Tree Pruning

The board believes most residents chose to live in the Reserve of Elgin because of its proximity to nature and that the 1000+ trees we possess are an essential feature of our community. Soon after the developer handed over governance of the HOA to its residents, the Board of Directors decided to bring in a professional arborist to consult and care for these trees. Sav-A-Tree has served the Reserve of Elgin for well over a decade now by providing the following services:

• fertilize the trees

• apply treatments to prevent disease and insect damage

• remove stressed and dying trees (unfortunately, the HOA lost around 200 ash trees to the emerald ash borer)

• prune trees to promote shaped growth, facilitate air circulation, remove damaged branches and to maintain distance from buildings & sidewalks

The preferred time for tree pruning is during the months of January and February to allow trees time to heal from the cuts. Pruning when growth is active creates vulnerable openings for fungus and bacteria that are prevalent during warmer weather. The community is divided into three sections and pruning rotates between them annually so each area is pruned once every three years.

There is an ever widening diversity of tree species within the HOA, such as white & red oak, red maple, hackberries, tupelo, bald cypress, dawn redwood, yellow tulip, crabapple, Bradford pear and zelkova. Many have attained a surprisingly large stature in their short lifetime within the HOA. As with most living things, this can be attributed to the consistent care they have received.