Looking after the trees on a Sebastian lot
Good tree care starts long before anyone climbs. It begins with knowing what you have: which trees and palms stand on the lot, how close they are to the roof, the driveway, the fence and the service drop, and whether any of them has changed in the past year. This page covers how to look at your own trees, what sound pruning looks like, how to handle a limb that is already down, and the questions that separate one tree company's estimate from another's.
Pelican Island, 1903
On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island in the Indian River Lagoon, off Sebastian, as the first federal bird reservation, giving birth to the National Wildlife Refuge System.
What NOAA's Vero Beach station lists
NOAA's engineering weather data for its station at Vero Beach, about 11 miles south of Sebastian, lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 140 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.5 inches per hour and about 1 freeze-thaw cycle in an average year. These are the station's figures, recorded at Vero Beach.
Reading your own trees
You don't need training to spot many of the signs an arborist looks for. Walk the yard slowly and look at each larger tree from a few sides:
- The base. Mushrooms or conks at the trunk flare, soft or crumbling wood, or soil heaving on one side can point to decay or root trouble.
- The trunk. Long vertical cracks, cavities, oozing bark and patches where bark has fallen away deserve a closer look.
- The forks. Two stems of similar size joined in a tight V, with bark pinched between them, can be a weak point.
- The crown. Dead branches, thin foliage on one side or a lean that has grown worse are worth noting.
- The surroundings. Limbs over the roof, near the service wires or rubbing on a gutter are a maintenance question even on a healthy tree.
Take photos of anything that worries you and date them. When the arborist visits, the pictures help show whether something is new or has been there for years.
Pruning that helps, and cuts that don't
Sound pruning removes dead, broken, crossing and rubbing branches, and reduces long limbs back to a healthy side branch. A sound cut is made just outside the branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where the branch meets the trunk, so the tree can close the wound. Ask the company how they decide what to remove and how much of the living crown they plan to take on a single visit.
Some practices are worth turning down:
- Topping, cutting main stems back to stubs, can leave weak regrowth and invite decay.
- Lion-tailing, stripping the inner branches and leaving tufts at the ends, can load the limb tips.
- Flush cuts into the trunk remove the collar the tree needs to seal the wound.
- Climbing spikes on a tree you plan to keep leave wounds in the bark. Ask how the crew climbs.
Palms are a different job
Palms grow from a single bud at the top and don't heal like broadleaf trees. If your yard has palms, ask the company to remove only dead or hanging fronds, flower stalks and fruit, and to leave the green fronds in place. Over-trimming can starve the palm and narrow the trunk. Ask whether the crew climbs palms with spikes or works from a lift, and why.
Roots and work near them
Roots spread well past the drip line, often in the top layer of soil. Trenching for irrigation or wiring, a new driveway, a pool or even a pile of fill can damage them, and the tree may not show it for a year or more. Before any digging near a tree you want to keep, ask the contractor and an arborist how the roots will be protected, whether any can be bridged or tunneled under, and whether the grade around the trunk will change.
When a tree or limb comes down
Stay well clear of anything touching a wire and call the utility; don't try to move it yourself. For a tree on the house, take photos and call your insurer before cleanup, then call a tree company. A crew that knocks on the door unasked may or may not be a good choice: get a written price, ask for proof of coverage, and avoid paying the full amount before the work is done.
Removal, stumps and the city
Taking a tree out entirely raises its own questions. Ask the City of Sebastian which permits, if any, apply to removing a tree on your lot, and ask the company whether they will handle that paperwork. Ask whether stump grinding is in the price, how deep the grinder goes, and whether the chips stay or go. A good arborist explains why removal is the right call and is willing to talk about alternatives for a tree that can be saved.
Questions for a tree company
Ask each company the same things:
- "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?"
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation for the crew on site?
- Who will be on the job, and who is in charge while the crew is here?
- How will you protect the lawn, beds, fence and driveway from equipment and falling wood?
The written estimate
A clear estimate names each tree by location and species, the work on each one, how debris will be hauled, whether stump grinding is included, and the cleanup. When two prices differ, compare them line by line: one bid may include hauling or grinding that the other leaves for you.