Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Boston?
- 2 Does the City of Boston Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Boston?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Boston?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Boston?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Boston?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Boston?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Boston?
Tree problems are an issue of great concern to scientists. If not corrected in good time, they result in erratic weather patterns, excessive soil erosion, and climate change. Here are the tree problems you’re most likely to encounter in Boston.
Tree Pests and Diseases
The gypsy moth is one of the most common pests in Boston with a taste for hardwood trees. Other pests include the winter moth, known for ravaging oaks, maples, and fruit trees. When these moths are not eradicated in time, they foliate entire trees.
The Asian longhorned beetle and the brown marmorated stink bug are invasive species from Asia. These pests destroy trees in warm months in Boston and turn to homes in colder months. The emerald ash borer is the latest invasive species affecting trees in Boston.
The Dutch elm disease is caused by fungus and is transmitted from one tree to another through beetles. Trees infected with this disease tend to wilt and have yellow leaves. Other tree diseases include the apple scab, fire blight, peach leaf curl, sooty blotch, and powdery mildew.
Poor Planting and Care Methods
Poorly cared for trees respond by wilting, bending, having poor structures, and branch overgrowth. Poor weeding or avoiding it altogether prevents proper nutrient uptake. The City of Boston recommends a list of tree care tips that work well with tree types found in Boston, and our arborists are always here to help.
In some cases, people plant trees in the wrong location. For example, you can plant small trees which only grow to about 20 feet adjacent to power lines. Oaks always spread further than you think. It’s best to keep them far away from power lines and engage us to take care of it for you.
Weather Hazards
Too much snow exerts pressure on twigs and leaves which causes them to break. Storms and tornadoes fell trees or mutilate them, causing them to lose the right structure and killing some. Wildfires in Boston are known to gut down hectares of forests.
The effects of blizzards on trees in Boston range from the spread of mold and fungi in trees and flattened forest areas. The water cycle started by blizzards often results in heavy rainstorms. With saturated soil, tree roots struggle to breathe and nutrient uptake dwindles.
Does the City of Boston Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The Parks Department in Boston City takes care of all public shade trees by pruning, trimming, removing, repairing, and treating diseased trees.
According to Boston Tree laws, the city authorities will remove any diseased, dying, or dead tree because it’s a public hazard. However, if you need a healthy public tree removed for any reason, there has to be a public hearing to determine whether your request will be granted or not.
Before the public is notified about the hearing, a tree warden will inspect the tree to determine the consequences of its removal. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to have it removed than to keep it and this will help your request.
However, if you’re lucky and your request is granted, you’ll pay for the costs of its removal. You can send a tree removal request by email through parks@boston.gov.
The tree removal fees you pay go into the Funds for Parks and Recreation to support ongoing, upcoming, or needed park rehabilitations.
The Speak for the Trees Boston program gives free trees and tree plantings to Boston residents to help improve forest cover. The program also protects trees threatened by nature or urban conditions through advocacy.
The Boston City authorities remove fallen trees during natural weather hazards in both public and private property.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Boston?
Trees may fall as an ‘act of God’ or due to human negligence. Boston tree laws apply differently in both cases as we’ve outlined below.
If you’re a homeowner?
According to Boston law, you own any tree whose tree trunk is entirely located on your property. So, what happens in the unfortunate event that a tree you’ve been taking good care of ends up in your neighbor’s garage, damaging the roof and other structures around it? You cannot bear the blame for the occurrence. Your neighbor will have to file a claim with their insurer to be paid for the damages.
It’s a different case if your tree ends up in your neighbor’s yard after being warned about its hazardous condition. You’ll have to pay for your negligence.
If you’re a renter?
The first thing you need to understand as a tenant is that you’re living on someone else’s property. This means you do not bear the burden of cleaning up when entire trees or their limbs end up on your front door or damage your belongings.
Your lease may or may not have clauses that talk about tree nuisance. However, your insurer can pay for it after they determine whether or not a human being caused the tree to fall.
If you’re a landlord?
As a landlord, you’re responsible for maintaining your tree and inspecting it for signs of decay to avert the threat posed by trees. However, if it falls you are responsible for removing it from your compound. Your insurance will help you settle the amount after they ascertain the cause of its fall.
If you’re a neighbor?
You can sue your neighbor if the tree lands on your property due to poor maintenance. However, it’s a waste of time if the tree was healthy and was felled by strong winds, rain, or a storm. The law requires you to take care of the fallen tree yourself or through your COA or HOA insurance.
In case the tree damaged a fence you both share, you bear the cost of rebuilding the fence equally.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Boston?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, trees play a vital role in soil’s ability to absorb water and nutrients, regulate soil temperature and maintain the right amount of organic substances.
According to a soil survey of Norfolk and Suffolk counties by the USDA, most soils in the upland parts are generally sloping, well-drained, and loamy throughout. The problem with these soils is low permeability.
The soils in the valleys are generally near level or gently sloping and well-drained and sandy or loamy. Trees in the low permeability may experience poor growth due to the slow absorption of water and nutrients.
On the other hand, areas with well-drained soils like the Boston series have better growth rate and withstands diseases caused by root rot better.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Boston?
The USDA classifies most of the City of Boston as a zone 6b hardiness area. Temperatures in zone 6B rarely go below -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, Boston experiences a cross between a humid subtropical climate and a humid continental climate. The summers can be sweltering, winters are characterized by chills and storms while spring and fall experience cool temperatures.
Boston is prone to Nor’easter weather which brings in about 43 inches of rain and 49 inches of snow. This kind of rainfall can cause root rot, and difficulty absorbing nutrients. Storms are devastating to tree health. In extreme stormy conditions, most trees fall or lose multiple limbs.
However, when the rain and snow are over, most trees in Boston such as the Eastern White Pine, Pinus Strobus, Mountain Pine, Pinus Mugo, Pitch Pine, Pinus Rigida, Red Pine, and Pinus Resinosa pick up in spring.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Boston?
Utilities in Boston have the right to cut down, trim, or remove a tree that interferes with its operations. This is regardless of whether the tree is on private or public property. This law has sparked many disputes between landowners and often ended up in a legal battle as the aggrieved party seeks compensation.
NESC requires utilities to maintain trees near power lines to prevent accidents and power outages. The National Grid visits neighborhoods around Boston and Massachusetts every 5 to 7 years to trim and prune trees around power lines conducting high voltage electricity.
The authorities in Boston deter people from trimming or removing trees near power lines themselves. You may lose your life or start a wildfire. We are Government-approved and certified arborists and can help you remove a dead tree near power lines.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Boston?
The average cost of removing a tree in Boston is $832. This price can go up or down depending on the nature of the job. On average, homeowners in Boston spend between $699 and $965. The least you can pay is $300 while the most you can pay is around $1980. Check out the factors that affect these prices.
Number of Trees
In some cases, a split trunk is regarded as two separate trees. If you need more than one tree removed, you may get a discount, but you’ll pay for each tree.
Stump Removal
A stump is not regarded as part of the tree in tree removal. You have to pay extra to have the stump removed after your tree is cut down. Additionally, you may want to pay for chipping or log splitting as add-on services.
Condition of the Tree
Different tree conditions dictate different prices. For example, it costs between $75 and $150 to remove a fallen tree in most cases. Removing a standing tree rarely costs below $200 regardless of the size.
Size
Usually, the size of a tree is determined by the tree species. Oaks are naturally big and therefore cost more. You’ll pay between $200 and $2000 to remove an oak tree in Boston. A pine tree will cost you between $200 and $1500.
Removing tree branches in Boston costs between 200 and 300 for each hour of work. The diameter of a stump determines its size. The bigger the diameter, the more you pay for its removal.
Location
Your tree could be in the middle of your compound with minimal to zero barriers to it. In that case, you’ll pay much less than for a tree near power lines, a building, or one that is sandwiched between two structures.
