We are lucky to have mature trees in our yard.  When our house was built, the original owner grabbed trees from the local woods and planted them on the property.  When we first moved in, 20 years ago, our yard was the only one in the neighborhood with trees offering some privacy in the yard.  Over the years, these trees have thrived.  The pine trees are enormous!  Here is a photo of the back yard from last summer with all of the trees in full bloom.

Read about the Vintage Bicycle Upcycle HERE.

Last year, we noticed that some of the topsoil in the yard was washing away when heavy rains occurred.  The lack of sun to the grass is partially responsible.  In the photo above, this is the area that is shaded beneath the trees.  The tree canopy is so thick that the grass no longer gets proper sun.  So it has died off, leading to the washing away of the top soil.  You can see all of the bare spots in the photos below.

There are three areas in the yard and one area in the front yard that need attention.  It is time for some tree trimming!  Let the sun shine in!

Ryobi to the Rescue

I reached out to my favorite tool vendor, Ryobi (pronounced REE-OH-BEE).  Ryobi kindly sent me their 40V Brushless 18″ chainsaw and an 18V One+ 8″ Cultivator kit which contained both the  Garden tiller and the Edger.  These were the perfect tools for shaping up the yard.  This post highlights the chainsaw.  I will be highlighting the Cultivator kit next as we prep our vegetable garden and flower beds.

You might know Ryobi from seeing their neon green tools at the Home Depot.  Ryobi is know for their cordless battery operated power and yard tools.  They have a variety of battery sizes, the newest being their 80V tools coming soon.  There are 260 tools that are part of the ONE+ line.  I am amazed at the power of the 40V line.  You can see their entire selection at ryobitools.com.

My first experience with Ryobi was at the Haven Conference in 2014.  Ryobi was a sponsor and I believe they have sponsored Haven, my favorite DIY and Blogging conference, ever since.  I’ve been building my supply of Ryobi tools since my first Haven when I won a cordless drill!  I’m obsessed with their battery operated tools.  All cordless, the Airstrike nailer, Airstrike stapler, caulk gun, power light, glue gun, rotary cutter, string trimmer, heat gun, jigsaw are a few of my favorites and I’m sure I’m missing a few.  If you are a home owner, a new DIY’er or and experienced craftsperson, Ryobi has something for you!

Last year, I purchased a Ryobi pole saw.  This enabled me to trim the lowest lying branches around the yard.  And this did help.  But I needed to make some serious reduction to the middle branches.  My plan is to completely top off most of the trees in the back yard and one large tree in the front yard.  The massive pine trees in the middle are probably 75 feet tall.  Given this height and the size of the trunks, we will leave these mature pine trees for the professionals sometime in the future.  The other trees are also tall but branches are much thinner.  I will trim what I can with my Ryobi tools and perhaps rent a lift of some sort so that I can safely use the chain to trim the higher branches.

Here is the back yard as photographed in early March, post winter and pre spring.  Just look at the size of those pine trees in the center.

Here is a closer look at the bare areas beneath the trees.  You can see the exposed roots.  I walk our dog back here so this is a potential tripping hazard for me on any given day but especially in the fall when leaves are covering the ground.

The first area of attention is the area surrounding shed.  Here is a before photo of the area.

I started by trimming the lowest branches with my Ryobi pole saw.  This tool extends to 9.5 feet and is quite effective on trimming smaller branches and limbs.  Always take caution not to stand directly under the limb while cutting so that you are not struck with the falling limb.  

For larger limbs, I used my new Ryobi 18″ chain saw.  Since many of these trees are quite tall, I had to carefully assess the drop line so as not to damage any fences or other property.  I was able to trim this tree by the shed easily.  I used these lower limbs to familiarize myself with this new saw. 

There is a potential of the tool lurching with a chainsaw so it is critical that you have proper footing and are comfortable with the tool.  I learned this while reading the user’s manual.  ALWAYS READ THE USER’S MANUAL AND FOLLOW MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING YOUR POWER TOOLS. 

I cut a few lower branches and spent some time cutting those into manageable lengths for disposal.  This was great practice.  One tip I can offer is this…power tools can be dangerous and you must feel comfortable with the tool.  So practice and familiarize yourself with the tool options, speed, and operation, and all safety precautions as noted in the manual.

 The power of the 18″ chain saw is substantially greater that the pole saw.  It cut through 8″ limbs so easily.  Before using the powerful chain saw, watch some videos on safety and again, practice, practice, practice.  

The video below shows limb trimming with the full extension on the pole saw followed by cutting the fallen limbs for curbside placement.

I used the pole saw and the chain saw to trim every branch that I could reach comfortably.  It is important NOT to reach with these tools.  I was able to access some lower branches from the roof of the shed.  The roof was sturdy and provided adequate footing.  Resist the temptation to stretch beyond your comfortable reach with your tools.  Such leads to instability and improper foot placement which can both lead to accidents.  Safety first!

We will access all of the higher branches via a professional lift that we will rent later in the season.  For now, however, the sun is shining on much of the yard and we are anxious for the grass to grow.  

Before and After

AREA #1

You can see how we removed all of the lower branches on this single pine tree.  The sun now hits the grass and we should see new grass very soon!

AREA #2

I removed a good bit of the lower lying branches.  This dramatically reduces the shade from the branches and leave on the grass.  

AREA #3

And this is probably the most dramatic change so far.  I removed all of the lower branches.  The sun hits the full grass area now!  I will trim the top later when we have secured the rental lift.  I don’t want to be on a 40 foot ladder using a powerful chain saw!  Again, safety first!

AREA #4

These trees are so loaded with leaves during the summer!  I’m so glad I trimmed these up in early spring!  Can you imagine the weight of those limbs full of leaves?  

We still have alot of tree trimming to finish so stay tuned for updates!  I will also post photos as the grass grows back into the current bare spots so make sure to check my Instagram and Facebook posts frequently.

And a huge thank you to Ryobi!  They really are the best!  

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