Pasadena Tree Pruning Cost

Landscape trees need a higher level of care to maintain their aesthetics and structural integrity. One of the most common maintenance practices, tree pruning plays a key role in:

• Improving a tree’s health– If you catch a disease or pest infestation early enough, you can saw off affected branches, saving the rest of the tree.
• Improving safety– If your tree has risky branches, sawing off these branches means that you won’t have to worry about branches falling unexpectedly.

Pruning has to be done with an understanding of the tree’s biology. Improper pruning can easily create lasting damage or shorten the tree’s life. To avoid tree damage and other risks often associated with tree pruning, Pasadena residents prefer to work with professionals.

Professionals do not offer their services for free. Hence, you should understand the tree pruning cost to expect so that you can prepare yourself financially. In this guide, we will take a deeper look at the average tree pruning cost, and the factors affecting the cost.

Average Pasadena Tree Pruning Cost

In Pasadena, professionals charge $200 to $2000 to prune trees. Most property owners, however, pay $460 to prune a tree. Since this cost is for one tree, you should expect the cost quoted to increase depending on the number of trees.

The amount you pay for your tree pruning project helps you save a lot of money in the long-run. Working with professionals helps you avoid:

• Damaging your home.This means that you won’t have to spend money on home repairs.
• This helps you avoid hospital bills.
• Tree damage.This means that you won’t have to spend money on tree removal and replacement.

One question you might be asking yourself right now is “what determines if I will pay $200, $1,000, or $1,800 for my pruning?” To answer this question, we will need to look at the factors affecting the tree pruning cost in Pasadena.

Pasadena Tree Pruning Cost Factors

1. Tree Height

The risk associated with pruning increases as the tree height increases. In most cases, taller trees carry complicated shapes and bigger branches. Compared to shorter trees, the taller trees need more time and effort to prune.

Below, we have outlined the costs to expect when pruning trees of varying heights:

• Under 30 feet– Featuring a lower risk, these trees carry the lowest tree pruning cost. On average, you should expect to pay between $75 and $400 to prune these trees.
• 30 to 60 feet– Classified in the medium tree category, the trees cost $150 to $800 to prune.
• Over 60 feet– You should expect to spend over $1,500 when pruning trees taller than 60 feet, with the cost increasing to about $2,000 as the height increases.

2. Tree Health

Health problems and/or pest infestations weaken trees. In most cases, this makes the trees unstable and susceptible to falling. Before initiating the pruning procedure, the tree pruners are often forced to stabilize the trees – this helps ensure that the tree does not fall during the pruning process. This means that more time will be spent on a single tree.

In addition to handling the pruning process, the tree pruners may need to inspect the tree to determine which treatment options will work. This often involves working with an arborist. The arborist fees, the medication costs, and/or pesticide fees are often charged separately. All this can increase the amount charged to restore the tree’s health.

3. Tree Type

The tree species is a big determinant when it comes to the shape and size of a tree. Some tree species feature thorns which will require the tree pruners to wear protective gear when pruning them. This means that the complexity of the tree pruning process – and hence, the tree pruning cost – is largely dependent on the tree type. In Pasadena, you should expect the following tree pruning costs:

Pine Tree

Pine trees grow to a height of 40 to 100 feet. However, if you have a white pine on your property, it might grow to over 150 feet. The tree pruning cost for pine trees ranges from $100 to $1,500 depending on the tree’s height.

Palm Trees

Palm trees have a maximum height of 80 feet. In Pasadena, however, it is impossible to find a mature palm tree whose height falls below 20 feet. If you have palm trees on your property, you should expect to be charged between $100 and $1500 for the pruning.

Fruit Trees

Most fruit trees will have a maximum height of 30 feet. However, in most cases, they need extra care during pruning. Pasadena residents pay about $100 to $400.

Crepe Myrtle Trees

Crepe Myrtles are one of the shortest tree species, growing to a height of 3 to 30 feet. This means that they have one of the lowest tree pruning costs. On average, the trees cost between $75 and $400 to prune.

Hardwood Trees

In most cases, hardwood trees need more effort to prune. Their harder branches take more time to saw off the tree trunk. For this reason, you should expect to spend more money pruning hardwoods than you would when working on softwoods.

4. Tree Accessibility

Trees standing on open ground – that is, away from buildings, power lines, and other important structures – are much easier to prune. The tree pruners can let the branches fall freely without having to worry about property damage.

When the trees you intend to prune are standing next to your house or a utility line, more time will be needed to prune them. Often, the tree pruners have to tie the cut branches with ropes and then lower them down slowly. More effort and time generally translate into a higher tree pruning cost.

Large Tree Pruning Cost

Property owners with huge trees on their homes pay a higher tree pruning cost. As you would expect, a tree with a height of more than 100 feet will be riskier than a tree whose height does not exceed 30 feet. On average, trees with a height of between 60 and 100 feet will cost you between $800 and 1,800. However, when the height exceeds 100 feet, you may have to spend more than $2000.

Additional Tree Pruning Costs

In most cases, the price quote received from a tree pruner does not always include all tree maintenance services. In most cases, the price only covers basic pruning. Additional services that are often required when pruning a tree are often charged separately. Such services include:

• Pesticide costs– If your tree is currently dealing with a pest infestation, pruning may not fix the problem completely. You may need a pesticide spray. This will cost you some extra money.
• Prescription costs– If your tree has a disease, it will need medication to treat the health problem. Additionally, an arborist may be needed to figure out the health complication and the best way to treat it. Both the medication and arborist services will cost extra money.
• Travel fees– If you decide to hire tree pruners located a significant distance from the tree’s location, you may incur some travel charges. In Pasadena, most tree pruners charge a flat travel rate of between $50 and $200. However, some charge on a per-mile basis, with each mile traveled costing $0.5. It is worth noting that tree service providers have a limited area for which they do not charge the travel fee. The travel fee only comes into play when the client is located outside the service area.

Factors Affecting the Tree Pruning Timing

To get maximum benefits from a tree pruning procedure, you will need to time your tree pruning correctly. Various factors affect the tree pruning timing:

Safety

As noted earlier, tree pruning is one of the tree maintenance operations that help improve tree safety. It helps remove branches that are threatening to fall. If you determine that the branches on your tree are a huge safety risk, tree pruning should be scheduled immediately.

Health

If you catch a disease or pest infestation early enough, you can saw off the affected branches. This will keep the disease and pests from spreading to other parts of your tree. When pruning a tree to improve its health, the maintenance practice should be scheduled immediately. If you wait for too long, the disease will spread to other parts, increasing the risk of premature tree death.

Aesthetics

When pruned correctly, trees gain an appealing look and structure. This makes your property have an attractive look. Sometimes, when renting out commercial properties, property owners will want to have the best look possible.

This ensures maximum value in terms of rent and other compensations. Depending on your aesthetics needs, you can plan your tree pruning to be in line with when you need the property to have a maximum value.

Using Seasons to Time Tree Pruning

Unless your tree is posing a safety risk or it is dealing with a health problem that can be eliminated through pruning, you should wait for the dormant stage to prune your trees. The dormant stage is the period when trees stop growing actively.

In Pasadena, the dormant stage for some trees coincides with various seasons. Below, we will look at how the seasons affect the pruning timing:

Spring

The majority of trees in Pasadena grow actively in the spring season. This makes a tree pruning a less ideal idea. However, if you have always wanted to add trees to your compound, the spring season is the ideal time to plant the trees.

Summer

Most trees will grow actively during the summer. Hence, unless it is necessary, do not prune the trees. If the weather is too dry in your location, consider watering your trees.

Fall

As the temperatures start to fall, trees in Pasadena start to enter the dormant stage. This makes the fall an ideal time to prune your trees.

Winter

Some trees are in their dormant stage in winter. For these trees, pruning is ideal. Since most tree pruners are less busy, you can enjoy a competitive tree pruning cost this season.

DIY Tree Pruning

DIY tree pruning is only ideal if the trees you intend to prune feature minimum risk. If, however, the trees are tall or next to your house, you should consider hiring professional tree pruners. Below, we will look at the tips you can use when pruning small, non-risky trees.

Saw Off the Right Branches

You can remove branches whose diameter is less than 5 cm. If the branch’s diameter exceeds 5 cm, consider it more carefully. Branches bigger than 10 cm in diameter should be allowed to remain on the tree.

Branches forming a V-shaped angle with the tree trunk are safe to remove. However, if the branch forms a strong U-shaped angle, consider leaving it on the tree.

Professionals recommend aiming for a ratio of 2:3 between the living crown and trunk. You must avoid sawing off more than 25% of the tree crown.

How to Cut a Branch

When removing a tree branch, you will need to follow this procedure:

• Identify the branch’s collar at its base.
• Look for the branch ridge.
• Use a sharp tool to cut between the collar and the ridge, ensuring that you haven’t left a huge stub on your tree.

Tools Needed When Pruning a Tree

When planning a tree pruning project, you will need the following gear:

• Looping shears– These are perfect for removing big branches.
• Bypass pruner– With this equipment, removing narrow-angled branches will be extremely easy.
• Pruning saws– If your tree has branches whose diameter is less than 2-inches, a fine-toothed saw should be ideal. Once the diameter hits 3 inches, you will need coarse-toothed saws.
• Hedge clippers– These are ideal when pruning hedges.

Sanitize Your Equipment When Moving from one Tree to the Other

Property owners often spread diseases from one tree to the other by not cleaning their tools. When you finish pruning one tree, be sure to clean your tools using rubbing alcohol with a 70% concentration. This should kill the disease-causing organisms that could have been left on the tools.