Managing the Woods Behind Your House in Mechanicsville, VA

Trees that grew up inside a forest are used to sharing space. When a lot is cleared for a house, the trees along the new edge suddenly get more sun on one side and more wind exposure. Over the years they tend to grow and lean toward the open yard, putting more of their weight over the lawn, the deck or the house.

Those edge trees, especially tall loblolly pines and tulip poplars, are the ones most likely to need attention. Trees deeper in the woods, sheltered by others, are usually lower risk.

Once a year, ideally in late winter when leaves are down, walk the edge of the woods. Look for trees leaning toward the house, dead tops on pines, hanging broken limbs from past storms, trees resting on other trees and fungus at the base of large trunks. Note anything within falling distance of the house, the shed or a play area.

This walk takes twenty minutes and tells you whether you need a tree company this year or not.

Many owners want to reclaim part of the back of the lot. The most natural-looking approach is gradual. First clear the underbrush, vines and small volunteer trees from a strip along the lawn. Then remove the larger trees that lean toward the house or are in poor condition. Keep the healthiest, best-shaped trees as part of the new edge.

Grinding stumps in the cleared strip lets it become lawn. Leaving a natural mulch layer from the chipped brush works if you want a woodland garden instead.

Mechanicsville sits on the sandy coastal plain soils of eastern Hanover. Pines grow well here, but tall pines with small crowns at the top are exposed during strong thunderstorms and tropical storm remnants. When pines fail, they usually snap or uproot. A pine within reach of the house with a dead top, a new lean or cracked soil at the base is worth having looked at before storm season.

Clearing generates a lot of wood. Hardwoods like oak make good firewood once split and seasoned. Pine burns fast and leaves more creosote, so many people prefer to have it hauled. Chipped brush can be hauled away or, in some cases, spread as a natural mulch along woodland paths.

For a normal residential lot, removing trees generally does not require a county permit. Larger clearing, work near streams and wetlands, and HOA rules in some subdivisions can be different. If the area is large or near water, check with Hanover County or your HOA before the work.

Mechanicsville is a short drive from our Richmond base. We handle pine removals, edge clearing and stump grinding there regularly. Send a photo of the tree line and the trees that worry you and we will set up a time to walk it with you.

Once the back strip of the yard is cleared, the new edge of the woods needs a little care. Trees that were inside the forest are now exposed to more sun and wind, so watch them for a season or two. Keep vines like English ivy and Japanese honeysuckle from climbing back in, since they add weight to trees and hide problems.

A layer of chips from the clearing, spread along the new edge, helps hold soil and keeps weeds down while grass or plantings get established.

Some tree line work is a weekend project, like pulling vines and cutting saplings. Other parts are not. Call a tree company when a tree that could reach the house has a dead top, a crack in the trunk or a new lean, when a broken limb is hanging high in the canopy, or when a tree has fallen into other trees and is resting under tension. Those situations are where most chainsaw injuries happen.

A quick photo of the tree and what is around it is usually enough for us to tell you whether it is urgent, whether it can wait for winter or whether it just needs watching.

Many Mechanicsville neighborhoods were built by clearing part of a forest and leaving a strip of trees behind the houses. Those edge trees grew up sheltered by the woods around them. Once their neighbors are gone, they face wind they never had to handle, and their roots may have been damaged by grading.

That is why trees that stood for decades sometimes start failing a few years after a new street goes in nearby. Edge trees deserve extra attention for the first five to ten years.

Along most tree lines, the real mess is near the ground: fallen limbs, saplings, greenbrier, poison ivy and invasive shrubs like autumn olive and privet. Clearing this underbrush makes the yard feel bigger, makes it easier to spot problem trees and reduces places for ticks.

This kind of brush clearing can be done without removing any large trees, which keeps the privacy and shade you liked about the lot in the first place.

MG Tree Service works across Mechanicsville and eastern Hanover seven days a week from 8 AM to 6 PM. Estimates are free, and we can walk the tree line with you and point out what should stay, what should be pruned and what should come out.