Small Tree Trimming in Champaign and Douglas Counties

What small tree trimming covers

Small tree trimming is the light pruning work that keeps young and small trees in shape. It means cutting back low limbs that hang over the lawn or a walkway, taking out dead or broken twigs, and removing branches that cross and rub against each other. The work is done from the ground or a short step, with hand tools and pole tools, on trees that are still small enough to handle that way.

Russel’s Mowing and Services is based in Villa Grove and works in Douglas County and Champaign County. Small tree trimming sits alongside mowing, mulch and cleanup work, so it often fits in with other jobs around the same yard.

What this service is not

This page is about small and young trees only. Some tree work needs different training, equipment and insurance, and it belongs with a certified arborist or a tree service. That includes:

• Large, mature trees where the limbs are high off the ground
• Any job that needs climbing, ropes or a bucket truck
• Any branch near power lines or the service drop to the house
• Taking a tree down, or grinding a stump

The business does not offer that work. If a tree in your yard falls into one of those groups, the safe step is to call a certified arborist or a tree service. If you are not sure which side of the line a tree falls on, describe it when you call or text, and you can find out whether it is a small tree trimming job.

Yards where this makes sense

Small tree trimming suits most residential lots in the two counties, from small-town yards to subdivision lots and rental properties. Common cases include:

• Ornamental trees in the front yard, such as flowering trees planted near the house or the driveway
• Young shade trees planted in the last several years that are still low enough to reach
• Trees at the edge of a lawn where low limbs get in the way of the mower
• Small trees next to a sidewalk or a path where branches catch on people walking by
• Trees in a mulch ring or a flower bed where the lower canopy shades out the plants underneath
• Rental and investment properties that need the yard kept tidy between tenants

It also helps households where nobody has the time, the tools or the ability to get out with a pruning saw. A small tree left alone for a few years can get crowded and lopsided, and trimming it early is simpler than trying to fix it later.

What the work includes

Every tree is different, so the exact work depends on what the tree needs. As a rule, small tree trimming covers:

1. The tree is checked for damaged branches and for limbs that cross, rub or grow back toward the center.
2. Dead twigs and broken limbs are cut back to healthy wood.
3. Low branches over the lawn, a walkway or a bed are cut back so there is room to walk and mow.
4. Crossing branches and some crowded shoots are taken out so light and air can move through the canopy.
5. The cut branches are gathered up from the lawn and beds.

The aim is a tree that looks natural and keeps its own shape. Trimming does not mean cutting the top off a tree or shearing it into a ball.

Pruning basics for Central Illinois

Some general guidance on pruning small trees in Central Illinois, for anyone looking after their own trees or planning when to book work:

Timing

In Central Illinois, late winter into early spring, before the buds open, is a common time to prune most shade trees. The branches are bare, so the structure is easy to see, and the tree is about to start a new season of growth.

Spring-flowering trees are often pruned right after they bloom instead. They set their buds the year before, so pruning them in late winter removes some of those buds, and many people wait until the flowers fade.

Take care with oaks in spring and summer. In Illinois, the general advice is to avoid pruning oaks from about April through July, because fresh cuts in that window can attract the beetles that spread oak wilt.

Dead and broken branches can come off at any time. There is no need to wait for a certain season to remove a limb that is already dead or hanging.

Technique

Cut at the branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk. A clean cut just outside it lets the tree seal the wound, while cutting flush against the trunk or leaving a long stub makes that harder.

Don’t take too much at once. As a rule, removing no more than about a quarter of a tree’s live canopy in a single year keeps it from getting stressed.

Don’t top trees. Cutting the main leader or chopping the top back to stubs leads to weak, crowded regrowth. Wound paint isn’t needed either, since general guidance today is that pruning cuts heal fine on their own.

Around the base of the tree

Trimming the lower limbs pairs well with a clean mulch ring. As a rule, mulch around a tree should be 2 to 3 inches deep and kept a few inches back from the trunk, not piled up against the bark. A mulch ring also keeps mowers and trimmers from bumping the trunk, which is one of the most common ways young trees get damaged. Mulch installation is offered as a separate service.

What shapes the quote

Each trimming job is quoted on its own, because trees and yards differ. The quote depends on:

• How many trees are in the job
• How big they are and how much growth needs to come off
• How much dead or broken wood there is
• How easy the trees are to reach, and whether beds or fences sit underneath

Before the visit, it helps to clear patio furniture or planters from under the trees and to point out any beds or young plants nearby.

Related work in the same yard

Small tree trimming often happens alongside other yard work. If a corner of the property has gone past trimming and into overgrown saplings and thick growth, brush removal is the service for clearing it. Mulch installation and regular lawn mowing are the other jobs that commonly go with it.

The service area covers Douglas County and Champaign County. If you are not sure whether your address is on the route, call or text to check. More about the county is on the Douglas County page.

Getting a quote

To get a quote for trimming small trees, call or text (217) 729-1112. Say how many trees there are, roughly how tall they are and what you would like done, such as raising low limbs or clearing out dead wood. You can also use the quote form on the contact page. The quote depends on the yard and the trees in it.

If a tree turns out to be too large, too close to power lines or in need of removal, the crew will say so, and that job is one for a certified arborist or a tree service.