Tree service in Maxwell, Texas

What I see in Maxwell yards

Rural Caldwell County work: mesquite and cedar elm clearing, fenceline cleanup, and the occasional big pecan by an old farmhouse that hasn't been touched in thirty years. Those old yard pecans are usually worth saving and almost always need deadwood out.

The trees I get called about in Maxwell

Rural Caldwell County mix — mesquite and cedar elm in the fencelines, and the occasional big pecan by an old farmhouse that hasn't been touched in thirty years. Those old yard pecans are usually worth saving and almost always need deadwood out. Farmland fencelines with mesquite and cedar elm, plus the occasional big pecan next to an old farmhouse that hasn't been touched in thirty years. Those old yard pecans are nearly always worth keeping and nearly always need deadwood taken out. Worth adding for the old yard trees out here: a tree that has stood alone in a field its whole life has a completely different structure from one grown in a stand. Open-grown trees put on heavy low branches and wide spreading crowns because nothing competed with them for light. They're often more stable than they look, and they should not be pruned to resemble a forest tree.

How to tell these species apart, and what goes wrong with each one.

The ground underneath: Blackland Prairie

Deep black clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks hard when it's dry. Post oak, blackjack oak, cedar elm, American and winged elm, sugarberry, green ash and honey mesquite. That soil movement is constantly shearing fine roots, and it's behind more mystery decline than any disease.

Permits in Maxwell

I haven't read Maxwell's ordinance closely enough to summarize it here, and I'm not going to guess at a rule that could cost you a mitigation bill. Call the city's planning or development services department and ask two questions: what trunk diameter triggers a permit, and is there a protected species list.

I have verified the rules for Austin, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs — those are written up here, along with how to measure your trunk properly, which every one of these ordinances depends on.

Working on a Maxwell property

Farmland and fencelines ten minutes off I-35. Open, easy, cheap to work. Fifteen minutes from Kyle, open ground, easy access, and generally room to drop wood whole. That combination puts Maxwell jobs at the cheap end of what I do. Fifteen minutes from Kyle with open ground and room to fell whole, which puts these jobs at the cheap end of my range.

Questions I get from Maxwell

Getting me out to Maxwell

Maxwell is about a 15-minute run for me. Call or text me a photo with something in frame for scale and I can usually give you a number without driving out. Estimates are free either way.

One rule that applies everywhere, including here: don't prune oaks between February 1 and June 30. Here's why.