Tree Care Basics: A Starter Guide

Should You Trim Or Remove An Overly Large Tree?

12 April 2021

Johnni Knight

A large tree on your property can be a major nuisance, especially if it has reached a size that poses a danger to property or person. 

Concerns

An overgrown tree can pose several problems on the property. The most obvious is if the tree is growing near your home or an outbuilding. Large trees can overhang buildings and scrape against the roof and siding, which can cause damage. Roots can impede upon foundations or lead to uplift problems on drive and sidewalk paving. 

There can also be a safety concern. A large tree, particularly if there are other issues, can be prone to blowing down or dropping large branches during a storm. This can lead to major property damage or even injuries. Trees can also grow into power lines and pose a fire hazard. 

Trimming Options

In some cases, an overly large tree can be safely trimmed to prevent many of the above concerns. The first step is to remove any crossed, rubbing, or dead branches that could pose a greater danger of falling. The canopy should also be thinned out to lessen the weight in the canopy, as this will also mitigate the risk of a blowdown.

It's nearly impossible to greatly reduce the size of a tree, but you can minimize it slightly. This process must be completed over multiple years, though. The general technique is to cut back all the branches each year over several years. This will slowly decrease the height and spread of the tree without causing undue stress. This method works best for deciduous trees, as evergreens tend to be woody on the inside so they can't be cut back very far.

Removal Signs

Of course, not every overly large tree can be saved simply by trimming it back a foot or so. If the tree is way too big for the site, in other words, trimming it back as detailed above won't reduce the size sufficiently, then removal may be the only safe option to consider. 

Other issues with the tree beyond size must also be taken into account. For example, if the tree is plagued by insect pests or showing signs of disease issues, then removal is safer than trying to treat the issues. It simply makes more sense to remove a sickly overgrown tree so that you can replace it with a healthy tree of a more appropriate mature size. 

Contact a tree trimming and removal service for more assistance if you have an overly large tree on your property. 

Share  

Search