Crew split after a bad call on storm-damaged elm

We tried to save an elm with major branch damage after last month's storm. Some say we should have removed it right away, but others argue saving it was worth the risk. Where do you draw the line between rescue and removal for storm-hit trees?

4 comments

4 Comments

miller.rowan1mo ago

Oh man, this takes me back. I was just reading how elms are extra tough calls because of Dutch elm disease. Like, if the tree is already stressed, a big injury might just invite it in to finish the job. Doesn't it also depend on where the tree is even standing? Like, is it over a house or just out in a field? That risk has to mean something.

hill.margaret1mo ago

Forget how we value the tree's emotional weight too.

mitchell.adam1mo ago

Remember when that elm took out our fence? @miller.rowan's disease point fits.

danielnelson1mo agoProlific Poster

Yeah but @miller.rowan, I gotta disagree on the risk part. If the tree is healthy, a good arborist can prune it so it's actually safer. My neighbor had a huge elm over their garage, got it trimmed right, and it's been solid for ten years. The disease is a problem, but it's not a death sentence for every tree that gets a cut. Sometimes the fix makes it stronger.