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Tree Service in Apple Hill

We do cover Apple Hill. Call (530) 803-4676 and tell us which road you're on. We'll book a local tree pro who knows the ranch roads around Camino.

Call (530) 803-4676

Not a town, a whole way of life

Apple Hill isn't a town on a map. It's the name of a growers group. Wikipedia says it covers 55 ranches in the foothills in and around Camino. The first 16 were the start of it, and later ranches added Christmas tree growers, wineries and a few other businesses.

It all started with a pear blight. In the early 1960s, growers in and around Camino had to switch to apples. Wikipedia says the group now holds California's largest concentration of apple growers.

So when we say Apple Hill, we mean people who live and work in the orchards. Some of you have a house on a few acres. Some run a ranch with a barn and a pie shop. Both of you have trees.

What kind of tree trouble shows up

Orchard trees are one thing. The trees around the orchard are another. Tall pines and cedars stand along the edges of most ranches. Some stand right beside the lot where visitors leave their cars every fall.

That is the hazard worth a look. A weak pine over a picnic table is a bigger risk than a weak apple tree in a row.

Snow can be rough on older fruit trees too. Their limbs carry a heavy crop in summer and heavy snow in winter. The University of Illinois Extension says limbs and evergreen branches are flexible and usually manage, but a few break. A split limb on an apple tree is more of a pruning job than a removal job. We find tree pros for yard and house trees, not for orchard care.

An old apple tree with a name

Here's a fun one. Larsen Ranch has a Rhode Island Greening that Wikipedia says may be the county's oldest apple tree. If you ever have a pro work near an old tree, ask how the cuts will be made. A limb taken off the wrong way can finish off an old tree.

That goes for your own old trees too. A pro who knows fruit wood will cut less and cut clean.

What to do when it's a big job

• Keep customers and kids well away from the fallen tree.
• Look for wires first. Stay at least 10 feet back from any wire touching the tree.
• Rope off the spot if you run a stand or a shop.
• Photograph the tree and the damage.
• Then call us.

If you run a business, say so when you call. It changes how fast the job needs to happen. We can't promise a time, but we can tell the pro what's at stake.

When the crowds come

Apple Hill gets busy in the fall, and that changes how a tree job is planned. Roads fill up with visitors. Parking lots turn into work zones if a limb is down. A pro needs a clear way in and out.

If you can, call before the weekend rush. A weekday visit is easier on everyone. Tell us if your lane is shared with a stand or a barn, since the pro may need to close it for an hour.

Christmas tree growers have their own season in winter. A farm's sale trees are a crop, not a yard job, so ask a grower about those. For the big old pine on the ranch road, though, we can help.

Prices to expect

Cost guides put small tree removal at $150 to $400 and large trees at $900 to $1,200. A tree already lying on the ground runs $75 to $150. Emergency work is higher, from $450 to $5,000. Your pro gives you the real price.

On a ranch, long driveways and gates can add time. Tell the pro about them when you call.

Next stops

Newtown is just south of Camino. Smith Flat is a short drive west. For big pines, read about hazard tree inspection. The towns page lists every place we cover.