AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Reisterstown, MD

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Reisterstown?

In the heat of the summer, the trees in your Reisterstown yard bring you shade and a great place to relax and read a book. There’s a blend of native and non-native trees in the area. Some trees that we see in yards in the area include:

• Eastern White Pine
• Loblolly Pine
• Virginia Pine
• Eastern Hemlock
• White Oak
• Chestnut Oak
• Black Oak
• Northern Red Oak

In some cases, these trees can grow up to 60 to 100 feet tall. However, the taller the tree means the harder it is for the Reisterstown homeowner to understand what went wrong when a tree needs to be removed. Here are a few of the most common reasons that we need to remove trees in the area:

Damage From a Hard Freeze

With an average of over 20 inches of snow each year, Reisterstown locals enjoy a winter wonderland. While the daytime temperatures are typically above freezing, after dark, those temps plummet to the low to mid-20s. 

Several days of these extremely low temperatures at night can create a condition known as a hard freeze. The extended freezing temperatures penetrate the soil in your yard and freeze all the moisture and nutrients. These are essential to your tree’s survival and growth.

You may have some evergreen trees in your yard that aren’t bothered by a hard freeze, but not all trees will fare so well, especially younger trees. As the ground thaws and the outside temperatures warm up, you expect the trees in your Reisterstown yard to bounce back. 

If your trees do not start growing again in the spring, this might be due to the hard freeze. Occasionally, we’ll get a call from a homeowner who had a tree that started growing again but then suddenly started withering. 

This usually happens when a portion of the tree died and stopped processing nutrients during a hard freeze. The other parts of the tree started growing again in the spring, but the damaged part spread and killed the entire tree. 

Insect Infestations

Bugs and other critters might be essential for the ecosystem, but they are bad news for the trees in your Reisterstown yard. Insects can damage or kill one of the trees. Typically, we find insects making their home in a tree or using it as a food source. Some of the most common insects in the area include:

• European Gypsy Moth
• Asian Gypsy Moth
• Asian Longhorned Beetle
• Spotted Lanternfly

In many cases, when one tree has a pest problem, the other trees nearby also have an insect infestation. On the positive side, there are treatments available to save the trees if we catch them early. You need to be aware of the signs of an insect infestation to catch it early. These include: 

• Misshapen or discolored leaves
• Fewer leaves in the canopy
• New growth limbs and leaves that are smaller than normal
• Weakness between the limbs and trunk
• Insects on the tree or swarming nearby
• Channels or holes in the trunk
• Bald patches on the trunk

Our team is always ready to evaluate the tree if you notice any of these signs or have other concerns. 

Does the City of Reisterstown Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

The city of Reisterstown is part of Baltimore County, and the county takes care of any trees on public land and requires a permit if you want to do anything to a tree on public land. However, if the tree is in the yard of your home, it’s probably on private property and your responsibility to remove it. 

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Reisterstown?

In most cases, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to remove a tree that’s fallen in their yard. Everyone has a unique situation, so we’ve assembled this section to review some possibility and provide you with information on the responsible party:

If you’re a homeowner?

Unless the tree sits on an easement, the responsibility of removing the tree falls to you as the Reisterstown homeowner. An easement is a small section of land owned by the city or a utility company on your property. If the fallen tree is in that area, you can get the city or utility company to remove it. 

If you’re a renter?

When you rent a home in the Reisterstown area, you aren’t responsible for removing the fallen tree. It’s the responsibility of the homeowner, even if you take care of the yard work. However, you are responsible for keeping the homeowner informed if there’s a tree with an issue. 

If you’re a landlord?

Landlords are also the homeowner. As such, you’re responsible for removing the tree unless it’s on an easement. 

If you’re a neighbor?

It isn’t at all unusual for our team to get a call from a Reisterstown homeowner about their neighbor’s tree lying in their yard. This is because the trees are so tall that they don’t always land only in their yard when they fall. 

Unfortunately, if your neighbor’s tree falls in your yard, you’re responsible for removing the portion in your outdoor space. There is the chance that your neighbor knew there was a tree problem and opted to do nothing.

This means that your neighbor was negligent with the care of the tree, which makes them liable for damages. These damages might include repairs to your home if the tree hits it, but it includes removing the tree. 

You should probably talk to your neighbor before you talk to an attorney. You might be able to work the issue out without legal help, which will help maintain a friendly relationship in the years to come. 

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Reisterstown?

In Reisterstown, the soil that we often see in yards is sassafras soil. This is actually a great soil type for growing trees in the area. It warms up quickly in the spring to mitigate the effects of a hard freeze, and it drains well, so your trees aren’t at risk for root rot, a fungal disease. 

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Reisterstown?

Yes, the weather in Reisterstown definitely affects the health of your trees. The freezing winter temperatures can bring hard freeze conditions during which your trees might get damaged or perish. 

Also, the area sees its fair share of thunderstorms. These storms can bring lightning that can damage or kill a tree if it’s a direct strike. Also, between 1950 and 2010, the area has seen 59 tornadoes or almost one a year. 

These twisters can bring winds of up to 300 mph. The debris field can extend a mile to the left and right of the funnel and up to 50 miles behind it. Your Reisterstown home might get damaged even if you aren’t in the path of the tornado. 

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Reisterstown?

You don’t want to take a chance with a dead tree near or on power lines. If you see a dead tree lying on a power line, move away from it and call emergency services. Even if the tree isn’t on the power line, you need to hire a professional service like Tree Triage to remove it to ensure it doesn’t end up on the power line. 

In most cases, it’s the Reisterstown homeowner who is responsible for removing a tree from private property. A tree near the power lines might be on an easement owned by the power company, and their responsibility to remove it. If you’re unsure, you can always call the power company. 

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Reisterstown?

Removing a tree in the area varies between $210 and $2,000, with an average cost of about $605. While you only need a tree removal permit in Maryland and Reisterstown if you’re removing one from public land, there are other cost factors:

Wood Chips and Firewood

Some homeowners in the area want us to turn the tree into wood chips or firewood for their fireplace. You can use the wood chips as mulch in your Reistertown yard. This takes additional time and equipment, increasing your final cost. 

Condition of the Tree

If the tree is decayed, there’s a chance that it could crumble as we take it down, which leaves your home and property at risk for damage. We need to be more careful and brace the tree to ensure this doesn’t happen. 

Height and Width of the Tree

Reisterstown homes have some tall and wide trees in their yards that require additional time and equipment to safely remove, raising the project’s cost.