Tree Trimming & Pruning in Orlando, FL

Tree trimming and pruning in Central Florida is less about looks and more about how a tree handles wind. After Hurricane Andrew, a Master Gardener survey summarized by UF/IFAS found that properly pruned broad-leaved trees had a 73% survival rate, compared with 47% for trees that had not been pruned. The point of good pruning is to remove dead and weak wood, reduce heavy ends of long limbs, and correct a structure that is likely to split, while keeping enough leaves for the tree to stay healthy. Most of our pruning work in Orlando is on live oaks, laurel oaks, water oaks, southern magnolias and crape myrtles.

Live oaks: long-lived but needing structure

UF/IFAS describes southern live oak as a tree that can live for centuries and has very good wind resistance once established, but also lists lack of pruning as one of its biggest problems in cities. Its guidance is to remove multiple trunks and branches that form narrow angles with the trunk, which can split as the tree ages, and to prune young trees every year for their first three years and then about every five years to age 30. Along streets and driveways, live oaks need roughly 14 to 15 feet of clearance for vehicles. On an old College Park oak, that often means reducing long, low limbs that have grown out over the roof or the street.

Laurel oaks: lighter, smaller cuts

Laurel oaks break more easily and decay readily. UF/IFAS warns that a minor injury or a poorly made pruning cut can lead to internal decay more than 10 feet long, and recommends pruning regularly so only small branches have to be removed. That means we avoid big flush cuts on laurel oaks, reduce end weight on limbs over targets, and tell you if the trunk or root flare shows signs that pruning will not be enough.

What we will not do

We do not top trees, strip the inner canopy (lion-tailing) or remove more live wood than the tree can afford. Topping leaves large wounds that decay and produces weakly attached sprouts, which is the opposite of what you want in hurricane country. Industry pruning standards (ANSI A300) describe specific objectives for each cut, such as clearance, reduction or structural correction, and our quotes list the objective for each tree.

Timing

Routine pruning of most Orlando shade trees can be scheduled much of the year. We prefer to have structural work on large trees finished before the summer storm season, and we avoid heavy pruning when a named storm is on the way, since debris at the curb can become a hazard and the City of Orlando asks residents to hold off on major yard work then.