Pros of buying a house with mature trees

• Energy savers – According to the USDA Forest Service, “Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air-conditioning costs. Evergreens that block winter winds can save 3 percent on heating”. Trees are a natural way to save energy in your home!
• Privacy and noise reduction – Trees serve as a way to offer privacy from neighbors, but they also reduce noise by 50% according to the USDA National Agroforestry.
• Shade – Trees offer natural shade and can cut down on cooling expenses if they are located in the right spots
• Home value – A house with a nicely landscaped yard with trees is aesthetically pleasing and adds to the value of your new home.

Cons of having big trees near your new home

• Dead trees – having a dead tree on a property is always a large risk. You never know when the tree couple topple or large branches could snap off and damage your house or property. We suggest checking for dead trees and removing before signing or moving in if possible.
• How close is too close? Check to make sure that the trees are not affecting the foundation of the house. You can usually tell when branches are touching or overhanging the house. Also, the trees should not interfere with any cables above or below ground.

If you have your eye on a house to buy and need the trees to be inspected, our arborists at Cleveland tree company VanCuren Tree Services are happy to provide a free inspection! Call us to get started or for any other tree services like tree trimming and tree removal.

One can never tell when a tree is going to become dangerous and fall. It can happen to strong, healthy, diseased, infected, and weak trees alike. Let’s go over some indicators starting at the top of the tree down to the bottom.

Your first thought about a potentially dangerous tree might be weather-related. Too much water can cause flooding around the base of the tree, lifting the soil so that there is nothing for the tree’s roots to grip. Inversely, too little water can cause a drought. Look at the canopy, the branches and leafy part of your tree. Can you see through the leaves and branches? When the leaves are too dense it acts as a buffer… if a strong wind comes through, it could topple the tree. A dense canopy can also prevent the necessary amount of sunlight to seep through and nourish the tree.

Is your tree split into a wide “Y” shape? In the case that a strong crosswind passes by your property, one of those Y branches could easily be twisted enough to leave it hanging or to detach. A strong branch-to-trunk connection looks like a large U shape and weak connections look like a V.

Lastly, take a look at the base and roots of your tree. Find any large crack in in the dirt around your tree? This could be a sign of a leaning tree. If your tree is leaning, even slightly with these dirt cracks present, a storm or flooding can uproot the tree with less resistance.

If you have spotted a dangerous tree on your Cleveland Heights property and are concerned about the next steps, give the Cleveland Heights tree removal experts at VanCuren Tree Service a call. We can help you with your tree trimming, tree pruning, and tree removal needs.

Mildew

If you find that some of your tree’s leaves are covered with a white powder, no worries, this one is an easy fix! Be careful to catch this one early on though as it can turn into an infection that cannot be remedied. Call the Cleveland tree trimming professionals at VanCuren to take a look at your tree’s leaves so that we can get to work to stop the spreading. At the infection stage, the white powder will turn into grey fuzz that covers everything from the leaves, stems, and buds.

The presence of powdery mildew is usually unavoidable, but there are ways to keep it from becoming an infection. The following are tips to prevent fungal infection:

• Trim your trees to increase air circulation
• Try to plant your trees in areas of full sun so that the leave can stay dry
• Space out your trees to prevent cross-infection

Peeling bark[

Trees go through a natural shedding process and so you may notice some loose pieces of bark. There could also be signs of peeling park due to severe weather either in summer or winter. However, to help you identify if this is a result of a disease or infestation, look for bare wood marked with lightly colored wavy lines or fuzzy fungus. A healthy tree will have new bark growth showing underneath a peeling spot.

Leaks

Trees do not heal like humans do, they seal their wounds. When a human is injured, the healing process also starts from the inside-out, whereas a tree calluses over the wound location to cover up the opening. If bacteria enters into an opening before the tree can seal, there is a possibility for wetwood, or slime flux. Sap will seep out of crevices or weak spots on the tree, but thankfully most of the time this is fixable. As for boring beetle infestations, however, there is no returning from the damage.

Take a good look at your trees to make sure that you do not find any of these diseases or infestations that are hurting your tree. Contact VanCuren Tree Services for any help you may require for the health of your trees. We offer services in tree removal, tree trimming, and much more in Cleveland, OH.

Even if your tree has not been struck by lightning and you notice broken or hanging branches, call a professional tree removal company to clean up and reduce the risk for more problems. If your tree has been struck by lightning, it is suggested that you call tree removal professionals to visit your property to assess the situation. If the situation looks dangerous, the tree will need to be removed immediately.

As expected, visible external lightning damage on a tree may appear as:

• Sparse or wilted canopy leaves
• Burned, black spots on the bark
• A crack that runs down the trunk
• Bare patches where bark has been stripped

Lightning damage can also be very subtle or completely unnoticeable. When this happens, the tree will appear in regular health for days or weeks, but it is actually slowly dying. If you think that lightening may have hit one of your trees, you should have a professional inspect to make sure that a dying or dead tree is properly taken care of. Once the tree starts to die or is already dead, it is best to have the tree professionally removed from your Cleveland Heights home.

The VanCuren team is ready to help if your trees have been negatively impacted by a lightning strike. We can help you assess your trees’ health to catch any signs that may have gone unnoticed concerning the health of your trees.

You have successfully trimmed the small trees on your Cleveland property to promote tree growth when spring arrives. Pruning your trees comes with a lot of benefits. As you know, it cleans up the appearance of your landscape while also reducing the potential for tree damage to your home. Once you have pruned your trees though, should you use pruning sealer on the tree’s open cuts to finish the job?

First, what is pruning sealer?

Pruning sealer, or pruning paint, has been known as an agent that helps a tree heal from trimming cuts and may reduce loss of tree sap. We need to remember that trees have survived for years without our interference and that they have natural defensive mechanisms to help the healing process. As for reducing sap drips, sealers actually have little effect on this occurrence.

Furthermore, a lot of sealers contain asphalt or are petroleum-based. Both of these ingredients are not healthy for your trees or your own health. Instead, they can easily delay your trimmed trees’ healing process or damage wound openings which prevents the tree from properly healing.

Should I use pruning sealer to cover raw spots from tree trimming in Cleveland?

No. Do not use sealers on your trees or bushes after you trim them. In addition to the above reasons, sealers can trap moisture and therefore will suffocate the cut. This can lead to unnatural decay and growth of fungi.

For us humans, it seems like common sense to cover a fresh wound. But for trees, it is not possible for a tree to “bleed out” from loss of sap. In fact, freshly trimmed trees are more resilient in this way since drainage of sap helps irrigation processes. Trees naturally undergo protective mechanisms that produce new wood growth at the wound site to keep out disease, fungi, and infestations.

The best way to make sure that your newly trimmed trees are able to properly heal is to use proper trimming techniques and Cleveland professional tree trimming equipment. This is why it is best to use a professional tree trimming company for these projects. We know how to take care of the trees around your home. With proper technique, expertise, and equipment our team at VanCuren is able to make sure your trees are healthy long-term.

How Much Will it Cost to Trim or Remove a Cleveland Heights Tree?

Trimming a tree is more than cutting off a few branches based on appearance. Likewise, removing a tree from your Cleveland Heights property is more than taking a saw to a tree trunk. It all takes planning and expertise.

When you get your trees trimmed you are not only making your home look nice, you are increasing the lifespan of the tree. Trimming a tree removes overgrown, weak, or damaged branches which reduces tree problems and aids healthy growth. When you have a dead, or intrusive, or diseased tree removed you are making your home safer by eliminating potential hazards and avoiding emergency removal situations.

So what factors into the cost of trimming or removing a tree? At VanCuren we don’t like to rush the process. It starts with a call to schedule a free consultative assessment at your home. We will then come to you to evaluate the needs of your particular tree to determine the best course of action.

Type of Tree: Every tree has unique characteristics and so every tree trimming or tree removal project is dependent on the tree type. For example, a tree with a wider tree canopy will take more planning and care to trim whereas a tree that is smaller and condensed would be an easier task.

Location: While costs depend on the type of tree and its specific needs, the nearby surroundings play a role as well. For example, if your tree is located close to your home, it may require extra crew members and equipment to avoid damage to your home. Professional tree trimming and removal companies, like VanCuren take into account all possibilities that will make your tree service safe and cost-effective.

Time and resources: After taking into account the above factors, our team at VanCuren can then determine the amount of people and time necessary to safely complete the project.

Call VanCuren today to schedule your free assessment to have your Cleveland Heights trees trimmed or removed. We want to make the landscaping of your Cleveland Heights home beautiful and safe.

Cleveland Small tree trimming advice from a professional. Most homeowners are comfortable with basic tree care like mulching, watering, and fertilizing. However, when it comes time to trim trees on your own you may not know where to start.

For large trees, VanCuren strongly advises using a professional Cleveland tree trimming service. For small trees there are best practices to follow when trimming on your own. So, how small is a “small tree”? A small tree has lightweight, skinnier branches and a canopy that is at eye-level. On the other hand, a tree that is larger with heavy branches and will require the use of a ladder to reach the branches is too big for DIY tree trimming methods. Do not attempt to trim a tree, regardless of size, that is sitting near your house or a power line. Leave large or conveniently situated trees like these to the professionals for the safety of you and your home.

How to Trim a Small Cleveland, OH Tree

Follow these fundamental guidelines when planning to trim your tree yourself.

• Take a few steps back and look at the balance and overall shape or composition of the tree. This will help you plan out the branches that you will cut and leave the branches to keep.
• Visualize your tree as a clock and its branches as the hands. Keep any branches that are growing at the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock angles relative to the trunk and look to trim branches that protrude at odd angles or that dip too low to the ground.
  • Also, make sure to remove branches that have grown across the centerline of the tree. For example, a branch is attached to the tree on the right side and has grown in the opposite direction and is bent across the tree to sit on the left.
• Declutter by trimming away any overgrowth, dead branches or twigs, and weeds around the trunk or roots.
• Cut off the branches you planned to trim. We recommend only removing 25% of the tree’s canopy. The other 75% is necessary for the tree’s growth.

If you are unsure or have any questions about how to DIY trim a tree on your Cleveland property, you can call any of our trained arborists at VanCuren. First and foremost, we at VanCuren want you to stay safe. Remember that these guidelines for DIY trimming apply only to small trees! You should never attempt to trim a big or tall Cleveland, OH tree by yourself.

How will you know if you need a Cleveland Heights tree removal company? Unless you planted a new tree on your Cleveland Heights property, it may be hard for the average homeowner to tell if their tree tree is dead. Just like any plant, the first few years for the growth of a tree determine how healthy it will be as it continues to grow. From day one, a tree must survive the elements, soil runoff, infestation, and disruptive animals.

It is amazing that there are so many big, strong, and healthy trees in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood. Unfortunately, there are likely some overdue trees that need to be removed.

Take a good look at your tree’s bark. If the bark is peeling, flaking or falling off then it is likely that your tree is dying or dead and should be removed.

Extreme weather can also damage or kill a tree.High winds, Blistering heat, and winter freezes can be very overwhelming for trees. Thankfully the trees you commonly see around your property and in your neighborhood have adapted to the extreme climate in Cleveland Heights, OH. After heavy winter weather, a strong storm, or series of hot days, check your trees to make sure that there are no signs of damage. Damaged spots on a tree should be examined by a professional and probably trimmed. The tree may need to be removed if the damage is bad enough.

Diseases like root rot, fungi, and bacterial cankers are detrimental to a tree’s health. Diseases and disorders that are left unattended will kill the tree and pose problems for your home.

If you notice any of these instances affecting your tree, please call a professional for an official evaluation. The VanCuren Team has 30 years of experience with trees and we would be happy to provide a consultation for your Cleveland Heights tree trimming or tree removal services as needed.

It can be hard for a homeowner to know if they should trim a tree and hope the wounds heal over or if the tree is sickly or dead and should just be removed. The VanCuren Tree Service company has 30 years of experience to help Cleveland homeowners when it comes to answering questions about tree trimming versus tree removal.

Cleveland Tree Trimming

Cleveland Tree Removal

VanCuren’s professional team is experienced and knowledgeable about the best option to choose between Cleveland tree removal and tree trimming. If you know one of the trees on your property is already dead, call us to remove it before it is too late. Be proactive. We care about your safety and the safety of your Cleveland property.