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Tree Trimming in Somerset

Got trees to trim in Somerset, ZIP 95684? Call (530) 240-2208. We'll find a tree pro who's happy to make the drive and set up a visit.

Give us good directions when you call. Out here that saves everybody a wrong turn or two.

Ten acres and a dirt road

Somerset grew up at a crossroads, where Bucks Bar Road joins Grizzly Flat Road and Mount Aukum Road. From Camino it's a 6.25 mile trip south, and the elevation is about 2,093 feet.

Ten acre parcels make up most of the area. Pavement stops at the main roads. Beyond them, expect dirt or rock on almost every lane and driveway. Most local business comes from boutique wineries.

And the name? Early settlers came out from Somerset, Ohio, and reused the name of their hometown.

What that means for tree work

Big lots mean lots of trees, and long dirt drives mean slow going for a truck and chipper. Both can add to the price. A few tips help keep it down.

• Bundle jobs. If several trees need work, do them all in one visit.
• Know your gate code and where the pro can park.
• Say up front if the drive is steep, rutted or narrow.
• Decide ahead if you want the branches chipped, hauled or left in a pile.

On a big rural lot, it's tempting to clear everything at once. Try to think in years instead. Cap each round at a quarter of the crown, as the arborist group recommends.

Trees around Somerset

Somerset sits just above 2,000 feet, the lower fringe of black oak range. Here black oaks share hillsides with blue oaks, interior live oaks and pines. In the UC Master Gardener oak talk, black oaks occupy the band from 2,000 to 6,000 feet, and blue oaks stop near 3,500.

Leafless oaks are winter jobs and interior live oaks are summer jobs. Pines hold out until mid-October, since UC rules out pine pruning from February onward while the beetles are active.

Out on a big lot it's easy to miss a sick tree. Walk the place a couple of times a year. Look for dead tops, mistletoe and pitch tubes on pine trunks.

Dry slopes and summer heat

Somerset lots are often on dry, sunny slopes. Native oaks handle that fine. A UC Master Gardener talk on county oaks says they're drought tolerant and adapted to our climate, and it says not to water them.

Pines are a different story in a dry year. UC says bark beetles often hit trees stressed by drought. If a pine near the house looks thin in a dry summer, a deep soak about twice a month can help, out under the edge of the branches.

About the price

Fixr says trimmers often charge $50 to $80 an hour per worker. More workers on a big job means a higher bill. That's why travel time and a tough driveway matter more out here than in town. Your pro gives you the full price after seeing the job.

Nearby

Heading north, there's tree trimming in Pleasant Valley first, then tree trimming in Camino. Pine owners should read pines and bark beetles. Or go to tree trimming in Placerville and the list of our towns.