Many property owners look out at their front yard and realize those foundation shrubs have completely swallowed your windows. You are definitely not alone. Between the heavy wet spring snows we get here in Billings and the dry, windy summer stretches, our landscape plants take a beating. Tackling a major bush trimming project takes a bit of forethought if you want clean results that do not stress out your plants.
Lockwood Tree Solutions tells property owners how to plan out their shrub trimming projects so everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
Timing Your Shrub Trimming Around Billings Weather
Timing is everything when you are cutting back woody plants. Do not just grab the hedge trimmers the first warm weekend in March. Most deciduous shrubs love a good heavy trim in late winter while they are still completely dormant. That way, they heal up fast before putting all their energy into spring growth.
If you have spring-flowering bushes like lilacs, and Billings has plenty of those around the Heights and the West End, wait until right after they finish blooming. Prune them too early in the spring, and you will accidentally clip off all your flowers for the season.
How to Prep Your Yard Before Lockwood Tree Solutions Shows Up
If you decide to bring in some help from Lockwood Tree Solutions, a little prep work on your end makes a huge difference. Clear out any patio furniture, kids' toys, or dog kennels sitting right against the bushes. If your irrigation system has drip lines snaking through the mulch under those shrubs, flag them so our crew does not snag them with rake tines or heavy boots. Unlock any side gates so we can easily haul our gear and green waste around to the back.
What the Shrub Trimming Process Actually Looks Like
On the morning of the job, Lockwood Tree Solutions will walk the property with you to make sure we are both on the same page about how aggressive we need to be. Some property owners just want a light tidy-up, while others need heavy rejuvenation pruning to salvage an overgrown mess.
Once we get to work, you will hear the hum of shears and see a whole lot of branches hitting the tarp. Lockwood Tree Solutions does not just hack things into boring green boxes unless that is specifically what you asked for. We prefer natural shapes that keep the plant healthy. When we wrap up, we haul away all the clippings and rake up the stray leaves so your yard looks cleaner than when we arrived.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign Any Paperwork
Before you hire any contractor to hack away at your landscaping, ask a few direct questions:
- Are you hauling away the debris, or am I stuck paying local dump fees?
- Do you carry liability insurance in case a stray branch goes through a living room window?
- How do you handle disposal of diseased wood so it does not spread to the rest of my yard?
Getting these details squared away early saves everyone a headache down the road and keeps your yard looking sharp all season long.