Tree Service in Orlando, Through One Free Phone Line

Why Central Florida trees need more attention than most

Orlando is a green city, and much of that green is old. The trees that shade its neighborhoods were planted or left standing when those neighborhoods were built, and many are now reaching the end of their useful lives at the same time the region faces a storm season every year. Three facts explain most of the calls a tree company in this area gets.

• 50 to 70 yearsThe life span the University of Florida's IFAS gives for laurel oak, one of the most common shade trees in Orlando yards.
• June 1 to November 30The Atlantic hurricane season, as defined by NOAA's National Hurricane Center.
• Mostly sandHow UF/IFAS describes the soils of North and Central Florida, which hold water and nutrients poorly.

Old laurel oaks

UF/IFAS notes that laurel oak hollows with age as it approaches 50 years, and that its trunks and large branches often decay from the inside. A small wound or a bad pruning cut can start a column of rot 10, 20 or more feet long. From the street, a laurel oak with a hollow core can look perfectly healthy until a big limb drops. UF/IFAS adds that live oak and other oaks are more resistant to decay and live longer, so the species of an old shade tree matters as much as its size.

A storm season every year

Six months of every year fall inside hurricane season, and summer thunderstorms bring their own gusts in between. UF/IFAS research on trees after hurricanes found that old laurel and water oaks are prone to failure, that queen palms tend to fall over and Washington palms tend to break, while cabbage palms are often able to stand firm. The same research found that trees in shallow soils and trees with little room for roots are more likely to blow over, and that trees become unstable when the soil is saturated by heavy rain.

Sandy soil and close quarters

Sandy soil drains fast and holds little, so trees in Central Florida depend on a wide, healthy root zone. Driveways, pool decks, sidewalks and utility trenches often cut into it. UF/IFAS found that trees with more rooting space survived hurricane winds at higher rates. When a contractor says a tree near new construction "will be fine", ask how much of its root zone was lost.

Pruning makes a measurable difference

The good news is that care helps. In one UF/IFAS analysis of broad-leaved trees after hurricanes, 73 percent of pruned trees survived, compared with 47 percent of unpruned trees. The same research warns that topping and removing very large branches make trees more likely to fail. That is the difference between proper pruning and simply cutting a tree back. The hurricane prep guide covers what to check before June 1.

Common Orlando-area trees and how they tend to hold up

Knowing what is in your yard tells you what to watch. This summary comes from UF/IFAS publications on laurel oak and on how Florida trees performed in past hurricanes.

Costs, permits and power lines in one place

Three questions come up on almost every call, and this site answers each one in depth.

Cost. Angi's Orlando data shows tree removal typically running about $203 to $2,028, with most homeowners paying around $761, and it notes that work close to buildings or utility lines can cost up to half again as much. Treat those as a sense of scale, not a quote. The removal cost guide and trimming cost guide explain what moves the number.

Permits. Under Florida Statute 163.045, a city or county cannot require a permit, fee or replanting to prune or remove a tree on a single-family home lot when an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect documents that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. For other removals inside Orlando city limits, the City charges a $25 residential permit fee. Every other city and county sets its own rules. Read the permit guide before you schedule anything.

Power lines. If a tree or limb touches or could fall into an overhead line, it is a job for the utility first. OUC, which serves Orlando, nearby unincorporated Orange County and St. Cloud, tells customers not to trim near its lines and to call (407) 423-9018 about trees near them. If your power comes from another utility, the number is on your bill. If a line is down, sparking or lying on a tree, stay well away and call 911.

Where the line takes calls

The line covers Orlando and the cities around it in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties, plus DeLand and west Volusia County. Each area page explains what is particular to that place: its common trees, who supplies the power, and whose tree rules apply. If your town is not listed, call anyway and give the assistant your ZIP code.

• All Orlando-area service areas
• Orlando
• Kissimmee
• St. Cloud
• Clermont
• Winter Garden
• Ocoee
• Apopka
• Winter Park
• Altamonte Springs
• Longwood
• Lake Mary
• Sanford
• Oviedo
• DeLand