HOW MUCH DOES PINE TREE REMOVAL COST?

The average cost to remove a pine tree in Phoenix is $850. Pine tree removal costs range from $200 to $1,500. For small pine trees, removal costs about $200. For giant pine trees, you can pay $1,500 dollars or more. As pine trees easily grow upwards of 60 feet and in some cases up to 80 feet, they are among the densest and largest growing trees out there. Larger pine trees above 80-90 feet will cost an average of $1,500 because of the potential danger of the work involved in the removal process. Many pine trees require extra labor for a safe removal to be performed because of removing branches with cones and needles. The professionals have to sport a great deal of safety gear to make sure they avoid getting pine caught in their eyes and scratches to their skin.

EXTRA SERVICES

• The cost of chipping averages $113 with costs ranging from $65 to $150.
• The cost of log splitting (pine usually makes good firewood) is often charged additionally and averages around $75.
• The cost of removal can add an average of $50 for haulage charges.
• The cost of stump removal averages $2.50 per inch of the stump with prices ranging from $2 to $3 per inch of diameter. Some companies have a minimum charge of $100 per stump. Others charge by the stump. For example, $150 for the first stump and a lower rate, perhaps $50 for additional stumps.
• The cost for land clearance if you have a large area with many stumps to be removed may be charged on an hourly basis with an average of $150 per hour depending on the diameter of the tree stumps to be removed.

TYPES OF PINE TREES

Many pine trees are native to Arizona. Here are some that may be on your property.

PONDEROSA PINE – Very popular in the altitude and climates of northern Arizona, they can grow to over 125 feet in height. It is much desired for timber.

COLORADO PINION – Well known for producing a delicious nut, they can be found between altitudes of 4,000 to 7,000 feet. It’s nut bearing cousin, the Mexcian Pinion is found at similar elevations in the southern part of Arizona.

BRISTLECONE PINE – The Grand-Daddy of them all. Amazingly they can live to over 4000 years old in part because they only survive at elevations of 9,500 to 12,000 feet.

LIMBER PINE – Noted for its drooping limbs, they are found high in the mountains at elevations above 8,000 feet.

SOUTHWESTERN WHITE PINE – Bordering southern Arizona and northern Mexico, they distinguish themselves from a lack of stomata on the back of the leaves. But you have to hike to find them, as they reside at altitudes of 6,5000 to 10,000 feet.

CHIHUAHUAN PINE – Native to the south of the White River and in the Santa Catalina and Santa Rita Mountains, this tree is found on the dry sloped between 5,000 and 7,500 feet.

APACHE PINE – Noted for its extremely long needles, it looks somewhat similar to many of the pines found in the southeastern United States. Native to the southern part of Arizona at the lower elevations of the mountain ranges.

ISSUES WITH SOME PINE TREES

Pine trees can leave the soil in an acidic state after removal. Add lime to change the pH level of the soil while it rests over the rest of the year.

HOW TO CUT DOWN A SMALL TREE

To cut down a small tree you’ll need the right knowledge, safety equipment, planning, and a chainsaw. Planning where the tree will fall after you cut it with the chainsaw is the most important thing apart from safety.

STEPS TO CUT DOWN A SMALL TREE

Safety is always priority #1 and if you’re not absolutely certain you can cut down the tree without injury or damaging housing, call for professional tree removal! Follow these steps to cut down a small tree or call the tree removal professionals at Phoenix Trim-A-Tree.

1. GATHER TOOLS & SAFETY EQUIPMENT

To cut down a small tree you’ll need a chainsaw, eye protection, and ear protection. Consider also wearing clothing that isn’t loose fitting. This is the point where you want to make sure your chainsaw is in good condition and you know how to use it.

2. EXAMINE THE TREE’S SURROUNDINGS

Be aware of what’s within the tree’s potential path when it falls. If there are houses, sheds, power lines, or livestock you should call for professional tree removal. The internet is awash with videos of people who tried to fell their own tree and it land on their home, car, or other property. People should be at least 2 times the distance of the height of the tree while you’re cutting it down.

3. CHOOSE THE DIRECTION THE TREE WILL FALL

If the tree leans in a direction that’s safe to fall you should plan to work with the tree. Whichever direction you choose to fell the tree make sure you’ve got clear lines for escape should it not go as planned. You should plan to escape away from the tree opposite to where it’s falling. Plan to do this at a 45° angle. This takes you out of the danger zone of the trunk of the tree settling straight backwards.

4. CUT A DIAGONAL LINE TO START

The next step is to cut a 70° cut on the side you’re planning for the tree to fall. To do this put the tree on your left side and brace your left shoulder against the tree. Some chainsaws will have a sight that tells you the angle you’re cutting at, use this as a guide if you have it. Make the cut so it is about ¼ of the tree’s overall width.

5. MAKE A RELIEF CUT

The next step is to make a horizontal cut at the deepest point of the cut you made at the last step. This will cut a triangle section of tree out of the tree and help encourage the tree to fall in the planned direction. Inspect the cut and direction the open area of the tree is facing. If it doesn’t look right you should call for professional help to remove your tree. Making more cuts at this point risks it falling in the wrong direction.

6. FELL THE TREE

If you’re 100% sure the cut is facing the right direction you can move on to felling the tree. To do this you will move to the opposite side of the wedge you’ve cut. This cut should start slightly higher than the last horizontal cut. Do not saw all the way through, rather saw just enough to drive a wedge into your cut. You’ll want to have the wedge in but still have enough room to operate the chainsaw without it touching the wedge. Leave about 10% of the center of the tree which will help the tree stay on the stump instead of kicking off and changing direction. At this point you can wait for it to fall or gently push the tree and be read to use your 45° angle escape routes.

REMOVING THE CUT DOWN TREE

Now that the tree is down laying on your landscape you’ve got to get it removed or chopped up into firewood. To start this you’ll need to remove the branches from the tree. Next you’ll need to chop the trunk up into manageable sections.

THE HOW AND WHEN OF PRUNING YOUR FRUIT TREES

The best time to prune fruit trees in Arizona is when it’s cold and the trees are dormant. In Arizona this is typically from February through about April. Any time there will be extensive pruning it should be done earlier than later to avoid leaving large sections of your tree’s bark exposed to direct sunlight. Phoenix Trim-A-Tree offers tree pruning all over the Phoenix valley and can help you make beautiful, healthy, and fruit producing trees. Pruning fruit trees needs to happen when the leaves are off and the tree is dormant. It will be easier to see what you are doing and removing the dormant buds or growing points will invigorate the left over buds. Summer pruning that is normally done by food manufacturers will remove the leaves which slows down fruit ripening and will expose the fruit to sunburn. Summer pruning can be used to slow down vigorously growing trees or those trees that have gotten too large. It is best done in the early summer.

HOW TO PRUNE FRUIT TREES

Fruit trees require a different approach for what stage of life they are in, what goal you have for your tree, and what if anything is wrong with your fruit trees. See below for specific information for trees both young and old, and trees with dead or dying limbs.

NEW FRUIT TREE PRUNING

Right after planting a new tree, you should cut it off to a short stick that is around 25 to 30 inches tall and cut off side shoots that have less than 1 or 2 buds. This will encourage low branching and will equalize the root and top system. Paint your tree with a white latex paint to protect it against sunburn and borer attacks. Low vigor, your young tress need to be pruned heavily and encouraged to rapidly grow for the first 3 years without a lot of fruit. Leave most of the small branches untouched for late fruiting. Young trees may be pruned less or not at all and are encouraged to fruit earlier with branch bending.

ADULT FRUIT TREE PRUNING

Topping the vertical branch encourages the growth needed to develop the tree and will create a bushing effect. Topping the horizontal branch is to renew the fruiting wood and to thin the excess fruit. Thinning vertical branches will open the tree to more light while thinning the horizontal branches will remove the fruit. Horizontal branches that are left uncut will have earlier fruit and heavier crops. Upright branches will normally remain vigorous and vegetative. Horizontal branches will have more fruit. Having a good combination for the two is needed for fruiting. Branches that have been bent 45 to 60 degrees will achieve this balance.

Removing the broken or diseased branches. You should remove the water sprouts, competing branches, and suckers that are growing straight up into the tree. The downward bending branches that are bent more than 90 degrees will eventually lose their vigor and will only produce small fruit, you should cut the part that is hanging down. New growth will happen where you make the cut. The influence of the cut will only affect the bud within 1 to 8 inches of the cut surface and not 4 feet down the tree. The more buds that are cut off the more vigorous the new shoots will be. Sun exposed wood will remain fruitful and will produce the largest fruit. Shaded branches will stop fruiting eventually and will never produce again without topping and renewing the whole tree. Prune most the top of the tree so that lower branches will be exposed to sunlight. You will need to make clean cuts within a fourth of an inch of the bud so that it doesn’t leave stubs.

WHEN TO PRUNE CITRUS TREES IN ARIZONA

The best time to have your citrus tress pruned in Arizona is February through April. This is when the trees are most dormant and before they have bloomed. Although flowers may exist in a very small unseen state removing some through pruning should not impact your yield in all but a minor way. It’s important to take care of extensive pruning as early as possible to give your tree time to come out with new leaves. Shade on the trunk, limbs, and branches is a necessary element of your tree in the heat of Arizona.

TYPES OF FRUIT TREES

Grape, kiwi, peach, and nectarine will bear on the last years shoot growth and they grow a lot so you need to remove at least 50% of the prior year’s growth. For apricots, plumcots, plums, pears, apples, persimmons, feijoa, cherry, almond, pecan, chestnut, walnut, olive, and figs which will bear on less vigorous shoots or spurs, you should remove about 20% of the prior year’s growth. For any citrus fruits, just keep the skirts pruned up off of the ground.