Keep or Cut a Tree: How to Make Your Decision

Trees have numerous benefits: they cast shade, clean the air, offer homes for wildlife, and enhance your home’s energy efficiency. However, a time comes when you must decide whether to cut a tree or leave it.

At times, tree cutting is the best way of keeping your land looking good and healthy. In fact, some trees simply can’t remain on your land, for instance, misplaced trees. Keep in mind that a tree can decide to grow virtually anywhere.

While this is beneficial for your environment, it might not be great for your property’s aesthetics or safety. For this reason, it’s important you contact our Winter Park Tree Service Company to advise you on what to do. If you’re wondering whether to keep or cut a tree, check out this guide.

The Tree’s Location

In the event that the tree is directly outside the windows and it’s obstructing the sunlight from reaching your rooms, then you should remove it. You should do the same if the tree’s too near your home. As the roots move beneath in search of water, they can destroy a home’s foundation. However, this is characteristic of hard or very old trees.

The Tree’s Species

You can’t afford to have some species outside your home due to their dangerous nature. You’ll discover that some trees are too weak and susceptible to breakage especially when it’s raining, for instance, mulberry.

Others, however, are too strong to maintain outside the home, for instance, ebony, mahogany, rosewood, and other hardwoods. You shouldn’t worry about the hardwoods though because they’ll take decades to mature outside your home.

The Tree’s General Health

You must consider whether the tree’s healthy or whether it has weak branches that seem like they’ll fall at any time. If the tree has 50% damage, you should probably eliminate it.

A tree that’s in decline can continue surviving for numerous years but will constantly have abnormal or limited growth and appearance. On the other hand, trees that have sustained damage by herbicide often have misshapen leaves, but can often recover.

The Branches, Leaves, and Bark

Cutting diseased trees might be essential since the disease could generate structural problems that compromise the tree’s integrity. Fortunately, a licensed arborist from Winter Park Tree Service can evaluate the tree and the extent of the damage caused by the disease.

The tree might be diseased if it loses its leaves early or if the leaves lack veins are discolored, or look like odd nodules. Other signs comprise unusual bumps on the bark, dead branches, and any kind of fungus developing on the branches or trunk.

Disease decreases the tree’s visual appeal and weakens the tree as well. This makes it more susceptible to losing limbs or falling down. In some instances, the disease is manageable and you can prevent removal. However, if it’s severe enough, you must look into removing the tree. It’s also important to note that huge trees with broken tops or huge damaged limbs are hazardous to property and people.

If less than 25% of the branches have been damaged, the tree has a chance of surviving. You should remove rubbing or crossed branches. If you discover dead branches are on one side of the tree, the tree will be possibly hazardous besides being lopsided. Dead branches on one side could be an indication of the trunk or root damage on the affected side. Such trees should undergo an evaluation by our professional arborists.

Power Lines

Trees beneath power lines must mature at heights below 25′. You’ll need to thin out a tree that’s growing into power lines. During wet weather, electricity can arc up to 10ft to wet ground, causing property damage or power failure.

You shouldn’t remove tree limbs next to power lines yourself. The consequences of accidentally touching the power lines are devastating, so you must hire a professional to accomplish the dangerous task.

The Environment

Another significant factor in establishing whether tree removal is necessary is the environment. The root systems of trees growing next to a water body or on rock ledges are often shallow. The elimination of nearby trees is a common issue after new construction.

Bear in mind that trees that undergo sudden exposure to sunlight experience severe stress due to the abrupt change in exposure. If you don’t remove a tree during construction, it’s likely to die 3-5 years later.

If you’re debating whether to cut a tree or keep it, you’re welcome to consult our certified arborist to conduct an onsite tree evaluation.