Best arborists near Aplington, IA

You may be looking to identify maple trees to use for home improvement projects. In that case, you can tell hard maples by looking at their leaves. Leaves will have a U-shaped dip, or sinus, between the points, or lobes, of the leaves. Leaves of soft maples tend to have V-shaped sinuses.

If you already have the cut wood in front of you, look for a light, uniform color to identify hard maple wood and check for variations of red, gray, or brown streaks and an overall darker color in soft maple wood.

In general, trees should be planted no closer than 15 to 20 feet from your foundation. For larger trees with far-reaching roots like maples, oaks, or poplars, a good guide is to plant as many feet from your home as the tree’s height is expected to reach at maturity. Some trees, like elms and willows, should only be planted far from where their roots may encounter sewer or water lines.

Whether you grind or dig up and remove your tree stump depends on your landscaping goals. Using a stump grinder leaves the root system in place for it to decompose over time, whereas digging up the tree stump removes the roots and the stump. Overall, stump grinding is a far simpler process since you won’t need to deal with the roots. Stump removal will make your yard look like a demolition site, but you’ll have an easier time replanting in the same place as your former tree.

Cutting down a tree next to power lines is never a DIY job, and it’s a good idea to contact your utility company first. In most cases, the utility company will need to take care of any tree problems within 10 to 15 feet of power lines. If you want to remove the tree for aesthetic reasons, hire a pro to do the job. Trying to cut trees near power lines yourself can create many safety hazards, and you could be liable if you inadvertently cause damage to electrical equipment.