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Tree Trimming in Kelsey

Out in Kelsey and need a tree looked at? Call (530) 240-2208. A pro who covers the country north of the river gets found and booked.

Kelsey is about 2 miles north of Chili Bar. It's a bit of a drive from Placerville, so tell us your road when you call.

One of the first gold camps

Kelsey used to be called Kelsey's Diggings. It's named for Benjamin Kelsey, who came to California in 1841 and found gold there in 1848. The first homes went up in 1849.

It was a wild place for a while. At one time it had 24 saloons, 12 stores, six hotels and two barber shops. Its schoolhouse was built in 1858, rebuilt in 1903, and used until 1984.

Kelsey sits at about 1,923 feet.

Trees on rural lots

Most places around Kelsey are rural, with oaks and pines mixed together. At just under 2,000 feet, you're right where blue oaks and interior live oaks start to share space with black oaks, going by a UC Master Gardener talk on county oaks.

A mixed lot means mixed timing. That's the trickiest part of trimming out here.

• Blue oaks and black oaks go bare, which puts their pruning in winter.
• Interior live oaks stay green, so they get pruned in summer.
• Pines get pruned only outside February to mid-October, UC says.

Good news, though. Late fall and early winter can cover the pines and the leafless oaks in one trip. The live oaks can wait for their own summer visit, or the pro can do just a light cleanup on them.

Pros cost more by the hour

Some jobs need an arborist, a tree specialist, rather than a general trimmer. Fixr lists arborists at $85 to $120 an hour and trimmers at $50 to $80. For simple dead wood cleanup, a trimmer is often fine. For a sick oak or a big pruning plan, an arborist's eye is worth it.

When you call, tell us which you'd like. If you're not sure, describe the tree and we'll help sort it out.

Gold camp leftovers

A town that had 24 saloons once had a lot of people, and people plant trees. Some old Kelsey lots still have a lone walnut, a fig or an old fruit tree from long ago, standing by itself among the oaks.

Old trees like that are often hollow or have decay inside. UC's wood decay guide says decay usually hits old trees, and it isn't always visible from outside. A tree that looks fine can still have weak wood. If an old tree leans over a path, a shed or a house, have it checked.

Keep an eye on your trees

Out on a big lot, problems hide. A couple of times a year, take a walk and look up. Watch for dead tops, mistletoe clumps, oozing froth on oak bark, and pitch tubes on pine trunks. Catching these early usually means a smaller, cheaper job.

Close by

Up the road is tree trimming in Garden Valley, and down by the river, tree trimming in Coloma. For pine trouble, read pines and bark beetles. You can also go back to tree trimming in Placerville or look over our towns.