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Holding off on removal for a damaged maple completely shifted my approach | Arborists - Free To Speak

Holding off on removal for a damaged maple completely shifted my approach

I always figured if a tree took a major hit, it was basically done for and should come down quick. This silver maple got split right down the middle after an ice storm, and everyone expected me to quote removal right away. Instead, I got a weird feeling and told the homeowner we should cable it and wait, even though it looked awful. We set up the support system and I just had to check it every month, which felt like forever with no change. A whole year went by with barely a new leaf, and I started doubting my own call big time. Then, slowly, over the next two seasons, the wound started to callus over and new branches filled in the gaps. Seeing that tree heal itself on its own time made me realize some repairs don't have a deadline. Now I'm way more willing to give trees a real chance to show what they can do before making the cut.

4 comments

4 Comments

jadej506mo ago

Honestly, I've seen too many cases where waiting on a damaged tree leads to bigger problems. A split tree like that can drop heavy limbs without warning, risking people and property. Plus, the cost of ongoing care and cabling adds up, and the tree might still fail in the end. Sometimes removal is the safer and more practical choice from the start.

logan_wells6mo ago

Consider how that damaged tree still works as a mini ecosystem. Even split, it gives homes to birds, bugs, and fungi you don't see. Yanking it out kills all that life at once and removes a food source for other animals. A slow decline lets nature move things along bit by bit, letting wildlife adjust. Yes, there's a risk, but there's also a real cost to wiping out a whole hub of life in one go. It's not just about the tree or the wallet, it's about everything using it.

blake7926mo ago

Wait, I read this article about how dead or dying trees are crazy important for forests. Like, they become these wildlife corridors for insects and birds that can't live in healthy trees. I mean yeah a split tree is risky near a house, but out in the woods maybe letting it fall apart slowly helps way more than we see. It's not just one tree, it's a whole chain of life using it. So maybe the safe call depends on where it is exactly. Idk it's tough when it's about risk versus helping everything else out.

alicecraig5mo ago

Look at this whole thing like it's a magic trick. A tree splits in half and we're supposed to just wait years for a maybe. That's a huge liability hanging over someone's yard. Not every tree is a special case. Most of the time, that damage is a death sentence and pretending otherwise just costs the homeowner more money for a worse outcome later.