Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Canon City?
- 2 Does the City of Canon City Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Canon City?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Canon City?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Canon City?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Canon City?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Canon City?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Canon City?
You love the trees in your yard for the shade they offer and added curb appeal for your home. Canon City yards offer a variety of trees. Some trees are native to the area while others are non-native. The trees that we see most often in the area include:
- Blue spruce
- Douglas fir
- Engelmann spruce
- Limber pine
- Lodgepole pine
- Narrowleaf cottonwood
- Quaking aspen
- Piñon pine
- Plains cottonwood
- Ponderosa pine
- Rocky Mountain juniper
The pine and spruce trees can grow to amazing heights with some reaching as tall as 100 feet or more. For a homeowner, it seems like these trees will live forever, which makes it hard to understand why one of them needs to be removed. Here are a few of the most common tree issues that we see in Canon City.
Insect and Other Pests Damage
When the snow melts and warm weather returns, it brings with it a host of critters that can do real damage to the trees in your Canon City yard. Some insects want to live in your trees while others want to make it a food source. These critters are a critical part of the local ecosystem, but bad news for your trees. Here are a few of the most common insects that we see in the area:
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- Emerald Ash Borer Beetle
- European Gypsy Moth
- Spotted Lanternfly
By the time you notice insects infesting one of your Canon City trees, they’re probably feasting on more than one tree in your yard. On the plus side, an insect infestation is treatable if you catch it early enough. You need to know the signs of an insect infestation to do this. These signs include:
- Bald patches on the bark
- Fewer leaves in the canopy
- Insects on the tree or swarming nearby
- Misshapen or discolored leaves
- Leaves and limbs that are smaller than average
- Sunken areas of decay
- Sudden stunted growth
There might be other signs that are indicative of an infestation. If you think you have a bug problem, our team can evaluate the tree and recommend a treatment plan or removal.
Damage From Winter Weather
When colder weather arrives, Canon City turns into a white wonderland with an average of 33 inches of snow each year. While the daytime highs can be moderate, as soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures plummet to the low 20s.
With a few days of temperatures this low, the soil in your Canon City yard freezes too. This is a condition known as a hard freeze, and it deprives the trees and plants in your yard of the moisture and nutrients they need to survive.
The evergreen trees in your yard can weather this type of extreme cold without too many issues. A young evergreen or a sapling might not survive an especially cold winter. However, the other trees in your yard might suffer.
In the spring, you expect the trees to start growing again in your Canon City yard. If one doesn’t, a hard freeze might be the culprit. A tree that starts to grow in the spring and then suddenly dies might have been damaged in the hard freeze. The damage spreads until the tree can no longer survive.
Does the City of Canon City Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The Canon City government will take care of any trees that are located on public land by contracting the work out, including an area of an easement. They will plant new trees, trim them, and remove any damaged ones. However, most of the trees in your yard are on private property and you’re responsible for their removal.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Canon City?
Our Canon City team gets many phone calls about fallen trees and most of the callers want to know who is responsible for removing them. There are a variety of possible scenarios, so we created this section to cover the most common ones.
If you’re a homeowner?
When you’re the Canon City homeowner, and there’s a fallen tree in your yard, it’s almost always your responsibility to remove it. Private property is the responsibility of the owner to maintain. However, there’s a chance that a fallen tree is on an area of an easement that the city or a local utility company retains the right to use. A fallen tree on an easement is the responsibility of the easement holder to remove.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a Canon City home, you aren’t responsible for the removal of a fallen tree even if you take care of general yard work. It’s the responsibility of the homeowner and you need to let them know immediately that a tree has fallen in the yard.
If you’re a landlord?
When you’re the landlord, you’re probably the homeowner too. You’re responsible for the removal of the fallen tree even when someone else is living in the home.
If you’re a neighbor?
With tall pines and fir trees in Canon City yards, it isn’t surprising when we get a call from a homeowner who has had a neighbor’s tree land in their yard too. Unfortunately, we have to tell them that they’re responsible for removing the part of the tree that’s in their yard.
In some cases, you might find out that your neighbor knew the tree needed to be removed, but didn’t do it. The neighbor was negligent in their care of the tree and is now liable for any damages to your home and property, including removing the entire tree.
It’s always a good idea to talk to your neighbor in this situation. Calling an attorney or pushing a civil court case might create hard feelings if the two of you can work it out between yourselves.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Canon City?
The soil in Canon City tends to be slightly alkaline and low in organic matter, which makes it more difficult to grow healthy trees. You might need to add fertilizer to your trees and yard to minimize the acidity from the alkaline and improve the organic matter.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Canon City?
The Canon City weather can affect the health of the trees in your yard. The harsh winters and extreme cold can create a hard freeze. This can leave the trees unable to get the nutrients they need to survive and bounce back in the spring months.
Also, violet storms can bring thunder and lightning to the area. A lightning strike can damage or even kill an otherwise healthy tree. In some rare cases, a direct lightning strike will split a tree in half almost to the roots.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Canon City?
We cannot stress enough how dangerous a dead tree that’s fallen onto a power line can be. If you see one, you need to go back inside and call Canon City emergency services. Also, if a dead tree is near a power line, you don’t want to take a chance by trying to remove it yourself. You need to hire a professional.
In some cases, a dead tree near a power line sits on an easement owned by the city or power company. If that’s the case, you can get the owner of the easement to remove it. Otherwise, it’s on your private property and you need to remove it from your Canon City yard.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Canon City?
Canon City homeowners always ask how much it’s going to cost to remove a tree and we can’t give them an exact answer until we visit their homes. The cost of tree removal in the area ranges between $560 and $760 with an average cost of $660. While you only need a tree removal permit for a Christmas tree, there are other factors to consider:
Tree Location
When a tree sits too close to a home or other trees, it takes longer to safely remove it. It might also take additional equipment. It needs to be removed without damaging your home or property.
Tree Size
Taller and thicker trees take more time and safety equipment for our team to remove without any damage to your property or home. With so many tall trees in Canon City, it’s common for tree size to play a significant role in the final price.
Firewood
With so many cold nights in the winter, many Canon City homeowners ask us to split the tree into firewood. This takes additional time and equipment.
