Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Summerfield?
- 2 Does the City of Summerfield Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Summerfield?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Summerfield?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health In Summerfield?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Summerfield?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Summerfield?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Summerfield?
Central Florida trees have to stand up to a variety of challenges including insect infestations, infections, and diseases. Some issues are minor and pass without causing much harm to the tree. Other issues are so severe that the tree succumbs to the infestation, infection, or disease and simply dies. Some of the most common problems we see with Summerfield trees include:
Asian Cycad Scale
These tiny white bugs feed on the leaves of Cycads and Palm tree species. They remain attached to the host tree by covering themselves with a protective film that resembles a white scale. This deadly tree disease spreads via the wind as the tiny insects are easily transported from one tree to the next. Most trees die within one year of the Asian Cycad Scale infestation.
Bacterial Leaf Scorch
Spread by leafhopper insects, this bacterium disrupts the tree’s ability to transport water to the tree’s extremities. Over time, the leaves begin to turn from vibrant green to shriveled, yellow, and brown dead leaves. Eventually, the tree will become so weak from lack of water and nutrients that it will die, which means it becomes more and more unstable and poses a serious hazard.
Dutch Elm Disease
This is a fungal infection that’s spread by the Elm Bark Beetle and other insects that bore into the tree’s bark. As the insects dig their way through the bark, they leave behind the fungus, which begins to disrupt the tree’s water mechanism. Eventually, the water-carrying veins of the tree become so restricted that the tree cannot pump water to the crown any longer and the tree eventually dies.
Emerald Ash Borer
If you have ash trees on your Summerfield property, keep a close lookout for the Emerald Ash Borer. These distinctive emerald-green metallic beetles are pretty to look at, but they’re deadly to your trees. They’ll bore holes into your trees, consuming the sapwood which disrupts the flow of water up the trunk. Trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer are almost guaranteed to die within one year of initial diagnosis.
Inadequate or Improper Pruning
One of the things that we see a lot of in Summerfield is do-it-yourself tree pruning. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out for the tree. If you’re not careful, you can cause your trees to suffer trauma by improperly pruning them. We see things like hat-racking, unbalanced trimming, hacked branches, and neglected trees all the time, and we know that those trees will eventually need to be removed because they’re compromised.
Does the City of Summerfield Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
Unfortunately, you’re not going to get any help from the City of Summerfield to get a tree removed from your property. In fact, most cities and municipalities in the U.S. don’t offer tree removal services for residents. The only trees that the city is responsible for are those growing along the city streets, in parks, and on other public property. If you see a tree that looks as though it’s infested with insects, diseased, damaged, or dead, contact Marion County Public Works to report the problem.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Summerfield?
Florida’s law is pretty clear when it comes to liability for fallen trees. The Handbook of Florida Fence and Property Law details trees and the landowners’ responsibility for them. The law basically says that healthy trees, branches, and tree roots that cause damage to a neighboring property are the neighbor’s liability. Obviously dead, or otherwise compromised trees that fall, however, are the tree owner’s responsibility.
If you’re a homeowner?
As you’d expect, trees that grow on your Summerfield property are your responsibility. That means it’s up to you to clean up if one of your trees falls onto your property. This is the case whether it’s a diseased tree or one that’s perfectly healthy since it’s your tree and your property. If your house, garage, fences, or personal property are damaged, connect with your insurance agent to see if your homeowner’s policy will help.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a home in Summerfield, you’re not responsible for many things, including fallen trees. The liability for taking care of the trees, maintaining their health, and removing diseased trees falls on the landlord or property management company. If you sustain damage to your personal property due to a fallen tree, you may be able to file a claim with your renter’s insurance company for the cost of the damage.
If you’re a landlord?
As the owner of a property in Summerfield, whether you’re living there or renting it out, the trees are your responsibility. If a tree that’s growing on your income property falls onto your property, it’s up to you to call us to arrange for tree removal and debris cleanup. You’re also responsible for any damages to the home, garage, fences, and other structures on the property.
If you’re a neighbor?
Florida’s law is pretty specific when it comes to neighbors and fallen trees. If a tree falls onto a neighbor’s property, and you knew or should have known it was diseased or otherwise damaged, it’s your responsibility to clean it up. If the tree was healthy and fell over due to a strong storm or other natural phenomena, you’re not responsible, the landowner where the tree fell is.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Summerfield?
The soil in Summerfield, like the majority of Central Florida, is fairly sandy with varying amounts of clay and peat. When the sand content is extremely high, the soil cannot hold the moisture and nutrients necessary to sustain healthy trees. Too much clay in the mix and the soil cannot drain properly and the roots are unstable. Trees need enough sand to drain the soil, enough peat to hold in organic compounds, and just the right amount of clay to maintain enough moisture for the tree to thrive.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health In Summerfield?
Although the brunt of hurricane-force winds doesn’t reach as far inland as Summerfield, the effects of seasonal storms do take their toll. Large tropical storms and the remnants of hurricanes can dump copious amounts of rain on the city, leaving the ground saturated. Strong winds rock the trees, causing them to loosen in the wet soil. Some trees will just fall over, others will break under the strain. Either way, the tree is lost.
Wet conditions are only part of the problem. When drought hits Central Florida, trees suffer greatly. Without enough water, tree leaves start to yellow, wither, and die. If the water crisis goes on long enough, the tree will be so severely compromised that it will die.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Summerfield?
Whenever you see a dead tree that’s near a power line, go the other way. This is one of the most dangerous situations you can encounter, and you need to proceed very carefully. Make sure that no one is close to the tree or the power line and contact SECO Energy right away to report the problem tree. They’ll send a crew out to assess the tree. They’ve got all the tools and safety equipment necessary to get the tree removed safely and without causing damage to the power lines.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Summerfield?
Tree removal costs depend on several factors, but you can expect to pay somewhere around $590 each to have trees removed from your Summerfield property. We can’t say exactly what your tree or trees will cost, but we can tell you that most jobs land between $200 and $2,000 in the area. We carefully consider the following whenever we’re working up an estimate for tree removal services:
Tree Size and Maturity
The older and larger a tree is, the heavier it is. Because of that, we need to bring in heavy equipment, extra rigging, and additional crew members whenever we’re removing a mature tree in Summerfield. Not only is it faster and easier that way, but it’s also safer. But speed and safety come with a price and large trees are going to be more expensive to remove than small, easy-to-manage trees.
Location of the Tree
Whenever we are going to remove a tree from a Summerfield property, one of the first things we think about is where the tree is located in relation to everything else. Is it up against the house or garage? Is there adequate room to move around the tree? Or, is the tree out in the open where it’s easy to get to? The harder the tree is to access, the more expensive the tree removal process will be for you.
Stump Removal
In some cases, leaving the stumps of trees in the ground is perfectly acceptable. If, however, you need the land cleared, the stumps will need to be removed by either grinding them or pulling them out. Normally when we remove trees in Summerfield, stump removal is an additional cost. Large tree stumps take a significant amount of time to remove and therefore are much more expensive than small stumps.
