Get matched with top arborists in Danville, IN

Ideally, you’ll have a good enough relationship with your neighbors that you can kindly mention this task in regular conversation. However, every neighbor (and neighborhood) is different. Your best bet will always be to ask directly and nicely, offering to contribute to the tree trimming efforts if you’d like. However, if you are bothered by the tree and your neighbor is unwilling to cut it, you can involve the help of the homeowners’ association or local authorities, if applicable.

A dead tree should always be cut down, because it could fall and cause injuries or damage, and it can also attract insects like carpenter ants. A tree that’s diseased beyond repair should also be cut down, but it’s not always easy for a homeowner to tell. Signs of disease include dying branches, a hollow trunk, leaning, and discolored or missing leaves, but your best bet is to hire a local arborist who can evaluate the tree and tell you if it can be saved or should be cut down.

It depends. Smaller, younger trees take longer to mature, but they're more resilient, their roots don't get as damaged during transplanting, and they recover faster. Plus, they're much more affordable to plant, and it's possible to DIY the planting. 

On the other hand, mature trees produce fruit faster and provide more shade and privacy immediately. Ideally, a small or medium tree is the better choice if you can wait a few years for it to mature. But if you need immediate maturity, a larger tree is the only option.

Although the terms tree trimming and tree pruning are used interchangeably, they are very different types of tree maintenance. Tree trimming involves enhancing the appearance of your tree by removing unruly branches, providing your tree with ample sunlight and nutrients and prevents unsightly overgrowth. 

Tree pruning helps keep your trees disease-free. This process removes unhealthy growths, dead branches, and other unhealthy parts of the tree. It’s more common for deciduous and ornamental trees but not so common for evergreen trees. To determine which method you need, discuss it with a tree trimming specialist.