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Saratoga’s Updated Tree Rules and the 5-Foot Zone Around Your House
Direct Answer: Since March 6, 2026, Saratoga homeowners may remove trees within five feet of the house for wildfire safety, but only if they establish and maintain a non-flammable zone in that same five feet. Most homeowners I talk to in the Saratoga foothills have no idea the rules changed. On March 6, 2026, an […]
Your Bay Laurel May Be the Reason Your Oak Is Dying
Direct Answer: Sudden Oak Death spreads from California bay laurels to oaks, not oak to oak. Rain washes spores off infected bay leaves onto oak trunks. Proximity to bay laurel is the biggest risk factor. In May and June of this year, one call came in over and over with almost the same wording. A […]
An Oak Tree in Cupertino or Almaden Plays by Different Rules
Direct Answer: Oaks in San Jose need pruning in late fall or winter, almost no summer irrigation, and often a city permit before major work. Most oak decline traces back to water, not disease. A returning customer in Cupertino sent in a form about an oak in their backyard. The whole message came down to […]
Fruit Trees in a Silicon Valley Yard Need a Different Pruning Calendar
Direct Answer: In the South Bay, prune deciduous fruit trees like peaches, plums, apples, and pears in January through early February, after leaf drop but before buds swell. Citrus should not be pruned in winter. You bought the house and the fruit trees came with it. Nobody left a note about when they were last […]
San Jose’s Ordinance-Size Tree Rule: What Triggers a Permit on Your Property
Direct Answer: In San Jose, a tree measuring 38 inches or more in trunk circumference at 4.5 feet above the ground is ordinance-size, and removing it on residential property generally requires a city permit. Most homeowners who call me about a tree already know permits exist somewhere in the picture. What they cannot figure out […]
How the Valley Water Lawn Conversion Rebate Works, and Where People Get Disqualified
Direct Answer: Valley Water requires a pre-inspection and a written Notice to Proceed before you touch your lawn. The rebate is not retroactive, so work started before approval is disqualified. Most homeowners who call me about a lawn conversion already know the rebate exists. What they want to know is the part nobody explains clearly: […]
Before Storm Season, Here Is What a Tree Risk Inspection Actually Covers
Direct Answer: A pre-storm tree risk inspection checks root flare, soil movement, crown balance and end weight, stem unions, upper deadwood, and past pruning damage, then documents the tree’s condition in writing. The calls I get in January all sound the same. A big limb came down in the wind, or a tree that stood […]
Three Days Out From a Storm: What Helps, and Who Handles What in San Jose
Direct Answer: In the 72 hours before a storm, clear gutters and street drains, move cars and bins out from under limbs, secure loose items, and photograph your trees. Structural pruning takes weeks, not days. You saw the forecast. A storm system is lining up over the Pacific, it lands in three days, and now […]
Fechas límite de limpieza de maleza y qué pasa si no cumple
Direct Answer: Si no limpia la maleza antes de la fecha del condado, el condado puede mandar a su propio contratista, hacer el trabajo y cobrarle ese costo en su impuesto predial como asignación especial. El aviso del condado llega por correo entre el invierno tardío y la primavera, y es fácil dejarlo en la […]
Your Tree Is Leaning. Here Is How to Figure Out If That Is a Problem.
Direct Answer: Young trees under roughly three to four inches in trunk diameter can often be straightened with staking and guying. Mature trees that have leaned for years usually should be assessed for root integrity instead. You walk out to the driveway one morning, look up, and the tree looks off. Maybe it always looked […]