Spring and summer are popular times for new home purchases. The weather is perfect for a move, and the landscaping around your new home is likely in full bloom. As you settle in, there are a few important tasks every new homeowner should keep in mind—one of which may not be on your home inspector’s report: tree care.
Taking care of the trees on your property can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to tree care. Whether you’re evaluating them for the first time or wondering if it’s time to call in a professional, the following information will help you understand common tree care concerns and what it takes to keep your trees healthy and thriving.
Assessing the Trees on Your Property
The best thing you can do when assessing the trees on a new property is simple: look up. First, assess the canopy for safety concerns. You want to make sure the tree canopy looks full and there are no large dead branches that could fall on your house, cars or people. Look at the color of the leaves to determine their health. A yellow or “off-color” leaf could identify a health problem with the tree.
In early spring, before leaves are on, it’s a lot easier to see the structure and identify any cracks, splits or hollow areas in the trees. You can also identify potential hazards or signs of illness. For example, upright trees may look visually appealing but have weaker branch attachments, making them more prone to failure.
Tree Care Dilemma: When to Trim and When to Remove
Now that you’ve assessed the health of your tree, how do you know whether to trim or remove it? A lot of people will look at a large tree that hangs over their house and immediately determine it needs to be removed or at least has branches that need to be removed. That’s not always the case! As long as the tree is strong and healthy, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, if that tree has a weak structure with dead branches hanging over a house, it could certainly raise concerns. The strongest branch attachment occurs at a 90-degree angle.
Tree Roots and Your Home’s Foundation
When it comes to the foundation of your home, roots are often blamed for causing damage, but they are rarely the sole reason a foundation is damaged. Here in the Midwest, the freeze-thaw that occurs from winter to spring causes cracking of the clay soils, which can crack foundations. Once the foundation is cracked, roots can cause more damage as they grow into the cracks. Left untreated, roots can grow wider and can cause the cracks to get worse. Tree root issues play a part, but they are not the initial cause of cracking.
Some tree roots can be more aggressive than others. For example, birch tree roots are notorious for getting into drainage pipes. They are also commonly planted near patios and are prone to have root growth under the sand of the pavers.
Not all roots are bad roots! They just need to be maintained properly as they tend to grow where it is least resistant. Maintaining roots can be done through root pruning – excavating the area around the tree using compressed air and then properly cutting the roots depending on the situation.
When to Call an Aborist
If all of this sounds overwhelming and like something you don’t want to add to your long list of new home to-dos, it might be time to call an arborist. Not only will they help identify issues and risks, they can also help you understand the care and maintenance mature trees on your property will need as time goes on, as well as how much it will cost. At Ahlum & Arbor, our main focus is always maintaining the health and longevity of trees so you can watch them grow and thrive in your beautiful new home.
Concerns about your trees or need a tree risk assessment? Give us a call. We’re here to help.