Hedge, Bush Trimming + Small Trees

Shaping, not shearing damage

There is a difference between a hedge that was trimmed and a hedge that was hacked. We shape shrubs to their natural form, keep the base slightly wider than the top so lower growth still gets light, and make clean cuts that close instead of tearing. Overgrown bushes that have swallowed windows or walkways get brought back in stages when needed, because taking a stressed shrub down to sticks in one pass can kill it.

What this service covers

• Hedge and shrub shaping, formal or natural
• Overgrowth reduction on bushes crowding the house, windows, or walks
• Small tree trimming: low limbs, suckers, water sprouts, and dead branches within safe reach
• Deadwood removal and clean-out of the shrub interior
• Every cutting pulled and hauled away, beds raked clean behind us

Timing matters in Iowa

Spring-flowering shrubs like lilac set next year's blooms on old wood, so they get trimmed right after they finish blooming, not in fall. Most non-flowering hedges take shaping well from late spring into summer. Oaks are the exception in Iowa: to limit oak wilt risk they should not be pruned during the growing season, so we leave oak work for the dormant months and stick to small, safe cuts. Large tree removal and anything requiring climbing or bucket work is beyond this service, and we will say so rather than improvise.