Tag tree removal

Are Trees Still Showing Signs of Freeze Damage? [May 2022 UPDATE]

by Texas Tree Surgeons Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Health Care

Unfortunately for trees in North Texas, the effects of the February 2021 winter storm, often called “Winter Storm Uri” in the media, are still with us. The historically-low temperatures and winter precipitation in 2021 and the winter weather in February 2022 had a devastating impact on the health of trees and other vegetation and  recovery from those extreme conditions will take time. Common landscape trees in the DFW area, such as ash, live oaks, red oaks, wax myrtles, chinaberries, and Chinese tallow trees were some of the worst damaged by the freezing conditions and so the damage can still be seen in many parts of our community.

Different species and types of trees responded differently to the low temperatures.
Visit our previous posts for specific info:

My Tree Leafed Out in Spring 2022 but is Now Turning Brown. Is That Freeze Damage?

Due to the unprecedented nature of the winter weather in 2021 and 2022, it has been difficult to predict exactly how trees will respond and the nature and timing of any freeze-related decline.

  • Some species have seemed to bounce back from freeze damage only to show browning and die back after two or more growing seasons.

    • Red oaks and Japanese maples have been observed to leaf out in the spring as normal, only to start browning a few weeks later.

    • Unfortunately, once a tree’s canopy has completely browned or died, the tree may not be salvageable.

  • If a tree has partial browning or only some dead canopy:

    • Prune out the dead or dying sections

    • Follow good watering practices

    • Use soil amendments focused on increasing available nutrients

      • High nitrogen fertilizer is NOT recommended, as this can stimulate the tree to use up energy reserves to push new growth rather than increase overall health

A tree exhibiting severe freeze-thaw cracks. Even less drastic cracking can reduce a tree’s defenses against pests.

Should I Be Worried About Cracks in the Bark of My Trees?

Freeze-thaw cracks occur when rapid temperature swings cause the wood of a tree to swell and contract faster than normal. These cracks vary in size and severity. When the water inside a tree freezes, it can damage the tree’s vascular system, which moves nutrients throughout the entire tree. Widespread damage to the vascular system can lead to tree death.

Trees with freeze-thaw cracks need special care to encourage vascular system growth and nutrient availability.

  • Proper watering is essential.

  • Soil amendments and low nitrogen fertilizers can make additional nutrients readily accessible to the tree’s roots.

    • Fertilizing stressed and damaged trees must be done with care.

    • High nitrogen growth stimulators should be avoided.

  • Preventive insect treatment is recommended.

    • Cracks or other wounds in the bark are entry points for borer beetles and other pests.

    • Over time, the tree will be able to seal off (“compartmentalize”) the damaged sections, but this can be a slow process.

Why Does My Tree Have Large Dead Branches?

In cases where only parts of a tree were subject to severe frost damage, the main trunk may be free of freeze-thaw cracks or other issues while some large or small sections of the tree show browning and dieback. With rapid temperature swings and violent winter weather, a tree’s specific location and surroundings (such as nearby structures or other trees) can have a great impact on how the tree is affected. Because of this, trees of the same species on the same block may have shown wildly different responses to freezing weather. No matter the extent, it is best to remove dead and dying sections of the canopy and bolster the tree’s health with water and nutrients to give it the best chance to compartmentalize the dead and decayed sections and return to health.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! Recent extreme weather events present new challenges to our urban forest and it will likely be a few years before we have seen the full effects. Trees, by their nature, respond slowly to environmental changes and, if not properly cared for, can slide into a cycle of decline following storm damage or other severe weather. As we move into the heat of the summer our current drought conditions can worsen and accelerate tree decline and dieback. Now is the time to have one of our arborists evaluate your trees for their current needs and prescribe a health care plan to increase soil nutrient levels and manage insect activity. Contact us today!

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Tree?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Removal

With the extensive freeze damage seen in February 2021, many North Texas trees were not able to recover. As a result, with the arrival of Summer 2021, we began recommending removal for many trees that were on the “wait and see” list. A perennial question, “how much does it cost to remove a tree?” became one we started hearing multiple times a day.

Like with many other tree care services, removal costs can vary greatly, as every tree is different. It is practically impossible to give an accurate removal quote from a photo or description of a tree, as the factors that contribute to removal cost are many. In order to give an accurate price quote for complete tree removal, a visit to the site is always necessary.

What are the Factors Determine Tree Removal Cost?

Tree removals can cost anywhere from $10 to $10,000, depending on a number of specific factors:

  • Tree Species

    • Some trees have especially hard wood or are prone to weak joints, affecting the time and precautions taken in removal.
    • Trees with thorns are more difficult to remove.
    • The type of bark a tree has (smooth or rough, thin or thick) affects the ability to secure climbing, safety, and hoisting ropes and other hardware.
    • Palm “trees” (technically more closely related to grasses) are structurally different from other trees and require different removal techniques.

  • Tree Health

    • Dead trees are inherently more dangerous to remove than living ones.
      • As the wood dies and dries out, it can become unpredictably brittle and breakable.
    • The presence of rot, fungus, or other infections can lead to tree weakness and breakage.
    • Instability at the base of a tree can make climbing it impossible, necessitating the use of a crane or bucket truck, which can greatly increase removal price.
    • Palms can be more easily affected by rot-related instabilities, leading to bending or drooping and making removal difficult.

  • Location and Drop Zones

    • Where a tree is located on a property (proximity to structures/wires, accessibility) determines how long a removal can take.
      • The need to move debris a long way greatly increases job duration.
    • The immediate area around the base of the tree (the “drop zone”) is critical to a safe removal.
      • If a tree is crowded by other plants or close to structures, drop zones can be greatly restricted.
    • As with structural instabilities, tree location can dictate whether climbing is possible or whether heavy equipment and other machinery must be used for removal.

  • Debris Haul-Off

    • If debris from the tree removal is able to be left on-site for municipal removal or other use, removal cost can be significantly less.
    • Private tree companies must either recycle wood debris themselves or pay to dump wood waste at a landfill or recycling facility.
      • Depending on the particulars of the removed tree, the wood may be useful for firewood or other recycling or may be afflicted with rot or other defects, making it unusable.

While many of these factors, such as location and health issues, may be outside of the immediate control of the tree owner, stability issues always increase over time. Waiting to remove a dead or diseased tree increases not only the risk of injury and property damage, but also the cost to remove it. If you have a tree you think might need to be removed, contact a local ISA Certified Arborist as soon as possible to have the tree evaluated.

The cost of tree removal can range into the tens of thousands of dollars, and is no small expense. Before contracting a company to remove your tree, be sure to ask for an explanation of their removal methods and safety precautions. If you are concerned about property damage or other issues, ask for a certificate of liability insurance to make sure that you will not be held responsible for any unforeseen costs. Finally, be wary of tree removal companies that ask for payment up front. Don’t make a down payment without a written contract and avoid companies who are not bonded or who refuse to disclose their insurance information.

A NOTE ABOUT STUMP GRINDING

Even after the above ground material of a tree is removed, an extensive underground stump and root system can remain. When soliciting bids for complete tree removal, be sure to ask about options for dealing with the stump and roots.

One common method for reducing underground tree material is stump grinding. Stump grinding can level the former site of a tree to allow for sod installation or planting beds. However, even with stump grinding, re-planting another tree in the same location is not recommended. For more info on stump grinding, visit this page.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! While we do what we can to preserve our urban forest, we know that removal is sometimes necessary. We offer a transparent quote process and written estimates for every job; your arborist is always available to answer any questions you have about tree removal procedures, precautions, and costs. We use highly-skilled and trained climbers who are able to remove just about any tree, large or small, without the use of cranes or other heavy equipment. We quote removal cost and stump grinding separately so that our customers can prioritize what is important to them. Depending on location and time of year, we may be able to offer a discount for debris stacking or alternate haul-off options. Have a tree that might need to come down? Don’t wait! Schedule a visit from one of our ISA Certified Arborists today!

It’s Time for Action on Freeze-Damaged Trees!

by Texas Tree Surgeons Events, Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Health Care, Tree Removal

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees, and we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but if your tree has not recovered from the recent freeze, action needs to be taken soon. After the freeze in February 2021, many North Texas plants and trees were frost-damaged and unrecoverable. At the time, we recommended waiting until the summer to make a decision on removal, to give the damaged trees a chance to recover.

By this point in the year, if your trees have not leafed out, or leafed out and have since turned brown, and if your palms and other plants show no new green growth, it is time to re-evaluate them for removal. Time is of the essence when removing trees, as they can become more dangerous, difficult, and expensive to remove the longer they are left standing. Also, the chance of limb breakage and major structural failure greatly increases as dead trees are left in the ground, leading to a higher risk of injury to person or damage to property. As the spring rains give way to the summer heat, dead trees will start to dry out, reducing structural stability.

If on the other hand, your trees have at least 50% of their canopies, they may still recover. It is important to start soil amendments and proper watering to give these stressed trees a better chance of making it through the summer heat. NOTE: standard (high-nitrogen) fertilizer, such as lawn fertilizer, over-the-counter products, or weed and feed products are NOT recommended for freeze-stressed trees. Stressed trees need particular soil amendments and nutrients. Contact us today to find out what your trees need!

Trees with at least half of the canopy remaining should be treated with soil amendments and proper watering.

Read More About Proper Fertilization

Read More About Watering

What To Do

Why Were Some Trees Hit Harder Than Others?

  • Underlying issues and stressors
  • Age
  • Tree location with respect to the storm front
    • Shelter from buildings or other trees

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees, and while we hate to have to remove them, we are committed to sustainability and recycle our wood waste through our sister company Burn This Firewood. We also offset our tree removals by partnering with local and international organizations dedicated to replanting and reforestation.

What To Do With Freeze-Damaged Ash and Elm Trees

by Texas Tree Surgeons Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Health Care

The information in this article applies only to certain types of trees, such as elms, ashes, figs, crape myrtles, and even some other landscape plants like loropetalum. For information on what to do with your oaks or palm trees, see our other articles:

Oaks Looking Bad?

Will Palms Survive?

As with oaks, many species of trees, such as ash and elm, were severely damaged or killed by the freezing weather in February 2021. Even if your tree has not leafed out, or shown only sparse growth, there may be another option besides replacing it.

What Can You Do? Watch For New Sprouts!

  • Trees that have died from the ground up may still have living root systems.
    • If the tree cannot support the old growth, the energy in the roots may be directed to putting up new shoots around the base of the tree.
  • These new tree shoots have a great advantage over transplanted trees, as they are growing from a well-established root system.
    • While the new sprouts start out small, their growth will be supported by robust roots.
    • Local tree farm stocks are depleted after the storm, so it may be hard to find a suitable replacement.
    • Even with stump grinding, a transplanted tree should not be planted in the same place at the old tree.

Tree in North Texas showing extensive above-ground dieback and new growth from the roots.

Tree with extensive above-ground dieback showing new growth from the roots.

Remove The Dead Tree Carefully

  •  If you want to encourage the new sprouts into maturing into full trees, they must be protected from damage.
  • When removing the freeze-damaged tree, take care not to disturb any shoots growing around the base of the trunk.
    • Do not grind the stump, as this will destroy the established root system.
  • As the sprouts mature, begin to remove some of them, leaving one or two main shoots.
    • Once the main shoots are a year old, you can select one to continue cultivating and remove the others.
  • If you have a tree, such as an ash, that is threatened by insect or disease activity, consult an ISA Certified Arborist to ensure that preventative action is taken, if needed.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! The freeze of February 2021, like storms and tornadoes before it, will alter our North Texas urban forest in many ways. As we continue to monitor the response of trees and plants, we will continue to keep our community and customers informed, so that they have all the information necessary to take the best care of their trees. We are always happy to answer any questions you have about your trees freeze-damaged or not, so contact an arborist today!

Can Palm Trees Survive Freezing Weather?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Extreme Weather, Resources, Tree Health Care

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community. While we don’t want to sound negative or cause unnecessary concern, the recent freezing weather has likely damaged most palm trees in North Texas beyond hope of survival. 

  • If your palm fronds are totally brown and drooping, with no green visible, the palm is almost certainly dead and needs to be removed quickly before decay causes it to become a falling hazard. 
  • If your palm still has some green fronds, it may be salvageable, but will require long-term fertilization and care. Fronds that are already brown will, unfortunately, not recover, but new fronds can grow to replace them over time.

Contact us today to have an ISA Certified Arborist evaluate your palms.

Palms with completely brown or drooping fronds are most likely dead and need to be removed.

Palms that were sheltered by buildings may not have been completely frozen and could be salvageable.

Can Palm Trees Survive Being Frozen?

  • Unfortunately, once the center, or “heart,” of a palm tree has been frozen, nothing can be done to salvage it.
    • Unlike most trees, palms are not able to easily handle disease and damage or repair wounds.
  • If a freeze is only partial, some palm material may survive and be able to grow, but the damaged areas will never recover.
    • Brown, drooping fronds can be removed or left to fall on their own.
    • If a palm survives, new fronds will grow, but it will take time for them to grow to the size of the mature fronds.
  • If all of the fronds on a palm are brown, yellow, drooping, or fallen, the palm is not salvageable.

What Should I Do If My Palm Is Dead?

  • When dealing with frost-damaged palm trees, it is best to act quickly.
    • As the weather warms up, the dead tissue can quickly decay, causing structural instability.
    • If a palm has begun to lean from the middle of the trunk, or the top is bent, the decay has already started.
  • Removing dead palms quickly is essential to preventing damage that could be caused when they fall.
    • As a palm rots from the inside, it can become impossible to safely remove it.

Fluid leaking from areas of the main palm trunk is a sure sign of internal decay necessitating swift removal.

Do Any Palm Trees Grow Well in North Texas?

  • Palm “trees” (they are actually more closely-related to grass than trees) are not adapted to cold weather.
    • Areas where palms are native have mild winters and few, if any, freezes.
  • When palms are imported to other environments, like North Texas, they rarely thrive.
    • There are some varieties of palms that are more cold-hardy, but even those types of palm trees will suffer great losses after a hard freeze.
    • The soil type over much of DFW is not suitable for most palms.
      • To keep palms healthy, regular fertilization with specially-formulated palm food is essential.
    • Even when the environment is adapted to properly-nourish palms, the weather patterns are not palm-friendly.
      • While the summer heat in North Texas is no great threat to palms, problems arise during the colder, wetter periods.
      • Many palms can weather shorter periods of freezing temperatures, long, hard freezes, like we had in February 2021, can devastate palms large and small.
At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! Plants and trees all over North Texas were damaged in the recent freeze, and we hope to save as many as we can. Unfortunately for many, their palms will have to be removed because of the extent of the frost damage. Contact us today to have one of our ISA Certified Arborists evaluate your palms and arrange for their removal, before they decay and safe removal is impossible.

Ask Texas Tree Surgeons: My Tree is Leaning; Should I Be Worried?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Ask Texas Tree Surgeons, Tree Health Care

Another installment in our series of posts where Texas Tree Surgeons answers your tree questions. Are you having problems with your trees and want to know what’s wrong? Let us know!

We have a tree in the back yard that is leaning. Is there anything we can do to fix it?

Whether you just moved into a new house and noticed one of the trees is leaning, or a tree has suddenly developed a lean, there is one important difference to be aware of: quickly-developed leans and over-time leans.

Leaning Trees: Fast vs. Slow

 The main factor that determines whether a tree that leans is a problem or not is how quickly the lean developed:

  • Trees that have developed a lean over time usually are not a high risk, and cannot be straightened or corrected.
    • Trees, like other plants, are naturally drawn to the sun and away from other trees and structures. (This phenomenon is called “phototropism.”)
    • If a tree faces competition for sunlight, it will begin to lean away from its competitors and towards a clear view of the sun.
      • As the tree leans, its roots grow out in the opposite direction from the lean to anchor the tree.
    • Once the tree has become established with its lean, it will continue to grow that way.
      • In some cases, a tree that was leaning can begin to send new growth vertically upward again, once the competition for sunlight is removed, but the leaning parts will remain.
  • Trees that develop a lean quickly can be an increased fall risk.
    • Whether the tree is large or small, developing a lean quickly usually means one thing: root system instability.
      • A tell-tale sign of a root issue causing a lean is raised ground around the tree or disturbance to nearby structures or fences.
    • High-limestone and shallow soils, like we have in much of North Texas, can be a contributing factor to shallow roots which can lead to instability.
      • Additionally, periods of drought and flooding cause shifts in the soil, further hampering proper root formation.
    • Root rot, often caused by fungus, can cause widespread root system death, leading to major structural instability.
    • If there has been construction around the tree and roots have been cut, or the tree suffered storm damage, a lean can be a sign of an imminent fall.

What Can I do About a Leaning Tree?

 If the tree has grown into a lean over time, there is little that can be done. Once the tree is established and stable in its leaning orientation, trying to straighten it can destabilize the structure and put the tree at risk of falling.

For a sudden lean, however, it is important to act quickly. Whatever the cause of the lean, it must be addressed before it becomes worse and the tree falls. In some small trees, a sudden lean can be corrected, allowing the tree to grow new stabilizing roots. In large trees however, complete removal is often the only safe way to deal with a sudden lean. If the tree is leaning from storm or other damage, especially when roots have been cut, rope off the area under the tree and contact a certified arborist immediately — the tree could fall at any time.

 At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! If you notice that one of your trees in leaning, we are always happy to come out an see what may be causing the lean and whether it needs to be addressed. If you are aware of a tree that has developed a sudden lean, contact us today so that one of our ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified arborists can properly evaluate the danger of the situation and provide a solution.