Tree Removal in Castle Hayne, NC

Tree Removal in Castle Hayne is often a rural job. The community sits about eight miles northwest of Wilmington on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River, and much of it was farm country through the twentieth century. Around 1900 Hugh MacRae bought much of the old Burgwin property, and from 1905 his Carolina Trucking Company recruited farm families from the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Germany to settle the area. Trees here grew up along field edges, ditch banks and old house sites, and many of them are now very large.

Soil that grew everything

Castle Hayne's soil was described by those farm families as loamy, black and soft enough to grow almost anything. The Dutch Swart family moved here from the poorly drained Van Eeden colony for that soil, built a dairy and bulb business, and eventually owned close to 1,500 acres, with daffodils and gladiolus in bloom across the land. Horticulturist Eelco Tinga arrived in 1906, and Tinga Nursery grew out of his business. Rich ground grows big trees quickly, and fast-grown trees can carry weak wood and heavy limbs.

Trees on rural lots

Open ground changes how a removal works. Field-edge oaks and pines often stand alone, carry wide crowns and catch the full force of storms. During Hurricane Florence, the National Weather Service measured a 73 mph gust at Castle Hayne. A big lone tree that fails in a storm can take out a fence line, a barn roof or a well house. When there is room, we fell trees into open ground; when there isn't, we take them down in sections.

Jobs we see here

• Removing big oaks or pines near farmhouses, barns and sheds
• Clearing fallen trees from fence lines and field edges after storms
• Cutting back limbs over long gravel driveways so trucks and equipment can pass
• Taking out dead trees around old house sites
• Grinding stumps in pasture or yard so mowing is easier

Rules in an unincorporated area

Castle Hayne isn't a town; a 2011 vote to incorporate failed, so New Hanover County's rules apply. The county prohibits removing live oaks over 36 inches in diameter, except where a tree endangers public safety or disrupts public services. Separately, a 1987 state law that let New Hanover County and its towns regulate tree removal excludes agricultural, forestland and horticultural land. If your property is in farm or forest use, the rules may differ, so ask county planning.

Old homesites and hidden hazards

On land farmed for generations, trees sometimes hide things: old fence wire grown into the trunk, nails from long-gone signs, concrete footings or buried debris near an old house site. Metal in the wood is dangerous for saws and grinders, so we ask what you know about a tree's history and look for signs of embedded wire before cutting. If we find something, we adjust the cut or the stump grinding plan rather than forcing through it.

Request a visit

Call (910) 807-4337 or send the form with directions to the trees, especially if they are back from the road. Get a free estimate