Tree Service in Melba, ID

Tree Service in Melba is mostly rural work. Melba is a small Canyon County city of 572 people at the 2020 census, founded in 1912 by Clayton C. Todd and named after his daughter. It sits about 12 miles south of Nampa and about 3 miles northeast of the Snake River, at roughly 2,650 feet, and it calls itself the "Seed Heart of America." The trees we are asked about around Melba are the ones that come with farm country: old windbreak rows, big shade trees planted beside farmhouses decades ago, and trees along ditches and field edges.

Windbreaks at the end of their life

Windbreak rows were planted to protect houses, yards and livestock from wind across open fields. Many are now old, and the trees in them die unevenly: a few lose their tops, some lean into their neighbors, and dead trunks stand among live ones. A row with gaps and dead trees is worse than useless in a storm, because broken tops and whole trees can land on fences, sheds and equipment. Options include removing the dead and failing trees and leaving the healthy ones, removing the whole row and replanting in stages, or thinning and pruning the row to extend its life. We look at the row tree by tree before recommending any of these.

The farmhouse shade tree

The big tree beside an old farmhouse is often the most valuable tree on the property, and often the riskiest. It is usually close to the roof, sometimes over a power line to the house, and frequently carries decades of dead limbs that no one has been able to reach. Deadwood removal and weight reduction over the house can keep a sound tree going for many more years. If a trunk is hollow or the main fork is cracked, removal in sections is safer than waiting for wind to make the decision.

Trees along ditches and field edges

Irrigation ditches across Canyon County farm ground grow trees whether anyone planted them or not. Volunteer trees on ditch banks can crowd the channel, drop limbs into the water and break up the bank as they age. Before removing trees on a ditch, check who controls it; many ditches and their banks belong to an irrigation district or are shared with neighbors. Once that is clear, we can cut the trees low, keep debris out of the water and grind or leave stumps depending on what the bank needs to stay stable.

Lines to the house

If a tree on your property is touching or growing into a power line, do not prune it yourself. Idaho Power asks customers not to trim or remove trees near lines, and to call its customer service at 208-388-2323. The utility trims for clearance and can discuss options when a tree threatens its system.

Melba services

• Windbreak assessment, thinning and removal
• Deadwood and weight reduction on large farmstead trees
• Removal of dead, hollow or split trees near houses and outbuildings
• Stump grinding on lawns and field edges
• Storm cleanup after summer and winter wind

Call (208) 369-9847 and tell us how many trees, where they are and how close a truck can get. Get a free estimate