Black walnut trees are prized for several reasons. They look magnificent with their wide, shady branches and deep green leaves. Plus, the wood of black walnut trees is also dark-colored and uniquely beautiful, and it is therefore sought after for various woodworking and carpentry projects. Therefore, if you have a black walnut tree on your property, the decision to remove it is not an easy one. You'll need to weigh the value of the wood against the natural beauty of the tree as you make this decision. If you're considering having your black walnut tree removed, here are a few tips that should help you make a wise decision.

Check for canker diseases.

Canker diseases are tree diseases that cause the bark to develop craters, or holes. These craters are essentially wounds. They often seep black or brown fluid. There are a few different canker diseases that can affect black walnut trees, but the most common of them is Thousand cankers disease, or TCD. TCD causes numerous small cankers on the tree's trunk and branches. If a walnut tree has thousand cankers disease, then it really should be removed. There's no good cure for this disease, and removing the tree helps prevent the spread of the infection to other trees in the area. (Walnut trees are not the only trees susceptible to TCD; they just seem to get it more often than other trees.)

The downside to having a walnut tree with TCD removed is that the wood may not be as valuable. Some of it may be marred with scarring from the cankers.

Get an estimate for the wood.

Black walnut wood is quite valuable, and if you have the tree removed, you can likely find a carpenter or lumber yard that is willing to buy the wood from you. Look for wood buyers in your area, and have one or two of them give you a quote for the wood while the tree is still standing. Use this to inform your decision as to whether you should remove the tree. For instance, if the removal will cost $500 but someone will pay you $800 for the wood, then removing the tree is a great choice, financially. If you're worried about sustainability, just plant another tree in place of the walnut.

Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into the unique intricacies involved with removing a black walnut tree. Contact a tree removal service to learn more. 

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