Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Titusville?
- 2 Does the City of Titusville Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Titusville?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Titusville?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Titusville?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Titusville?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Titusville?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Titusville?
Included in Titusville’s native trees are also a variety of palms. The sabal palmetto was designated Florida’s tree in the 1950s and is found here. Palms do well in Titusville and the surrounding area as they can withstand a variety of weather conditions. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own problems including diseases and pests.
Over Watering
There are times, with 53 inches of rain on average per year, that we cannot control the level of water and moisture for our trees. When it is in our control, however, be sure not to overwater your palms. More than 2,500 species of palm live within Florida today. Individual species of palms have differing requirements. It is best to pay attention to the needs of those in your care.
Frond Removal
Like leaves on other types of trees, fronds are an important part of a palm’s health. Removing fronds before they are brown and ready to fall can take away precious nutrients from the tree. Care should be given to never remove or prune more than 15 percent of a tree’s fronds at one time. More than that can cause your tree to go into shock.
Fungal Infections
Titusville’s warm, moist climate is the perfect environment for fungal growth. Fungal problems can cause trunk rot in palms, slow down growth, and wilt a tree. Fungal infections are highly contagious and can be transmitted from one tree to the next quickly. The best way to fight the disease is to remove an infected tree.
Insect Problems
Whitefly, aphids, borers, caterpillars, scales, mites, and leafhoppers can all be harmful to palms and other tree life. Spraying is possible in young trees or palms that do not grow extremely high. A systemic insecticide is needed in taller palms. Lethal yellowing, a fatal disease in palms carried by leafhoppers, was once somewhat prevalent in the lower portion of the state, although for the past several years there have only been sporadic outbreaks, according to the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (IFAS). While lethal yellowing has been found in at least 37 species of palm, very few of the 12 native palms to the state seem to have been affected.
Sooty Mold
Gratefully, sooty mold looks worse than it actually is. A sign of the disease is the black mold that grows on palm fronds. It is caused by the excretion of insects that contains high levels of sugar byproducts. The only treatment is eliminating those insects.
Trees Other Than Palms and Common Diseases That Can Affect Them
Certainly, Titusville’s tree life is not limited to palms. Trees recommended by the city’s approved plant list for street trees include magnolias, live oaks, and Dahoon Holly. These are many others that live in our own yards.
Signs of some common tree disease which affect a variety of species include:
- Powdery Mildew — Tree leaves look as if they were dusted with white powder. The leaves can also become dried out and curled. While this disease can be disfiguring, it is rarely fatal to a tree.
- Galls — Galls appear as blemishes on a tree trunk. They can be caused by fungi, bacteria, and/or insects. Multiple galls on a trunk can appear unsightly and while the disease is not fatal by itself, it does open the door for other types of disease and pests to invade the tree.
- Fire Blight — This disease gives the bark of a tree a charred look as if it had suffered from being burned. On flowering trees such as members of the rose family, loquats, apples, and pears, the flowers turn brown and the twigs may shrivel. A heavy infection of fire blight can cause death to a tree.
Does the City of Titusville Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
While the City of Titusville does not offer assistance in tree removal per se, it does offer regular yard trash removal which may include leaves, pine needles, and other yard waste. In order to qualify for pickup, all yard trash must be cut to five-foot lengths or shorter and each piece must weigh less than 50 pounds. It should be separated from other trash, bundled or placed in containers, and left out at the curb for pickup on your regular pickup day. Note that if we cut down a tree on your property, we always handle debris removal.
Additionally, lumber and landscape logs, in addition to other types of wood, can be picked up once per month. It also must be separated from other trash. Pickup requires a call to the city’s Solid Waste Division.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Titusville?
While Titusville works to protect its trees, when a tree falls or is dying, removal becomes necessary. The city takes responsibility for all public trees but property owners are responsible for their own trees.
If you’re a homeowner?
A homeowner is responsible for the trees on their property. If one falls on your property or onto your neighbor’s or city property, you are responsible for its removal.
If you’re a renter?
A renter is not responsible for the removal of a fallen tree unless a signed rental agreement states otherwise. However, a tenant should notify the property owner, or his agent, if a tree falls, so arrangements can be made for its removal.
If you’re a landlord?
A landlord is responsible for the trees on their property. When one falls on his or her property or neighboring property, he or she is responsible for its removal.
If you’re a neighbor?
If your neighbor’s tree falls onto your property, the neighbor is responsible for its removal. You should discuss the situation and agree upon a convenient time for both of you for the neighbor to have it removed.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Titusville?
Titusville’s soil is acidic. Deciduous and evergreen trees do well in acidic conditions. Palms appreciate moderately acidic soil. As such, Titusville soil is good for our trees. However, when our landscape has been flooded with salt water this can injure trees. When flooding occurs and if the water does not recede quickly, we suggest you add fresh water to the area in order to help leach out some of the intense salt amounts.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Titusville?
Titusville’s nearly constant humidity can be hard on some trees. Being just 10 feet above sea level, areas of Titusville can easily experience flooding. Palms and many other local trees adapt well to that possibility for a short period of time. If the water recedes in a week or less, our trees generally do well. If flooding lasts longer, we may start to see problems with some trees and not only due to the salt.
Titusville is also in a very high-risk zone for hurricanes. While palms are pretty tolerant of the wind, the high winds of a hurricane or windstorm can cause damage to them and other trees. Sometimes, a storm will simply draw attention to a tree problem that already existed, according to the University of Florida IFAS. In any case, you should inspect all of your tree life following a storm and seek our professional guidance for any problems you find.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Titusville?
Trees, alive or dead, near power lines can be hazardous. If you have on your property, or spot in the community, a dead or live tree near electric lines, you should contact Florida Power and Light at 800-468-8243, immediately. Getting within 10 feet of an energized power line can endanger your life and is also against the law. If you see a downed line, tree, or no tree, stay away and immediately call FP&L.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Titusville?
The cost is similar whether felling a palm tree or another type of tree. You can expect to pay between $200 to $1,950 for tree removal in Titusville. A taller tree can run a bit more. It may seem like that is a wide range in projected pricing, but there are a lot of variables beyond simply tree size. Those variables include, but are not limited to, the location of the tree, what parts of the tree are to be hauled away, and whether or not the stump is to be removed.
Tree Location
While many of us look to trees for shade, consideration before planting needs to be given to the tree’s location as it grows. It may seem like a good idea for a tree to be close to a home or outbuilding, but that can be a problem in later years. When a tree is too close to a structure, the branches and sections of the trunk need to be roped down in sections, avoiding potential damage to the home or other building. This takes more time and will add to your bill.
Tree Hauling
In general, a removal fee will include most branches and leaves from the tree. However, the trunk sections may be optional. Some people want to keep these cuts as future firewood. This is fine, as long as the tree was not diseased with that remaining deadwood posing a risk to nearby living trees. If you decide you want the trunk removed, there could be an additional trucking fee involved.
Stump Removal
Some homeowners opt to leave the tree stump behind. In that case, we recommend you have it leveled off and ground down to meet the surface of your land to avoid tripping on it. Grinding the stump down further will cost an additional fee likely between $75 to $300 depending upon the size of the stump and the depth it needs to be ground down.
