Is it time to remove a tree?

By Tony Valenti

Certified Arborist #WE7531A

CTSP #918

Trees are beautiful and comforting to many of us. Some would even go so far to claim that they’re like family. So, removing a tree from your landscape could be a difficult experience to encounter, especially if you’ve grown accustomed to seeing it outside your window for years.

What if you notice over time that this tree looks different than it did when it was healthy?  Rather than seeing its branches sway in the breeze, you observe a bare canopy, which would normally be lush with leaves in the summer, hanging over the ground where the tree's roots once vigorously grew.

A tree planted too close to a building can cause hazards.

This palm tree succumbed to rot.

Before you decide to do anything, consult a professionally trained arborist to help inspect your trees for damage and determine the best solutions for the benefit of your landscape. A qualified arborist would not only best communicate the likelihood of failure for your injured tree, but also provide you with the full range of benefits your living tree would continue to provide if not removed.

Transplanting a tree can often times be an alternative to removal.

For a quick home analysis, start observing the tree, starting at the roots. Determine what might be occurring at the base before working your way up the tree during an inspection. Check of the following signs of tree damage:

1. Heaving soil at the base of the trunk and beneath the canopy
2. Mushrooms and other decay-producing fungi growing at the base of the trunk
3. Fine twigs without living buds near the ends of branches
4. Peeling or chipped bark and cracks in the trunk
5. Cavities in the trunk or large scaffold branches
6. Dead or hanging branches in the upper crown