How do I know whether pruning is enough or the tree should come out?

Problems that pruning can solve

A sound trunk with a few bad limbs is a pruning job. Dead wood, crossing branches, limbs too long for their wood and branches over a roof can all be handled in the crown while the tree stays. A tree with one weak fork may also be a candidate for cabling and bracing once an arborist has checked the trunk.

The test is whether the cuts take away the risk without taking away the tree's ability to live. If the answer needs more than a modest share of the live crown, pruning stops being the right tool.

Signs that point toward removal

None of these proves a tree must come down, but each is a reason to have an arborist look.

• Decay at the base or trunk, such as soft wood, mushrooms or conks, or a hollow
• A crown that is mostly dead, or a dead top
• A lean that is new or has changed, or soil heaving on the side opposite the lean
• A crack through a trunk or a tight fork that has split
• A tree within falling distance of a house, a wire or a play area that has any of the above

Why a photo or a guess is not enough

Decay hides inside the wood and roots, and a tree can look full and green while the base is failing. The ISA's own tree owner advice is to bring in a local arborist when you are unsure. Our guides on telling whether a tree is dead or dying and warning signs before a tree fails show what to look for from the ground. We never tell a reader a tree is safe from a description.

A certified arborist assesses every Battle Born job before work begins, and we have two ISA Certified Arborists on staff. The free estimate is where you hear which way the tree leans, prune or remove, and why. Removal is also where the permit question comes in, so see permits in Northern Nevada.

If it might fall now

A split trunk, a hanging limb or a leaning tree after wind is urgent. Keep people away from the fall zone. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, call NV Energy if a line is involved, then call us on the 24-hour line at 775.232.8243.