If there is an invasive tree species in your garden, your plants are struggling to grow in the shade of your tree, or you are simply tired of removing leaves from your pool, the best solution to these problems is tree removal. Tree removal can be dangerous and should always be left to professional tree fellers if the tree is large, rotten, or close to any buildings. If the tree is small to medium-sized and is safely positioned, you can then remove the tree yourself. Follow our step-by-step guide to successfully remove a tree from your garden. B&S Commercial Power is the proud supplier of Stihl chainsaws that will make your tree removal effortless and speedy.
Step-by-Step Guide for Tree Removal in Your Garden:
Tree removal is a challenging and potentially dangerous job in certain circumstances. You should always call a professional tree removal company if the tree is extremely large, is positioned near your home or a powerline, or is leaning or rotten. These factors require the expertise of skilled tree removers to avoid any damages to your property or hazardous situations that will threaten your safety.
If the tree in your garden that you want to be removed is healthy, is positioned at a safe distance from any buildings, powerlines, or the road, and the top of the trunk can be reached with either a step ladder or extension ladder, then you can take on the challenge. We have created a step-by-step guide for the removal of a small to medium-sized tree in your garden.
Step 1 – Preparation:
The first, and most important, step in the removal of a tree from your garden is preparation. The better you prepare for your tree removal the easier and safer this process will be. We have listed what you need to prepare before your start up your chainsaw.
Personal Safety Equipment: Safety is imperative when you are cutting a tree. You will need strong grip gloves, a helmet, goggles to prevent sawdust from getting in your eyes, a face mask, strong grip boots, hearing protection while you are using the chainsaw, and a harness.
Tools: You will need to have all your tools before you start your tree removal. For the trimming, you will need secateurs, a pole saw or extension lopper, and a handsaw. For the thicker branches and trunk, you will need a chainsaw. Additional tools you will need are an extension ladder, a shovel, and a rake.
Inform Your Family: You must inform your family of the time and day that you will be removing the tree. This will prevent them from coming outside and getting injured from falling branches or distracting you while you are working.
Inspect Tree and Surroundings: You need to inspect the tree and surroundings before you start. Check for any broken branches or weak points in the tree that will affect how you cut the tree. Also, look for any bird nests or insect nests that will need to be removed before your cut down the tree. Clear the tree surroundings of anything that can be damaged by the falling branches or tree trunk.
Step 2 – Trim Leaves and Thin Branches:
When you cut the tree trunk, you want the falling tree to be as neat and compact as possible to avoid any damage to your garden. This requires that you trim all the leaves and protruding branches. Follow these easy steps to remove all thin branches and leaves from the tree.
Use an Extension Lopper or Pole Saw: Depending on your preference or available tools, you can use either an extension lopper or pole saw to remove the thinner branches from your tree. Simply position yourself where you can easily cut the branch without it falling on you and start pruning the tree until the majority of the thinner branches are removed.
Put on Harness and Position Your Ladder: Put on your hardness and correctly attach it to the tree. Safely position your extension ladder against the tree at an angle that allows you to cut any small branches without being hit by the falling branch. It is important to have a firm, secure base for your extension ladder. If you can, ask a friend or family member to hold the base of the ladder to keep it secure.
Trim All Small Branches and Leaves with Secateurs or Handsaw: The thicker tree branches will have numerous smaller twigs growing off of them. These tiny twigs can be easily removed with the secateurs. For branches that are your wrist-thickness or less, you can use the handsaw to remove them.
Step 3 – Cut Thick Branches:
At this point, your tree should be devoid of any leaves and only have a few thicker branches left protruding from the trunk. You can use a handsaw for these thicker branches, but a chainsaw will make this step faster and effortless. Work from the bottom of the tree upwards, carefully sawing off all the thicker tree branches until you are left with just the tree trunk.
Step 4 – Cut Trunk:
At this point, you should be left with just the tree trunk. Before you start cutting the trunk, you need to decide on the safest falling direction for the tree. To do this, estimate the height of the tree and take a tape measure and measure the distance from the base of the tree. Make sure that this line is safe from any buildings or objects. Remove any fallen branches from this path so that the tree has a smooth landing.
Once you have created a clear and safe surrounding for your tree to fall, you then need to plan an escape route. The escape route is essential while the tree is falling to prevent you from becoming injured. Create a clear path away from the tree that you can easily walk along when the tree begins to fall.
Now you can start cutting the tree trunk with your chainsaw. Cutting the trunk of a tree requires the right techniques, which we have outlined in the steps below. Use these techniques in the correct position that will enable your tree to fall in the right direction.
Create a 70-degree Angle Notch: Place your chainsaw horizontally against the tree and cut a straight line. This cut should not go deeper than a third of the tree trunk’s diameter. Remove your chainsaw and then place it at a 70-degree angle above the cut line. Cut down diagonally until you reach the end of your horizontal line. Remove the wedge of wood from the tree. The notch-side of the tree is the direction the tree will fall in.
Back-cut: This step is when the tree will begin to fall, so be prepared to use your escape route. On the opposite side of the notch, you are going to use your chainsaw to back-cut the trunk. Place your chainsaw horizontally against your tree at a height slightly above the apex of your notch. Cut a straight line through a third of the diameter of your tree trunk, then move away. Your tree will begin to fall in the desired direction.
Step 5 – Root and Stump Removal:
To truly remove a tree from your garden, you need to also get rid of the tree stump and roots. Take your shovel and start carefully digging to expose all the roots of the tree. Depending on the tree root system and the quality of your soil, this can be a laborious and time-consuming process.
Once all your tree roots are exposed, you can use your handsaw to cut the thinner parts of the roots. After cutting all the roots, you should be able to push the stump back and forth until it becomes loose. Pull out the stump and roots and place them in a safe location.
Step 6 – Cleaning Up
Once you have removed the tree, you are going to have piles of branches, a large tree trunk, an exposed tree root system, an open hole in your ground, and leaves littered all around the space. At this point, you can hire a professional company to come and clean up your garden and take away the tree, branches, and leaves. If you want to clean up yourself, we have highlighted a few steps to follow.
Mulch Thin Branches and Fallen Leaves: If you own a mulcher, this is a perfect opportunity to create mulch for your garden. Rake up all the fallen leaves and place these through the mulcher. Trim all the thinner tree branches off your pile of branches with your secateurs and place these through the mulcher. You can then place the mulch in the hole where your tree was and cover it with sand.
Trim Branches into Kindling: Cut all the trimmed branches into equal-sized sticks. Place the sticks in a pile where they can dry out. Once dried out, these sticks are perfect for fire kindling.
Trim Roots and Stump: You can additionally use the roots for kindling. Simply cut all the roots off of the stump and allow it to dry out. Then you can cut your tree stump into smaller log sizes.
Cut Trunk into Logs: Using your chainsaw, you can cut the tree trunk into smaller log sizes. These logs can then be stored in a dry space and used as firewood at a later stage.
Stihl Chainsaws at B&S Commercial Power:
Cutting down trees is quick and easy with the power of a Stihl chainsaw. Stihl chainsaws are designed to be robust and high-performance, allowing you to effortlessly cut through trees and gnarled bushes. A Stihl chainsaw is a must-have power tool for tree felling and other garden maintenance.
You can find a wide variety of Stihl chainsaws at B&S Commercial Power. We provide a range of Stihl chainsaws so that you can find the perfect power and performance suited to your cutting needs. We have listed three of the Stihl chainsaws that you can find available in our Cape Town-based store or on our online store that are ideally suited to removing a small to medium-sized tree in your garden.
- Stihl MS250 Chainsaw: This Stihl chainsaw is powerful and lightweight, perfectly suited to trimming tree branches and cutting down small trees.
- Stihl MS361 Chainsaw: Speed and performance converge in the design of this Stihl chainsaw. With the lowest vibration levels in its class, it will be easy to use this chainsaw whilst cutting down your tree.
- Stihl MS382 Chainsaw: Rugged and robust, this is the Stihl chainsaw for you if you have multiple trees that you are removing from your property.
No matter where you are in Southern Africa, you can enjoy the performance of a Stihl chainsaw. With our trusted delivery service, we will deliver your purchased Stihl chainsaw to your home. Tree removal just got easier with a Stihl chainsaw and B&S Commercial Power.
Remove a tree from your garden with the power and speed of a Stihl chainsaw from B&S Commercial Power.