Get matched with top tree service pros in Lakeshore, LA

Finding a reliable arborist starts with researching specialists in your area and checking their licensing and certifications. Use online resources like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to conduct research on each company. Next, contact the arborist and ask the following questions to see whether they are the right fit for your project:

• Do you handle or specialize in dealing with the issue I’m having?

• Are you fully insured?

• Do you have customer references I can call?

• Do you have any third-party certifications?

• What equipment and strategies do you plan to use?

Generally, you should prune around 20% of an apple tree’s growth—and never more than 30%. This means that if you have a severely overgrown tree, it can take a few seasons to prune it back enough to produce the healthiest fruit. 

If you’re dealing with a newly planted or juvenile tree, hold off on pruning beyond the initial shaping. Wait at least a couple of seasons into fruit production since pruning can increase the number of water sprouts and unproductive foliage.

If you don’t stake a tree that needs support, it could be at greater risk of being damaged or failing completely, whether it uproots or falls over. That could cause damage to your property or other surrounding trees. If you want to grow healthy trees, you may need to stake them for best results.

You can find pruning paints and sealants for trees, but you shouldn’t use them on a topped tree. Coatings like these often inhibit the tree’s healing process. An important exception is if there are dangerous fungi nearby that the tree is particularly vulnerable to, like oaks and oak wilt. Sealing cuts can help prevent fungi from taking root.