Tree Services Blog

When you hire a professional tree company to work on trees of all shapes and sizes, it is important to make sure they have the right equipment for the job. Any professional company that claims to be experts in providing tree services will have the correct equipment, while non-professionals will more than likely show up unprepared for the task at hand.

Learn about the right equipment a tree company in Cape Coral, Lee County, Fort Myers, and nearby areas should have for any task working with trees.

1. A bucket truck is needed to reach tall trees and tough spaces.

In order to reach the tops of tall trees and properly trim or remove them from the property, a tree company will need a bucket truck. This is by far the safest option vs. climbing up into a tree to cut down branches or prune away dying branches from the tree. Our tree surgeons can expertly manuever the bucket around the tree to safely trim off branches or remove the tree. It is also an essential piece of equipment to use when you have a large tree in a space that is tough to reach, such as a small side yard or an alleyway.

2. A grapple truck carries off large logs easily.

Larger logs can be hard to haul off without a grapple truck, which provides a way to move them around on the job site or haul them off. Without this, crews will have to cut the logs into smaller pieces and carry them. This will take more time and labor, which ends up being more expensive in the long run for...

Removing large trees is no easy task and is something that should always be left up to a licensed professional. There are many safety risks involved and you run the risk of damaging any nearby buildings as well.

Large tree removal in and of itself is difficult, but when the tree is in a small, tight space, it becomes an even more complicated process. Learn about how our licensed and trained tree surgeons will safely remove large trees from small spaces in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lee County, and other surrounding cities and communities in southwestern Florida.

Removing Large Trees from Small Spaces with Bucket Trucks & Other Equipment

When we are contracted to remove a large tree, our crews always take the utmost safety precautions to keep ourselves safe as well as our clients and their property. Working within the confines of a smaller space to remove a large tree can raise the stakes of safety risks even higher. Here are the steps we take to remove large trees:

• We raise a crew member in a bucket truck and maneuver it to an area where they can reach the first part of the tree to be removed.
• Once the bucket truck is situated, the tree surgeon will then slowly and methodically cut off small pieces, one at a time. Before they are removed, a rope will be tied around each section so that it can be lowered safely to the ground without hitting any buildings, people, or vehicles. We do this part over and over again until there are no more...

Hiring a tree service company is a big decision, so before you make that final decision, make sure you do extensive research on the company. At Tim's Tree Service, we are always available to answer any questions you may have.

Here are seven questions we recommend you ask before you hire a tree service company to do any work on your property in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lee County, and the nearby communities in Florida.

1. How long has the company been in business?

When it comes to tree services, especially larger trees, you want someone with lots of experience. Trimming and pruning trees requires a lot of training in order to do it properly. Make sure the company has many years in business or that the owner of the company has a lot of industry experience.

2. Can they provide a certificate of insurance with adequate coverage?

Any time you hire anyone to work on your property, you need to ensure they have adequate insurance coverage. Ask them to provide you with a copy of their certificate of insurance so you know that they (and more importantly, you) will be covered in the event that someone is injured while working on your property. If they do not have insurance, you could be held liable if something were to happen.

3. Do they have a list of references or reviews, or can you verify their experience?

Reputable companies will often have several reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angie's List, or other sites. Look them up to see what other...

From June to November, the state of Florida has to deal with hurricane season, which brings a general feeling of unease and uncertainty to homeowners and business owners throughout the state.

One way to mitigate property damage during this time is to inspect your trees for any signs that they could be vulnerable to storm damage. Here are some signs to look out for in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lee County, FL.

Trees have been weakened due to tree disease or insect infestation.

When tree diseases and insects attack their intended targets, they cause the tree's overall structure to weaken, along with large branches and small limbs. A hurricane-force wind can easily knock these trees over or blow the limbs and branches off, turning them into flying projectiles. If you know that a tree on your property has had any tree diseases or problems with insect infestation, then you need to have a professional tree surgeon come to examine it to assess its weaknesses.

Branches of the tree are growing too close to structures on your property.

When a tree starts to grow too close to homes or buildings, it's already a hazard, but during a hurricane, it can be much worse. A category 3 hurricane can have winds anywhere from 111-130 miles per hour, which can easily knock over a tree and cause it to fall into the building, possibly injuring those inside or causing catastrophic damage to the walls and roof.

Work incidents related to tree care may be more common than you think. In 2016, the Tree Care Industry Association reported that there were 153 incidents in the United States, and 92 of them were fatal. Tree care is an incredibly dangerous field due to its scope of work and the use of heavy machinery. If an unlicensed tree professional is injured on your property, you may become liable for their medical costs.

Also, those who perform tree care without a license likely don't abide by safe practices. Not only will your property's aesthetic appeal suffer, but your home or business may also be more susceptible to fallen tree damage.

To help you avoid the harm that an unlicensed tree professional can inflict, our team at Tim's Tree Service is fully licensed to perform comprehensive tree care on your property in Cape Coral, Lee County, or Fort Myers, FL. Learn some of the reasons why you should avoid hiring unlicensed tree professionals.

Unlicensed tree professionals often don't abide by industry standards when it comes to trimming and pruning.

Trimming and pruning are essential services that your trees need. This way, they will maintain manicured appearances, positively contribute to your property's curb appeal, and achieve their full growth potential.

Unlicensed tree professionals often don't abide by industry standards when it comes to trimming and pruning. They partake in detrimental practices like tipping and topping, both of...

Not all trees grow at the same rate. Some will reach up to 100 feet in their lifetimes, while others will never grow taller than 20 feet. No matter their height, all trees have the potential to enhance the look of your landscape. However, keep in mind that poorly-maintained trees can pose a safety risk to your property.

Here at Tim's Tree Service, we specialize in caring for your trees regardless of their size or age. We perform tree trimming services to increase your trees' exposure to sunlight, water, air, and nutrients and cut away excess branches. When necessary, we will also perform stump grinding and tree removal services to haul away unwanted stumps and trees from your property in Lee County, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and the surrounding areas.

Here, we'll explore what differentiates the different sizes of trees, which are small, medium, and large. We'll also cover some examples of each kind present in Florida and specific spacing requirements to think about when you have these trees in your landscape.

What Is a Small Tree?

Small trees tend to be 15 feet in height or less. They need to be spaced anywhere from 6 to 15 feet apart to have access to the proper nutrients. Make sure small trees are placed between 8 to 10 feet away from the wall of a one-story building or 6 to 8 feet away from the corner of a one-story building.

Some examples of small trees that can be found in Florida include:

• Crabapple
• Yaupon holly
• Sweet acacia
...

Those who choose to work with trees can choose various types of jobs within the field. Two of those jobs, tree surgeons and arborists, are often referred to interchangeably, but they're actually quite different. Arborists require a more formal education, while tree surgeons gain their experience out on the field. Both jobs can overlap, depending on the company providing tree services, and both jobs require extensive knowledge and experience working with trees.

If you're needing tree work done on your property in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, or Lee County, FL, learn here about the difference between an arborist and a tree surgeon.

What Does an Arborist Do?

If you're going to compare arborists to tree surgeons, think of them this way: an arborist is more like a tree doctor. Arborists undergo extensive training in order to become certified in their field, such as:

• Courses in tree biology, tree growth patterns, and much more
• A long, rigorous certification program with the International Society of Arboriculture
• Pass the final exam after the program
• Continue with ongoing education after the fact to maintain certification

The arborist assesses the tree and its condition. If the tree is showing signs of a disease or insect infestation, the arborist is able to accurately diagnose it and create a treatment plan. Oftentimes, they can identify tree disease signs before the disease really takes hold of the tree. They are also the...

Typically, in more northern climates, lawn and landscape companies are hard at work in the fall to prepare properties for the brutal cold of winter. However, it’s a common misconception that lawn care and maintenance should stop during winter. Even in Florida, property owners tend to slow down their lawn care during the winter months—but there are several reasons lawn care companies remain hard at work, even through winter. One such reason is winter pruning.

Pruning—the act of carefully trimming excess branches and leaves from deciduous plants—should occur several times a year, one of which being during winter. Pruning during winter is known as dormant pruning, and there are several reasons why dormant pruning is important. Here are some key reasons for and benefits of winter pruning in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Lee County, FL.

Pruning maximizes the quantity and quality of fruit-bearing trees.

After planting and initial growth, if a fruit-bearing tree is left unattended, its natural growth can actually inhibit the quantity and the quality of the fruit produced. Trees left unpruned can grow structurally imbalanced, leading to poor growth and poor fruit quality. Pruning a fruit tree while dormant can guide its growth trajectory to not only create a more stable scaffolding (keeping the tree and its fruits balanced) but also to be exposed to more oxygen and sunlight, which will lead to more plentiful fruit that’s...

In Lee County, there are several older cemeteries in need of repair, and the organization Honor Your DNA, created by Trae Zipperer, is aiming to restore them to their former glory. When they came to us asking to help trim back trees at the New Prospect Cemetery in North Fort Myers, FL, we were thrilled to volunteer our tree services.

The grounds had been maintained with lawn mowing, but the surrounding trees had become overgrown throughout the years and were starting to take over some areas of the cemetery. When we came in, we took a look at the situation and made a plan for how to tackle this tree overgrowth. Since this is a final resting place for many people, we wanted to make sure we left the site looking nice and respectful for any visiting family members and friends.

Removing Overgrown Tree Branches Above the Gravesites

In the middle of the cemetery, there is a large clump of trees. Their branches had not been trimmed in a long time and had started to grow together, almost making some of the graves inaccessible. Our team members came in with tree trimming equipment and trimmed the overgrown trees back properly so that visiting family members could easily reach the gravesites and pay their respects.

Removing these branches also helps to eliminate risks of branches falling onto the tombstones below and potentially cracking them. Some of the graves in this cemetery are quite old, including some Civil War veterans, so it's important to protect the...

Typically, our area of Florida doesn’t experience much cold weather; however, the unpredictability of the winter months can sometimes produce a cold snap. During these drops in temperature, it’s important to provide your palm trees with extra attention to protect them from the cooler weather.

Here are some tips for preparing your palm trees for cooler weather in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lee County, and the surrounding areas.

Move Potted Palms Indoors

If you have small palms that you are growing in pots, move them indoors to continue growing through the winter weather. Moving potted palms indoors will keep them warm and dry throughout the season and prevent any cold damage to them. If you choose to move your potted palms inside your home, make sure to place them near a window and provide them with as much light as possible. Even though your potted palm trees can thrive perfectly fine indoors during the cool winter months, they still need sufficient light to survive. Providing your palms with a warm, sunny spot indoors will keep them safe and dry all winter long. Simply place them back outside once the weather warms up.

Create a Makeshift Basket Using Chicken Wire

It’s very important to never cut back your palm’s leaves or cut down its trunk during the winter. Instead, you can create a temporary basket to cover the majority of the trunk and keep it safe and dry throughout the season. Place stakes around your palm...