CHOP Nashville urges homeowners to check trees before storm season

CHOP Nashville is urging Nashville homeowners to inspect trees for dead limbs, decay and structural weakness before fall and winter weather adds stress. The company says early checks can help reduce storm damage and identify trees that need pruning, cabling or removal.

Why it matters: - Fall and winter storms can turn hidden tree defects into safety hazards around homes, driveways and streets. - Early checks can help homeowners spot problems before high winds and heavy weather increase the chance of falling limbs or tree failure. - Mature trees are common in older Nashville neighborhoods, where ongoing maintenance can protect both property and canopy value.

What happened: - CHOP Nashville, a locally owned tree service with ISA Certified Arborists on staff, issued guidance for Nashville homeowners as leaves begin to change and drop. - The company said this is a useful time to inspect trees for signs of declining health or structural weakness before winter weather adds stress. - CHOP Nashville also invited homeowners to request a consultation or free estimate by calling (629) 468-2960 or visiting CHOP Nashville online.

The details: - Homeowners should look for dead, hanging or broken branches, cracks in the trunk or major limbs, cavities or soft areas in the wood, mushrooms or fungal growth near the base, significant leaning, exposed or lifted roots, and tight V-shaped unions where two main stems meet. - Those signs can point to declining tree health or structural weakness that needs professional attention. - A tree can have problems even if it does not look obviously unhealthy from the ground. - Early color changes or premature leaf drop can signal stress while leaves are still present. - After leaf fall, deadwood, weak branch attachments and other structural issues are easier to spot in the bare canopy. - A certified arborist can evaluate a tree’s health, structure and surroundings and recommend the next step. - Possible outcomes include removing deadwood, selective pruning, cabling or bracing, continued monitoring or removal when a tree cannot be safely retained. - CHOP Nashville says its services include tree health consulting, pruning, tree inventory, arborist consulting, tree removal and emergency tree services. - The company says it is licensed and insured and uses specialized equipment, including an in-house GrappleSaw crane, for certain tree work.

Between the lines: - The guidance reflects a practical shift from viewing trees as scenery to treating them as living structures that need periodic inspection. - In neighborhoods with older trees, the risk is less about visible decline and more about hidden structural defects that can become obvious only after weather stress or leaf drop. - CHOP Nashville is positioning arborist review as preventive maintenance rather than a response after damage occurs.

What's next: - Homeowners who are unsure about a tree’s condition can schedule an assessment before storm season peaks. - CHOP Nashville said evaluations can help determine whether a tree can be kept safely with maintenance or should be removed. - The company serves Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Belle Meade, Oak Hill, Forest Hills, Davidson County and Williamson County. - CHOP Nashville says its team includes ISA Certified Arborists and that the company has been in business 13 years with 36 years of experience.

The bottom line: - A quick tree health check now can reduce the chance that hidden damage becomes a storm-season emergency later. - Jon Eric, owner of CHOP Nashville, said healthy trees and safe trees are closely connected and that arborist inspections can help prevent surprises.