There are many different kinds of trees in the Overberg. From tall and skinny trees to small and round trees. The variety knows no bounds. With great variety comes many tree care problems that homeowners and gardeners must overcome to have well-maintained and healthy trees.

We encounter many of these problems daily and thought we’d share 6 of the most common tree care issues in the Overberg, Western Cape.

1. Trees overhanging structures

Our professional arborists often get calls to safely remove large trees, especially to remove Blue Gum trees that are hanging over people’s houses, sheds, gardens and other valuable infrastructure. These trees often have to be removed limb by limb and rigged down safely. Luckily, our arborists are well trained and experienced. If you are worried about what might happen in the rare case that something goes wrong, rest assured arborists are expected, as an industry standard, to be well insured.

2. Decaying tree limbs

Trees often become weak, rotten, and diseased with age and trees grow out of proportion when they aren’t correctly pruned. The weak limbs can rot and decay. Like humans and every other living organism, trees have life spans. Some trees have rather short lifespans like Keurboom, Pine Trees, or Port Jacksons. When the tree reaches the end of its life, it’s best to remove the tree, chip up the biomass and reintroduce the biomass to the soil.

3. Trees growing into one another

Another product of bad pruning, or a lack thereof, is trees growing into each other. This situation can become quite tricky as the trees can weaken each other and they also become more difficult to care for or remove. The trees also won’t grow to the best of their ability because they are taking one another’s light, water, and nutrients. Although trees grow well in community with other trees, it’s important to ensure proper spacing and proper care in the developmental stage of the young trees.

4. Tree roots are shallow and wide

In some areas of the Overberg, the bedrock is quite close to the surface. That means that the soil available for the trees to grow in is substantially shallower than in other areas. The roots of large trees, like wild figs, pines and blue gums, will adapt and grow wider and shallower. This can really mess with the rest of your garden, so often homeowners will choose to have the tree removed. Otherwise, trees that have shallow and wide roots are not well-grounded and weak, posing a great threat to the surrounding homes and infrastructure.

5. Tree roots impacting foundations

Another problem that we often see in the Overberg is the roots of large trees growing into and damaging the foundations of buildings. This can become an extremely costly tree care problem for homeowners. The tree roots will look for water and nature won’t stop trying to survive on account of some concrete. Unfortunately, in these cases, the trees need to be removed in order to maintain a safe living or working environment,

6. Trees with heavy lean

Some large trees can grow with a heavy lean to one side, this can pose a threat to the surrounding structures or gardens. The lean can be caused by a powerful wind, the sunlight, or just simply because that tree wanted to grow that way. When removing heavy-leaning trees, arborists often need to access the canopy of the tree to safely remove the leaning trees.

If your trees are experiencing one of these 6 common tree care problems, contact Overberg Arborists to receive the best, professional advice on how to care for your trees.