Sarasota, FL Tree Removal, Trimming & Land Clearing
Sarasota, FL is considered by many to be part of South Florida. Though Sarasota’s northern location relative to the heart of SouthWest Florida has kept Sarasota’s natural forests and properties free of invasive vegetation for years. With Sarasota enjoying slightly colder winter temperatures and less annual rainfall than neighboring cities like Punta Gorda, Fort Myers and Naples. This has limited the spread of the invasive Brazilian Pepper Tree and the super invasive melaleuca tree. However in recent years these trees have spread into Sarasota with the aid of birds. Birds natural to the area mistakenly consume the red berry of the Brazilian pepper tree, only to digest them depositing those seeds under their flight paths. The digestion process helps these seeds germinate successfully. Like our neighboring counties, Sarasota is now just beginning to experience the effects of these invasive plants.
Whether you're looking to increase your Sarasota property’s value, by giving your property a clean fresh cut look. Perhaps you want to limit the potential for property damage from falling trees, limbs and wildfire. Or it's come time to survey, land clear and build for your home or business. OnSite Tree has the solution and a top notch quality team to accomplish your property goals.
OnSite Tree is a full service provider for tree trimming and tree removal, forestry mulching and land clearing, and stump grinding or stump removal. We can serve you with our team of top notch quality people. Our founder OnSite Trav has been living in Sarasota and working in the tree care landscaping industry for over 20 years.
Tree Trimming & Tree Removal Sarasota
When a tree is encroaching on a structure, it holds the potential to damage or harm people and property. A tree too close to a home or business may cause cracks in the foundation, sidewalks, driveways and pool decks. Lawns and landscapes may be in poor health due to a lack of sunlight to the landscape or lawn below the treeline. Trees here in Sarasota like Oaks can cause the soil to become acidic over time. Making it difficult for many varieties of plants to grow and flourish. A tree placed in the wrong spot can block views, taking away from the aesthetics of a property. For these reasons and others you may consider the possibility of having the tree removed or trimmed up.
Tree Trimming in Sarasota
Tree trimming is the correct method if the tree is not too close to structures and its root system is not causing damage to foundations, driveways or sidewalks. In most cases trimming the tree or palm will increase the health of the specimen. By trimming off dead and sick limbs or branches more nutrients are made available to the healthier parts of the tree. Risk of dead growth falling off the tree in storms is reduced. Which in turn reduces a home owners or property owners liability of damage to people and property below.
Tree Trimming is relatively affordable in sarasota and should be done every few years or so. In such a beautiful area tree trimming can occur year around. Though the very best time to trim trees is in the cooler winter months. This is because most trees go dormant in the winter months. Storing up energy and sap in their trunk system, the energy loss to the tree by trimming off limbs and branches is greatly reduced. Leaves are less present in the winter months, making it easier to trim and clean. Falling leaves block sunlight to lawns and landscapes and unless they are immediately cleaned up. Fallen leaves will break down causing the soil to become acidic. Acidic soil in sarasota is an easy fix by applying an alkaline solution of lime, though most tree services do not offer that. Lime can be purchased relatively cheaply at your local Cattlemen road HomeDepot.
Tree Removal in Sarasota
At times trimming is not enough, and fully removing the tree is the correct solution. This may be the case when a tree is encroaching on a structure. The root system is threatening damage to septic, driveways and sidewalks if left unaddressed. As well as cases when the Sarasota property owner is wanting to build on or landscape a space currently where a tree stands. When removing a tree a decision must be made as to how to safely do so?
Who will remove and haul away the tree debris? What will be done with the stump remaining? And whether the property owner or the contractor will pull the required Sarasota County Permits?
If the tree is currently dead, extra caution must be made. Dead trees can rot from inside, making them tricky and dangerous to remove. When a tree has been dead for quite some time, it's best to remove the top down. Using a bucket lift and removing small upper sections of the tree, one at a time. This reduces the odds that the entire tree will fall over unexpectedly. Yes, a permit is still required when removing a completely dead tree in sarasota. Any tree’s listed as “invasive” to the sarasota area do not require prior permitting. If removing an invasive variety of tree, besure to document via photos and video to confirm the tree was in fact an invasive species as such; the Brazilan Pepper Tree, Melaleuca Tree, Australian Pine Tree.
Stump Grinding Service Sarasota
941-920-2625
Once the tree has been removed a decision must be made as to whether to dig out the remaining stump? Or stump grind the remaining stump? Leaving a stump to rot is a terrible idea in the tropical sarasota environment. A rotting stump will attract all sorts of unwanted critters like bugs, snakes, rats and termites! Stumps left behind are eyesores, tripping hazards and potentially destructive to lawn equipment.
The most cost effective and popular way to remove a stump in Sarasota is a by far Stump Grinding. Using a commercial stump grinder is quick, inexpensive, and creates no property damage to the lawn, landscape or hardscape areas. At times utilities are best to be marked prior to using a stump grinder. Just in case the old tree stump grew around an internet line or water pipe. This is rarely the case, but root systems associated with the stump may very well stretch out into the surrounding landscape. Holding the potential for utility lines to be present.
Our team has the very best stump grinding equipment available. We use the top of the line Carlton Diesel Stump Grinder, capable of grinding any size stump that has grown in sarasota. Our machine moves about using non damaging wheels. Unlike a track stump grinding machine, lawn and driveway damage do not occur. Our stump grinders can access narrow openings requiring only 36 inches of clearance
Stump Removal Sarasota
At times removing the entire stump is the only option. This is the case when a hardscape, driveway or structure is planned to be built in the space where the stump currently occupies. Because organics in the stump and its root system break down over time, uprooting the stump and removing it completely is the proper way to do the job. Structures and concrete that is poured on top of the stump will crack and lose their structural integrity as the stump decomposes. Where the stump was once, now a large hole has taken its place. Causing a sink hole and cracks to whatever may sit on top of the stump.
Before removing the stump always call 811 to locate and mark any utilities that are present in the work area. Once the utilities are located and marked, removal can take place. Excavation equipment is required to remove a stump and its root system. We use a low impact tractor loader backhoe. Which allows us to move around the property causing little to no damage to the yard. The stump is excavated out of the ground. The debris is placed in a dump truck and hauled away. Then fill dirt is added to fill the remaining hole left by the stump. It is important at this point to compact the new fill dirt or topsoil as it is placed. For this light compaction equipment and water is used. Once the area is compacted, we rake everything smooth and install seed or sod. Adding some sort of sodding will prevent erosion and rains from washing away the new topsoil. The final step is to clean up any surfaces that may have gotten dirty in the process. Blowing off driveways, sidewalks and the street.
Land Clearing Sarasota
Land Clearing is a project that requires much more than just tree trimming or tree removal. In cases where entire lots need to be stripped of the trees and vegetation to make way for construction, land clearing is needed. OnSite Tree started out in the land clearing space. As Sarasota County has developed we’ve begun offering more services like tree trimming, tree removals, stump grinding and stump removals. To serve established residents and businesses in the Sarasota area. Yet Land Clearing remains the core of our business.
Land Clearing comes in two forms. The first is traditional strip and clear operations. This is the process of uprooting all or most of the vegetation from the root systems up. Hauling away all the debris created during the project. And smoothing or grading the property so that water sheds off the land. From here builders and land developers can begin their new construction projects. Land Clearing is typically done well in advance of other construction crews. After the land has been cleared its common that fill dirt is brought in to raise the land to required Sarasota specs. The county offices have 100 year flood maps and each area requires a slightly different final elevation level. As the fill dirt is brought in
Forestry Mulching Sarasota in Florida
Is an alternative solution to clearing land of invasive and unwanted vegetation. Forestry Mulching. by selectively removing and returning the intrusive tree to the soil, via a Forestry Mulching machine. Forestry Mulching creates immediate before and after results. Allowing property owners, survey crews, contractors and fencing companies to access the property quickly for improvement projects. Because of how effective our forestry mulching machines are, Forestry Mulching can be done at a very affordable price. This method uses no burn piles, no bulldozers, and most of all no haul away! The nutrients return directly back to the soil leaving you with an excellent manageable platform to seed or replant with native plants.
We have returned properties to their beautiful natural state all over Sarasota. From Siesta Key to Myakka State Park OnSiteTree has been involved in selectively clearing properties with our forestry mulching method. Whether it be pine flats, oak hammocks, aquatic grass areas, beach dunes or palmetto flatlands, our Mulching machines have been there.
You can find the latest list of Invasive Species Here
Before Mulching Inspect for Wild Life
You will want to have a pre-inspection of the property done to ensure any gopher tortoise’s are not presently nesting on the land. If the property has gopher tortoise’s it's not a problem. 50ft setbacks around the nest are all that's needed to get the gophers and the county happy. Your property can be inspected for gopher tortoises by contacting Chance at (insert chances info and picture of business card).
Do I need a Permit for Forestry Mulching in Sarasota?
If you are wanting to remove trees larger than 4 inches in diameter a Sarasota county tree permit is required. Pulling a permit is a relatively quick and easy process. You or your contractor will need to apply with Sarasota county for a tree removal permit . At which time you will need to submit a survey of the property and draw onto the survey the location of any trees you are wanting to remove. You must also label with a ribbon those trees which you are requesting to have removed. Darrrel Simmons (insert contact) is the county contact for all tree removal permits, he’ll inspect the trees labeled for removal OnSite. Post completing the tree removal project, the permit will need to be closed out by a final inspection to ensure the correct trees have been successfully removed.
Sarasota County Tree Removal Permit
What type of Machines Are Used to Forestry Mulch Property?
There are two styles of forestry mulcher used in the Sarasota area. Forestry machines with loader arms and forestry machines with booms or excavator arms. Loader arm designed machines are beneficial for flat dry areas. Covering more ground at a faster production rate. Excavator and boom style machines hold the advantage around ponds, lakes, drainage ditches and canal banks. But are relatively slower at clearing land per square foot.
There are two additional factors separating machines. Those are a purpose built for forestry and those are designed for dirt work but have been fitted with forestry mulching heads. The largest difference will be the power and daily production rates. The purpose built forestry machines will outperform machines not originally intended for forestry mulching in Sarasota. Using a forestry mulching contractor who lacks the correct equipment almost always results in a terrible finished mulch product. Leaving behind logs and unwanted debris. This is costly to correct once a contractor who did not do the project correctly has been there.
The second factor separating contractors offering forestry mulching services in Sarasota. Is forestry knives vs carbide teeth. It’s very popular in rocky soils to use cheaper less productive carbide teeth. Here in Sarasota carbides simple just don't perform well. Though they are cheaper, they rip and hammer vegetation instead of cutting and mulching vegetation. Sarasota is composed of soils entirely made up of sand. Because of our sandy soils our vegetation is very tropical in nature. Its wet and stringy, making the use of carbide teeth completely obsolete. In Sarasota we only recommend the use of forestry knives.
If your selecting a contractor to perform Forestry Mulching for you in Sarasota. Be sure you are getting apple to apples quotes. A contractor running a purpose built forestry machine using knives on the cutting head will outperform all others both in quality of the finished product and in square feet mulched per hour. For these reasons it is best to have each contractor quote the project as total completed price. Quoting hourly rates almost also insures a property owner will pay more for the total project. By selecting the less productive but lower hourly rate, resulting in more hours needed to complete the same job.
How is Forestry Mulching Priced in Sarasota?
Two methods of pricing are used in forestry mulching. The first and best for the landowner and the contractor is a flat fixed quote based on square footage and tree diameter size. This is because all competing quotes can be compared apples to apples. Finished mulch size needs to be stated on each quote to have an accurate comparison amongst contractors. Quotes should state final mulch size (add to this)..
The worst, however most common method to quote forestry mulching is Sarasota is by the hour. This is a deceptive method often used by contractors running dirt purpose built machines in the forestry mulching space. These machines produce at a much slower pace with less power. Leaving behind larger mulch pieces, but doing so at a much higher cost when compared with purpose built forestry mulching machine square feet to square feet. If you’re getting competing bids be sure to get a final project price that includes, diameter off all vegetation to be mulched, final mulch size ranges, and production numbers based on square footage and or acres. When you compare forestry machines against all others you’ll find it's much more economical to hire a forestry mulching contractor, who uses a forestry built machine to handle your forestry project.
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