Street and Park Tree Pruning Cycles
Pruning street and park trees is an important component of managing a safe, hazard-free, and less costly urban forest in the long term. A pruning cycle has been initiated to provide regular maintenance to Fitchburg’s street trees. Ideally, the pruning cycle would be: train pruning 2-3 years after planting and again in 2-3 years; routine pruning every 4 years afterwards; and pruning for hazards or safety when needed. The plan is to keep our maintenance crews on these cycles during the fall and winter months, but since priority is given to snow removal and clean up, pruning might be delayed in any given year.
In the 2011-2012 season, crews pruned and inspected about 2300 park and street trees in the following neighborhoods:Byrnewood,Wildwood, Wildwood South, Tower Hill, Pine Ridge, Oak Meadow, Waterford Glen, Glacier Valley and Hatchery Hill. In the fall and winter season of 2010-2011 crews pruned approximately 500 street and park trees in Seminole Hills, Highlands of Seminole, Swan Creek, and Fitchburg Business Park.
To maximize the efficiency of operations, requests for pruning outside of the scheduled cycle should be minimized; resident patience is appreciated until crews can get the entire community on a routine pruning program. However, if you feel your trees need to be addressed sooner, please contact the City’s urban forester, Ed Bartell, at (608) 270-4289 to discuss your tree.
Pruning crews will do the following:
- Reduce or remove limbs to train a central leader
- Remove any large deadwood and crossing branches
- Lightly thin to allow for light penetration and air circulation
- Prune broken or damaged limbs
- Raise the crown to provide clearance for vehicles (15'), pedestrians (10'), signs and street lights (as needed)
- Note any remedial treatments such as cabling, bracing, fertilization, etc.
More Information
Pruning Updates
March 29, 2012
Crews completed the pruning and inspection of about 2300 street and park trees in the 2011-2012 fall/winter season.