Care for Your Yard: Steps to Take Before and After Tree Removal

If there’s a tree in your yard that’s dead, dying, diseased, or poses a potential risk, you might want to consider removing it. This will need to be a carefully made decision. If you decide it’s necessary, you’ll need a professional, like those at Mr. Tree Inc., to remove the tree for you. But before and after the professionals come over for tree removal, there are some things you’ll need to take care of to ensure your yard is in the right condition. Properly preparing will make sure the tree is removed as quickly and safely as possible. Read on for our expert advice on what to do both before and after tree removal.

Get a Professional’s Opinion

First of all, a professional, certified arborist should examine the tree before it’s removed. The tree service needs to know the tree’s length, width, branch layout, and age ahead of time. Understanding the tree’s condition is essential. Different trees in different conditions will need to be removed in their own way.

Removing a dead or diseased tree is a very different process than removing a healthier one. Healthier trees are well rooted, so they might be more difficult to remove. Likewise, removing a young tree is different than removing an old one. This examination process will allow the professional arborist to decide very important things such as the best tools to use for the job. It’ll also help them estimate how long the tree removal will take.

Prepare Your Yard

Clearing your yard is an incredibly important step to take before tree removal. This includes, of course, making sure the area is free of any leaves, twigs, or other debris. There should be enough room for the tree to lie flat on the ground after it has been removed. Ideally, you would have a clearing of twice the height of the tree. But even a few extra feet of space, just in case, works. And you could also clear in multiple areas, in case it comes down in a direction other than you anticipated.

You’ll want to be absolutely sure the tree won’t damage anything when it comes down. This means making sure that adults, kids, and pets stay away from the yard. But it also means clearing any personal property that could be damaged by a falling tree, such as your car, outdoor furniture, yard décor, pots, and more. Also, try to make sure there are no power lines in the way. You don’t want this process to cause havoc in your neighborhood. Professionals won’t want to start the tree removal until they’re sure the area is cleared and safe.

Make sure you leave room for the tree service workers to be able to park their vehicles by your house. There will usually be a number of vehicles involved, including a large truck and a wood chipper. And you want to make sure there’s a clear path for the workers to easily go back and forth from their vehicles to your yard. That way it won’t be a hassle for them to get extra equipment or haul out the wood. If you think it’s necessary, you may want to let your neighbors know when the tree removal is happening. That way they’ll be aware ahead of time if they need to move their cars to make more parking space available. They’ll also be able to prepare if there’s going to be any disruption to their daily routines.

Remove the Stump

The work you should do for your yard doesn’t end after the tree removal is done. When the tree is removed, you are left with a stump. Some people just keep the stump, even using it in their overall yard décor. However, others are concerned that the leftover stump could end up being too much of a hazard or eyesore. So if you’d rather not keep a stump, you can get rid of it by asking for a stump grinding, which is another of the services we offer at Mr. Tree.

Fill in the Gap

After stump grinding, you should plant grass where the tree stump once was. If you don’t try to reseed, you’ll be left with a hole in your yard, a feature that surely no one wants. Before you fill in the hole, start by clearing away any debris, which can include woodchips, rocks, and a large amount of sawdust. Use your tools to remove any leftover large roots.

After the hole is cleared, freshen up the soil by using a shovel to turn the top layer over. Fresher soil will make it easier for the grass to grow healthily. Then add a nitrogen-rich fertilizer and a layer of topsoil. The topsoil should be a little higher than ground level because it will settle. Once the soil is ready, you can plant the seeds. Finally, water the soil to make sure the seeds don’t die. You’ll want to water right away and then keep watering daily until the roots are established.

For certain types of seeds, you might want to put hay on the area until the grass starts growing.

Keep in mind that it might take some time for the grass to grow enough to blend in with the rest of the yard. Instead of grass, you can also try growing a shrub or even another tree in the leftover space.

The most important step of all, of course, is hiring a professional. Too many things could go horribly wrong if you attempt tree removal on your own. But experienced professionals will be able to remove a tree effectively and without risk. Letting a professional take care of it could save you a lot of damage and regret.

At Mr. Tree, we have decades of experience and expertise, so you can absolutely trust us for tree removal without issue. You just need to care for your yard before and after tree removal, and then leave the rest to us. Plus, our other services can help prevent any other trees from needing to be removed. We can provide regular tree pruning so they stay healthy. You can find more information about Mr. Tree and the services we offer on our website.