Tree Trimming in Coloma
Down in Coloma? We cover it. Call us now at (530) 238-3614 and we'll have a local tree pro come out to look at your oaks and yard trees along the river.
We track down a pro and book the time. The pro gives you the price after a look.
Where it all started
On January 24, 1848, at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, James W. Marshall spotted gold. The gold rush took off from there. These days the old town sits at the heart of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.
Cullumah, a Nisenan word for "beautiful," gave the town its name. You'll find it beside the American River's South Fork, about 36 miles northeast of Sacramento, at around 764 feet. The 2020 census counted 521 people.
The federal government made it a National Historic Landmark District in 1961, on the Fourth of July. The town grew up on the site of the Nisenan village of Koloma. Its post office opened in 1849 under the spelling Culloma and switched to Coloma in 1851.
Valley oaks on the river flats
A UC Master Gardener talk for El Dorado County describes valley oak as a huge tree with massive, sideways limbs and a wide spreading crown. It prefers moist bottomlands and river areas. That's Coloma all over.
Those long, heavy limbs are lovely. They're also the kind that can let go. The same talk describes summer branch drop, which happens on hot, calm days. The limbs that break are often horizontal ones. If one reaches over a house, a walkway or a driveway, the talk says it should come off.
Valley oaks drop their leaves, so the UC rule is to prune them in winter. And take it slow. The International Society of Arboriculture says no more than 25% of a crown at once, and less on old trees. A big valley oak is usually an old tree.
Wet soil and root trouble
River-bottom soil can stay wet. Most trees don't mind a bit. But the UC talk names two root problems worth knowing about.
Phytophthora root and crown rot is helped along by too much water in the soil and poor drainage. Leaves may change color, stay small, wilt or drop early. The roots turn dark and decayed. Draining standing water may help.
Armillaria root rot, also called oak root fungus, likes warm, wet soil. You might see mushrooms at the base of the tree, or white fungus under the bark. The talk says there's no reasonable treatment, and it may or may not kill the tree.
Trimming won't cure either one. But if a tree has root rot, a pro may want to take weight off the limbs over your house. Some trees with rot near the base end up needing more than a trim, and a pro can tell you if yours is one.
What it costs
National guides give a starting point. HomeGuide lists trees over 60 feet at $1,000 to $2,500 or more to trim. Trees 30 to 60 feet run $600 to $1,200. A huge valley oak can land in those bigger groups.
The pro looks, then quotes. Nothing gets cut before you agree.
Coloma questions
Do you send tree pros to Coloma?
Yes. Call (530) 238-3614 with your road and we'll find one who works along the river.
When do I prune a valley oak?
Winter. Valley oaks drop their leaves, and the UC Master Gardener rule is to prune those oaks in winter.
There are mushrooms at the base of my oak. Should I worry?
Have it checked. UC Master Gardeners say mushrooms at the base can be a sign of oak root fungus, which likes warm, wet soil.
Nearby
Next door: tree trimming in Lotus. Also tree trimming in Rescue and tree trimming in Placerville. See oak tree pruning, Diamond Springs, or all towns.