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How to Choose the Right Tree For Your Landscape

Colorado blue spruce too close to building

This Colorado Blue Spruce was planted too close to the building.

With spring just around the corner, people are getting ready to head out to the yard to plant flowers, trees and shrubs. While everyone has good intentions for planting trees, all too often we see the wrong tree in the wrong location.

Right Tree, Right Place – Or Not …

Every year we get tons of calls to prune trees away from houses, sheds and wires. Many of these jobs require us to push the limits of pruning standards and/or remove a perfectly healthy tree because it was planted too close to a building, under utility wires or next to a septic system.

While these trees look great in their sapling stages, they start to encroach on nearby structures within a few years as they grow towards their mature size (which can be as much as 75 feet!). In some cases, simply planting the tree 15 feet further away from objects would have ensured that the tree was fine through its complete growth cycle.

So before you buy a tree, here are the things you need to do and the factors to consider in deciding which tree is best for you and where to plant it.

Do Your Homework

Read up on the tree species you’re looking to plant or ask your nursery for details. Before you even buy the tree, make sure you know the following:

  • Mature Size – When it’s fully grown, what is the tree’s height, diameter or spread, and shape?
  • Growth Rate – Many people want a fast growing tree but be careful since they are prone to insects, disease and decay. Fast growing trees also have shorter lifespans.
  • Does the tree fruit? – You might not want the dirty mess from fruit falling on walkways and driveways.
  • Hardiness Zone – In CT we have zones 6b, 6a and 5b so make sure the tree is hardy to those zones or lower (e.g., zones 4 and 3).
  • Soil – Most trees need a certain type of soil (e.g., sand, loam, clay) and pH level to thrive.
  • Sun Exposure – Should the tree be planted in full sun, full shade, or a bit of both?
  • Moisture Requirements – Be sure to meet the moisture requirements with either an irrigation drip line or water bag system, especially as we head into summer. If you have no easy way to water a tree that requires a fair bit of moisture, look for a different tree.

Get a Soil Sample

It’s recommended that you do a soil sample where you want to put your trees. This will tell you if your soil is compatible with your tree selection and whether any soil amendments are required. Poor soil conditions contribute to 75% of tree health issues.

Here in Connecticut you can get your soil tested inexpensively through the UConn Soil Testing Laboratory.

Look For Potential Damage

Will your proposed planting location lead to a tree that causes damage, especially in 20 years from now? Consider how the mature tree will look and where it will grow. Below are some of the things to think about:

  • Cracked foundations
  • Tree limbs touching the house, which can cause rubbing damage, gutters full of debris, and rodents gaining access to attics.
  • Heavy shade over the house, which leads to moss, mildew and wood siding decay.
  • Sewer lines or septic clogging with roots
  • Storm damage to your house, cars or utility wires
  • Blocking a scenic view
  • Cracked pavement or sidewalks
  • Dropping of seeds or fruit, leading to slippery or dirty walkways, driveways, decks, etc.
Tree fallen on house and car

Trees planted in the wrong location can cause extensive property damage.

Plant the Proper Distance From Your House

The recommended spacing from a mature sized tree to a building is 8-foot minimum for small trees and 20 feet for large trees.

So, for example, if you’re planting an oak sapling (which will eventually become a very large tree with a 50-foot spread – or 25 feet out from the trunk) you should plant the tree a minimum of 45 feet from a building (25 feet of tree branches plus 20 feet spacing). Keep in mind that this is a MINIMUM value.

Consider Overhead Utility Wires

Trees under utility wires

These trees are too close to the utility wires and will need to be drastically trimmed or removed

Before planting, look up! Is the mature height and spread of the tree going to encroach on your wires? If it does, the utility company will top your trees or cut a large notch out of it later. That’s not a pretty sight and is detrimental to the tree’s health. Not to mention there is now a tree that can rip down your wires in a storm.

Be Wary of “Dwarf” Trees

We’ve seen lots of so called dwarf trees grow much larger than specified. I would make sure you’re dealing with a quality nursery so you can have higher confidence that the dwarf trees really are dwarf. Reputable nurseries sometimes cost a little more but the quality and the fact that they have horticulturists on staff that can guide you is invaluable. Plus, most nurseries guarantee their tree stock.

Look for the Sun

Consider the path of the sun in your planting layout. Depending on the sun’s location, trees will cast a shadow on your house. This can be great for controlling summer AC costs but if there’s too much shade (such as with a very dense tree or too many trees) you might have moss issues on the roof and possible siding decay.

Think About Maintenance

Determine if your location might require a pruning regimen to maintain the tree at a certain size or form. It’s always better for tree health and visual appeal to be proactive.

Prune every 1-2 years to maintain the tree to your requirements instead of going in after the tree is overgrown and having to structurally prune it back. If you’re not prepared to do this kind of maintenance pruning, consider buying a different type of tree.

Buy Healthy Trees

Lastly, when purchasing your trees don’t buy problem trees. Avoid trees with wounds and damage to the trunk (this is often caused by machine handling in the nursery).

Also, depending on the species, you generally want one single trunk – avoid co-dominant trunks (you will see a ‘V ‘with two almost equal sized stems going upward rather than one trunk). These are very prone to splitting during storms. While a tree is young you can prune it for shape (including removing a co-dominant stem) but it’s best to avoid defects or poor shape at the point of purchase. Again, this is where a reputable nursery will steer you in the right direction.

Ready to Plant?

Use the above info to determine how your selections will fit into your location. And think 20 to 30 years out.

All to often, we see good intentions of planting a tree executed very poorly and it leads to decline or death of the tree. Please refer to How to Plant a Tree so to not kill your new landscape plantings.

If you currently have trees that you think might be too close to infrastructure there are possibilities to transplant and move the tree depending on size, health and location. Call Barts Tree Service and we can assess the situation for you and lay out any options.

If you would like a licensed and certified arborist to assist you with recommendations and any layout possibilities for your site, just give us a call.

 

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Testimonials

Polite, Prompt & Professional

Every time we use Barts we are more than pleased. Professional and knowledgeable. The crews are so polite and they leave the work area clean and undamaged. Matt responds very promptly to requests and does exactly what we ask him to.

Suzi D.
Brookfield, CT
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
 
Careful & Reasonably Priced

I have used Bart's tree service and was extremely pleased. The crew was very conscious of the fact huge trees were near the house and carefully took down leafed trees without falling on the house or ruining what little lawn I do have.

This time cleanup of falling over trees and an a large dead ash and cedar were removed. ... In (...Read More...)

Catherine M.
Ridgefield, CT
Monday, April 18, 2016
 
Very Professional

Last fall we had many large pine trees cut down and the stumps have been an eyesore ever since. I found Barts online at random, read the reviews, then called. Matt called back the next day, stopped by to see the work, gave a very good price to remove the stumps, and I gave him the job. Matt also recommended to remove 2 other very (...Read More...)

Ken H.
Brookfield, CT
Sunday, May 1, 2016
 
Went Above and Beyond

We highly recommend Barts Tree Service. They were respectful, very hardworking and went above and beyond, exceeding our expectations. They removed 5 large trees plus saplings and wood chipped them all - arriving early morning and all finished by late afternoon. We were at the start of having a new house constructed and advised by (...Read More...)

Tina M.
Sandy Hook, CT
Thursday, October 6, 2016
 
Did a Fabulous Job

We live on a lake front property with a steep topography making tree and landscape work difficult. Barts gave us a fair estimate, arrived promptly and on schedule and did a fabulous job removing trees, shrubs, large limbs with a perfect clean up. We have used three other tree services over the last 11 years and Barts far exceeds t (...Read More...)

Ken K.
New Fairfield
Thursday, September 21, 2017
 
Efficient & Well-Organized

I live on a property with many trees, and I contacted Bart's Tree Service this month (January 2017) when I noticed a damaged tall white oak on my property. The first time I used Bart's Tree Service was in the spring of 2015, and I was impressed with Bart's good service at that time--so I contacted Bart's again to get help with my (...Read More...)

Eloise Swenson
Brookfield, CT
Sunday, February 26, 2017
 
Easy To Work With

Barts Tree Service is very easy to work with. Matt is quick to respond via phone or email and provides an accurate estimate. I have used them for two projects now and Matt and his team have done a great job both times and stayed on budget. If you need any type of tree service call Barts!

Andrew S.
Wilton, CT
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
 
WOW!

This company is by far one of the best experiences we have ever had as home owners! Matt, the owner came to give us an estimate for pruning our apple orchard. He pointed out that it had been done wrong in the past and explained what needed to be done. He spent time showing us what we could do to save money in the future. He is ver (...Read More...)

Scott F.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Friday, April 3, 2015
 
Thank You!

Thank you for the beautiful work at our house in Danbury!! The trees have never looked better. We appreciate your eye, and your team's thoroughness and tidiness - not a stray leaf left behind. THANK YOU BART'S TREE SERVICE!!!

Maura Newell J.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
 
Expert Tree Service

Matt and crew showed up exactly when they said they would and did precisely what I asked them to do. They're real pros and I'll call them next time I need expert tree service.

William G.
Review from Yellowpages.com
Thursday, June 26, 2014
 
Skilled Crew

Bart's Tree Service offers a skilled crew with access to all the equipment and techniques to efficiently do the largest jobs. They have a bucket truck, crane, wood chipper, several tree climbers and are skilled with ropes and pulleys. They carefully removed several large trees which were precariously over my house. I watched in aw (...Read More...)

Rosemarie M.
Review from Yellowpages.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
 
A Great Experience

Asked around and got Matt's name. He came right out for a free estimate, very courteous and knowledgeable. He gave me tips on things that I could do myself to save money and explained all his ideas and thoughts. Gave me a great price and came out to do the work very promptly. The crew was very courteous as well. When I had a coupl (...Read More...)

Melissa K.
Sandy Hook (Review from Yelp)
Monday, July 8, 2013
 
The Epitome of Professionalism

Fabulous company! Matt and the rest of the company are the epitome of professionalism. They try very hard to keep the cost reasonable and are flexible in setting up work times. They leave the site in great condition. I highly recommend them!

Megan F.
Review from Google+
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
 
Absolutely Fantastic

Matt and his team are absolutely fantastic. They went above and beyond, were fast, polite and professional. They cleaned up beautifully and they listened well.

Matt knows his trees, shrubs and bushes and he is not out to rip you off. In fact, he gives a very fair price and gets to the job quickly and with safety in mind.

MaryAnn M.
Danbury, CT
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
 
Very knowledgeable

I've worked with several tree firms in the four homes I've lived in, and I can honestly say that Bart's Tree Service is extraordinary.I am very pleased with the efficient and professional work performed by Matt and his servicemen. I needed a variety of work, from pruning to removal throughout the property. As a couple men were i (...Read More...)

Lorraine R.
Ridgefield, CT (Review from Yelp)
Monday, March 31, 2014
 
Did An Excellent Job

I first used Bart's Tree service in 2013 to take down a large catalpa that was splitting at the base. Matt understood our concerns about the septic and his team carefully took down the tree without having any of the trunks go near the septic. They cleaned up the property after the job and did a great job.I contacted Matt again thi (...Read More...)

Justin D.
Review from Google+
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
 
Very Impressed

When Matt came to take a look at the work I needed done, he gave me several options and also made suggestions for taking care of some other issues that I hadn't noticed. There was no pressure and he was very patient with my questions. He gave me an estimate on the spot and stuck to that estimate when all the work was completed. Wh (...Read More...)

John B.
Redding, CT (Review from Yelp)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
 
Super Responsive

If only ALL contractors were as easy to do business with as Barts Tree Service! The owner, Matt, has always been super responsive to my calls, provides quotes quickly and gets all work done to my quality standards in the time he promises to get them done. His business is highly qualified to do the work and his staff is always ve (...Read More...)

Jessica G.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Monday, February 24, 2014
 
Quick Response

Called Bart's Monday morning after my wife heard a bad cracking noise coming from a large maple tree that towers over our kitchen. We were both worried the tree would fall on our roof. Matt came over that afternoon, examined the tree and recommended that a cable be installed to stabilize the tree. A few days later, his crew instal (...Read More...)

Jerry S.
Ridgefield, CT (Review from Yelp)
Thursday, November 6, 2014
 
Careful & Quick

The whole experience was really good.Part of it was luck: Matt was on his way past our neighborhood when I called about the work, and he was able to stop shortly after I called. The price was within the budget, and even though it was a busy time, he was able to get us into the schedule in under a week, which, since it wasn't an em (...Read More...)

Hugh M.
Review from Google+
Monday, October 27, 2014
 
Very Professional!

Barts tree service removed two trees and trimmed another very large tree near power lines at a reasonable price. They were quick responding when we had questions and provided proof of all licensing required. Barts arrived when they said they would and left the property in very good condition despite a difficult property to maneuver on.

Helder P.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Friday, March 27, 2015
 
Exceeded My Expectations

Usually, when selecting a tree service, you start by asking friends, relatives, etc. Well being new to our house and area we had to take a shot on a firm we found online. I was not disappointed.

Matt, the owner was personable, Listened carefully to everything we wanted done and gave us a usable fair price on the spot.

Wh (...Read More...)

Gregg S.
Redding, CT (Review from Yelp)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
 
Reliable, Fast, and Efficient

We've use Barts Tree Service twice for big trees on our property. and have recommended them to all our friends. Matt Bartelme and his crew are very professional, reliable, fast and efficient. They show up when promised, and clean up when done. We had both trees cut up, chipped and hauled away in no time. Their stump-grinding mac (...Read More...)

Meg B.
Ridgefield, CT (Review from Yelp)
Sunday, June 23, 2013
 
Very Responsive

Job was to Clean up 2 trees of hanging dead branches; Take down 2 large trees and 1 smaller tree; Cut and stack wood; Leave wood chips in pile

Matt was very responsive when called for a quote. He took the time to review not only the trees we had called him for a quote as well as reviewed any needs and suggestions for others wi (...Read More...)

Gayle C.
Southbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Saturday, May 18, 2013
 
Did a Great Job!

Matt came out and gave us a free estimate after reviewing the work we were requesting to be done. He sent us a detailed proposal for work to be done and cost for each separate item.

His crew arrived within the the time frame and did a great job! Very courteous and before leaving made sure we were happy with the work and left no (...Read More...)

Frank D.
Bethel, CT (Review from Yelp)
Monday, December 15, 2014
 
Excellent Service

Bart's Tree Service provide an excellent service. They were prompt, did what they said they would do and left the yard impeccable after completing a big job. Bart's charged a fair price. I will use them again.

Cindy C.
Ridgefield, CT (Review from Yelp)
Friday, October 31, 2014
 
Prompt, Reliable, and Professional

Great company. Matt is thd best tree guy around Danbury. I used him last year during a snow a snow storm had a tree hanging over my roof he came the next day, Durning the summer we were installing a pool and a large tree was in the way he came took down the tree and ground the stumps and roots that were in the way. Was here this (...Read More...)

Bruce B.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Saturday, April 12, 2014
 
Professional Work

I recently used Barts Tree Service for stump grinding and for delivery of premium hardwood firewood. I was impressed with Matt's professionalism, ability to provide a prompt and complete estimate, and his crew's quick completion of the job. It is clear Matt's team is conscious of appropriately completing the job, but also keep (...Read More...)

Brian K.
Weston, CT (Review from Yelp)
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
 
Careful Attention to Detail & Safety

Barts Tree Service is as good as it gets!!!

The owner, Matt is easy to communicate with and spends adequate time listening to the client's needs, explaining the services and answering questions. No surprises here. Everything is done as discussed. The crew is well briefed before they start working.

The level of expertise of e (...Read More...)

Amazing G.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Monday, June 9, 2014
 
Trustworthy, Respectful and Talented

We highly recommend Barts Tree Service.

We have used Barts Tree Service a handful of times and have been sincerely impressed every time. The crew, including the owner, are all professional, trustworthy, respectful and talented workers who put care and skill into every job they do.

They are the kind of business you recommend (...Read More...)

Alicia D.
Danbury, CT (Review from Yelp)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
 
Pleasant and Efficient

We first met Matt, the owner, during Hurricane Irene. A huge pine fell on our house and our neighbor recommended Barts. We called - and he was there before the hurricane was out to sea...no exaggeration. Since then we've had Matt back several times. He is great to work with, his crew is pleasant and efficient, and the prices are great.

A.P.
Ridgefield, CT (Review from Yelp)
Monday, March 4, 2013
 
Very Professional

Cut down 4 trees - a storm-damaged tree leaning on another, and 2 small ones in close proximity. Left the wood, in fireplace-sized logs in the woods; chipped branches and blew them in the woods. Cleaned up debris.

The job went very well. Barts was the only provider who said they would not need to get a truck on our lawn, and (...Read More...)

Customer in Bethel, CT
Saturday, September 14, 2013
 
Hurricane Sandy Clean-Up

Removed trees damaged by hurricane Sandy and ground several stumps on property. Provided an estimate that was very fair, came on the date we had set and did the work promptly and efficiently. This was the third time I had used Barts Tree Service. They are by far the best in the state!

Third-time Customer
Sunday, November 3, 2013
 
Large Tree Removal

Removed two 80′+ Hickory and Oak from front yard, ground stumps below grade, removed logs/braches, removed two smaller 8″ diameter trees and pruned low tree branches in backyard. Repaired lawn expertly where needed.

Fantastic Professional crew, prompt service. After the removal you couldn’t tell any work done – the area was le (...Read More...)

Customer in Sherman, CT
Monday, November 11, 2013
 
Great Stump Grinding Job

I happened to see a sign for Bart's Tree Service stump grinding. I called and got a call back and a visit for an estimate THE SAME DAY. That is almost unheard of....I got an estimate for them to grind two large stumps and also for some tree trimming. Within a week all of the work was complete. Everyone on the crew was great. Nice (...Read More...)

Renee M.
Danbury, CT
Thursday, March 24, 2016
 
An Excellent Job

You did an excellent job. The clean-up was appreciated too. The price was right. You went over and above my expectations. I will highly recommend you to anyone I know, who needs tree removal.

Patti F.
Danbury, CT
Monday, February 29, 2016
 
Thank You

I thank you for your conscientious and dedicated team, a job well done. I will definitely use your company again for my next job.

Peter J.
Friday, August 10, 2018
 
Great people and great service

I called Matt because I wanted some trees taken down in our yard. I was concerned about the health of some of the trees and wasn’t sure which ones to have removed. One tree in particular was damaged in the blizzard and I was worried it would come down on power lines or the street if it wasn’t removed quickly. He and his crew came (...Read More...)

Lisa F.
Friday, August 10, 2018
 
Reliable, On Time, Precision Work

We recently used Barts to remove two large trees on our property. This appeared to be a complicated endeavor as the trees were adjacent to the house. Barts assured us this would not be a problem, a crane was brought in to assist with the removal. Highly recommend this service, they are reliable, on time and performed the removal w (...Read More...)

New Customer
Ridgefield, CT
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
 
Bart's Tree Service is Great!

Matt Bartelme, owner of Bart's Tree Service is a qualified professional who knows trees and his crew is excellent and well trained. Bart's has done work for Aspetuck Land Trust for years and I would highly recommend them to any homeowner or business. Bart's also has a heart and has donated services to the Land Trust to improve h (...Read More...)

Aspetuck Land Trust
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
 
Read more about what customers are saying >>

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Barts Tree Service

WOODBURY OFFICE
115 Flanders Rd,
Woodbury, CT 06798

DANBURY OFFICE
8 Rose St,
Danbury, CT 06810

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203-240-1302

Serving Ridgefield, New Fairfield, Redding,
Bethel, Brookfield, Newtown, Weston, Danbury, Wilton, Westport, Woodbury, and surrounding areas

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