Preparing your Trees for Stormy Weather

Regular tree maintenance is important for safety and also for the health of our beautiful trees. Palm Coast Urban Forestry encourages all residents to regularly inspect their trees and do any needed tree maintenance before storm season arrives.

Good information on proper pruning techniques is available at http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruning.shtml, and residents can find an arborist and get tree care tips at http://www.isa-arbor.com/.

If hiring a tree service, confirm that they're licensed to do work in the City of Palm Coast. Either call 386-986-3766 or go to www.palmcoastgov.com/local-business-search and search for "tree surgeons" in the "Business Type" box.

When meeting with a prospective tree service, ask questions about their training and expertise in pruning. Make sure they would never take off the whole top of a tree. "Topping" a tree and other bad pruning techniques can cause irreparable damage.

Beware of unlicensed tree solicitors. They will oftentimes place a card in your door or solicit on the weekends. A low price should be a red flag on quality.