Tacoma's big conifers are why we love living here, and why our crew stays busy every windstorm season. Here's what we see in local yards.
The giant of local yards. Shallow roots plus soggy winter soil plus wind is how most of our storm calls start. Watch for laminated root rot, a fungus common in the Northwest that weakens roots from the inside.
Our tip: Get big firs near the house checked every few years.
Beautiful and long-lived, but cedars across western Washington have been showing dieback after recent hot, dry summers: browning tops and thinning crowns.
Our tip: Deep-water mature cedars during long dry spells.
Fast-growing with huge limbs. Those long horizontal branches can get heavy with moss and rain, and they're the ones that crack and drop.
Our tip: Thin and lighten long limbs over roofs and driveways.
Common in wetter yards and along creeks. It grows fast and lives short, and older alders often rot from the inside before you can see it.
Our tip: Mature alders near targets deserve a closer look.
Storm prep. Remove deadwood, check big conifers near the house, clear limbs off the roof and gutters.
Best time to prune most trees while they're dormant. Storm response season: keep our number handy.
Hold off on heavy pruning while new leaves come in. Prune flowering trees right after they bloom.
Deep-water stressed trees, especially cedars. Raise low canopies and clear branches from the house.
We know these streets: the old-growth firs on big lots, the tight backyards, the street trees out front.
Before removing a tree near the street, check with the City of Tacoma. Trees in the public right-of-way often need city approval. We'll help you sort that out.
We answer 24/7 during storms and can usually be there the same day. We'll help with your insurance paperwork too.