Tag Archives: Certified Arborist Springfield MO

Is Tree Removal Right For You?

The decision surrounding tree removal can be a difficult one. Sometimes a tree can be saved, but unfortunately other times it needs to be removed. This can depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to tree vitality, tree location in the yard, possible damage to the tree, and/or tree type. Here at All About Trees, we pride ourselves on being able to accurately help the customer make an informed decision for their trees.

Crane assisted silver maple removal

Crane assisted silver maple removal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch the video for more information on tree removal.

 

Transcript for video:

When is it time to cut down a tree? If you know Noel, then you know he hates to be the undertaker when it comes to cutting down trees.

Yet, you also know that he hates to see someone waste time and money on a tree that’s become more of a liability than an asset.

The biggest reason we have tree removal is that it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place. Every week we are called to remove what could have been a marvelous tree, except it was planted too close to the house, or the power lines or the driveway or other structures.

So let’s always think about the future when we talk about your trees and address the questions that matter in the long run.

“Will this tree work in this spot?”

“Will it be likely to cause damage to my property?”

“Can we direct the growth away from the house now while it’s young or would we be better off to just remove it and plant the tree that really belongs here?”

Answering these questions before prescribing tree work will lead us to a healthier, safer, and more beautiful urban forest.

[End of Transcript]

If you are interested in removing a Bradford pear from your yard, you can learn more here.

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Trees Can Grow Around Obstacles

Trees Grow Around Objects

You need to be careful about where you decide to plant a tree. As it grows, it can even grow around obstacles over time. Thankfully, however, a tree cannot crack a house foundation unless a crack was already present.

Trees are often planted close to fences and other solid objects. This will be fine for many years until the tree trunk gets increasingly larger. Because a tree can’t move its roots other than by growing new ones, it has no choice but to grow around solid objects. And a tree cannot avoid adding more wood to its stem; it needs to do so to grow taller and older. The trees’ cell division and growth are always ongoing, similar to nearly every organism on Earth. Plant tissue can flow around, engulf and bind to foreign objects, with an end result that is quite strong. Trees on unstable slopes can even curve in order to continue growing straight and optimize access to sunlight.

It is essentially stress avoidance as the plant grows in directions that avoid deficits of moisture or light, temperature extremes, going around mechanical obstructions, and areas of low porosity. Trees will take the path of least resistance available to them. The tree roots are covered in small hairs that are able to detect whether or not a tree can continue growing in a direction. According to ScienceDaily, “A protein at the tip of root hairs called RHD2 produces free radicals that stimulate the uptake of calcium from the soil. Calcium then stimulates the activity of RHD2, producing more free radicals and further uptake of calcium. When an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another location and direction.” In this way, tree roots are able to detect obstacles and maneuver around them.

tree growing around golf ball

The wrong species in the wrong place can damage human-built structures by forcing them aside, rather than moving around them.

We occasionally come across some unusual items when performing a tree service for one of our customers. The power of nature over time is pretty incredible.

bicycle in tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Norwich BioScience Institutes. “How Roots Find A Route Around Obstacles In The Soil.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 March 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228143543.htm>.

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