Tree trimmer cut way too many branches. Should I remove the tree?

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Zach Burks

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Jul 29, 2019
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Location
Tyler, TX
We are so sad. We hired someone to do pruning of our trees and we feel like his murdered this tree. It is cut so high! Will it ever look right again? I feel like we should cut it down because it looks so bad.
 

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I certainly wouldn't cut it down because of that. Looks like the "pruning" they did was only to remove lower branches, they didn't do anything in the canopy. I can't really tell from the picture though. Personally this would be a situation where I'd hire the most qualified arborist I could find, someone who specializes in pruning, regardless of the price. That tree is in a very nice location for shading your house and it makes the place look better. A real professional will charge more now, but your tree will be healthy and functional longer. I'd give it a year and find someone to do a nice job on it next time.
 
That look fine to me. Beautiful Oak tree in great location. Great curb appeal.
Add that mulch ring that Buzz is talking of. use some landscape fabric under the mulch to let the rain go through but keep weeds from popping up.
Remember that the trunk will fill out very large over the years. It is an Oak after all.
 
I guess my concern was the cosmetics of the tree now. It looks like broccoli now instead of the full tree it was. If it will grow back and look proportional then we are totally fine with it
 
I guess my concern was the cosmetics of the tree now. It looks like broccoli now instead of the full tree it was. If it will grow back and look proportional then we are totally fine with it
What's wrong with broccoli?:laugh: I think in a month or 2 you won't even notice the missing branches.
 
Here a photos of the cuts for those who asked
 

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That look fine to me. Beautiful Oak tree in great location. Great curb appeal.
Add that mulch ring that Buzz is talking of. use some landscape fabric under the mulch to let the rain go through but keep weeds from popping up.
Remember that the trunk will fill out very large over the years. It is an Oak after all.
Yes to the mulch.

NOOOOOOOOOOO to the landscape fabric. None of it lets rain and air through over time as the pores get filled with dirt. Further it doesn't let the tree have the good stuff from decaying mulch. Finally, weed block simply doesn't work. In a few years that really good soil on top of the fabric (from decaying mulch - the stuff the trees are being blocked from) will be a good bed for weed seeds. So just skip the fabric.
 
The first problem here is that nobody should be pruning an oak tree in that part of the Country in the summer!

The pruning isn't bad....aside from timing, I don't see anything 'wrong' they did. They could certainly have done more. What did you ask them to do? My background is traditional forestry....I think it looks more like a tree should!

What they didn't do right is they didn't reduce the codominate leaders. It is getting late for that...should have happened a long time, but I'd still work towards making one stronger over the other 2. Unfortunately, that would make the canopy a little misshapen for a couple of years, but it will be better off years down the road.
 
I guess my concern was the cosmetics of the tree now. It looks like broccoli now instead of the full tree it was. If it will grow back and look proportional then we are totally fine with it
General "rule of thumb" for tree health is that you want 1/2 to 2/3 of the total height to have green. Looks like you are in that range, that is why I think proportions look OK.
 
The first problem here is that nobody should be pruning an oak tree in that part of the Country in the summer!

The pruning isn't bad....aside from timing, I don't see anything 'wrong' they did. They could certainly have done more. What did you ask them to do? My background is traditional forestry....I think it looks more like a tree should!

What they didn't do right is they didn't reduce the codominate leaders. It is getting late for that...should have happened a long time, but I'd still work towards making one stronger over the other 2. Unfortunately, that would make the canopy a little misshapen for a couple of years, but it will be better off years down the road.
I cant think of a single tree or bush that isn't recommended to be pruned in late winter such as February.



Yet thats the deadest time of year for tree services and arborists here...
Hmmmmm.....

The tree will be fine. It is fine.

Looks great.
I am sure the person who did the trim has gotten a poor rating undeservedly by the fact that the poster is asking "should we cut it down?"

The things people do to seek vindication....
 
Br
Do you know why an oak should not be pruned during the summer?
Cause it can increase the chance of oak wilt spreading.
Know how many oak tree are trimmed by me and every other arborist and tree service in my area, in the summer?

Thousands upon thousands.

I removed one oak with wilt that had never been trimmed this year.

The susceptibility is speculated.

Yes it is always best to do it when trees are dormant.
Personally I try to move oak trims to fall before they lose the leaves but almost no one wants to wait. They want it done now so they roll the dice right along with me.

There is arboriculture and then there is imaginary perfect world scenarios where people will schedule out six months in advance.

My primary background is business and making customers satisfied, not handing it off to someone else.
If you wont trim it the next guy will.

The tree will be fine.

At this point its just fueling there fire that they got screwed over by someone who did a good job.
 
My primary background is business and making customers satisfied, not handing it off to someone else.
If you wont trim it the next guy will.

If your prime motivation is customer satisfaction and your customers tree dies because you pruned it at a time of the year that makes it more susceptible to wilt will you end up with a happy customer?
 

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