Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Georgetown?
- 2 Does the City of Georgetown Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Georgetown?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Georgetown?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Georgetown?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Georgetown?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Georgetown?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Georgetown?
Several different issues can affect the long-term health of your trees. These include severe weather incidents, asymmetrical or lopsided growth, diseases, and invasive pests. Learn more about some of the most common tree issues that can hurt your trees and require tree removal:
Invasive Pests Carried in Firewood
One of the biggest risks to forest trees and residential trees is firewood brought into the area from over 50 miles away. Untreated firewood can carry pests, spores, and even traces of tree diseases that spread rapidly from the wood to living trees. The states surrounding Kentucky are under federal quarantines, so firewood from those states is prohibited.
Emerald Ash Borers
One of the specific risks that firewood can carry is the emerald ash borer. These invasive insects can quickly burrow into ash trees, causing significant damage and even total tree death within three to five years. Emerald ash borers can spread quickly through public treed areas, firewood, and even from property to property in residential neighborhoods. It’s important to stay vigilant and look for premature dieback and D-shaped holes in your ash trees’ trunks, which can indicate the onset of an emerald ash borer infestation. Affected trees should be isolated and removed from the property as soon as possible to limit the spread.
Asymmetrical Growth and Lopsided Weight
Trees don’t always grow with a main central trunk and smaller branches around their crowns. Some trees grow with a deep Y-shaped split in the trunk, and one side may eventually grow larger than the other, causing deeper splitting and tree damage. Other trees may suffer from topping or lopsided pruning. Our cabling and bracing services can help support the trees, especially if the problem is caught quickly enough. However, some damage can be so severe that it kills the tree. Lopsided tree growth may also become a risk to nearby structures, so you have to call us to cut the tree down for everyone’s safety.
Does the City of Georgetown Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
Georgetown does provide some assistance for tree management throughout the area. Residents can report overhanging trees and shrubs online for city maintenance crews to handle if the trees are in public spaces or present a public safety hazard. The city composting program handles the tree trimmings disposal, and the city removes bagged or bundled tree waste from residential properties to aid in cleanup. Scott County’s road foreman and road services department is also on-call for 24/7 tree removal across public county roads.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Georgetown?
When a tree falls over either due to disease, rot, or poor weather conditions, it’s important to remove the tree quickly. Fallen trees can disrupt landscapes and became a safety issue. However, it can sometimes be challenging to know who’s responsible for tree removal based on who owns the property, who owns the tree, and what the property is being used for. Consider these common scenarios:
If you’re a homeowner?
If you own the property where the tree fell, you’re responsible for arranging for the tree (and any branches or plant debris) to be removed. However, you may not have to manage the costs of the tree removal alone. Your home insurance service provider may cover all or some of the costs of removing the tree and the landscape or any structures on the property repaired.
If you’re a renter?
If you’re renting a house or an apartment and a tree falls on the property, you are not responsible for paying for or arranging tree removal. Instead, we recommend contacting your landlord as soon as safely possible to report the fallen tree and any structural damage the tree may have caused as it fell down. If any of your personal belongings, including your car, were damaged by the falling tree, your renter’s insurance agency may cover the repair or replacement of those items.
If you’re a landlord?
Because you own the property, you are responsible for having any fallen tree removed from the property and disposed of. For rental properties, especially, we recommend arranging tree removal as soon as possible. This can reduce the risk of further landscape damage and interruption to the property. It can also reduce your liability for any injuries caused if residents go near the fallen tree.
If you’re a neighbor?
If a tree falls on your property, you’re generally responsible for having it removed, even if it wasn’t your tree when it was still alive. If the tree fell wholly onto your property, you can arrange for tree removal independently; if the tree has fallen on both your property and an adjacent property, you may need to agree on a plan for tree removal. However, you may not have to bear the cost of tree removal yourself. Your home insurance provider may cover some or all of the costs. Also, if the tree fell over due to the tree owner’s negligence, they may be responsible for paying a portion of the cost.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Georgetown?
Georgetown is in Scott County, which has soil layers that are full of limestone and permeable rocks. The area also has Hagerstown series soils, a type of soil commonly found near limestone. Many Georgetown properties have Hagerstown loam soil, which has a relatively low concentration of rock fragments, has a moderate quantity of clay and can be either mildly alkaline or mildly acidic. Because this soil offers relatively reliable drainage, trees can grow without too little or too much water pressing against the roots. While the soil can have a high degree of clay, thick soil material, it doesn’t overly impede root growth in the area.
Also, some areas of Scott County have had soil samples with a high presence of radon. Some homes may have soil with more than 4 picocuries per liter.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Georgetown?
Georgetown’s humid subtropical climate protects trees from severe climatic conditions, such as deep freezes or hot, drought-filled summers. The area receives plenty of rainfall across all four seasons of the year, with an average annual rainfall of 45 inches and at least 2.9 inches of rain every month. Trees need to have consistent access to water to grow full, healthy foliage and sufficiently grow out their root systems. The local climate allows for that.
Along with beneficial precipitation, the area has mild winters with average highs in the 40s and lows in the high 20s. This protects trees from scald, freezes, and other wintry hazards. Also, trees face minimal potential damage because there’s minimal risk of heavy snowfall, such as cracked branches and felled trees during winter storms. However, hail storms, sporadic tornados, and occasional heavy winds during thunderstorms can risk physical damage to trees.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Georgetown?
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company provide power and utility services to residents of Georgetown. Power companies are generally responsible for maintaining clear areas around power lines. This includes actively trimming and pruning trees that present a hazard to the powerline or might cause an outage through active right-of-way clearing management.
If you see a dead tree near or leaning against Georgetown power lines, we recommend contacting LG&E, especially if you also see a downed power line in the area. LG&E and KU also provide restoration after storms through their Powerline Tree Clearance program, removing trees and tree branches that lean against powerlines and cause sagging or breakage. Crews will leave branches, twigs, and tree debris in the adjacent properties to be cleared away by the homeowner or property owner. Our professionals can help with that debris removal.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Georgetown?
Tree removal costs can vary significantly depending on the details of your unique project or circumstances. Some of the most important factors to consider include the following:
Tree Size
Tall trees, especially those still standing, are more complicated to remove than dead or fallen trees. Our crews use cranes and recommended safety gear whenever cutting down tall or large trees. The diameter of the tree trunk and the foliage on the tree can also impact the cost. Thick trees take more time to cut through and weigh significantly more than thin or rotted trees. Full foliage also requires more transportation to haul away.
Tree Condition
The health and condition of the tree also significantly impact the total cost of the project. For example, trees still standing need to be safely cut down (and often cut into pieces) before they can be removed from your property. Rotted trees are soft and easier to remove, so they will often cost much less to handle.
However, trees with diseases, infections, and infestations will need to be carefully handled and disposed of according to applicable regulations designed to limit the spread of the hazard. This can complicate the tree removal project and add to the cost.
Additional Services
If you’re having a tree removed from an empty field, you may simply want the tree gone and out of the way. However, if you’re removing a tree from your front yard, you may want additional tree-related services that tidy up your yard. These can include stump grinding services to remove protruding roots and the main stump, log splitting, chipping, and more. We can also help plant new trees and create programs to protect your property’s remaining trees from infestations, infection, and weather damage.
