ow do you know when a tree should be removed? Some of the ways you can tell can be obvious such as if the tree is completely dead. This becomes a safety issue if the branches and limbs start to fall off. There is also a risk that the whole tree could fall also endangering your family, pets, or property. But what about trees that are still struggling? Sometimes they can recover and a lot of homeowners want to give them a chance but a partially dead tree can still be dangerous. Some of the factors to consider before making a decision are: How close is the tree to living spaces? The first consideration should always be the life and physical integrity. Does this tree threaten sidewalks, road, or perhaps a backyard where children can play? Is it dangerously close to housing, leaning perhaps to a bedroom or rear deck that is often busy? These are areas that you do not just want to have a tree injury that requires a visit to the hospital. According to some studies, up to 150 people a year are killed by falling trees or branches, and there is no real data on the number of injuries there. If there is a real risk for people, cut it! Another consideration is the potential legal liability as the homeowner for the safety of all your guests. How much will it cost to treat and/or medicate versus replacing the tree? This can be hard to quantify because everyone has their own ideas about what should be a good replacement. A small seedling may cost only $ 10, but a large sapling could cost you $ 1000 or more depending on the species and size. In addition, some diseases are easily treated with water and nutrients, but for many applications and diseases, it can be costly and require years of treatment to be effective. It is best to get a professional consultation with a certified arborist to get a full understanding of the effectiveness and cost of saving a tree before spending your hard earned money on what may be a lost cause. You can also consider replacing with a more resistant species as a better solution in the long term, dependent on the initial cause of the decline of the tree. Ultimately, the decision is yours. It can be difficult to put a price on a heritage tree. Be realistic about a tree's chance of recovery. Most trees will not recover from damage anywhere between 25%-50% irregardless if its from a lightning strike, wind damage, nutrient deficiencies, or decline from drought. If disease is the cause, as little as 15% cover loss can mean irreversible decline of many species of trees. Knowing the cause is key to making this assessment. Maybe the tree is just water stressed and dropped its leaves early to protect themselves. It is better to have an arborist give you a diagnostic report and be able to make an informed decision with facts in hand to save money in the long run. Don't take bad advice.
Everyone will have an opinion and they will try to give you advice such as just give it some Miracle Grow and water it, but that may not be appropriate. There are thousands of tree species and sometimes dozens of sub-groups and hybrids within a species, unless they are a certified arborist and familiar with the kinds of trees in your area, it might as well be just a guess. Even professionals often need to send off soil or leaf samples to specify exactly the nature of what is causing a decline in a tree. Give us our arborists a call and save yourself a headache.. Think of the future. Remember there is a good chance that most of the trees on your property will outlive you. If a tree is in decline, the faster you replace it, the earlier a healthy and well maintained tree can beautify the same area. Instead of dwelling about the end of the life of a tree, think about the early life of a new tree. A life that can probably continue for centuries!
15 Comments
10/1/2021 09:45:56 pm
Thanks for pointing out that trees should be removed if they are leaning to our house to avoid injuries or damages. This is helpful because there are lots of tall trees around my bungalow house. With this, I am hoping to find experts on Monday who can perform safe tree removal within five days.
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1/5/2022 06:26:37 pm
I didn't know that a dead tree is a safety issue. Mine has been dead for about a year now. So I will see if I can get a tree removalist specialist to help me out.
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Thanks for pointing out that it would be best to hire an arborist to get a full understanding of the effectiveness and cost of saving a tree before removing them. I will definitely do that tomorrow for the apple tree in our backyard. It's because I have been wondering why we were not able to harvest fruit from it last year, since it never happened after living her for seven years.
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2/3/2022 03:33:19 am
It really helped when you said that a professional will be able to give a diagnostic report regarding the right decision about a certain tree. I will definitely hire a tree removal service tomorrow to check the one in the front yard. It's because it seems like it started to look slanted, and I worry if it might fall on anyone or anything in the near future.
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2/7/2022 06:06:16 am
This is a good post, it teach me many things.Thank for your share!
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2/28/2022 10:44:35 am
I appreciate the advice about thinking about the future when taking care of a tree. I would think that relying on a professional would be the best way to take care of a tree. A professional will have the knowledge and experience needed to care for a tree.
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Nice question! Fortunately the signs are visible and could be addressed before the actual tree falls over. Like falling leaves even if it is not fall season yet, branches falling over and more. If you suspect these, you may have tree inspection whether it should be removed or not.
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3/10/2022 10:01:27 am
When you employ professionals to work on your trees, they will provide you with the appropriate tools. If you decide to undertake these things yourself, you will almost certainly struggle to figure out how to maintain or care for your trees. Professionals in the sector have a comprehensive collection of gear and equipment that they employ to ensure that your trees are properly cared for.
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3/23/2022 08:34:36 pm
I appreciate what you said about how falling trees are a serious health hazard. I need to get a tree service to cut down some fir trees for me. I think they are starting to wilt.
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3/24/2022 08:02:20 am
There's a tree on my property that I need to get trimmed. It makes sense that I would want to get a professional to trim that for me. That would be a good way to ensure that I handle things properly.
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3/30/2022 02:41:54 pm
It's good to know that you should consider if it is too close to housing. My neighbor has a tree in her front yard that has started leaning towards her home, and she was telling me last night about how she was wondering if she should get it removed. I'll make sure to pass this information along to her so that she can look into hiring a tree removal service.
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4/5/2022 11:13:32 pm
Hi. First of all I would like to say what a great site you have.
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4/12/2022 06:55:16 am
We have two dogs that come and go into the back yard as they please by using a dog door. Unfortunately, we also have a tree that is dying. More and more branches fail to grow leaves every year. We are very concerned about the safety of our dogs. When you wrote that limbs could start to fall off of dead trees, and it can become a safety issue for pets, I got concerned. We will call for a tree removal service by tomorrow morning.
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5/24/2022 02:50:32 pm
It was interesting when you mentioned that you should listen to bad advice when it comes to having a tree removed. I would think that it would be a good idea to consult with an arborist if you need a tree cut down. An arborist will be able to give you a full explanation regarding the situation of your tree.
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