Live Oak Needs Cutting Back
 

My home watch person keeps sending me photos of my grossly overgrown Oak tree and I need to find someone to trim it. I've researched here and come up with these four names. Anyone have any recent experience with them, or others?

Devin Atwood

Ace Master Tree Service
Doug King

Kanani Morris
Tree Frog Tree Service

Bryan Stanage
Stanage Tree Service

I would add Mike Davis at Airborne Tree Service. He has looked after and occasionally trimmed our oak tree for years. 352-347-3332.

I highly recommend Kanani Morris @ Tree Frog Tree Service. He isn't the cheapest, but he has the credentials. It also doesn't hurt that he is a really nice guy.

Please send them over to Hilltop Golf Course to trim back the trees on #6 and #9. I hate dogleg par threes.

Ace Tree Service (Jerry Stanage) removed a huge dying Laurel Oak for us two weeks ago. He has all the equipment necessary to do any job and has been in the business a long time. He is the father of Bryan Stanage, also an arborist. Tree Frog nursed our Sylvester palm to health after it suffered shock from planting. I think any of these would be well qualified. I'd ask them to look at it and give a quote.

Warning: cutting back a live oak makes them grow like crazy. That tree is a weed. Keep your tree trimmer on a retainer.

We highly recommend Kanani. He is our "tree" guy. He plants them for us and then takes care of our trees and shrubs every year.

Seconded.
--
Bob C

This is NOT good news! :cry:

Live Oak Needs Cutting Back
 

Cutting them back makes them "grow like crazy" is a bit of an exaggeration. (Sorry, Chi. :) ) Shaping them is wise IMHO. And overall they are slow growers.

You are right that they grow slower with age, but the younger ones (like most of the ones in our yards) grow quickly. I have mine cut back and later shaped regularly.

"Typical Lifespan: Southern live oaks are fast growing trees, but their growth rate slows with age. They may reach close to their maximum trunk diameter within 70 years. The oldest live oaks in the country are estimated to be between several hundred to over a thousand years old."
Southern Live Oak - National Wildlife Federation

We had ours taken out shortly after we moved into our new house. Our friends have one that is 12 years in their yard. High maintenance and "messy" is an understatement. He trimmed and shaped his tree until it got too big.

I believe you can't remove them after they get so large. Anyone know about taking a live oak down in The Villages? OP, that might be the best option---if it can be done. Of course, to each his own.

Definitely a matter of opinion. I've had live oaks on two of my properties...absolutely loved them. Some maintenance. Well worth it for me.

We use Doug King to trim our oak and we were very happy with the results. He has been in business for over 30 years.

Large oak trees and sprinkler buddies make the property perfect!