Careful pruning for trees you want to keep for decades.
Dana Kessler is an ISA Certified Arborist in Bismarck. She prunes in the dormant season, treats what can be saved, and tells you plainly when a tree has to go.
February pruning on a 70-year-old green ash, before the sap rises.
- ISA Certified
- Arborist MW-6218A
- Since 2010
- Bismarck and Mandan
- 4.9 stars
- 212 Google reviews
Four kinds of cuts, chosen for your tree
Good pruning removes as little as possible. Most visits are a mix of these four, written into your plan before we start.
Crown cleaning
Dead, broken and rubbing branches out. The cut that matters most for safety, and the one every mature tree needs every few years.
Crown raising
Lower limbs lifted to clear the sidewalk, the driveway or the roof, cut back to a branch collar, never flush.
Crown reduction
Long leaders shortened to a lateral branch to take weight off the roof side. Never topping: topped trees grow back weaker.
Structural pruning
For trees under 15 years: one strong central stem, well-spaced limbs. Small cuts now save big cuts later.
When should your tree be pruned?
The wrong month can invite disease. Pick your tree to see the safe windows for central North Dakota.
Your ash tree: treat it or take it down?
Emerald ash borer was found in Bismarck in 2023. A healthy ash can be protected for less than removal costs. A tree that is already more than a third bare usually cannot.
- Worth treatingFull canopy, good spot in the yard, trunk 10 to 30 inches
- Plan to removeThinning crown, bark splits, woodpecker damage, D-shaped exit holes
Dead ash turns brittle within two years and has to be taken down in small pieces from a lift, which is why waiting costs the most.
How a visit works
No surprise cuts. You see the plan before a saw comes out.
- Consult
- Dana walks every tree with you, checks the bark, roots and crown, and answers questions. One hour, $85.
- Written plan
- Each tree, what to cut and why, the best month, and the price. Most plans cover two or three years.
- Work day
- Two people, rope and saddle, no climbing spikes on living trees. Brush chipped and hauled, lawn raked.
- Follow-up
- A short note with photos of what was done, and a reminder when the next window comes up.
What clients say a few years later
Two other companies told us to cut down our bur oak. Dana cabled the split, cleaned out the deadwood in January, and three summers later it is the healthiest tree on the street.
She explained exactly which limbs she would take and why, and the tree still looks like itself afterwards. No stubs, no topping.
We have treated our two ash trees with Kessler since 2023. Reminder emails, fair price, and both trees are still full.
Small on purpose
Dana Kessler grew up on a farm near Washburn and studied urban forestry at NDSU. She worked six years for the Bismarck city forestry crew before starting Kessler Arbor Care in 2010.
It is still a two-person company: Dana and her climbing partner, Luis Arroyo. We take on fewer jobs so each tree gets the time it needs, and we will tell you when something is not worth doing.
- ISA Certified Arborist
- MW-6218A
- Tree Risk Assessment
- ISA TRAQ qualified
- ND pesticide applicator
- Commercial license #41076
- Insurance
- $1M liability, workers comp
Where we work
Most of our trees are within 30 minutes of downtown Bismarck. Winter pruning books up by early January, so call in the fall for the best dates.
Bismarck
Cathedral District, Highland Acres, Northridge, Southport, Clairmont, Fox Island, Hay Creek
Mandan
Old Town, Mandan Hills, Lakewood, Collins Heights, along the Heart River
Nearby
Lincoln, Wilton, Washburn, Sterling, Menoken, Baldwin, McKenzie
Season
Nov to Mar: dormant pruning, oaks and elms
May to Jun: ash treatments
All year: consults and risk checks
Common questions
Why prune in winter?
Without leaves we can see every branch, the tree is not losing sugar it needs, and the beetles that spread oak wilt and Dutch elm disease are not flying. Cuts close well in spring.
Can you top my tree to make it shorter?
No. Topping leaves big wounds that rot and sends up a mass of weak shoots. If a tree is too tall for its spot, crown reduction or removal are the honest options.
Do I need a permit for a boulevard tree?
In Bismarck and Mandan, boulevard trees belong to the city. We file the free permit for you before we prune.
Is the ash treatment safe for kids and pets?
It is injected into the trunk, not sprayed, so nothing drifts onto the lawn. We put a small sign up for the day.
How often should a mature tree be pruned?
Every three to five years for most shade trees. Young trees benefit from a light structural cut every two years until about age 15.
Do you remove trees too?
Yes, when a tree is dead, dangerous or in the wrong place. About one job in five is a removal. We do not push it.
Winter pruning dates open October 1.
Oak and elm work fills first. Book a consult now and we will hold a winter date for you.
Book a consultBook a consult
$85 for an hour on site, credited to any work you book.
- TodayDana reads your note and replies within one business day.
- Within 2 weeksConsult at your home, about an hour.
- Same weekWritten plan and price by email.
- Best windowWork scheduled in the right month for each tree.
Prefer to call? (701) 555-0127