Keeping Your Trees HealthyKeeping Your Trees Healthy


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Keeping Your Trees Healthy

After we moved into a new home, I realized that the trees out front needed some serious attention. They were overgrown, tired-looking, and a little dangerous, so I started working with professional arborists to have them trimmed. It was a lot of work, but before we knew it, things had really improved. By the time they were finished pruning the branches, the trees didn't block the view of our home and we really felt like they would bloom better in the spring. Check out this blog for more information that could help you to keep your trees happy and healthy.

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A Guide For Safe Tree Removal

Tree removal is often a big job that requires professional equipment. However, if you do want to try removing a smaller tree on your own, there are a few things you should know. This guide can help know how to prepare for and successfully complete tree removal without injury. 

1. Make sure you have the right equipment.

Don't begin the task with a basic chain saw. You can't feel a tree on your property like you would in the forest. Other houses, people, and public infrastructure are at risk for being hit. For residential tree removal, you must begin with a "top down" approach. 

The top down approach requires the use of a boom or lift so that you can have sure footing while you stand and cut off small portions of branches. Never try and climb a tree in order to cut it down. Operating power tools like a chain saw can be very dangerous to yourself and others when you don't have a secure place in the tree, and you risk falling. 

2. Wear safety equipment.

During removal, you should wear eye protection to protect from chips and debris. All people helping out should also have eye protection. If operating a chainsaw, use ear protection. Everyone on the ground should wear a hard hat in case of falling branches. 

2. Use ropes to control the fall of the branches.

You want to prevent branches, especially larger portions of branches, from falling too hard on your fence, outbuildings, or equipment. Just cutting and letting the pieces fall can lead to more expensive damage. Instead, tie a rope securely around each branch before cutting, then use the rope to slowly lower the pieces down to the ground. This way, nobody is in danger of being hit with falling logs. 

3. Stock up on wedges and handsaws. 

When you get to very thick branches of the trunk of the tree, you'll have a tougher time getting a small chainsaw blade through the trunk. Your blade can get stuck, which is both dangerous and frustrating. Since you have to cut the trunk in small sections, you need some extra equipment. 

Tree removal wedges can be a big asset. You make a cut and then drive the wedge into the space using a heavy mallet. This prevents the weight of the tree from pressing down on the blade of your saw. Sometimes a chain saw cannot be maneuvered in the space, which is why having a small handsaw at the ready is important. 

3. Don't forget about the stump.

Once you are down to a stump, the removal process is over, but you still need to take care of the stump itself. You can treat it chemically, but removal chemicals often take years to help a stump decompose. You may want to hire a tree removal service to remove the stump, or rent a stump grinder. Just make sure you don't do things the old fashioned way be fastening a cable or chain and pulling with a pick-up truck. Many stumps are quite tough and can cause damage to the truck or even cause the chain or cable to snap. With the force on the chain, anyone standing nearby would be in danger of serious injury. 

4. Treat the ground if necessary.

Some trees need to be removed because of illness, disease, or insect damage. You may still need to treat the ground where the tree was to help prevent the spread of the infection. Termites especially require attention. You may want to trench around the tree and around your house, using a strong termite insecticide.