“I had no idea there was a ban on elm pruning in spring. He came out, checked the calendar, and explained exactly when he could touch my tree. Did the work in late August and it looks right, no flush cuts, just what needed to come out.”
“My ash was dying from the inside out. He was honest about it, said removal made sense. Brought his chipper, ground the stump same day, and hauled everything. Clean job, no mess left in the yard.”
“After the windstorm took down branches, he came fast and cleared the whole mess. Climbed up himself, didn't send a crew. Took the wood chips too, which saved me a headache.”
“Wanted to know if my big elm was safe before the winter. He wrote up a proper report, showed me the weak points, and gave me a plan. Not a sales pitch, just straight answers about what the tree needs.”
Dutch Elm Disease Management in Selkirk
Selkirk's older streets are lined with mature elms, and that's both a gift and a responsibility. These trees define the neighbourhood character, but they're also where I see Dutch elm disease show up most often. The disease spreads through the root system and via bark beetles, and once it takes hold, there's no pruning it out, no matter what anyone tells you. I've been working these streets long enough to recognize the signs, and I won't sell you false hope.
What I look for is flagging: a single branch that goes yellow and wilts in June while the rest of the canopy looks perfectly fine. That sudden, isolated dieback is the red flag. When I see it, I peel back a bit of bark and look for the brown streak in the wood beneath. That streak is the fungus, and it means the tree is infected. Once it's tagged, the elm has to come down. The wood goes straight to an approved disposal site; I don't chip it or leave it on your property. It's the only way to stop the disease from spreading to neighbouring trees through root grafts or beetles. I check the provincial elm pruning ban rules for your address too, that legal window matters when timing the work.
I won't pretend there's a treatment that saves the tree, and I won't charge you to find out what you're dealing with. Call me for a free estimate, and I'll tell you exactly what I see.
Tree Planting and Transplanting in Selkirk
Selkirk has mature elm and ash lining the older streets, and I see firsthand why that matters. Those trees were planted in a monoculture decades ago, and now the city is managing disease and storm damage across whole blocks. When I plant a new tree in Selkirk, I choose species that actually survive this zone and will not repeat that mistake. I also set every planting far enough from the foundation to account for the tree's mature width, and I keep it clear of the heavy clay that heaves against basement walls in spring thaw. That foundation work takes forethought, but it saves trouble later.
If you have a young tree that went into the wrong spot, I can move it, provided the root system is young enough to take the transplant. I handle the pit, the staking, and I give you real watering instructions for the first two summers so the tree establishes properly. The elm pruning ban runs from April 1 to July 31 across the province, so if you have elm on your lot, I check the rules for your address before any work starts. What I will not do is plant another elm or another ash down your property line. Selkirk has already paid twice over for that choice.
Call me for a free estimate and we can walk your lot, talk about what will thrive there, and plan the right species in the right spot.
Tree Trimming in Selkirk: Elm and Ash on Older Streets
I climb most of my jobs myself in Selkirk, and that makes all the difference. Trimming is the core of what I do, and I take it seriously because the trees here deserve it. The older streets are lined with enormous American elm, mature and heavy, plus green ash on the post-war boulevards. These are not shrubs to be rounded off into a ball by a crew in a hurry. I take out the deadwood, clear the roof line and the back lane, and bring the crown back into balance so the tree can grow strong and shed snow and wind without fighting itself.
There is one rule I will not bend on: I will not touch an elm between April and July. That window is set by provincial law, and I follow it exactly. If you call me in May about an elm, I will tell you to wait until August. I check the rules for your address before I quote any work, because Selkirk has its own character and I respect it. The clay here holds water, the winters are deep cold, and these old trees have earned their place. A good trim keeps them there for another generation.
Call me at (431) 444-5195 for a free estimate. I will walk your property, explain what I see, and tell you what needs doing and what does not.
Tree Removal in Selkirk: Tight Spaces, Mature Elms
Selkirk's older streets are lined with mature elm and ash, and many of those trees stand close to houses, garages or back-lane fences. When one of them has to come down, I don't use a crane or a bucket truck. I climb it myself, dismantle it section by section on rope, and lower every piece under control. That method works in the tight spots where there's no room to fell a tree whole: a yard hemmed in by neighbours, a lot on the river bank, a back lane with no gate wide enough for heavy equipment. I've done dozens of removals in Selkirk this way, and the tree comes down safely without damage to what's around it.
Elm removal in Selkirk follows provincial rules. The elm pruning ban runs from April 1 to July 31 each year, but removals are allowed year-round. Once the tree is down, the wood has to go straight to an approved disposal site, I handle that part of the job and make sure the disposal is done properly. For ash and other species on private land, a permit is generally not needed, but I always check the rules for your address. That takes five minutes and keeps you clear of any surprises.
I work alone most days, and I bring my chipper and my truck to every job. If you have a mature tree that needs to come down and space is tight, call me for a free estimate. Phone (431) 444-5195.
Selkirk, as the arborist sees it
When I work in Selkirk, I'm dealing with streets lined by mature elm and ash trees that have been standing for decades. These aren't young plantings, they're the backbone of the neighbourhood's character, and they demand respect. The older residential streets here carry trees that have weathered heavy wet snow, wind, and deep cold, which means I see a lot of structural stress and branch failure. Elm in particular gets my attention because of the provincial pruning ban that runs from April 1 to July 31 every year. I check the rules for your address before I make any cuts, and I only work inside that legal window. The terrain around Selkirk Park and the properties that back onto it show what happens when ash and elm grow in close quarters with houses, they're valuable, but they need skilled pruning, not just cutting back.
What makes my work here different is the mix of species and the age of the trees themselves. I'm not dealing with saplings or ornamental plantings. These are trees that have already survived decades, which means they're worth saving when possible. I've seen emerald ash borer pressure in the area, so I talk to owners about whether removal makes sense or whether we can manage the tree. The soil here is heavy clay in many spots, which affects how trees root and how they respond to pruning. When I'm on a ladder or climbing, I'm always thinking about what this tree has already been through and what it needs to stay healthy. That's the difference between trimming and actually caring for a tree.
