The most common question on an estimate is some version of "does it have to come out?" Often the honest answer is no — a good trim will fix the problem. But some trees are past that point, and the longer they stand, the harder and more expensive they are to take down safely. Here's what we look for.
1. Dead or mostly dead canopy. If more than about half the crown is bare during the growing season, the tree is usually in decline it won't recover from. Dead wood becomes brittle fast in our dry climate, and brittle wood is what comes down in a Santa Ana wind.
2. Cracks and splits in the trunk or major limbs. A vertical crack, or a split where two trunks meet in a tight V, is a structural failure already in progress. These can sometimes be cabled, but on a large tree over a house, removal is usually the safer call.
3. Lean that has changed. Plenty of trees grow with a lean and are perfectly stable. A lean that is new — especially with soil heaving or cracking on the opposite side of the root plate — means the roots are letting go.
4. Fungus at the base and root damage. Mushrooms or conks growing at the base, soft or hollow wood, or roots cut by trenching or construction are all signs that the anchor of the tree is compromised.
5. Wrong tree, wrong place. A eucalyptus planted three feet from a foundation fifty years ago, or a palm growing into a power line, won't get better with time. Sometimes the tree is healthy and still needs to go.
6. Pests and disease that have taken hold. Invasive shot hole borers, bark beetles and other pests have killed a lot of trees in San Diego County. Caught early, some trees can be treated or pruned; once the damage is widespread, removal stops the spread to neighboring trees.
7. It's a fire hazard next to a building. Dead palms, dead eucalyptus and trees full of dry material beside a house or apartment building are fuel. If trimming can't remove the risk, removal is part of defensible space.
When is trimming enough? If the tree is healthy and structurally sound and the problem is size, clearance or a few dead limbs, trimming is almost always the better option — it's cheaper, and you keep the shade. We'll tell you plainly which one your tree needs. Call Cortez Tree Care at (619) 781-6353 for a free estimate anywhere in North San Diego County.