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Tree Trimming & Pruning
Professional pruning to the current ANSI A300 tree care standard, with every assessment performed by an ISA Certified Arborist.
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ISA Certified
Arborist on staff
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A+ Rated
BBB Accredited
Since 2001
Professional tree services
Licensed & Insured
Your property protected
Professional Tree Trimming & Pruning
Pruning is the most useful thing you can do for a tree you want to keep. Done well, it makes the tree stronger, safer, and better looking. Done badly, the damage lasts for the life of the tree.
We start by looking at what the tree is doing: how it is growing, where it is crowded, what is dead or weak, and what it is close to. Then we cut only what it needs, in the right place, so each wound seals and the canopy keeps its natural shape. That applies to a single ornamental in a front yard and to mature shade trees across a commercial site. The aim is the same on both: a tree that is healthier and safer for years to come.
Every job begins with an assessment by an ISA Certified Arborist, and the recommended service is set out in a written estimate before any work starts. Every cut is made to the current ANSI A300 tree care standard, and all debris is removed from the site.That applies to a single ornamental in a front yard and to mature shade trees across a commercial site. The aim is the same on both: trees that are healthier and safer for years, not just tidier for a week.
Our Tree Prunning Services
Eight pruning services are available, each defined by its scope. The arborist recommends the appropriate service for each tree during the assessment.
Complete Canopy Pruning
The most thorough pruning option, and the appropriate choice for maintaining a mature tree in good condition over time. In a single visit, the arborist works the entire canopy: deadwood is removed, weight is reduced on overextended outer limbs, the crown is balanced, and clearance is opened over the roof, driveway, walkway, and street. When performed on a repeating cycle, it keeps a tree safe, healthy, and well shaped over the long term.
Safety & Clearance Pruning
Focused pruning that addresses immediate concerns, including dead, broken, and hazardous limbs anywhere in the canopy and clearance over the house, street, driveway, or walkway. This service is suitable when a tree requires prompt attention but does not need a full canopy prune.
Young Tree Pruning
Structure established early remains with a tree for life. Young Tree Pruning develops a strong central leader and well-spaced branches and corrects defects while the cuts are still small. It is the least costly pruning a tree will receive and the most effective means of preventing storm failures and expensive corrective work later.
Disease Management Pruning
Removes diseased, dying, and infected wood to slow the spread of an active problem. Tools are sterilized between cuts so that the work does not carry disease from one branch to another, and where an insect-carried pathogen is a concern, cuts are sealed immediately. This service is often combined with a plant health care treatment.
Storm Recovery Pruning
A storm-damaged tree can often be saved. Broken and torn limbs are cut back to sound wood so that the tree can close its wounds and rebuild a stable canopy, and the remaining growth is preserved as the future crown. Restoring a salvageable tree over one or more visits is usually less costly than removing and replacing it.
Custom Pruning
Pruning for a specific request or for a situation that the standard services do not cover. The scope, specifications, and price are set out in the proposal, and the crew performs the work as described.
Canopy Cable Support
Where a tree has a weak union, a split-prone limb, or a long, overextended branch, a support cable can preserve it. A high strength steel cable installed high in the canopy limits how far the limb can move in wind and storms, which reduces the risk of failure while preserving the tree. Cabling is performed together with pruning that reduces weight and wind load on the supported limbs. Price varies with limb diameter and the number of cables installed.
Structural Rod Bracing
Threaded steel rods installed through a weak or splitting union hold the union together and prevent a crack from spreading. Bracing provides rigid reinforcement where a cable alone is not sufficient, and it is typically installed alongside canopy cables, which protect the braced union from above. Price varies with stem diameter and the number of rods installed.
Our Pruning Standards
Pruning practice determines the long-term condition of a tree. The following summarizes the practices followed on every job and the practices that are not used.
Practices we follow
- Cuts made to the current ANSI A300 tree care standard
- Weight reduction limited to where the tree requires it, preserving the natural canopy
- Scope determined before the first cut is made
- Priority given to structure, health, and safety over speed
Practices we do not use
- Topping, which cuts the canopy back to bare stubs
- Over-lifting or over-thinning, which weakens the tree
- Climbing spikes on trees that are not being removed
- Pruning without a prior on-site assessment
Why Professional Pruning Matters
Four things change when pruning is done by people who know what they are looking at, and here is how our crews deliver each one.
01
Healthier trees
Dead and crowded growth comes out so the tree puts its energy into strong, living wood. We decide what goes by how that species actually grows, not by habit.
02
A safer property
Hazard limbs over roofs, cars, and walkways come down in controlled sections before they fail. Our crews set drop zones first and protect what is below.
03
Better curb appeal
A well-shaped canopy lifts the whole property. We keep each tree’s natural form instead of leaving it cut back to stubs.
04
Stronger in storms
Structural cuts reduce wind resistance and the risk of failure. We prune ahead of the season, and when a storm does hit, our crews are the ones who come out.
Signs Trees Need Pruning
If any of the following conditions apply, an assessment is recommended.
- Branches touching or overhanging the roof
- Dead, broken, or hanging limbs in the canopy
- Crossing or rubbing branches
- Limbs growing toward service lines
- Long, heavy limbs that could break in wind or ice
- Branches hanging low over the driveway or walkway
- Storm-damaged or split limbs
- A weak union, a split-prone limb, or a long, overextended branch
- A crack opening in a union where two stems meet
- A tree that has not been pruned in several years
If you are unsure, request an assessment, and the arborist will advise.
Why Choose Us for Tree Trimming
What to expect from Michael's Tree & Loader Service when trees require pruning.
Assessed before any cut
The species and condition of each tree determine what is removed, so the scope is established before work begins.
Our Own Equipment and Crews
The canopy is accessed safely with company equipment and crews, and climbing spikes are not used on trees that are not being removed.
Roof and service line clearance
Branches over roofs and service lines are removed with controlled cuts and drop zones, and any utility involvement is identified in advance.
The Work Documented in Advance
The estimate lists which limbs will be removed, the reason, and the cost, so the scope of the work is agreed upon before it begins.
A clean site afterward
All branches and chips are cleared, and the work area is left clean before the crew departs.
Appropriate Recommendations
Where light pruning resolves the problem, that is the service recommended. The scope never exceeds what the tree requires.
Request a Tree Prunning Estimate
Contact the office to schedule an assessment with an ISA Certified Arborist.
Where We Provide Tree Trimming
Local crews serve Memphis and St. Louis, following the same arborist-led process in both markets.
Memphis, TN
Memphis, Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, Arlington, Lakeland, Millington, Eads, Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis City, Clayton, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Sunset Hills, Crestwood, Affton, Oakville, Fenton, Ballwin, Des Peres
To confirm coverage for a specific address, request an estimate.
See What Our Customers Say
Feedback from the homeowners, businesses, and municipalities served across Memphis and St. Louis.
“Thank you for your tree service. Your three men were hard workers on a hot day! The results were just what we wanted. The clean-up and pick up service was greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your service.”
“I am very pleased with the job that you all did. It looks wonderful! I will definitely recommend Michael's Tree and Loader Service.”
“To Michael's Tree and Loader Service, Thank you so much for a job well done! You have an excellent work crew, and I am truly satisfied with the job. I will surely recommend your company to others, and keep up the good work! God bless you all!”
Tree Trimming Questions
When is the best time to trim or prune trees?
What is the difference between the pruning services?
How often should my trees be pruned?Will pruning hurt my tree?
Will pruning hurt my tree?
Do you top trees?
How much do you remove in one pruning?
Can a tree damaged in a storm be saved?
Do you clean up afterward?
What are cabling and bracing, and when are they used?
Are you licensed and insured?
Is there a charge for an estimate?
Request a Free Tree Trimming Estimate
Tell us about your trees and we will get right back to you, the same business day. Assessments and written estimates are always free. Prefer to talk? Call the office nearest you.
Service Areas
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Office hours
Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Same business day reply
Request a free estimate
Tell us about your property and how we can help. No cost, no obligation.