No. Dont top your live oak or any other hardwood tree such as a black olive or mahogany. A tree sometimes needs to be pruned to avoid interference with utility lines, buildings, or parts of the surrounding environment. Whenever pruning is required, it is important to avoid the practice of topping the removal of all parts of a tree above a certain height with no consideration for its structure or health. Long thought to reduce a hazard, topping is a temporary and ineffective solution that actually makes a tree more hazardous in the long run.

Topping starves trees by robbing them of their food-creating leaves.

Topped trees, in an act of defense, create shoots that grow quickly (up to 20 feet in one year) and are more prone to breaking.

Topping also makes trees more susceptible to insects and disease.

Topping creates high maintenance trees that are expensive to treat, repair, and care for. Hurricane tree-trimming basics for hardwood trees

Reduction pruning is an effective alternative to topping. It reduces the size of longer branches by cutting back to a lateral branch. Some branches are removed at their point of origin.

Avoid excessive thinning of interior branches. It can lead to rapid growth of upright interior shoots and limb breakage.

The best way to learn to manage tree growth and maintain tree health is to consult a Certified Arborist. These tree care professionals know how to safely prune trees, and they can couch you as a homeowner how to best maintain and care for them throughout the year.

Ron von Paulus is an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist (ID # Fl- 5770A) and has more than 20 years experience working with trees in South Florida. He offers free consultations to homeowners and businesses. He can be reached at Big Rons Tree Service 305-588-3091 or by email at ron@BigRonsTreeService.com

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My Lawn Man wants to top my Live Oak Tree for the STORM SEASON. Should I have him do this?

Tree Removal 2 - Slacks

By: Michele Eade

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Tree Removal 2 - Slacks - Video

Updated: 06/18/2014 7:27 PM Created: 06/18/2014 7:19 PM WHEC.com

Not only did Tuesdays storms take down power lines, but many people lost trees right in their own yards.

Pockets of Monroe, Genesee and Orleans counties experienced Mother Natures wrath as a large line of severe thunderstorms swept across the area. In some cases, wind gusts were over 50 mph.

The winds in Fairport were so strong that some homeowners trees came crashing down right into their homes. That was the case for Mark Sambuchi as thunderstorms ripped through his Gateway Road neighborhood. Hell be cleaning up the damage for days, but he and his family were not hurt.

A lot to do, but it could have been worse. We didnt lose power, and nobody was hurt, so thats the real key. We did get shaken up. They were pretty traumatized. To just be sitting there, and then have a tree just show up. They were a little scared, said Sambuchi.

The thunderstorm damage also means a lot of work for people like Tony Bartucca who owns Tonys Tree and Landscaping.

Weve got crews scattered all over the country. Weve had crews working throughout the night getting trees off of houses. We had trees split houses in half and take houses off foundations. It was enormous, said Bartucca.

Bartucca says he deals with homeowners and their emergencies all the time, but theres more to the cleanup than meets the eye. Getting rid of downed trees and debris immediately after the storm is one thing, but addressing additional problems that can result well after the storm is another. Those issues can be just as significant as a downed tree, but not always as obvious.

Its very imperative not just to look out and say hey, theres no damage in my backyard, but to also look up and see if there are any hanging limbs up there, said Bartucca.

A little prevention can really be worthwhile when it comes to taking care of the trees in your yard before, during and after a storm.

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Tree removal continues for many residents affected by Tuesday's storms

The straight-line winds that crashed through Wilton, Iowa Tuesday morning have stumped residents.

Dozens of homeowners awoke Tuesday morning to the sight of trees draping their yards. The powerful storm snapped limbs like twigs.

I havent seen winds like this in years, John Hillman said who has lived in his Wilton home since 1958.

Hillmans home is surrounded by sycamore trees that tower more than 40 feet high. After Tuesdays storm hurled tree limbs that damaged his home, he decided it was time to cut them down.

Thats good news for tree-removal businesses like JLB and Son Services.

We have been busy from seven in the morning until eight at night, said Tammy Bennet of JLB and Son Services.

Many residents had the same idea as Hillman.

Its a big job. We are still on it and this is our third day, Bennet exclaimed.

Bennets crew has a full schedule. As they continue to cut down trees from disgruntled residents whose homes were damaged after the storm, they are also clearing debris that was left behind.

Crews say the cleanup is likely to continue for several days.

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Tree-removal companies stay swamped after storms

The former vacation spot for President Herbert Hoover in Shenandoah National Park that was in danger of collapsing under the weight of an oak is now free from its clutches.

Before presidents had Camp David, Hoover vacationed at the Brown House in Rapidan Camp. The house was built around the tree. It had a hole in the deck for it, and part of the roof was cut away to accommodate it. But 85 years later, it was a big problem.

Rangers watched Wednesday as the historic tree, hundreds of years old, was removed from the Brown House.

"When they took the first limb out, because I'm a very sentimental person, I teared up a little bit, said interpretive park ranger Patressa Kearns.

Kearns says they really had no other choice. "It was causing the roof to buckle and causing maybe the wall, the load-bearing wall, to buckle, so it would have done more damage as time went by."

But getting the tree out was no easy task for crews. "The deck was built around it, and then the roof was grooved around the tree where the tree went by the roof, and through the years the tree had gotten extremely large, and it was beginning to shift the cottage, and the front door wouldn't open anymore, said John Shifflett, who owns the tree removal company that did the job.

The tree was so close it actually grew into the roof of the house, carving a rut into the living wood. The crew needed a crane to remove the tree in pieces, but it was difficult to even get one near the house.

"We were limited to crane size because the bridge crossing Rapidan stream here, we had a weight limit, Shifflett said.

The stump of the tree was below the deck, causing even more problems.

"We had to crawl under the porch and deal with that, considering we watched two snakes go under there this morning when we got here, Shifflett said.

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Crews Remove Tree that Threatened Historic House

Thirsk residents angry over tree removal

8:43am Wednesday 18th June 2014 in Ryedale news

A NORTH Yorkshire MP has petitioned Parliament over the removal of trees from Thirsk Market Place.

Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk, Malton and Filey, presented the petition, which had been signed by Thirsk residents, angry at the removal of birch trees from the Market Place.

She said: I have been contacted by many constituents who have been angry and disappointed that the trees were removed so suddenly from the Market Place and without any consultation.

I hope that this petition will go some way in encouraging Hambleton District Council to think again and take note of the concerns of Thirsk residents. Feelings locally are running very high, which is demonstrated by the fact that 1,000 residents have signed the petition.

Residents are keen to know that replacement trees will be in place and which variety.

The petition urges the Government to encourage Hambleton District Council to replace the five trees that were removed.

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Thirsk residents angry over tree removal

Published: Tuesday, 6/10/2014 PETTISVILLE

BLADE STAFF

PETTISVILLE, Ohio The Ohio Department of Transportation will begin removing 21 trees on residential walkways today, after the commencement of the Safe Routes to School project on Monday.

The project to improve sidewalks and signs around local schools requires the removal of some trees that are in the way of renovated sidewalks. Some other trees slated for removal are just unhealthy, state officials said.

The tree-cutting, funded by $400,000 in federal money, was delayed last week, after residents complained about the number of trees that were going to be taken down.

The Fulton County Commissioners voted to approve the project on June 6, with the requirement that ODOT consult with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and individual homeowners to determine which trees were salvageable.

Based on national regulations and advice from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, ODOTs contractor had marked 42 trees for cutting, but it reduced the number after a reassessment of the area.

Teresa Pollick, an ODOT spokesman, said representatives went door to door to discuss the project plan with residents, and to explain to them the reasons for the cutting.

By the time the project is completed in October, ODOT will plant 31 new trees in the area.

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ODOT to begin tree removal for sidewalk project

Tree Removal for Metro Detroit area Are you seeking a reliable and affordable company
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A lawsuit over the removal of 201 trees from College of San Mateo that upset neighbors over the loss of the natural barrier from noise, traffic and buildings was thrown out of court under a statue of limitations clause.

The California Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the district did notice the public on the December 2010 tree-cutting project and that the appeal of the project was beyond the 180-day statute of limitations. Back in July 2011, neighbors in Hillsborough joined together under the name Citizens For a Green San Mateo and sued the San Mateo County Community College District for failing to conduct an environmental impact review before removing the large trees from the ridgeline of the campus, installing new lights in the parking lots and reconfiguring the roads. The group sought to require an environmental impact review before plans moved forward to cut trees and add new light fixtures, parking lots and roads, which the plaintiff said affected the adjacent neighborhood.

The courts ruling states the Gateway Phase I project and related tree removal activities were within the scope of the project described in the initial study and mitigated negative declaration. Even if the challenged activities did differ substantially from the project described in the initial study and mitigated negative declaration, the lawsuit was filed July 1, 2011, more than 180 days after the removal of trees along West Perimeter began on Dec. 28, 2010.

Their (the plaintiffs) action is still time-barred even under a most generous interpretation of the statute of limitations, the ruling stated.

The district was very pleased with the ruling and is entitled to recover its costs on the appeal.

In their review, the court itemized the multiple public notices that described the tree trimming/removal process-board agendas, board reports, public hearings, newspaper announcements and Web postings, including the public project manual that identified every single tree to be trimmed or removed, Chancellor Ron Galatolo said in a prepared statement. In doing so, we believe the court validated all the actions the college district properly took to inform the public about this matter. As we have stated many times before, the tree trimming, which was part of the campuswide improvements at College of San Mateo, was undertaken to remove the dead, diseased and nonnative trees on campus which had been identified as a potential fire hazard.

The district removed the trees under the supervision of an arborist as part of a woodland/wildfire management program, said Barbara Christensen, director of community and government relations for the district. Trees were removed for the following reasons: 48 percent were a fire hazard; 30 percent were diseased, dying or dead; 7 percent were impinging on native trees; 3 percent had poor structural integrity; and 11 percent opened up scenic corridors.

This involved removing and pruning non-native and highly flammable species such as eucalyptus and diseased or dead trees, as well as general ground cleanup to mitigate fire ladder effects, Christensen previously said, adding the clearing allows native species, like oaks, to grow.

In light of the ruling, there is no need to examine the districts related claims that the Citizens For a Green San Mateo failed to properly exhaust their administrative remedies, as well as the issues relating to supplemental review, the ruling stated.

Similarly, we do not reach the districts claim of mootness, which is based on the fact that the challenged tree removal activities have long since been complete, and the trees have been or will be replaced in accordance with the mitigation measures set forth in the initial study and mitigated negative declaration, it stated.

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Lawsuit over CSM tree removal thrown out: Appeals court states suit was beyond statute of limitations