Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Salisbury?
- 2 Does the City of Salisbury Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Salisbury?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Salisbury?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Salisbury?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Salisbury?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Salisbury?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Salisbury?
While Salisbury’s soil, climate, and environmental standards are great for growing a wide variety of trees, there are some risks that can affect the health and lifespan of your property’s trees. Some of the most common issues include:
Fungal Diseases
Maryland trees are vulnerable to multiple different fungal diseases, including leaf spot, root rot, and powdery mildew diseases. Fungal infections often spread to adjacent trees when the roots of trees are close together and even touch underground. While each disease is different, tree owners should look out for leaves that have developed an off-color coating (such as with powdery mildew and sooty mold) or when the leaves develop spots.
While some fungal diseases won’t directly harm trees, almost all of them hinder the trees’ ability to absorb nutrients and grow. So signs such as premature dieback, poor growth, and small leaves may indicate a fungal disease. Fungal diseases spread mostly in the spring.
Boring Insects
Like many trees across the eastern coast, Maryland is vulnerable to borers like the Emerald ash borer and other insects that can infest trees and cause permanent damage. Emerald ash borers are particularly dangerous because they can quickly spread from tree to tree and almost always kill an infested ash tree within three to five years. Insecticide sprays aren’t effective against most borers, which can infest both trees and shrubs.
There are two important defenses against having borers infest trees on your property. First, keep your trees healthy. These insects attack stressed trees, not healthy ones, so keep your trees protected against drought, rot, and diseases. Second, remove infested trees as quickly as possible. Borers can spread across properties quickly, so you may need to have infested trees cut down and removed quickly to save the others.
Also, if you have ornamental fruit trees on your property, they’re particularly appealing to pests. Keep the trees well-watered, but don’t overmulch the trees or stack mulch against the trunk.
Does the City of Salisbury Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
Salisbury is a proud member of the Tree City USA program, and they have programs to help with healthy tree growth and planting across the city. While they don’t provide financial assistance to help property owners remove fallen or dangerous trees, they do have municipal ordinances governing the removal of pest trees, invasive tree species that pose a risk, and trees that can block visibility or road signage. Residents can notify the city of nuisance trees growing on public land or which pose a threat to public land, and the city will take action.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Salisbury?
When a Salisbury property owner has a tree on their property, that tree is considered their property and responsibility (even if the tree predates their ownership of the land). However, when a tree falls over, it may not be that simple to determine who’s responsible for having it removed. Look at these common scenarios to see what you can do when a tree falls near your home:
If you’re a homeowner?
If you originally owned the tree and it fell onto your property because of age, weather, or another natural cause, then you’re responsible for arranging tree removal. We recommend contacting your home insurance provider, as they may cover all or a portion of the costs for having the tree removed and repairing any damage caused to your structure and landscaping. Calling us to handle tree removal quickly can minimize the risk of long-term damage to your landscape caused by pests or diseases setting in on the felled tree.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a residential property, you’re not responsible for managing tree removal. Instead, you can simply notify your landlord of the incident and any structural damage that the tree may have caused. However, if the tree damaged your personal property or vehicle, we recommend contacting your renter’s insurance provider or car insurance provider.
If you’re a landlord?
As a landlord, you’re responsible for maintaining safe property conditions and caring for the property. This includes having fallen trees removed, especially if they pose a potential risk to your tenants. We recommend arranging tree removal as quickly as possible to minimize the risk of an injury you may be found liable for and to minimize disruption to the property.
If you’re a neighbor?
When a tree falls on your property, you are generally responsible for having it removed—even if it wasn’t originally your tree. There is one key exception, though: negligence. In Maryland, tree owners have a duty of care to maintain their trees so their neighbors aren’t negatively affected by damaged, dangerous, or diseased trees. If a tree falls on your property because the owner failed to adequately care for it, they may be legally liable for the costs of removing it and repairing the damage.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Salisbury?
Salisbury and the wider Wicomico County are home to large patches of sandy loamy soil. Loamy soil is often nutrient-dense and offers balanced drainage. Wicomico County is well-regarded for having nutrient-filled soil for forestry and agriculture, so the same nutrients provide a good growing environment for your trees. However, sandy soil is more vulnerable to erosion than loamy or clay because it’s thin and doesn’t adhere together well. If your home is on a slope, monitor your soil carefully for any changes over time.
Because Salisbury is so close to the Atlantic Ocean and other bodies of water like Wicomico River and Tonytank Pond, drainage and erosion are important concerns. Loose, sandy soil can quickly erode, leaving tree roots exposed and making the trees more vulnerable to fungal infections and windstorms. Drainage can quickly deplete the soil of crucial nutrients that your trees need to protect themselves against disease and unhealthy growth. If you have exotic or non-native species of trees on your property, calling our experts to test your soil can help you determine if your trees need additional nutrients or supplements.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Salisbury?
Salisbury has a humid subtropical climate, giving the area warm (or even hot) summers and mild winters. This protects your tree from common causes of weather-related damage, such as heavy snowfall. However, the summer days regularly reach above 90°F. What does that mean for your trees? They can quickly become parched, especially as the soil dries out and rain decreases. When the weather is especially hot, it’s important to water your trees as much as is allowed under local water conservation rules.
However, there are approximately four inches of rainfall every month in Salisbury, so aside from the hottest parts of the summer, your trees shouldn’t need additional water.
Over the past ten years, multiple hurricanes and tropical storms have reached Maryland. Only 50 minutes away from the eastern coastline, Salisbury can experience heavy thunderstorms and windstorms, which can break off tree branches and even knock down unstable trees. We recommend inspecting your trees before a hurricane or tropical storm is expected so you can trim your trees or have our arborists install supports to keep them as safe as possible.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Salisbury?
Salisbury is served by Delmarva for residential and commercial electricity. As part of their services, the company prunes trees away from power lines; this helps reduce the risk of an outage or unsafe conditions near the power lines.
If you see a fallen tree near power lines or even leaning against power lines, we recommend that you leave the area as quickly as possible. Trees making contact with power lines can be energized and put people nearby at risk of electrical shock. Instead of trying to move the tree yourself, contact Delmarva to have the tree inspected and removed. If the tree is creating unsafe conditions on your property, you can also contact the city to determine the best course of action.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Salisbury?
A lot of different factors can impact how much it costs to remove a tree from your property, but the average cost in the area is around $650, with a typical range between $200 and $1,950. This can include the height of the tree, if there are any structures near the tree, and if you need to have additional services, such as a tree inspection or stump grinding.
How Big Is the Tree?
Bigger trees generally cost more to remove. We have to consider both the height of your tree (especially if it’s still standing) and the thickness of the tree trunk. Taller and thicker trees take more time and specialized equipment to cut down. Big trees with thick trunks, multiple large branches, and full foliage take more trips or trucks to haul away, too, which can add to the total cost of the project.
What Condition Is the Tree in?
When our tree experts arrive on-site, they can assess both the tree that needs to be removed and the surrounding away. If the tree is surrounded by trees and intricate landscaping, we’ll do our best to minimize disruption to the surrounding area.
The health of the tree also matters. A dead tree that has fallen over is much easier (and budget-friendlier) to remove because it’s already on the ground and is lighter and softer. But a living tree takes much more work to cut into transportable pieces. Diseases and infested trees also require additional steps to isolate and destroy the tree to keep the surrounding area safe from the spread of disease or invasive pests.
How Quickly Do You Need Your Tree Removed?
We always try our best to respond to tree removal calls. But, if you have a tree that’s dangerously unstable or needs quick removal during weekends or holidays, services outside of normal business hours will cost more. Also, if you need your tree removed in the aftermath of a heavy wind storm or bad winter weather, chances are that many of your neighbors will also need tree removal services. Requesting emergency or speedy tree removal during those times will be more expensive.
