Tree Service in Seymour, MO

Tree Service in Seymour has deep roots, literally. Webster County's apple industry began around Seymour in the 1840s, and around 1900 the county produced more than half of Missouri's apple crop. The town still celebrates that history with its Apple Festival, held the second weekend of September since 1973, and the Ozark Mennonite School's Apple Butter Day each October. Many properties around town still have fruit trees, from a few backyard apples to old orchard rows.

Caring for fruit trees

Fruit trees need different pruning from shade trees. Apples are usually pruned in late winter while dormant, to open the center to light and air, remove crossing and diseased wood and keep fruiting branches within reach. Neglected old apple trees can often be brought back over several years with gradual pruning, rather than one heavy cut that triggers a mass of water sprouts. Some trees are too far gone, and removing them makes room for new plantings.

High on the plateau

Seymour sits at about 1,644 feet on the southeastern edge of the Springfield Plateau, and the land around it divides water three ways: streams to the east drain to the Gasconade River, the headwaters of the James River lie to the north, and Finley Creek drains the south side. High ground means wind exposure. During the April 29, 2025 storms, the National Weather Service recorded gusts in the 45 to 50 mph range at Seymour, well below the 90 mph gust at the Springfield airport but enough to bring down weak limbs and dead trees.

A rural community

Seymour had 1,841 residents in 2020. A large Swiss Amish community lives outside town, about 3,270 people in 16 church districts by 2019. Many farms in the area have windbreaks, shade trees around the house and fencerows that need periodic work. US 60 runs along the north side of town, and a BNSF line runs just north of the square.

Webster County ash

Foresters confirmed emerald ash borer in Webster County in 2018. Ash trees are common in fencerows and yards here, and many have died or are declining. Dead ash become brittle quickly and should be removed before they threaten homes, outbuildings or roads.

What we do around Seymour

• Dormant pruning of apple and other fruit trees
• Restoring neglected older fruit trees over several seasons
• Removing dead ash and other hazard trees
• Pruning shade trees around homes and outbuildings
• Windbreak and fencerow maintenance
• Stump grinding and storm cleanup

Windbreaks on Amish and English farms alike

Farms around Seymour often have long windbreaks and fencerows, many decades old. As trees in a windbreak age, some die back while others keep growing. Taking out the dead and failing ones, and planting replacements in the gaps, keeps the windbreak working without leaving fields and buildings exposed all at once.

Request an estimate

Call (417) 374-2037 or send the form. If you have fruit trees that need pruning, late winter is the best time to schedule. Get a free estimate