A town named for its cedars

Tree Service in Cedar Springs, MI

Evergreens, windbreaks and yard trees on the high ground of northern Kent County.

We price jobs standing in your yard, anywhere in Greater Grand Rapids and Kent County
A written quote that itemizes every tree
Brush, logs and chips handled the way you ask

Cedars, Springs and Higher Ground

Tree Service in Cedar Springs is shaped by the reason the town got its name: an abundance of cedar trees and springs. The city sits at about 860 feet, higher than Grand Rapids roughly 20 miles to the south, and it is small, about two square miles with 3,627 residents in 2020. Grand Rapids Tree Service Pros serves the city and the rural lots around it, where evergreens, windbreak rows and big yard maples are the usual work.

Northern white cedar and arborvitae

Cedars and their cultivated cousins, arborvitae, are everywhere in Cedar Springs yards as hedges and screens. They are tough, but they have weak points. Heavy wet snow splays multi-stem cedars apart, and once a stem bends out it rarely springs back. Deer browse the lower foliage in winter, leaving bare trunks. And cedar will not regrow from bare wood, so shearing too hard leaves permanent brown holes. We prune cedars lightly, tie or cable splayed stems where that works, and tell you honestly when an overgrown hedge is better replaced.

Spruce and pine windbreaks

On the larger parcels around town, rows of spruce and pine planted as windbreaks are now 40 or 50 years old. Lower limbs die as the canopy closes, and individual trees in a row can lean or snap in wind. Removing one tree from a row changes how wind hits the rest, so we look at the whole line before cutting. Sometimes thinning dead trees and leaving the healthy ones is the right answer; sometimes the row needs to be replaced in stages.

Wet ground near the springs

Springs and wet pockets mean some yards have saturated soil for part of the year. Trees on wet ground root shallowly, and a large maple or willow on soft soil is at more risk of tipping in a spring windstorm. If you notice the ground lifting near the base of a tree after rain, that is worth a call to (616) 727-8029.

Town roots in the railroad and lumber era

The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad built through the area in 1868 and the village grew around it. Some of the oldest trees in town are street-side maples and elms planted when the village was young. Those trees are past their prime and often have decay in the trunk. We can check them, prune out deadwood, and remove the ones that are no longer safe.

Getting a quote

Tell us what you have, how big it is, and whether the trees are near the house, the road or a power line. We will visit and write it up. Get a free estimate

Cedar Springs Background

Where the name came from. Cedar Springs is named for the abundance of cedar trees and springs in the area; the post office opened in 1857 and the village was platted in 1859.
Higher, smaller city. The city sits at about 860 feet elevation, roughly 20 miles north of Grand Rapids, with about 2 square miles of area and 3,627 residents in 2020.
Railroad growth. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad built a line through the area in 1868, which drove the village's growth; it incorporated as a village in 1871 and a city in 1959.
County road right-of-way. Outside city streets, work in a Kent County road right-of-way requires a Kent County Road Commission permit, and trees blocking a county road are reported at 616-242-6950.

Emergency Storm Tree Service in Grand Rapids, MI

Our Services in Cedar Springs, MI

Cedar Springs Questions

My arborvitae hedge split open after a heavy snow. Can it be fixed?

If the stems bent but did not crack, they can often be pulled back and tied or cabled. Cracked stems usually need to come out. Shaking heavy snow off gently after storms helps prevent it.

Should I take out the whole windbreak or just the dead trees?

It depends on how many are dead and how the rest are leaning. Removing a few can expose the remaining trees to more wind. We look at the whole row and may suggest replacing it in stages.

A tree fell across the county road by my house. Who do I call?

Call the Kent County Road Commission at 616-242-6950 if it is in the traveled road. They move it out of the right-of-way, and the wood is left for the property owner. We can clean up what remains.

Deer have stripped the bottom of my cedars. Will they grow back?

Cedars rarely regrow foliage on bare lower wood, so the browse line usually stays. Fencing or wrapping in winter protects new growth. If the hedge is mostly bare stems, replacing it with a less deer-prone screen may make more sense.

Free Estimates in Cedar Springs, MI

Free estimates in Cedar Springs and the surrounding countryside.

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