Tree Trimming in Latrobe, CA
Out Latrobe way? We cover it. Call us now at (530) 238-3614 and we'll get a local tree pro to come out and look at the oaks and other trees on your land.
We arrange the visit. The pro gives you a price once they've seen it.
The old railroad town
Latrobe is a small unincorporated community about 15 miles southwest of Placerville. It sits low, at about 761 feet.
Back in its heyday, 700 to 800 folks lived here, and trains were the reason. The Placerville and Sacramento Rail Road ended in Latrobe. The railroad's chief engineer named it after Benjamin Henry Latrobe II, chief engineer of the Baltimore and Ohio. Mail came through a local post office between 1864 and 1921.
The climate is warm-summer Mediterranean. That means wet winters and long, dry summers.
Oaks and their roots
On open land, a lot of tree trouble starts below the ground, not up in the branches. A UC Master Gardener talk for El Dorado County lists ways people hurt oaks without meaning to.
- Building homes, driveways and roads packs the soil down. That crushes roots and starves them of water and food.
- Rocks piled on the roots or around the trunk cause harm.
- Soil piled up against the trunk smothers the root crown.
- Weed killer drifting onto an oak can damage it.
- String trimmers nick the bark, and germs get in.
Planning a new barn, shop or driveway? Keep heavy equipment off the root zone of your best oaks. It's a lot cheaper than dealing with a sick tree five years later.
Oak root fungus
The talk also names armillaria root rot, better known as oak root fungus. It likes warm, wet soil. Signs include mushrooms growing at the base of the tree, or white fungus under the bark.
There's no reasonable treatment, the talk says, and it may or may not kill the tree. UC's tree decay guide adds that this fungus causes a white rot of the roots and lower trunk. It can spread to nearby trees where roots grow together.
Pruning can't cure it. But a tree with root rot near a house or road should be looked at by a pro, so you know if the weight up top is safe.
Dry grass and low limbs
Long dry summers mean dry grass under the oaks. A UC fire network checklist says to mow or graze grass to 4 inches or less in the zone 30 to 100 feet from buildings. It also says to limb up taller trees there to at least 10 feet, so a grass fire can't climb into the crown.
Out here the county's oak rules are the ones that count. Approved fire safety work gets an exemption from the oak permit, according to the county.
Costs
National numbers give you a ballpark. Thumbtack says most trimming jobs run $402 to $1,158. HomeGuide notes many companies set a minimum charge of $100 to $300 or more, so group your jobs into one visit.
Your pro walks the land first, then names a price.
Latrobe questions
Do you cover Latrobe?
Yes. Call (530) 238-3614 with your road and we'll find a pro who works that side of the county.
What hurts oak roots the most?
Packed soil from building and driving, soil piled against the trunk, and too much water. UC Master Gardeners list all three.
How short should I keep the grass under my oaks?
The UC fire checklist says 4 inches or less in the zone 30 to 100 feet from your buildings.
Nearby
See tree trimming in Shingle Springs, tree trimming in Cameron Park and tree trimming in El Dorado. Or oak tree pruning, Diamond Springs, or all towns.