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Tree Trimming in Pleasant Valley

Orchard rows, old oaks or a few pines in Pleasant Valley? Call (530) 248-6524 and a tree pro from the area can visit. We book the day, and the pro quotes the work.

Where it is

Camino is 3.5 miles north of Pleasant Valley, which sits near 2,461 ft. Its post office was open from 1864 to 1917 (Wikipedia), so people have lived here a long while.

You are a step lower than Pollock Pines, where the elevation is 3,980. That's about 1,500 feet of difference. The change is enough to move you from "pines and firs everywhere" toward "oaks and pines mixed."

Wine and apple country

Wikipedia's Placerville article calls the area east of town, Apple Hill and Pleasant Valley, a growing wine center, officially the El Dorado AVA. So many properties here may have vines, orchard rows, or both.

Vines aren't trees, but trees around vineyards matter. A big oak shades a row, and its fallen leaves and limbs land in the work area. Pros often thin a tree to let in light while keeping the oak's shape. The ISA guide calls this thinning. It opens the foliage, lets light and air through, and takes weight off heavy limbs.

Oaks, in winter and summer

Your yard probably has oaks. UC Master Gardeners in El Dorado County sort oaks by leaf habit: leaf-droppers in winter, evergreens in summer.

The same guide has a warning for summer afternoons. On hot, still afternoons, sound-looking oak limbs may let go, often level ones 3 to 12 ft out from the trunk. A big level limb above a house, path or drive should come off, says UC.

That's a good job for a pro, using the three-cut method that stops the bark from tearing. Our roofs and chimneys page describes the cuts.

Don't top it

People sometimes ask a trimmer to "just cut it way back." Resist. Per the ISA brochure, topping can take anywhere from half to all of a tree's leaf-bearing crown, and the new shoots are weakly attached. It ranks among the most damaging cuts.

A tree that has been topped is a tree that needs more care for the rest of its life.

Prices

For oaks, LawnStarter lists $230 to $1,480. Fixr lists a typical job at $175 to $750, and large trees (30 to 50 ft) at $150 to $800. Homeyou puts a large limb at $168 to $486.

Extra for a rush: $50 to $200 or more, says Fixr. Booking in the quiet season often avoids that.

Shade trees and sun

On a warm afternoon, a shade tree is a gift. Thinning it a little can bring light to a garden bed, or let air move through a crowded crown, without losing the shade. Ask for light thinning, not a big haircut.

Take the pro for a walk around the lot. Tell them which spots you want shaded in July and which you want sunny in January. A pro who knows that picture can plan cuts to match.

Nearby

Close by: Camino, Somerset, Sierra Springs. For a yearly plan in Pleasant Valley, open the care-by-season table. Back to the Pollock Pines home page, or see the other towns near Pleasant Valley.