Most tree problems in Florida start as a trimming problem. Limbs get heavy, the canopy gets dense, and the next storm turns that weight into a hazard over your roof.
Where a cut is made matters more than how much comes off. A cut just outside the branch collar lets the tree wall the wound off and close it. A flush cut or a stub leaves an opening it cannot seal, and the decay that follows shows up three or four seasons later as a limb that fails in wind it should have handled. Having an ISA certified member on staff is the difference between a canopy that is thinner and a canopy that is actually safer.
The other half is knowing when to stop. Stripping the interior growth off a limb and leaving a tuft at the end looks tidy from the driveway and is one of the reliable ways to make a tree more likely to fail. All the weight ends up at the far end of a lever with nothing along the length to support it, and the limb loses the growth it uses to build taper.
Selective thinning takes out crossing and redundant limbs so air moves through the crown instead of pushing on it like a sail. Done right you should not be able to tell from the street that anything came off.
Live oaks throw limbs forty feet sideways and add weight to the far end of them for decades. Shortening those back to a suitable lateral keeps the limb attached to the tree instead of resting on your roof.
Roofs, driveways, walkways and the service line to the house. Limbs lying on shingles hold moisture against them and give rodents a bridge into the soffit.
Dead limbs come down eventually and they pick their own moment. Removing them is the cheapest tree work there is and it is usually what makes a canopy look cared for.
For most Florida hardwoods the practical window is anything before hurricane season rather than a narrow botanical one, so late winter into spring is when we are busiest with it. Storm-damaged limbs are the exception and get dealt with whenever they happen. Young trees are worth pruning early, because structure you correct at eight years is a saw cut and structure you correct at thirty is a crane.
Palms are their own thing. A palm needs its green fronds, and the hurricane cut that strips the crown back to a handful of upright fronds weakens the palm, slows its growth and does nothing to help it in wind. We take dead and hanging fronds, seed pods and flower stalks, and leave the living canopy on the tree.
Not on the list? We cover eighteen counties, Jacksonville down to Melbourne and west past Ocala. This is a sample rather than a boundary.
See every area we cover“Elite Tree Care did an outstanding job in explaining the condition of our tree, made a reasonable solution to resolve the issue, and trimmed out tree to help save it from being cut down. I strongly recommend this company for al tree care needs.”
“The name of this business says it all, ELITE!!!! The CREW and Management Team are all Wonderful, Polite and Professional. They trimmed our Oak and did an AMAZING, AWESOME and EXCELLENT JOB!!!!! We can't Thank Them All Enough!!!!”
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Read on GoogleMost mature hardwoods are on a three to five year cycle, sooner if they are over a structure. Palms are usually once a year for dead fronds and seed pods. Young trees benefit from a light structural prune every couple of years, which is the cheapest tree work you will ever pay for.
No. Cutting a canopy back to stubs forces a flush of weak shoots that attach poorly, opens large wounds the tree cannot seal, and leaves you with a taller problem in five years than the one you started with. If a tree is genuinely too big for its spot, the honest options are reduction done properly at suitable lateral limbs, or removal.
In Florida you can generally trim what crosses your property line, at your own expense, as long as you do not damage the health of the tree itself. It goes better when the neighbor knows first, and we are happy to do both sides at once if they want in.
Correct pruning does not. Over-thinning, topping and stripping interior growth do. The rule of thumb we work to is that a healthy mature tree should not lose a large share of its living canopy in one visit, and there is rarely a reason it needs to.
Yes, and we trim them properly. Dead and hanging fronds, seed pods and flower stalks come off. The green canopy stays.
Yes, fully licensed and insured with liability and workers compensation coverage. We will hand you the certificate before work begins if you ask for it.
Yes, and there is no obligation to book. We come out, walk the property, and give you a fixed price in writing that does not change on the day of the job.
Some trees have to come down. We take them down in controlled sections so nothing lands where it should not, and every piece of it leaves with us.
See detailsA leftover stump is a tripping hazard, a mower obstacle and an open invitation to termites and fungus. Grinding takes it below grade so the ground is usable again.
See detailsWe answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If a tree is on your house right now, call rather than filling out a form. A person picks up.
See detailsFlorida undergrowth takes a property back fast. Whether you are prepping a homesite, reclaiming a back acre or opening a fence line, we clear it and leave the ground workable.
See detailsTell us what you are looking at and we will give you a straight answer on what it needs.