AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Lutherville Timonium, MD

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Lutherville Timonium?

Lutherville Timonium is only ten miles from Baltimore and has many of the same tree issues. Let’s explore them. 

Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS)

Bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which invades the xylem–the tissues carrying water and nutrients through a tree. It is common in white oak and affects elm, sycamore, mulberry, sugar maple, and red maple trees.

Leafhoppers and spittlebugs spread it as they travel from tree to tree and occasionally through root grafts. There is no cure for BLS; it is potentially fatal. You’ll recognize BLS when the leaves on the ends of the lower branches begin to turn brown in late summer. The disease will work its way up the tree until the crown is brown, too. 

It’s vital to remove trees suffering from BLS because this disease can transfer from one tree to the next via insects. 

Drought Leaf Scorch (DLS)

It looks much like bacterial leaf scorch in appearance, but Drought Leaf Scorch (DLS) appears in the upper branches and works its way down. Typically, it impacts the tree in a more uniform manner than BLS. Dry conditions cause this illness. A concerned homeowner might be able to revive a tree suffering from DLS with lots of extra watering. But if the damage is extensive, the tree may need to be removed. 

DLS doesn’t spread from one tree to the next, but it affects an entire community of trees living in overly dry conditions. 

Fire Blight or “fireblight”

Another bacterial disease, you’ll recognize fire blight by small, dark brown or black leaves hanging at the ends of branches. It is a severe bacterial disease caused byErwinia amylovora. In Lutherville Timonium, it’s found mostly on apple trees, firethorn, hawthorn, quince, and pear trees. The bacteria spreads via the disease can be spread from tree to tree by pollinators: mostly bees and birds.

Does the City of Lutherville Timonium Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

Lutherville Timonium is not an incorporated city and does not provide any resources for property owners for tree removal. Baltimore County doesn’t offer any programs to help homeowners pay for tree removal either.

The only exception occurs when a tree falls onto a street or public park. The county will remove it. However, most homeowners are on their own to pay for tree removal in Lutherville Timonium. The good news is that your homeowner’s insurance should help. So, let’s take a closer look. 

Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Lutherville Timonium?

When a tree falls on your property, it becomes your responsibility. It doesn’t matter where its roots are, where the stump is, or whose grandparents planted the tree forty years ago. Now, let’s answer the questions we get about the responsibility for tree removal in Lutherville Timonium. 

If you’re a homeowner?

When a tree falls on your property, it is your responsibility to pay for tree removal. A small sapling that falls out in a field may only cost a few hundred dollars to remove, but a giant 100-foot elm that falls onto your home and crushes your car might cost much more!

Your first step is to call your homeowner’s insurance company. According to Maryland’s Guide to Homeowner’s Insurance, your insurer should pay for any damage to your home or garage, plus pay for the tree removal and debris cleanup. You will need to pay your deductible, of course. Lutherville Timonium homeowners may also be entitled to living expenses if they need to stay in a hotel while a dangerous tree removal is completed. 

If you’re a renter?

Tenants in Lutherville Timonium have almost zero responsibility for a fallen tree. If a tree falls at a property you rent, call the landlord. They have insurance for these issues. 

• If the tree damages your belongings and crushes your car, for instance, your landlord (or their insurance company) is responsible for those repairs. 
• If your landlord is reluctant to help—say 24 hours have passed and your landlord hasn’t contacted you back about the fallen tree, it might be time to call law enforcement. 

Some tenants appreciate a renter’s insurance policy for situations just like this. While a fallen tree is the responsibility of a landlord, a renters’ insurance policy can help to pay for your belongings in instances like this and can “go after” your landlord’s insurer through a process called “subrogation.”

If you’re a landlord?

Like homeowners, landlords are wholly responsible for trees that fall on their property. You must take fast action because fallen trees can be very dangerous to your tenants and the structures on your property. Again, it doesn’t matter if the stump is next door. If it’s on your property, it becomes your responsibility. 

If a fallen tree does damage to your structures, it will be covered by your landlord protector policy or commercial property policy, less a deductible. If your tenant’s belongings are damaged, that would be covered by the liability portions of your policy. 

If you’re a neighbor?

Neighbors aren’t always the best of friends, and when a tree falls across several property lines, it can cause an uproar in the quietest community. If your neighbor’s tree fell onto your land, the portion of the tree on your property is your responsibility. 

Sometimes trees fall across three or more property lines! The best course of action is to have a short meeting with your neighbors. We’ve seen neighbors split the costs in half, in thirds, and so on. Maybe this fallen tree can become an opportunity to mend neighborhood relationships!

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Lutherville Timonium?

The US Department of Agriculture published this soil survey of Baltimore County, which includes Lutherville Timonium. Homeowners, farmers, foresters, and prospective real estate developers can use this tool to research the soil quality from one address to the next, and that’s important because soil can vary a lot in Lutherville Timonium.

There are nine primary types of soil in Baltimore County, which range from sandy to clay-based. Most are well-draining to excessively draining. That means homeowners will need to be sure their young trees are well-watered, even if there has been plenty of rain. 

The state’s official soil is Sassafras soil, which happens to be rare in Lutherville Timonium, making up only 5% of the soil here. 

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Lutherville Timonium?

It’s no surprise that weather does affect trees in Lutherville Timonium. Maryland weather as a whole can be very unpredictable. Proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay means lots of thunderstorms, precipitation, and humidity. In addition, changes in air pressure can affect wind, and wild ocean windstorms impact Lutherville Timonium trees. Sometimes, these wild winds cause trees to fall onto power lines, and that’s a serious problem.

What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Lutherville Timonium?

Always stay far away from dead trees on power lines! They can explode, catch fire, and cause forest fires and structure fires. If you see a tree on a power line in Lutherville Timonium, call Clinton Electric, the local residential power company. If you’re not sure that a power line belongs to them, contact law enforcement. 

Remember, stay far away from the tree!

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Lutherville Timonium?

In Lutherville Timonium and other communities around Baltimore, the average cost of a tree removal is about $700, with prices ranging from $150 to $2,000. That’s in line with national averages. 

However, many factors affect how much a tree removal costs, such as tree size, location, and condition. Let’s take a closer look.

Tree Size

A 10-foot tree will cost less to remove than a 100-foot tree. The larger tree needs more manpower, more equipment, more trucks, more fuel, and so on. A 10-foot tree might only need one of our technicians for a few hours, while a 100-foot tree might need a crew of 12, four trucks, and more. So the size of a tree plays a huge role in the cost of tree removal. 

Tree Location

When a tree dangles dangerously near power lines, over a rushing river, or on a steep slope, it becomes challenging to remove safely. Our technicians’ safety and the homeowner’s safety are vital, but we also want to protect your property and our trucks, so location plays a significant role in the cost of tree removal in Lutherville Timonium. 

Tree Condition

Unwell trees cost more to remove. Thinking back to the issue of bacterial leaf scorch we mentioned earlier, it makes sense that we need to clean and disinfect our equipment after dealing with a sick tree. Otherwise, it would be a tragedy to spread serious tree problems from one property to the next. That extra time and training are important for a quality tree removal experience.