub smaller for DIY maintenance. Maybe the shrub is diseased or has an unsightly amount of deadwood in it. Maybe the shrub could be so thick and heavy that it is falling over and is beyond pruning. There are many reasons to start fresh!
hedging
We offer services to shape and maintain shape to hedges and shrubs
planting
We are happy to consult with you about what trees to plant and where.
We will pick it up, deliver it, plant it properly in the ground and leave you with care instructions. We will select trees in the nursery that are free of damage, disease, and that have good structure. We will provide training pruning for these young trees so they grow up with the best form for health and security. Trees planted too deep or in the container they came in can be at high risk for failure. Trees must be planted in a hole twice as wide as their container and no deeper than the trunk flare. Newly planted trees need fertilizer and they need to be watered regularly, especially while establishing.
fall, spring, & yard cleanup
In addition to tree and shrub work we will rake lawns, weed gardens, and generally clean up yards. We are all about natural beauty in the landscape!
fertilizing
Fertilizing your trees and shrubs is quite different than fertilizing your lawn. We will properly fertilize your trees and shrubs and recommend the best products for use.
consultations and referrals
Estimates are free.
We will meet with you for free to assess your trees and answer your questions. We can provide you with information and advice on tree health, hazards, and overall value. We will ensure trees belonging to municipalities are not touched without proper paperwork and permission (without which could lead to costly consequences). In the rare event our crew cannot tackle a project we will refer you to a reputable business in the industry.
Do not top your trees!
Tree topping is the indiscriminate removal of whole tops of trees, large branches, or trunks, leaving stubs or lateral branches that are too small to assume the role of a terminal leader and support the life of that limb.
A limb or branch requires a terminal leader to be at least 1/3 its size or larger to survive and to be structurally sound. Sometimes people think their tree has gotten too big and want to reduce it. Reduction can be done minimally to some species of trees that have not already gotten too big, but topping will create a much bigger hazard and more health issues down the road.
When a tree is topped it sends out shoots quickly for survival called epicormics. These epicormics have no branch collar like a structurally sound branch and they grow much faster. In addition to weak structure, topping opens up the tree to fast decay, leading to even more of a safety hazard.
Please do not top your trees, talk to us about alternative options!