Cedar Tree Removal & Lot Clearing in Murfreesboro, TN

Cedar tree removal and lot clearing are common jobs in Rutherford County because eastern red cedar is the tree that moves in whenever land is left alone. It is a pioneer species, among the first to repopulate disturbed ground, old pastures, limestone hills and roadsides, and it thrives on the thin rocky soils of the Central Basin. A fencerow left unmowed for a decade becomes a wall of cedar; a back acre turns into a thicket. On larger lots around Murfreesboro, Rockvale, Lascassas and Christiana, clearing cedar is often the first step in making the land usable again.

Why people clear cedar

Cedars crowd out pasture grass with wide, low branches. They burn very readily, and their low limbs can carry a ground fire into the crown, which matters when they grow right up to a house or shed. Eastern red cedar is also the alternate host of cedar-apple rust, a fungus that spots and weakens apple and crabapple trees, so homeowners with fruit trees often want nearby cedars thinned. And many people simply want their view, their fence line or their back field back.

Single cedars versus whole lots

A big cedar beside a house is a normal tree removal: it comes down in sections and the stump is ground. Clearing a fencerow or a half-acre thicket is a different job. Smaller cedars and brush can often be cut and chipped or mulched on site, with larger trees felled where there is room. The approach depends on what you plan to do with the land: lawn, pasture, a garden, a building site, or just a cleaner tree line. On sloped or creekside ground, we leave enough vegetation to hold the soil.

Creek buffers and rules

In the city of Murfreesboro, some lots, especially in newer developments, include a streamside buffer of 35, 50 or 60 feet along a creek. Water Resources describes these as no-touch zones where residents may not clear vegetation, and invasive plants can be removed only with the department's written permission. Ask us to check before clearing anything near a stream; outside the city, check with Rutherford County. If you are clearing for construction, your builder and permits come first, and we work around their plan.

What to do with cedar wood

Cedar heartwood is very durable, even in contact with soil, which is why it has long been used for fence posts, and its scent keeps moths out of chests and closets. If you want to keep straight logs for posts, lumber or projects, tell us and we will cut them to length and stack them. The rest can be chipped; cedar chips make a pleasant-smelling mulch for paths and beds.