Tree Service in Walter Hill, TN

Walter Hill, also written Walterhill, is a small census-designated place north of Murfreesboro, and Tree Service in Walter Hill often means working close to water. The East Fork of the Stones River, the river's longest fork at 54 miles, is crossed by U.S. 231 near Walterhill, and part of the community lies in the Stones River floodplain. Before the Tennessee Valley Authority, a hydroelectric dam on the East Fork near Walterhill supplied power to the area.

What floodplain soil does to trees

Trees in bottomland grow fast and often get very large, but they also live with saturated roots for weeks at a time. Waterlogged soil holds roots weakly. When a wet spring is followed by a line of thunderstorms, large trees near a riverbank are among the first to go over. We pay close attention to: 1. Undercut banks, where the river has eaten soil out from under one side of the root system 2. Trees that lean toward the water and have started to crack or lift soil on the uphill side 3. Dead tops on large bottomland trees, which tend to drop heavy pieces without warning 4. Old flood debris jammed against trunks, which can hide rot or bark damage

A preserve for one rare plant

The 34-acre Walterhill Floodplain State Natural Area was set aside to protect the Stones River bladderpod (Paysonia stonensis), a rare plant of this river system. State natural areas are public land and are not ours to cut. If your property borders the preserve, we keep debris, chips and equipment on your side, and we avoid spraying or dumping anything that could wash downslope.

Brush and wood out here

Walter Hill is outside Murfreesboro city limits, so city brush trucks are not part of the picture for most addresses. We chip limbs on site and either haul the chips or leave them as mulch, and trunk wood can be left in rounds if you want firewood. The community is also known locally as the site of the Middle Point landfill, but that does not mean residential tree debris can just be dropped off there; ask the operator about its rules before you haul.

Species that like wet feet

Bottomland along the Stones River tends to favor trees that tolerate flooding, such as sycamore, silver maple, boxelder and cottonwood. They grow quickly, which is why a tree planted near a creek can overtop a house in a couple of decades, and several of them have softer, more brittle wood than upland oaks. That is a trade-off to keep in mind when you decide whether to prune a big bottomland tree or take it down.

Typical requests

• Removing large, leaning or dead trees between the house and the river
• Pruning deadwood out of big shade trees over driveways and outbuildings
• Grinding stumps after removals so the ground can be mowed
• Clearing storm-downed trees off fences and lanes
• Checking trees after high water for root and trunk damage

Call before the ground dries out or after it floods

Call (615) 558-8730 or send the form. If the yard is soft, we may schedule for drier weather so the equipment does not rut the lawn. Get a free estimate