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Tree Trimming in Granite Bay

We cover Granite Bay, just across Folsom Lake from El Dorado Hills. Give us a call now at (530) 255-2773. We'll send someone who works Placer County.

Rock under the roots

Wikipedia says the town is named for a bay on Folsom Lake, a reservoir made in 1955. Under the whole town lies granodiorite, a granite-type rock laid down in the Cretaceous. That rock is the "granite" in the name.

Granite Bay is a Placer County community of 21,247 people (2020 census), with ZIP codes 95746 and 95661. It sits between Roseville and the lake.

Rock near the surface is a reason to be careful with roots. If a patio or pool is going in under a big tree, ask a pro first. The Master Gardener oak talk says digging into roots or covering them with cement or stone hurts the tree.

Heat that sets records

Wikipedia's climate table for Granite Bay shows an all-time high of 115 degrees, set in July and 111 in September. It shows an average July high of 94, and about 20.45 inches of rain a year. July averages just 0.04 inches.

That kind of heat is hard on trees. UC Master Gardeners say a stressed tree may droop, yellow, curl or brown at the edges, especially by late afternoon. They add that stress makes a tree open to pests.

Skip heavy pruning and fertilizer in a heat wave. UC Master Gardeners say to take off only diseased, damaged or dead branches in a drought. Our drought page has the rest.

Big lots and lake views

Many yards here are large, and many owners care about a view of the lake. Tree owners sometimes ask for "view thinning." That means taking out branches to open a view.

The arborist brochure says thinning is selective branch removal to let in light and air, and that it keeps the tree's natural shape. It also notes that thinning on a routine basis isn't a sure way to a healthier tree, since the leaves feed it. So go light.

Topping for a view is the thing to avoid. The brochure says a topped tree can lose half to all of its leaves.

Winter rain, summer nothing

Wikipedia's table lists January rain at 3.98 inches and December at 3.33. By July it drops to 0.04, and August is 0.06. Lows have hit 16 degrees. So trees here live through hard swings, wet and cold, then dry and hot.

Moist soil in winter helps trees, but it also invites fungus. The Master Gardener talk says Armillaria likes warm, wet soil and that Phytophthora comes with soggy ground and poor drainage. Keep winter water from pooling under an oak.

Wikipedia says the area was home to the Nisenan, also called the Southern Maidu, who lived along the American, Yuba and Bear rivers. Treat any old oak with respect, and cut it only as much as it needs.

Show the pro what you want

If you care about a view, stand where you sit and point at the branches in the way. A pro can tell you quickly which ones can go and which ones the tree needs.

Wrap bright ribbon around the limbs you mean. PG&E uses paint or ribbon to mark trees it plans to trim, and the same trick works for a homeowner on a walk-through.

Prices

Fixr prices a 30 to 50 foot tree at $150 to $800, and puts the tallest class, 50 to 100 feet, in the $300 to $1,800 range. Homeyou says large limb removal runs $168 to $486. Those are national numbers.

Homeyou adds that a limb hanging over a roof or wire drives a quote up toward $688.