Lovering Tree Care serves lake and mainland properties across the region listed on our service areas map. This guide is for hosts in towns such as Moultonborough, Gilford, and Center Harbor who want a calm sequence before they call. It pairs with the May post storm limb triage quiz when you are sorting urgency, and with storm damage help when something already failed in weather.

Step one: photograph the drip line before chairs return to the same arc

Look for fresh ruts, new stone piles against the root flare, or mulch pushed up the trunk after beds were refreshed. Capture wide shots in morning light and one close shot of the flare from two angles. Those photos change how fast we align tree health visits with what guests will actually walk past. If you are regrading near a big shade tree, read planning yard work with mature trees so excavation and roots stay on one conversation.

When the issue is mostly soil and symptoms at the root collar, a tree health assessment is a better first call than random branch removal.

Step two: scan the crown while you can still see through it

Early May still offers gaps between new leaves on many hardwoods. Look for hangers after ice season, thin tips on the lake side of the crown, and branches that now touch metal roof edges or boat rack uprights when the wind is off the water. Photograph anything that moved since your last walk and compare notes to hanger limbs after ice so vocabulary matches what you see.

Clearance and vista goals usually land in pruning. If two big stems share a tight angle and the tree sways as one unit in a breeze, add cabling and bracing to your reading list before you ask for heavy thinning alone.

Step three: note bark and early foliage honestly

Spray drift, road dust, and lake mist all show up as story lines on bark and leaves, but they are not the only causes of early mottling. Your job in May is to notice patterns, not to name the pathogen from a phone photo. If something looks off on several branches or only on the side that faces a busy path, say so when you contact us. The article on signs your tree needs a professional look lists plain language cues that pair well with this walk.

Step four: separate party logistics from true hazard

Guest weekends push chairs under low limbs and string lights through shrubs. That is different from a cracked stem that could fail in the next thunderstorm. When something could hurt people or hit the house tonight, treat it as urgent and read emergency services before you rearrange the deck plan around a bad branch.

For predictable removal or grinding that is not a middle of the night story, use tree removal and stump grinding pages so expectations match scheduling instead of panic.

Step five: if the camp is on an island, say it first

Barges, dock space, and how gear reaches the beach all affect which week makes sense. Our island tree work page lists the logistics questions we ask before we promise a day. The same week that looks open on the mainland can already be spoken for on the water.

When you only need sequencing help between pruning, health, and a stump before July, try the lake season priorities quiz after you finish this walk.

What to bring to the first call

A short list of trees by nickname, two photos per tree if you can, and the direction of prevailing wind off your beach. Mention Memorial or graduation weekends only as scheduling context, not as pressure for unsafe shortcuts. We still match work to species, structure, and access, the same way we describe in our spring pruning guide for lake places.

Request a Quote

Thank You!

May guide: Memorial week crown photo handoff before guests fill the yard