Tree Removal in Manhattan, IL

Tree Removal in Manhattan usually involves younger trees than people expect. The village had 3,330 residents in 2000 and 9,385 in 2020, and its housing went from 1,163 units to 3,228 in those two decades. The Census Bureau estimated more than 10,700 residents by 2024. That means most Manhattan yards are less than 25 years old, and most of their trees are too. On paper young trees should be healthy. In practice, a lot of them were planted in compacted construction soil, in exposed spots, and sometimes as species that grow fast and break easily. When they fail, they tend to split rather than topple, and they often take a fence or a gutter with them.

Why wind matters here

Manhattan sits about 50 miles southwest of Chicago on open, mostly flat farm country. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie lies between Manhattan, Elwood and Wilmington, on the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and much of the land around the village is still prairie or field. There are few windbreaks between a summer storm and a backyard. Storms have a long history here: a tornado struck Manhattan on May 27, 1917, during a large late-May outbreak, and in 1925 lightning set off a crude oil tank fire south of the village that burned for over a day. Today the common damage is less dramatic, but split trunks and broken leaders after a thunderstorm are routine calls.

The usual Manhattan removals

1. Split young trees. A tree with two competing leaders splits down the middle in a gust. 2. Dead ash. Ash planted in newer subdivisions has been hit by emerald ash borer, which is expected to kill untreated ash within about ten years of arriving in an area. 3. Struggling trees in poor soil. Trees that never rooted well in compacted fill decline slowly, with thin crowns and dead tops. 4. Old farm trees. Some lots inherited fencerow or farmstead trees that are large, old and decaying. 5. Stumps. Lawn stumps from earlier removals, ground out so the yard can be leveled.

A young, family-heavy village

QuickFacts shows 30.6% of Manhattan residents under 18 and only 8.2% 65 or older, with 88.3% of homes owner-occupied and an average of 3.03 people per household. That means busy backyards. Before we cut, we ask about play sets, pools, dog runs and anything else in the work area, and we keep kids and pets well back while the work is going on.

Trails and public land

The Wauponsee Glacial Trail passes Manhattan, with an access point at Manhattan Road, and U.S. Route 52 runs through the village. Trees along the trail and on Midewin belong to public agencies. If your lot borders public land, we will make sure all work stays on your side of the line.

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