Tree Service in Ash Grove, MO

Tree Service in Ash Grove carries some irony. The town, laid out in 1853 about twenty miles northwest of Springfield, takes its name from a stand of ash trees near the original town site, and a post office has used the name since 1849. Today ash is the tree we spend the most time talking about here, because the emerald ash borer has reached Greene County and kills nearly every ash it infests.

When the borer arrived

In 2018, specialized traps caught emerald ash borer at three Greene County sites, including Rocky Barrens Conservation Area northwest of Springfield, and MDC added Greene County to its confirmed list that August. MDC's forest entomologist said the insect kills more than 99 percent of the trees it attacks within three to four years. The larvae feed under the bark in S-shaped galleries that cut off water and nutrients, so the tree starves from the top down. By the time the crown is visibly thin, the damage underneath is well along.

Treat or remove: how we decide

MDC gives owners a fairly clear framework, and we follow it:

• A healthy, high-value ash can be protected with insecticide, but treatment has to be repeated every year or two for as long as you want to keep the tree.
• Home-store products work best on trees under 20 inches in trunk diameter; larger trees need professional-only products, applied in early spring.
• An ash that has lost more than half of its leaves and branches should be removed, and MDC suggests replanting with a different species, such as a native oak.

The part MDC's guidance does not spell out is that a dead ash becomes brittle fast. It can snap unpredictably when it is cut, which makes climbing it riskier and sometimes means using a lift or felling it from a distance. Removing an ash while it is still mostly alive is usually safer and often costs less than waiting.

A historic setting

Ash Grove is also home to the Nathan and Olive Boone Homestead State Historic Site. Nathan Boone, a son of Daniel Boone, lived here until his death in 1856, and Berry Cemetery and the Gilmore Barn are also on the National Register. The town sits at about 1,047 feet, lower than much of the Springfield Plateau, and all of its roughly 1,512 residents are counted as rural. Lots in town are traditional small-town sizes, with larger farm properties all around.

What we do in and around Ash Grove

• Inspecting ash trees and recommending treatment or removal
• Removing dead ash before they become dangerous to cut
• Replacing lost shade with pruning of the trees that remain
• Farmstead tree removal and fencerow clearing
• Stump grinding so a replacement tree can go in nearby
• Storm cleanup across town and the surrounding countryside

Keep ash wood local

MDC says borers can emerge from ash logs and firewood for up to two years after cutting. Burn ash wood at home or have it chipped, and do not haul it to a cabin or campground in another area. If we remove your ash, we can leave the firewood stacked on site or haul everything.

Ask for an ash check

Call (417) 374-2037 or send the form with a photo of the tree. We will tell you honestly whether it is a candidate for treatment or should come down. Get a free estimate