Did I do the Right Thing?

[roadrunner]

I don't know what it is about me, but I feel somewhat guilty by just pulling plants up and killing them; It's just a plant, right

So imagine how I felt after bringing in a tree removal service to remove my 70ft Red Cedar tree. This tree was healthy, but I just couldn't stand the amount of yard it shaded out, especially in the winter, given its location in relation to the low sun; but also it sucked up a lot of water and nutrients. The soil around that tree actually seemed almost dead, regardless of how much I mulched.

Yet, I still kind of feel guilty for just chopping it down, this was a very large tree (9 ft circumference at its base), what right did I have?

It's just a tree, right? Did I do the right thing?

I never took a picture of this tree, but you can see it somewhat behind the shed in these pics (The area behind that shed is now totally open, maybe I'll go get some pics and post those also...

 

[Chuck]

IMO this is just another plant although a very expensive one. I hope you didn't just let the tree choppers make off with the wood. They should have paid you a good sum of money to remove it. Its lumber is called aromatic cedar, the lumber used to make very fine storage trunks, boxes and a myriad other things. A tree that size would be worth 1000's of dollars when milled. But, if the tree was causing you problems you did the right thing. A tree that sized can be blown over and crush anything underneath, especially your house. They are a very long lived slow growing tree, the oldest being over 900 years old. Anyway, what's done is done and of no use to worry about.

 

[roadrunner]

I went ahead and got some pics of this same area and then some...., Note, the pics above were from a few years ago, but the below pics are from today, just one day after chopping down the Red Cedar.

This fist pic is from a distance and show how much sun is hitting that shed now -- the tree behind the shed is actually about 80 feet in the background.



The 9ft (circumference) stump/trunk



Two large sections of trunk, laying next to the shed



This entire area would have been in shade before taking down the tree

 

[roadrunner]

IMO this is just another plant although a very expensive one. I hope you didn't just let the tree choppers make off with the wood. They should have paid you a good sum of money to remove it. Its lumber is called aromatic cedar, the lumber used to make very fine storage trunks, boxes and a myriad other things. A tree that size would be worth 1000's of dollars when milled. But, if the tree was causing you problems you did the right thing. A tree that sized can be blown over and crush anything underneath, especially your house. They are a very long lived slow growing tree, the oldest being over 900 years old. Anyway, what's done is done and of no use to worry about.

Actually, they chipped the wood, I guess it's not worth much after that. The large pieces that are left I told them not to worry about and leave, since it took many hours to down this tree and they started relatively late (1pm).

I haven't really thought about selling it, not really hurting for money, so never looked into it. It cost me $800 to down it, but you almost make it sound like I could have paid someone to bring it down...ah well

EDIT: P.S. They originally quoted me $1500, but after telling them I wanted a significant amount of stump remaining, they brought it down to 800.

 

[Chuck]

Take all that wood to a lumber mill. Advertise it on craigs list. That standing trunk will be worth a lot of money. The smaller pieces are what bowl makers (lathe turners) want.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

that was huge! How old it was?

 

[Chuck]

that was huge! How old it was?

In the research I have done that tree was +/- 300 years old. They are slow growers, maybe 2 or 3 inches per year, and he said the tree was 60 feet tall.

 

[Tetters]

May I ask what you are going to do with the remaining stump ?

 

[roadrunner]

I haven't decided yet.

 

[Tetters]

One of my old stumps is about the same height...it is now covered in variegated ivy, and has a bird bath nestled on the top. The ivy has to be cut away a little from time to time, and the little wrens nest there. The wildlife might just see your tree stump as a valuable asset, and the light you have allowed into the garden will encourage the plants to grow.
Maybe your old tree had something more to give - with your help