Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Winter Haven?
- 2 Does the City of Winter Haven Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Winter Haven?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Winter Haven?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Winter Haven?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Winter Haven?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Winter Haven?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Winter Haven?
Central Florida and Winter Haven feature some impressive trees. You rely on the trees in your yard to provide shade in the brutal Florida summer and add beauty. The most common trees that we find in the area include:
- Bald cypress
- Loblolly pine
- Slash pine
- Sand pine
- Red maple
- Florida maple
- Flowering dogwood
- Live oak
You can expect some of these trees to grow to towering heights. This makes it all the more difficult to understand what happened when one of them needs to be removed from your yard. Here are a few of the most common tree issues that we see in the Winter Haven area:
Damage from Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
Florida is known for being in the path of many of the hurricanes and tropical storms that roll up the Eastern seaboard. With its central location, Winter Haven can suffer damage from one of these storms, whether it hits on the Gulf of Mexico side or the Atlantic Ocean side.
A tropical storm can bring winds with speeds between 39 and 73 mph, while a hurricane can have wind gusts of over 157 mph, depending on its category. Wind this high can easily knock over one of the trees in your yard like it’s a feather.
If the winds don’t damage your trees, the accompanying rainfall and flooding might. Winter Haven has many lakes in the area that can easily go over their banks during one of these storms.
The excess water needs to go somewhere, and it’s eventually absorbed by the soil in your yard. All of this moisture in your soil can lead to root rot, a fungal disease that damages and kills trees.
After the storm passes, our team can evaluate the trees in your yard to see if any have been damaged.
Insect Infestations
The warm, humid weather of central Florida makes Winter Haven an oasis for bugs of all types. While these critters play an essential role in the local ecosystem, they are bad news for your trees.
Insects enjoy living in and dining on your trees and their leaves. In Winter Haven, the pests we see most often include:
- Asian gypsy moth
- Asian longhorned beetle
- Coconut rhinoceros beetle
- Emerald ash borer beetle
- European cherry fruit fly
- European gypsy moth
- False codling moth
- Spotted lanternfly
The bad news is, when one tree has an insect infestation in your yard, there are probably others infested in the vicinity; the good news is, if you catch it early, there are treatments available to save the tree. Here are a few signs to help you identify an insect infestation in your trees:
- New growth leaves and limbs that are smaller or paler than normal
- Channels and holes in the trunk
- Insects swarming near the tree or on it
- Weakness between the tree trunk and the limb
- Leaves that are discolored and misshapen
- Missing patches of bark on the trunk
If you see any signs of an infestation, you can call us to evaluate the tree’s condition.
Does the City of Winter Haven Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
When a tree is on public land, the city of Winter Haven takes care of it including trimming and removing a diseased tree. A tree in your yard is considered to be growing on private property. This makes the tree’s removal your responsibility and the city doesn’t offer any assistance.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Winter Haven?
While the city will remove a fallen tree on public land, most of the trees in your Winter Haven lawn are on private property. The only exception would be a tree that’s on an easement owned by the city or one of the local utility companies. If this is the case, you can get the city or utility company to remove it.
If you’re a homeowner?
You can expect to remove any fallen trees in your Winter Haven yard because it’s on private property. There might be an easement towards the front of your property where the city or a utility company is responsible for the tree’s removal.
If you’re a renter?
When you’re a tenant in a Winter Haven home, you might take care of the routine lawn maintenance. It might even be written into your lease. However, a fallen tree isn’t a part of routine yard work. You do, however, need to let the homeowner know when there’s an issue with a tree.
If you’re a landlord?
Most landlords are also the homeowner. As the homeowner, you’re responsible for removing trees from the yard, even if the renter takes care of the yard work.
If you’re a neighbor?
Sometimes, a tree is so tall that when it falls, it lands in multiple yards. When a tree that grew in your neighbor’s yard falls and lands in both of your yards, you’re responsible for removing the portion of the tree that falls into your yard.
Now, there is the possibility that your neighbor knew the tree was damaged and dying and did nothing about it. This makes them negligent. It also makes them liable for any damages to your home and property and for removing the entire tree.
When your neighbor was negligent, it’s always a good idea to talk to him or her before taking any legal steps. You may need to live next to them for a long time.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Winter Haven?
The most common soil types in Winter Haven are sandy and loam soils. These soils absorb water and nutrients quickly, but can’t drain them as easily. This can lead to root rot.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Winter Haven?
Winter Haven’s weather plays a large role in the health of your trees. The occasional hurricane or tropical storm can easily knock a tree over or pull it up by the roots. The accompanying rainfall can saturate the soil to the point where your trees might develop root rot, a fungal disease that damages your tree.
The area sees more than its fair share of thunderstorms. Lightning can strike one of the trees in your Winter Haven yard and damage it or split it in half. With thunderstorms, you also run into the chance of a tornado.
A tornado has a funnel with winds of up to 300 miles an hour at the center. These winds can pull a tree out of your yard and set it down in the next town. Even if your home isn’t in the path of a tornado, you can still get hit by the debris field.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Winter Haven?
When there’s a dead tree near a power line or lying on one, it creates a dangerous situation. A tree lying on a power line is life-threatening, and you need to keep far away and call emergency services.
Even if the dead tree is near a power line, you need to hire a professional service like Tree Triage to remove it safely. You run the risk of the tree falling onto the power line if you try to remove it yourself.
A tree near a power line might be growing on an area of easement that’s owned by the power company. This makes the power company responsible for removing it. If the tree is on your property, as the Winter Haven homeowner, you’re responsible for calling us to remove it.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Winter Haven?
All Winter Haven homeowners want to know how much it’s going to cost to remove a tree. We can’t provide you with an exact cost until we see the tree. The cost of removing a tree in the area ranges from $200 to $2,085, with an average cost of around $595. While the city doesn’t require a permit, there are other cost factors to consider:
Additional Services
Many Winter Haven homeowners request other services when we cut down a tree. This typically includes removing the stump and running the tree through a wood chipper. The resulting wood chips make great mulch around your yard.
Size
The goal is to cut down the tree without damaging your home or other trees. This is considerably more challenging with taller and thicker trees. It takes longer for our team and requires additional safety measures to remove it.
Condition
If the tree has been damaged for a long time, there might be sunken areas where decay has collapsed the trunk into itself. We need to be careful when removing a tree like that to ensure that it doesn’t crumble unexpectedly, damaging your home or property.
