Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Madison?
- 2 Does the City of Madison Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Madison?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Madison?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Madison?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Madison?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Madison?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Madison?
With its moderate winter weather and its warm, moist summers, Madison plays host to a diverse selection of trees. Some of the most common trees that homeowners of Madison have growing in their yards include:
- Tulip trees
- Willow oak
- Oak
- Green ash
- Northern red oak
- Overcup oak
Some of these trees can grow to extraordinary heights. This can cause problems for you as a homeowner in Madison. While we see many problems with trees, here are a few of the most common tree issues we see in Madison:
Rotted Roots
In order to grow tall and strong, trees need sunlight and water. They receive sunlight by competing in height with your other trees and the water gets absorbed through their root systems. As the trees grow, the roots spread out further into your yard. If the soil is too saturated with water or moisture, the roots begin to rot, slowly killing the tree.
Madison sees up to 55 inches of rain each year, which is 14 inches more than the national average. In addition, the South is known for its humidity, which can add extra moisture to your soil. All of this water in the soil can lead to root rot in the trees of the yard of your Madison home.
Damage From Insects and Other Critters
Once again, those moderate winters and humid summers in Madison play a part in the health of your trees by attracting a healthy insect population. Some of the most common insect damage that we see in Madison comes from a variety of pests, including:
- Aphids
- Bagworm
- Black turpentine beetle
- Eastern tent caterpillar
- Elm leaf
- Emerald ash borer
- Fall webworm
- Forest tent caterpillar
- Ips bark beetle
- Nantucket pine tip moth
- Pine sawfly
- Pine weevil
- Redbay ambrosia
- Southern pine bark beetle
While insects are small, they can cause a lot of damage to the trees in the yard of your Madison home. Extreme damage can kill a tree. If you notice insect damage, we can evaluate the tree and treat or remove it.
You may notice that insects have burrowed into the tree in your Madison tree. It’s possible that you’ll see insects on your tree or leaves that turn brown. Another indicator of insect damage includes channels lining the trees or bald spots with the bark missing.
Storm Damage
If you’ve lived in Madison County for any amount of time, then you already know that the area sees some violent storms. In fact, in the past 70 years, Madison County has been hit by three F5 tornadoes, which is as bad as they get.
An F5 tornado can pick up your Madison home and set it down three counties away. Of course, most of the storms we see in Madison aren’t that bad, but high winds and lightning can easily knock over or kill an otherwise healthy tree.
In some cases, a tree can be saved if it’s damaged by a storm in your Madison yard, but other times, it needs to be removed. If you think a tree might be dead and need removal, our team is always ready to come to you and evaluate its condition.
Does the City of Madison Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
While the City of Madison will trim any tree limbs that extend over city streets, they aren’t ready to provide financial or physical assistance in removing trees from your yard. For most cases, a fallen tree that needs to be removed from the yard of your Madison home is considered your responsibility.
The one exception is when it sits on an easement, a small piece of the property in front of your Madison home where the utility companies run lines. If you have a tree fall there, the utility company should remove it for you.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Madison?
In Madison, in most cases, the responsibility for the removal of a fallen tree is the homeowner’s. Fortunately, you don’t need a permit to remove a fallen tree from your yard in Madison.
However, if the tree grew from an area of an easement, it may fall to the city or utility company to remove the tree. You can always call the city or local utility company if you believe the tree is their responsibility to move.
If you’re a homeowner?
As the homeowner in Madison, the city expects you to bear the responsibility of removing a tree that’s fallen on your property, even the financial aspect. However, if the base of the tree was on an easement, you may be able to get the city or appropriate utility to take care of the tree since it’s technically their land.
If you’re a renter?
When you’re renting a home in Madison, your lease might require you to take care of routine lawn maintenance. However, the removal of a tree isn’t generally considered routine lawn maintenance, so the cost and responsibility of tree removal fall to the homeowner.
When a tree falls in the yard of your rented Madison home, you need to call the landlord. It’s always a good idea to let the landlord know if you see any damaged or dying trees before they fall.
If you’re a landlord?
In all cases, the landlord and the homeowner are the same person or entity. Whether you’re occupying your home or renting it out, the expense of removing the tree should fall to you.
If you’re a neighbor?
It’d be nice if trees conveniently only fell in the yard where they grow in Madison. However, there are many times when a tree will fall and cover your yard and your neighbor’s.
When this happens, it’s always a good idea to talk to your neighbor before taking any action, especially if the tree once grew in their yard. The cost of removing the tree always falls to the homeowner unless it’s on an easement.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Madison?
The most common soil found in your yard in Madison is sandy loam and clay loam. Both of these soils can affect the health of your trees in Madison. Whether it’s sandy or clay, the soil will soak up the water and not drain it easily, which can lead to tree root rot.
On the other side, both of these soils shrink when they dry out. When this happens, the soil in your Madison yard can pull away from the tree roots, leaving your tree less stable.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Madison?
Yes, with the additional rainfall and high humidity, Madison’s weather can greatly affect the health of your trees. All this water can quickly saturate your soil and begin to rot the roots of your trees.
The extra rainfall isn’t the only weather that affects the trees in your Madison yard. When storms and tornadoes pass through the Madison area, they can cause excessive damage to your trees or knock them over.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Madison?
If there’s a dead tree on a power line, you must immediately call your local emergency services in Madison. Now, if there’s a dead tree near the power lines, it’s probably on the electric company’s easement. You should always start by calling the power company first.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Madison?
Without coming to your Madison home and evaluating the tree in question, we can’t tell you exactly how much its removal will cost. We can offer you a range of the average costs of tree removal in Madison. The average cost of tree removal ranges between $200 to $1,300. There are factors that will determine your actual cost.
Location of the Tree
It’ll cost more to remove a tree closer to your Madison home because we need to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of your roof and house. When your tree is in a tightly-knit group of trees, it can cost more to remove a single tree. These locations require more time and safety equipment to ensure the safety of your Madison home and yard.
Size of the Tree
You might think that we cut all trees from the bottom, but that isn’t the case. Most trees need to be cut in sections, starting at the top. If the tree in your Madison yard is tall or thick, it may affect the cost of its removal. With these types of trees, we need to spend more time, send more technicians, and use more safety equipment to ensure the safety of your Madison home and our team.
Additional Services You Might Want
Most homeowners in Madison don’t want to leave a tree stump in their yard. Removing the stump after we cut down a tree in your yard may increase the cost of its removal.
You might want us to chip up the tree, so you can use the wood chips as mulch in the yard of your Madison home. Chipping the wood requires additional equipment and time, affecting the cost of the tree removal.
