Arborist Marc Byers on protecting trees and your budget

Published on July 28, 2024

Following the recent spate of spring storms, Huntsville is seeing an across-the-board increase in tree removals. Most of the removals are in response to the storms, either from actual damage or increased awareness and fear of future tree issues.

City Arborist Marc Byers says the damage and removals from the spring storms are examples of the typical life cycle of urban yard trees, most following timelines such as this:

• Planted by the developer, owner, or spread naturally
• Allowed to grow in-or-around a yard with minimal or no care
• Overgrows a yard
• Dies or is damaged in a storm
• Removal or clean-up is expensive due to size and location

With planning, you can enjoy trees and greatly reduce the total expense associated with them by giving the tree more attention along the way. Byers recommends this example of a life cycle:

• Carefully choose the tree species and planting location. Include access for trimming and removal in this planning. Many future dollars can be saved at this step!
• Have structural pruning done on the tree during the formative years - proper development of branch structure can also save future dollars and extend the life of the tree.
• Enjoy the tree into what could be called "middle-age".
• This is the hard part: remove the tree before it outgrows the space and causes damage.
• Plant a new tree and repeat.

Usually, the total expense of caring for a tree through its useful life is far less than the cost of storm damage or large tree removal later.

As "tree people," it is painful to see removals occur," said Byers. "We encourage replanting as appropriate in all cases, with varying success. Many articles have been written about choosing the right tree for the right spot, but the patience to plan, care for and enjoy the trees can be quite rewarding."