Tree Service in Van Meter, IA

Tree Service in Van Meter happens close to one of the more important river junctions in central Iowa. The North and South Raccoon Rivers meet in Dallas County just west of town, and the combined Raccoon flows on past Walnut Woods State Park and West Des Moines to join the Des Moines River south of downtown. Van Meter, laid out in 1869 and incorporated in 1877, grew up along that river just south of Interstate 80.

The town had 1,484 residents in the 2020 Census. It is named for Jacob Rhodes Van Meter and his family, Dutch settlers whose name traces to Meteren in the Netherlands. Baseball fans know it as the hometown of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller; the Bob Feller Museum opened here on June 10, 1995.

River-bottom timber

Downstream, Walnut Woods State Park protects a 250-acre bottomland hardwood forest with the largest natural stand of black walnut in North America. Much of the timber along the Raccoon between the forks and West Des Moines shares that character: black walnut, cottonwood, silver maple, hackberry and box elder on ground that floods. On acreages near the river, the jobs we get most are dead and leaning trees near homes and lanes, big cottonwoods that have outgrown the space, and clearing along fence lines and field edges.

In town

Van Meter's older blocks have mature shade trees, and newer homes on the edges have young ones. Old trees need deadwood removal and clearance from roofs and service lines; young ones need structural pruning so they grow one strong leader instead of several weak ones.

Before you cut a walnut

Black walnut is valuable wood, and straight, clear trunks sometimes have log value. If you are removing a large walnut, ask whether the trunk might be worth saving in long sections for a sawmill rather than cutting it into firewood. Most yard walnuts have too many branches or embedded metal to be worth much, but it is worth a look.

Floods and the trees that survive them

The Raccoon River has a long flood record. During the Great Flood of 1993, the river flooded Des Moines' water treatment plant downstream and cut off the city's drinking water. Floodplain trees tolerate short floods, but long periods of saturated soil kill fine roots, and the damage shows up later as dieback or sudden failure. If a tree near your house on low ground has thinned out after a wet year, an inspection is worth it.

Wood handling

Big river-bottom trees produce a lot of wood. We'll ask what you want: logs left for firewood, everything chipped and hauled, or chips left for paths and beds. It's in the written estimate.

Free estimates

We will come out, walk the property and give you a written quote. Call (515) 762-6977 or use the form. Get a free estimate