We just had three big locust trees trimmed and it cost an arm and a leg. But if you tell the guy you need more dappled light, he can do that. One tree guy (who wanted ALL FOUR arms and legs) kept repeating to me that the trees needed to be pruned and claimed it would cut down on the limbs twisting in the wind and damaging them. He also insisted it would allow grass to grow normally under them. I just hope you can find someone to do it for a reasonable price.
Not that doing it looked like fun, or even safe for that matter. I was quite relieved when the work was done and nobody got hurt. It was sort of funny, though, because these guys were using the saltiest imaginable language in their outside voices when they showed up. I thought it was kind of rude until they got out the chainsaws and I realized they have to yell over the noise all day just to do their jobs, not to mention that there was probably a little hearing loss involved..
