We don't just cut branches,
we make your trees better
Your trees are a valuable asset and need regular maintenance to look their best. Don't compromise. Insist on having them pruned by an expert who knows how to optimize tree health, minimize safety risks, improve aesthetics and meet your personal needs for your property.
For decades, we've proudly served homeowners and businesses throughout Morris, Essex, Union, and Somerset counties in New Jersey.
Signs That Your Trees Need To Be Pruned
Pruning done to professional industry standards will enhance the structure, safety, health, and appearance of your trees while also reducing the chance of storm damage
Have you taken a close look at your trees lately? If so, you may have noticed some of the following signs that it's time for professional tree pruning!
THE TREE LOOKS "SICK"
If you can see dead, dying, diseased, or spindly branches throughout the tree, it often indicates that the tree isn't in optimal health. Pruning out these dead or weak branches can help identify the underlying cause of the problem and help the tree recover more quickly.
THE TREE IS UNSAFE
There are several signs that your tree needs pruning for safety reasons, such as long, heavy branches; structural defects; broken, cracked or hanging branches; and competition between branches. These all put your tree at increased risk of damage during storms but can be addressed through proper pruning.
THE TREE IS GETTING IN THE WAY
When your tree is blocking access to buildings, obstructing cars and pedestrians, or getting in the way of your view, there are only two real options: cutting down the tree or using a pruning technique called crown raising.
THE TREE IS TOO BIG
Sometimes a tree grows too tall or too wide for the space it’s in, or begins to encroach on utility lines or structural elements (such as your roof). If you don’t want to cut down the tree, special pruning techniques can be used to minimize the tree's size. Note that this is vastly different from tree topping (which should not be done!).
Did you know that trees can be pruned in winter? In fact, winter is the best time for some trees to be pruned.
Contact us for tree pruning
What to Expect When You Hire Alpine for Tree Pruning
Every pruning job has a unique objective, so we start by meeting with you to understand your goals for the work. Here’s how a pruning project works with Alpine:
- Initial Meeting & Tree Assessment: We talk about what you want from the work and then assess the trees you want pruned, so the plan is tailored to your property.
- Written Proposal: You get a free estimate for the work before anything begins.
- Precise Pruning to ANSI A300 Standards: Our crew makes precise cuts in the right places to achieve your desired outcome without harming the tree.
- Free Wood Chips: If you want them, we offer unlimited free wood chips to our customers and deliver them free within our service area.
Our trained, arborist-led crews serve Morris, Essex, Union, and Somerset counties on a weekly basis, including towns like Montclair, Madison, Chatham, and Basking Ridge. We are fully insured for tree work and accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association.
Did You Know?
Common Pruning Outcomes
All pruning work is done with your goals in mind. Often, tree pruning is done to:
- increase the amount of sunlight that shines through the branches
- improve the tree's overall shape and appearance
- enhance a view or specific line of sight
- increase clearance from signs, structures, powerlines and utilities to minimize safety concerns
- remove dead branches that could break and fall
- make structural improvements or corrections to improve the health, form, and safety of the tree
- restore severely pruned or damaged trees to a more natural and appealing shape
Types of Tree Pruning
How a tree is pruned depends on several factors, including the tree’s health, the tree species, size, and location, as well as what you’re trying to accomplish.
Typically, pruning involves one of our arborists ascending the tree to get a good look at the branches to be removed. Using the appropriate tool(s), the arborist will make precise pruning cuts in the right places to achieve the desired outcome without harming the tree.
Crown Cleaning
Crown cleaning involves the removal of all branches that aren’t contributing to the overall health and appearance of the tree. We can also remove items that shouldn’t be in the tree canopy. The end result is a healthier and better-shaped tree.
Crown Raising
By removing selected lower branches from a tree, crown raising can provide additional clearance to open up vistas and restore access. If possible, it’s best to do this type of pruning before a tree reaches maturity in order to avoid large wounds.
Crown Thinning
When thinning a tree, branches are selectively pruned out to reduce the density of live branches in the tree canopy. This increases light penetration and air movement throughout the tree, stimulates interior growth and reduces wind resistance (which decreases the risk of storm damage). Done properly, thinning maintains the tree’s natural shape.
Crown Reduction
Reduction pruning reduces the overall size and/or spread of the tree. This isn't "shearing" or “topping” a tree - it's precision work that cuts each branch at just the right spot to help maintain the overall form, health and structural integrity of the tree.
Did You Know?
Free Wood Chips
We offer unlimited FREE wood chips to our customers! We'll even deliver them for free within our normal service area. Deliveries take place when we're doing other work in your area - we're not able to schedule delivery for a specific date or time.
Expert Tree Care Across Northern and Central New Jersey
Our ISA Certified Arborists and trained crews serve Morris, Essex, Union, and Somerset Counties every week. We're familiar with the trees, soils, and growing conditions across the region, so whether you need tree removal, plant health care, or emergency storm cleanup in an affluent residential neighborhood or a commercial property, we're the team to call.
More on Tree Pruning
Want to learn more about the timing and technique behind proper pruning? These guides give a more in-depth look:
Tree Pruning Basics: Why, How & When to Prune Trees in New Jersey
How Tree Pruning Can Reduce the Risk of Storm Damage in Morris County
