Tree Removal in Myrtle Grove, NC

Tree Removal in Myrtle Grove is very often a water story. This census place south of Wilmington, spread across the Federal Point and Masonboro townships, has about 5% of its area in water, and plenty of yards sit near creeks, low spots or drainage ditches. When the soil stays soaked for days, a tall tree's roots lose their grip. Wind that the same tree would shrug off in a dry month can tip it over in a wet one.

The Florence rain

During Hurricane Florence in September 2018, a National Weather Service observer 3.7 miles south of Wilmington, the direction of Myrtle Grove, measured 30.10 inches of rain. Wilmington's airport set a monthly record for September at 24.13 inches, and 2018 ended as the wettest year on record there at 102.40 inches. Trees that survived the wind often failed in the days afterward, as the ground stayed waterlogged. If a tree in your yard shifted after Florence or a later storm and never quite straightened, it deserves a careful look.

A large, settled suburb

Myrtle Grove counted 2,552 people when it was first listed as a census place in 1980. By 2020 it had 11,476. Census QuickFacts reports an 83.6% owner-occupied rate and a median owner-occupied value of $439,100 for 2020-2024. That means a lot of long-time owners with trees that were planted, or spared, decades ago. Those trees are now at the size where one failure can damage a roof, a car or a screened porch.

Reading the warning signs

We pay attention to the details that matter on wet ground:

• Soil heaving or cracking on the side opposite a lean
• Mushrooms or conks at the base, which can point to root decay
• Standing water that sits around the trunk for days after rain
• Roots cut by past drainage, irrigation or driveway work
• A crown that has thinned on one side only

How we handle it

If a tree is sound, we'll say so, and pruning or nothing at all may be the answer. If it isn't, we plan a removal that keeps heavy pieces off soft lawns where they would rut the yard, sometimes using mats or lowering wood to the driveway instead of dropping it. Stumps can be ground out once the tree is down, and chips can stay as mulch if you want them.

Leaving the yard in shape

On soft ground, the cleanup matters as much as the cutting. We rake out chips and sawdust, fill and level the hole left by a ground stump if you ask, and keep tire tracks to a minimum by staying on driveways and firm turf where we can. If the soil is still saturated after a storm and the tree isn't an immediate danger, we may suggest waiting a few days for the yard to firm up before bringing equipment in.

Talk to us

Call (910) 807-4337 or send the form with a photo of the tree and the ground around its base. Every estimate is in writing. Get a free estimate