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Tree Trimming in Coloma

Got a Coloma tree that needs attention? Ring (530) 240-2208, and a pruning pro will wind down the hill to you. Hunting someone up and fixing the date is our end of it.

The drive from Placerville down to the river is short, and pros from up our way head there all the time.

Where it all started

This is the spot. James W. Marshall's gold find at Sutter's Mill happened here on January 24, 1848, and it set off the whole rush. A big share of the old town now belongs to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.

"Coloma" traces back to Cullumah, the Nisenan name for the valley, which means "beautiful." On July 4, 1961, Coloma was named a National Historic Landmark District.

Not many people live here. The 2020 census found 521 residents, all of them rural. Farming and visitors keep the local economy going, river rafters most of all.

Low and warm by the river

Coloma sits at only 764 feet. Downtown Placerville is up around 1,867 feet, so that's a big drop. Down here it's warmer, and the river flats grow different trees than the ridges.

Valley oaks thrive in it. Per the UC Master Gardener oak talk, they like damp bottomland and creek banks. Expect giants with heavy horizontal limbs spreading wide, wrapped in thick, furrowed bark that looks almost like cork.

Those heavy horizontal limbs are the very kind the talk links to summer branch drop. They can snap without warning on a hot, still afternoon, even looking healthy. If one stretches over your roof, deck or where you park, get it looked at.

Caring for a big valley oak

Valley oaks go bare in autumn, which makes winter their trimming season. Go gently. Most trees should lose a quarter of their crown at the very most per the arborist group, and old ones less. Nearly every valley oak you'll meet is old.

Skip summer watering, and keep lawn sprinklers well back from the trunk. Turf around oaks invites disease from overwatering, the Master Gardener talk warns.

Living next to a state park

A lot of Coloma homes sit near the park, the river or both. The park looks after its own trees. Yours are up to you.

River lots have their own quirks. Ground near water stays damp longer, and the Master Gardener talk says root and crown rot is promoted by soggy soil and poor drainage. Leaves that wilt, yellow or drop early can be a sign. If water pools around a tree after rain, mention it when you call.

Also watch for mushrooms at the base of an old oak after fall and winter rains. UC's wood decay guide says oak root fungus can send up mushrooms there. It's a good reason to get a pro's opinion. No need to panic though.

Cost in California

In LawnStarter's city price table, San Diego is the lone California entry, listed at $478 to $710 a tree. Count on a big valley oak running higher than that. The pro will name the actual figure.

Close by

A mile downriver is tree trimming in Lotus. South a bit there's tree trimming in Gold Hill, and north, tree trimming in Kelsey. Big oak? See oak tree pruning. Or return to tree trimming in Placerville.