Read The Tree. Make The Right Cut. Watch It Pay Off For Decades.
Pruning is not shearing. We take older growth alongside new shoots so the plant keeps its natural habit — and the form it will carry for the next twenty years — instead of outgrowing its space season after season.
“Nolan and coworker were friendly, polite and helpful. Did a thorough job of spraying arborvitae for bag worms and checked out another tree for us. I’d give them 10 stars!!”Anita · Google review
Princeton, IL · serving 26 towns across north central Illinois
Get Your Quote Today
A 2-minute form. An ISA Certified Arborist reviews every request.
Every quote reviewed by an ISA Certified Arborist · ANSI A300 · 100% No Risk Guarantee
Nothing Looks Urgent. That Is Exactly The Problem.
A shrub that has outgrown its bed no matter how often it gets sheared. A young maple with two leaders competing for the top. An old lilac flowering a little less every year. None of it looks like an emergency, which is why it tends to get left — and why the cuts get harder every season it waits.
Worth having an arborist look at
- Shrubs have outgrown their space despite regular shearing
- A young tree has two leaders competing for the top
- Branches cross, rub, or grow back toward the center
- Flowering has dropped off year over year
- Growth is dense on the outside and bare inside
- A tree was topped or badly cut in the past
- You are planning a landscape and want the structure set early
The Tree Gets Read Before It Gets Cut
Our arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, and the assessment is the part of the job that decides everything after it.
Pruning removes, shearing clips
Shearing only takes new growth, forcing an artificial shape while the plant grows larger every year. Pruning removes older growth alongside new shoots.
Structure comes first
Young trees develop the form they will carry for decades. Correcting structure early is the highest-value pruning there is, because it prevents problems that cannot be cut out later.
Species decide the approach
How much comes off, and from where, changes by species. Our arborists read the tree before they touch it.
What a pruning visit includes
- Assessment by an ISA Certified Arborist before any cut
- Cuts made to ANSI A300 standards
- Mature tree pruning for structure and clearance
- Young tree pruning to set long-term form
- Shrub pruning rather than shearing, so plants keep their habit
- Deadwood and crossing limbs removed
- Licensed experts and our 100% No Risk Guarantee
Three Honest Outcomes, Not One Sales Pitch
Most companies quote the service you called about. We assess the tree and tell you which of these it actually needs — including when that costs us the bigger job.
Prune or trim
The canopy is sound and structure can be corrected.
Cable & brace
Weak attachment points, but the tree is worth keeping.
Remove
Dead, declining, or in the wrong place entirely.
See how it worksThree Steps, No Guesswork
No commitment before you’re ready.
Get Your Quote
Fill out our 2-minute form or call the office at 815-875-8231.
We Assess
An ISA Certified Arborist walks your property and tells you exactly what your trees need.
We Prune
Expert work completed on schedule. Enjoy the shade — and a plant that holds its shape for years.
Real Results, Real Homeowners
125+ five-star reviews across north central Illinois.
“Always does a great job!”Mark NickelGoogle review
“very professional worked fast”Tammy HowlettGoogle review
“Very polite and did a great job!!”Debby DobrydniaGoogle review
ISA Certified Arborists. Illinois Licensed Operators.
Every Taylor’s Way field technician is an Illinois Department of Agriculture Licensed Operator, and four generations of the Taylor family still run the crews across north central Illinois.
26 Towns Across North Central Illinois
- Princeton Our yard
- Bradford
- Dixon
- Dunlap
- Granville
- Hennepin
- Henry
- Kewanee
- Lacon
- Ladd
- La Moille
- La Salle
- Mendota
- Oglesby
- Ohio
- Ottawa
- Peoria
- Peoria Heights
- Peru
- Sheffield
- Spring Valley
- Tiskilwa
- Utica
- Walnut
- Washington
- Wyanet
Don’t see your town? Call the office at 815-875-8231 — we will tell you straight away.
Before You Book
What is the difference between pruning and shearing?
Shearing clips only new growth, which forces an artificial shape and lets the plant grow larger every year until it outgrows its space. Pruning removes older growth alongside new shoots, keeping the natural habit and the long-term health. Shearing has its place in formal hedges; for individual plants, pruning wins every time.
Can pruning fix a tree that was cut badly before?
Often, partly. Structure can be guided back over several visits, but cuts already made don’t reverse. That is why the first assessment matters.
Do you prune young trees too?
Yes, and it is the highest-value pruning there is. Young trees develop poor form that cannot be corrected later.
Who does the pruning?
ISA Certified Arborists assess and trained crews carry out the work. Taylor’s Way is fourth-generation family owned with more than 50 years in the Illinois Valley.
Which towns do you serve?
Twenty-six towns across the Illinois Valley and the Peoria area, listed above. If you don’t see yours, call the office at 815-875-8231.
Better Lawn. Healthy Trees. More Weekends.
Fourth-generation family owned, more than 50 years in the Illinois Valley, and an ISA Certified Arborist on every quote.