When they grow in the woods they reach up tall and develop their canopy up high where they get the most sun. They do not develop as many lower limbs, as the canopy of the whole forest shades and protects the lower portions of the trees. For the most part, they grow tall and straight. This is why logs from natural forests are more sought after for milling. The root systems grow differently as well. They are often closer to the root systems of other trees. They can graft together to help distribute nutrients and even anchor each other. When one tree is weak other trees can sacrifice to help another tree. This is especially true for trees in the same species.

Taking out one or more trees can have a major affect on the surrounding trees. It is a nice idea to live in a wooded area in theory. In reality once a hole is punched in all the trees that remain will start to fill in and grow towards the opening. They can also develop erratic understory growth to protect the newly exposed portions that are not conditioned to sun and wind. This leaves bushy looking growth on the trunk that would not naturally occur. The biggest disruption is that of the root systems. Digging will damage the root systems and affect more trees than expected. Grading and running heavy equipment will compact the soil changing the watershed. Trees will grow and develop a certain way based on their environment and when that environment is dramatically changed they will respond. If this response requires too much energy and the environment has been changed too severely they will decline. This can happen quickly or sometimes over time. Another common occurrence is simply running equipment in to the trunks, damaging the layers under the bark. These scrapes can become openings for rot, infestation and disease. It can also affect the trees ability to properly cycle nutrients. The way in which the trees are removed can be a factor as well. Dropping trees into other trees can cause damage, breaking limbs and more scrapes along the trunk.

In Conclusion, clearing a lot is not always as simple as it may seem. Planning and deciding which trees to save and how to protect them is critical. This plan should be gone over and explained to everyone involved in the project. A great resource is the forestry department. In tandem with local tree companies and arborists, they can construct the best approach to preserving your land. These resources are often free. There are also private foresters that can help. Their fees will vary but can save money in the long run. It will cost more to remove or maintain the trees after construction is complete. Proper disposal is another factor. A lot of times debris will be buried or just pushed deeper into the woods and left. Depending on your budget and long term goals this can cause other sets of problems down the road. A lot of the potential issues explained here will not always be sudden and obvious. In my experience 5-10 years after construction you will have a better idea of what realistically is going on with your trees. Proper planning can save money and protect trees in the long run. That being said, some of these issues are unavoidable. They are just a result of new construction. It is still better to get advice and have a more educated approach. This will give you greater idea of potential costs and risks.

We hope you found our tree service page helpful!

Please Contact Old Town Tree and Landscaping for all your tree care needs. We are passionate about tree work and love to give advice on any situation. Whether it be tree removal, tree pruning, stump grinding or any of the other services we offer. We hope that we can share the knowledge we have obtained over the years to better serve our customers and the trees in the Winchester, Va. areas. Our ultimate goal is customer satisfaction through providing a high quality of tree services at more affordable rates. A tree service that is truly a cut above!