Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Rock Hill?
- 2 Does the City of Rock Hill Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Rock Hill?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Rock Hill?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Rock Hill?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Rock Hill?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Rock Hill?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Rock Hill?
Most of the homes in Rock Hill have a few mature trees growing in their yards. There’s a diverse selection of native and non-native trees. The ones we most commonly see in the area include:
- Sassafras
- Southern Red Oak
- Sweetgum
- Sycamore
- Turkey Oak
- Water Oak
- White Oak
- Yellow Poplar
Some of these trees can grow to astonishing heights, which makes it difficult to understand what happens when one needs to be removed. There are some tree issues that we see more than others in the Rock Hill area. These are:
Storm Damage
Rock Hill sees some wild storms that wreck homes and destroy yards. When the thunderstorms roll into the area, there’s always the possibility of tornadoes.
Tornadoes can bring wind speeds of up to 300 mph. Depending on the category of the tornado, this twister can rip the roof off your home or pull a mature tree out of the ground, roots and all.
Even when your Rock Hill home isn’t in the direct path of a tornado, it can still affect your house and outdoor space. The path or area of destruction with high wind speeds and flying debris can extend a mile in either direction beside the funnel and up to 50 miles behind it.
This is an expansive area that can damage your home and the trees in your yard. Another concern due to these violent storms is lightning strikes that can damage or kill a tree in your Rock Hill yard.
Drought
While the Rock Hill area sees an above-average rainfall each year, the summers are hot without much rainfall. There are typically only seven days a month in the summer when there’s rain.
The heat and lack of rainfall can create drought conditions in the area. Your trees need water and nutrients to grow and thrive. When there’s a drought, it can damage your trees and even kill them.
You might need to water your trees in the summer. However, York County and Rock Hill have strict watering restrictions. You need to check the most recent restrictions before watering, as they do change.
If you think a tree is suffering from a lack of water and nutrients, our team can check it out and help you create a treatment plan.
Insect Damage
Bugs and other critters can claim one of the trees in your Rock Hill yard as a meal or as a home. When this happens, it doesn’t usually end well for the tree. With the warm temperatures and humidity, Rock Hill is an ideal location for all sorts of insects. Some insects that we most commonly see in the area are:
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Emerald Ash Borer Beetle
- European Gypsy Moth
- Spotted Lanternfly
Unfortunately, bugs are opportunistic. If they’re attacking one tree, they’re probably attacking others in your Rock Hill yard. The damage done by insects can be mitigated if you catch the infestation early. You need to know the signs of insect damage:
- Insects crawling on the tree or swarming around it
- Bark missing
- Growth stops
- New growth leaves and limbs appear smaller
- New growth leaves appear discolored or misshapen
- Channels and holes in the trunk
- Areas in the trunk that appear sunken
When you notice an infestation, our team can evaluate the tree and determine if treatment is an option or if it needs to be removed from your Rock Hill yard.
Does the City of Rock Hill Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
While the city of Rock Hill will remove any trees on public land that are deemed hazardous or unable to rehabilitate, they don’t offer any assistance in removing trees from private property. As a homeowner, your yard is considered private property. It almost always falls to you to take responsibility for calling us to remove trees in the outdoor space unless they grew on an easement owned by the city or a utility company.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Rock Hill?
In Rock Hill, most of the time, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to care for and remove any trees on their property. There is a city ordinance that specifically outlines the care that you, as the homeowner, need to provide the trees and other greenery to ensure healthy growth. The city does remove any fallen trees on public lands or an easement on your property.
If you’re a homeowner?
When you’re the Rock Hill homeowner, you can expect to make arrangements and pay for the removal of any fallen trees in your yard. The city assumes that your yard is private property and your responsibility. Sometimes, the city or a utility company retains the rights to a small parcel of land—usually at the front of the yard—to run water pipes or cables or to build sidewalks. A fallen tree that grew on an easement might be removed by one of them.
If you’re a renter?
If you’re renting a home in Rock Hill and mowing the grass each week as part of the rental agreement, you might wonder if you need to take care of a fallen tree in the yard. No, it’s the responsibility of the homeowner, although you do need to let the owner know as soon as you see a damaged tree or a fallen one.
If you’re a landlord?
As a landlord and homeowner, you might have a tenant who is taking care of the yard work. You might even have that written into the lease. However, you’re still responsible for large projects, such as removing a fallen tree from the Rock Hill yard.
If you’re a neighbor?
When your neighbor’s tree falls into your yard, you wonder who is responsible for removing it. This situation happens more often than you might think. If the tree grew in your neighbor’s yard, they are responsible for its removal.
In some cases, the neighbor knew the tree was damaged and chose not to do anything about it. Your neighbor might be liable for damages to your outdoor space or Rock Hill home caused by the falling tree when they were negligent.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Rock Hill?
The most common soil type that we see in Rock Hill is Lynchburg soil. This is a sandy loam type of soil. It doesn’t drain the water it absorbs as effectively as other types of soil. This can leave your trees at risk for a disease known as root rot. It’s a fungal infection that can damage or kill a tree.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Rock Hill?
Yes, the weather in Rock Hill can affect the health of your trees. Violent thunderstorms can lead to tornadoes with winds that damage your trees or pull them out of the soil. Also, lightning strikes can split a tree down the middle, causing massive damage, or kill it.
As the temperatures heat up in the summer, the lack of rainfall during these months creates drought conditions that can kill one of your trees. Water restrictions can make it difficult to provide your trees with the nutrients they need during a dry spell.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Rock Hill?
A dead tree near a power line creates a hazardous situation that needs to be handled by a professional. If the tree grew on your property and not an easement, you’re responsible for calling us to remove it. Trees on an easement are the responsibility of the utility company. If you see a dead tree lying on a power line, call emergency services immediately and stay far away from it.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Rock Hill?
This is a popular question among Rock Hill homeowners, but we can only offer you an approximate cost until we see your tree. The cost of removing a tree in the area ranges between $275 and $2,100 with an average cost of about $475. While the city of Rock Hill doesn’t require a permit to remove a tree, there are certain factors that play a role in your final bill.
Wood Chipping and Stump Removal
Many homeowners in the Rock Hill area want us to remove the stump or turn the removed tree into wood chips. This takes extra time and equipment, increasing your expenses.
Tree Location
When a tree grows close to your home or other trees, our team needs to take additional time and safety measures to ensure that your house and other trees aren’t damaged as we remove them.
Tree Size
A 50-foot pine tree takes longer to cut down than an eight-foot yellow poplar. The larger the tree the more time and equipment needed to remove it from your Rock Hill yard.
