Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Tupelo?
- 2 Does the City of Tupelo Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Tupelo?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Tupelo?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Tupelo?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Tupelo?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Tupelo?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Tupelo?
Up here in Lee County, the lush forests of Mississippi are always close by. While this means that we are surrounded by healthy trees and the beauty of nature at all times, it also means that the diseases and pests that prey on the trees in the forests could easily affect our trees in Tupelo. We’ve seen a lot of interesting and unique problems with trees over the years here, but some are definitely much more common issues than others.
- Annosus root rot
- Loblolly pine decline
- Fusiform rust
- Heart rot
- Brown spot needle blight
Does the City of Tupelo Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
Unfortunately, the city of Tupelo doesn’t provide any assistance with tree removal problems on private property.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Tupelo?
Here in Mississippi, legally, once a tree has fallen, it’s the obligation of the landowner of the property on which the tree grew to remove it. Even if a tree falls out of your property, it’s still your tree and therefore your responsibility to remove. If a tree you own falls into a neighbor’s yard and they have to remove it before you get to it, you’ll have to compensate them accordingly for their costs.
Under Tupelo city ordinances, fallen trees cannot be allowed to sit and should be removed promptly. Even without this requirement, allowing fallen trees to sit can wreak havoc on your property’s natural ecosystem. As they linger on your land, they could attract harmful pests and diseases that could harm the health of other trees on your property, which could do tremendous harm to the value of your land.
If you’re a homeowner?
If you’re a homeowner here in Tupelo, your trees are a valuable resource that you purchased along with your property or cultivated diligently over time. Healthy, thriving trees on your property can greatly boost the value of your land and add beauty and comfort to your home. To get the most out of your trees, you have to keep up with their maintenance, and that includes removing fallen trees when necessary.
If you’re a renter?
If you rent a home in Tupelo, your landlord is probably responsible for removing fallen trees. Even if you are required to do yard maintenance and lawn care, trees are usually considered permanent fixtures of a property and therefore the responsibility of the property owner.
When fallen trees on the property you rent need removal, you should inform your landlord right away. They should remove the trees under Mississippi rental code and should act promptly to alleviate the safety hazard that fallen trees can cause, as well as avoid it adversely affecting the health of other trees in the area.
If you’re a landlord?
If you own a rental property here in Tupelo, your trees are a vital part of your investment. Lease agreements usually task tenants with normal property upkeep, such as lawn care, but the responsibility of tree maintenance usually falls on property owners. You wouldn’t want your tenants making decisions about the care of your trees anyway. The health of the trees on your property can have a massive effect on the value of your investment. Since your tenants have no vested interest in your property, it’s often best to keep any decisions about tree care or tree removal in your hands.
To avoid situations where tenants may take tree care issues into their own hands, deal with any tree maintenance issues or tree removal issues right away. Communicate clearly with your tenants about what your plans are on these issues and that they should call you immediately if any problems arise with the trees on your property.
If you’re a neighbor?
If you have a neighbor here in Tupelo who has fallen trees that need removal, they should remove them promptly under city ordinance. Even if they’re not on your property, fallen trees left to linger could bring pests and diseases to your yard and cause long-term damage to your property. If you can’t resolve an issue over a fallen tree with your neighbor, Lee County Code Enforcement may be able to help remedy the situation.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Tupelo?
Our soil here in the hills of northeast Mississippi is typically a fine-grain, sandy loam. Loam soils are composed of decaying organic matter, natural clays, silt, and sand. Our soils are well-drained enough to ensure that water penetrates deeply enough to get through the whole root system of even the largest trees.
Our soil’s drainage properties also have some drawbacks, though. Soils with very fine grain sand absorb water very readily, and these fine sands attract each other more when wet. This means that especially sandy areas of our soil may lock moisture both in and out after periods of extended rainfall as wet sand particles form a hard surface from the previously loose soil. This may mean that during heavy rainfall, some moisture will be unavailable to the trees, but also means that water could sit on the surface, where it could cause erosion. Eroding soil can threaten the structural stability of trees and also leave root systems exposed and vulnerable in places.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Tupelo?
We’re considered to have a humid subtropical climate here in Tupelo, which is part of the reason our native species of trees do so well. Still, we do see some serious heat during the summer, and it’s not uncommon to see 100-degree temperatures several days in a row. Our nights stay pretty hot all summer long, so trees used to cooler climates may suffer from the heat over time.
Our winters don’t threaten plant life very much. It’s not that common to see many days in a row where the temperature dips below freezing. We don’t get much snow around here and usually will only see one or two snowfalls per year.
Trees can both love and hate the amount of rain we receive here, though. With almost 60 inches of rainfall per year on average, Tupelo doesn’t have a season where the rain lets up. This can put a strain on trees over time as large amounts of rain can make it difficult for trees with certain illnesses to heal properly, as well as the stress that storms can put on branches and limbs.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Tupelo?
Trees growing near power lines can be a big problem, and any trees that could potentially fall onto power lines should always be trimmed to avoid any chance of it occurring. If you have dead trees near power lines on your property that potentially are at risk of falling across the lines, then you need to inform the Tennessee Valley Authority immediately. Encroaching on the space of lines could interrupt power to thousands of your neighbors or cause damaging fires. Electric utility workers have specialized training and tools to be able to handle the hazards of electricity safely and are the only ones who should ever trim or remove trees near power lines.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Tupelo?
Tree removal here in Tupelo is typically fairly affordable, averaging around $670. Some removals can be as cheap as $150, while others may reach over $1,800. Removal services here usually range just below the national average, but there are a few key factors that could drastically affect the cost of any individual tree removal job.
Tree Size
The size of a tree is probably the most important factor in determining the cost of its removal. Large trees not only have more material to remove and dispose of, but also create very serious safety challenges for our arborists as we work to remove the tree. Large trees are extremely heavy and can come down with a lot of force during removal. It will take extra planning to ensure that nearby trees on your property as well as your home and other buildings remain safe during the removal.
Tree Health
Trees that were diseased or infested can continue to cause problems even after their death. If your tree died of sickness, the pathogen or pests that killed it could still be inside, waiting to infect other trees on your property. For serious diseases or infestations, this may mean our crew taking extra steps, such as quarantining the tree, to protect healthy trees on your property from suffering the same fate.
Trees that have sat dead for a while can also pose problems. Once a tree is dead, persistent and continual water, which is plentiful with the amount of rain we receive here in Tupelo, can slowly wear down a tree and rot it. Rotten wood is extremely brittle and can break and splinter in unpredictable ways. Often, severely rotted trees will need extra precautions for safety.
Tree Location
How and where your tree is growing also can affect the cost of the removal. If a tree is growing right next to your home, for instance, removing it can pose serious risks, and we’ll have to take necessary precautions. Likewise, if a tree is growing near healthy trees, then it will take extra planning to be able to remove it without harming these other trees on your property. No matter the location of a tree, we can probably find a way to remove it, but tougher removals take extra time, and this will affect the cost accordingly.
There are also those trees that are just off the beaten path. If a tree that needs removal from your property is particularly hard to get to, that also could create some unique challenges for us during the removal process. We’ve removed trees from some interesting places over the years, and we’re always ready for a challenge, but trees in hard-to-reach places will often take us more time which, in turn, could affect the cost of the removal.
