Cutting Down Trees
The Why and How of Cutting Down Trees
If you have been continuously frustrated by a tree on your property or worried about the safety of your house because of the way a tree is growing or because the tree is weak or diseased, you may be considering what will be required to get rid of it. Cutting down trees is necessary for a variety of reasons, but whatever reason you have, it is a serious undertaking. Here is everything that you need to know about cutting down trees.
When Might You Want to Cut Down a Tree?
Trees bring all kinds of assets to our property like beauty, shade, and homes for songbirds and other animals. However, there are many times when it is necessary or preferable to cut down a tree. Here are some of those times.
To Let in More Sun
The tree in your yard may be shading out all of the sun, making it impossible for you to grow a lawn or the ornamental flowers and shrubs that you want. Cutting down a tree can instantly transform your yard from dark and covered with leaves to a bright space where grass will grow readily.
Roots Interfering with the Foundation, Septic Tank, etc.
Sometimes trees grow in places they shouldn't or people are irresponsible in their placement of a particular species of tree. If a tree in your yard is growing into your roof, too close to power lines, or interfering with your foundation, it may be time to remove the tree.
Sometimes pruning can take care of the problem, but other times, such as when roots are growing into your septic tank, you may need to remove the tree entirely. It is best to hire a professional to help you determine whether a tree needs to be removed or whether pruning can take care of the problem.
Unattractive or Difficult to Maintain Tree
Sometimes a particular tree may simply be unattractive. If a tree has bothered you for years, despite your attempts to prune and shape it, you may be ready to pull it out and start with something new.
If a tree drops lots of leaves, flowers, berries, or other debris on your yard, roof, or sidewalk, you may be sick of maintaining it and ready to get rid of it altogether. Pruning and trimming is unlikely to make a difficult to maintain tree easier to live with.
What Should You Do Before Removing a Tree?
Most of the time you can remove a tree that you really want removed from your property, but sometimes there are some things you need to do ahead of time in order to do it legally and safely.
Make Sure the Tree is Not Protected
Some trees are protected by the government because of their species. Some protected trees include the bald cypress, the black olive, the black mangrove, and the American elm. Some trees on this list, like the southern magnolia, may surprise you, as you may think of them as ornamental trees. Be careful to consult the government's list of protected trees for your area before cutting down trees.
Some individual trees may be protected regardless of their species because they have value to more people than the individual who owns the property. This may be true because they are very old, have historical significance, are part of a group of trees that have special ecological value to some sort of animal like a bird who nests in them, or other unique characteristics. If your tree is of any special age or other special characteristics, be sure to check with your local government before having it cut down.
Discuss it with Neighbors if the Tree Affects their Yards
If the tree that you're considering cutting down shades your neighbor's property or affects them in any other way, such as providing privacy from a road or your house, it is diplomatic to discuss cutting the tree down with them first.
It is nice to give your neighbors some warning so that they can arrange for replacing its function in some way on their own property, like putting up a privacy fence.
Consider the Ramifications of Removing the Tree
Before you have a tree cut down, make sure you consider all of the ramifications that may result. If you have an attractive group of shade loving flowers near the tree, it is likely that they will die in this absence. It may be wise to arrange to plant something to shade them before or soon after you remove the tree.
Decide What You will do with the wood and debris
Before cutting down trees, be sure to have an idea of what you want to do with the wood. If you are cutting down a very big tree or a tree that has especially valuable wood, people may well want the wood and even pay for it. You may also want to have the wood ground into mulch for your property. Whatever it is you want to do with the remains of the tree that you cut down, it is a good idea to think about it before you have a pile of debris in your yard.
What Will You Need to Do After Cutting Down Trees?
Here are some things that you'll have to take care of after the tree is cut down.
Remove the Stump
Stump grinding or removal can be difficult, often more challenging than cutting down trees. Stump removal requires advanced machinery to safely rip the stump and significant roots out of the ground, leaving a hole that can be filled as though the stump was never there.
Stump grinding uses machinery to grind the stump to ground level or several inches below the ground, depending on your preferences. Both of these processes require advanced machinery and skills.
Caring for the area and replanting
If your arborist is also skilled in landscaping, they'll be able to suggest all kinds of ways to help the area recover from the loss of the tree and make it look more like the landscape you were hoping for when you had the tree removed.
You may need to change the plants and flowers growing in the shade of the tree or plant more desirable shade trees to keep them in the kind of dappled light that they prefer. Perhaps you want to rip out what has previously been there and plant grass or sod in your new sunny yard.
Whether you want a professional to help you replant the area or you're excited to do it yourself, be ready for some challenges as you plant around the hole from stump removal or the ground down stump. It isn't advisable to keep the stump and try to plant around it. The decaying stump can attract disease and insects which can negatively affect your garden. If you want to put the benefits of the wood back into your soil, have mulch ground and use that around your garden.
Can you replant another tree?
It isn't advisable to plant a tree directly over the stump of the old tree, whether it has been ground or removed. The chemistry and access to nutrients and water in the spot where the old tree was will not be adequate for optimal growth. Instead, plant a new tree at least three feet away from the old stump. Shallow-rooted plants like grass seeds can be planted directly over a layer of soil spread on the old stump.
Do it Yourself or Hire a Professional?
It is always advisable to hire a professional when cutting down trees. Professionals know how to check for any potential safety hazards. They have the equipment necessary for cutting down trees safely without hurting trees around it or your landscaping.
Between 1992 and 2007 a total of 1285 people died performing tree care and maintenance. This is a dangerous job even for the professionals. When you consider that most of the people who were fatally injured belonged to small establishments, you realize the danger of relative amateurs attempting to cut down trees. Even if you have a chainsaw and feel capable of cutting down trees, stump grinding and removal requires specialized equipment that you probably don't have or know how to use properly.
Call an Arborist
To get started deciding whether to cut down a tree, learn how much it will cost and potential ramifications, and become educated but other aspects of cutting down your particular tree, call an experienced arborist. Kinnucan Tree Experts & Landscape Company has the experience, range of services, equipment, and dedication to customer service that you need when making a huge decision like cutting down trees.