What Is Full Stump Removal?

On the other hand, full stump removal is a more intensive process. Instead of grinding the stump down, full removal extracts the entire stump — including the root ball — from the ground.

This typically involves heavy excavation equipment. The roots are cut and the entire root system is physically pulled out. The result is a larger hole in your yard — but the stump and roots are completely gone.

As a result, full removal leaves a completely clean slate. There are no remaining roots underground. However, it also leaves a significant void that requires filling with soil and leveling before any new planting or landscaping can happen.

What You Can Plant Right Now in Arizona

Trees

Fall is prime time for both desert-adapted natives and many ornamental shade trees. Our team handles professional tree planting for palo verdes, mesquites, desert willows, and Texas ebony — all of which do best installed now, giving them a full cool season to root in before summer. Curious which shade tree fits your yard best? We cover our top picks in our desert-adapted shade tree guide.

Shrubs & Perennials

Flowering shrubs like Texas sage, yellow bells, and brittlebush, along with cool-season perennials, establish quickly in fall soil and will often bloom through winter and into spring. Not sure what fits your landscape design? Our planting and landscaping team can help you choose varieties suited to your yard’s sun and soil.

Grass & Lawns

If you have a Bermuda lawn, now is the time to overseed with winter ryegrass for a lawn that stays green all season, following guidance from the University of Arizona’s turfgrass research program. Starting a brand-new lawn from sod? Fall is also an excellent window, since cooler temps mean less stress while the sod knits into your soil.

Groundcovers & Cacti

Many cacti and succulents also transplant more successfully in cooler months, when they’re not actively fighting heat stress while their root systems adjust.

Ready to plant this fall? Get a free consultation from PROS Tree & Landscape and let our team help you choose and install the right trees, shrubs, and turf for your yard — or call (480) 470-7577 today.

Pavers & Travertine: The Foundation of a Backyard Upgrade

Pavers and travertine patios, walkways, and pool decks are one of the highest-value hardscaping investments for Phoenix homeowners — they hold up to intense sun without cracking the way poured concrete sometimes can, and they open up nearly unlimited design options.

Things to consider:

• Travertine stays noticeably cooler underfoot than concrete or dark pavers, which matters even in the mild months.
• Paver patterns and borders can tie together separate zones of your yard — a dining area, a fire pit, a path to a side gate — into one cohesive design.
• A properly installed paver base with the right drainage slope prevents pooling during Arizona’s rainy stretches.

What to Do: A September Citrus Care Checklist

1. Fertilize with a Citrus-Specific, Nitrogen-Rich Formula

Citrus trees need more nitrogen than most other landscape trees, along with iron and zinc to prevent the yellowing (chlorosis) that’s so common in desert soil. Look for a fertilizer labeled specifically for citrus, and apply it according to label rates based on your tree’s size and canopy spread — more is not better, and over-fertilizing can burn roots or push out weak growth right before cooler weather arrives. If you’re not sure whether the issue is nutrients or something happening below the surface, our soil treatment specialists can test and correct what your tree is actually dealing with.

Apply the fertilizer evenly under the tree’s full canopy (not piled against the trunk), then water it in thoroughly so the nutrients move down into the root zone where they can actually be used.

2. Check Your Watering Schedule as Temperatures Shift

September in Phoenix can still bring 100-degree days, but the cooler nights mean your citrus tree’s water needs are starting to change. Deep, infrequent watering is still the goal — water should soak down 2 to 3 feet and extend out to at least the edge of the canopy, since that’s where the feeder roots are concentrated. As temperatures continue to drop through fall, you’ll gradually stretch the time between waterings. For a closer look at proper depth and timing, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Irrigating Citrus Trees guide is a great reference — or our irrigation team can evaluate and adjust your system for the season.

3. Refresh the Mulch Layer

A 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch, spread out to the edge of the canopy (and kept a few inches away from the trunk itself), helps regulate soil temperature and lock in moisture as the season transitions. If your mulch has broken down or thinned out over the summer, September is a great time to top it off.

4. Watch for Signs of Nutrient Deficiency

Take a walk around your tree and look at the leaves. Yellowing between the veins while the veins themselves stay green is a classic sign of iron deficiency, which is extremely common in Arizona’s alkaline soil. Overall pale or yellow foliage, on the other hand, often points to a nitrogen shortage. Catching these signs now — before your fall fertilizer application — helps you choose the right formula and correct the problem before it affects next year’s fruit.

10 Warning Signs Your Tree Needs Emergency Removal Right Now

1. The Tree Is Leaning Suddenly or Significantly

First and foremost, a tree that has developed a sudden new lean — especially after a storm — is a serious red flag. Not all leaning trees are emergencies. A tree that has always had a slight lean may be perfectly stable. However, a tree that has shifted its angle recently is telling you something important. Its root system may have partially failed.

Look for soil lifting or cracking around the base of the tree. This is a clear sign the roots have moved. Consequently, the tree is no longer anchored securely. The next wind gust could bring it down entirely — without warning.

2. The Trunk Has a Large Crack or Split

Furthermore, a vertical crack or split in the main trunk is one of the most serious structural failures a tree can have. This type of damage means the two main sections of the trunk are no longer structurally unified. They can separate completely under wind load — or even under their own weight.

A cracked trunk near your home is a genuine emergency. A crack that extends deep into the wood — not just the bark surface — needs immediate professional assessment. Don’t wait and hope it stays together.

3. Large Branches Are Hanging in the Canopy

Moreover, hanging branches — called widow makers — are one of the most deceptive hazards in the tree world. They look like they’re staying up. They are not. A widow maker can fall at any moment — in wind, in rain, or on a perfectly calm day.

Large hanging branches above your driveway, patio, pool, vehicle, or anywhere people walk need to come down immediately. Our emergency tree service team can handle widow maker removal quickly and safely — usually within the same day you call. The USDA Forest Service notes that urban trees in hot, arid climates with compacted soils are significantly more prone to structural failure than trees in natural environments.

4. The Tree Is Touching Power Lines

Any tree or branch making contact with power lines is a utility emergency first — and a tree emergency second. Do not approach it. Do not attempt to cut anything near power lines under any circumstances.

Call your utility company immediately to report the contact. Then contact our emergency tree service team. We coordinate with utility companies on power line situations and have the training and equipment to work safely in these conditions.

5. More Than 50% of the Root System Is Exposed

Moreover, when a storm saturates Arizona’s dense caliche soil, root systems can shift or partially pull out of the ground. A tree with significant root exposure — soil lifting, roots visible at the surface, or the tree pulling away from the ground on one side — has lost critical anchoring.

In this condition, the tree is highly unstable. As a result, even a moderate wind gust can finish what the storm started. A partially uprooted tree near any structure needs to be assessed — and almost always removed — immediately.

6. The Tree Has Fallen on a Structure

Additionally, if a tree or large branch has already come down on your home, fence, garage, or pool — that is an immediate emergency. Do not try to move it yourself.

Fallen trees are under tension. Cutting the wrong place can cause the tree to roll, spring, or shift dangerously. Beyond that, a tree resting on your roof adds significant weight that accelerates structural damage with every passing hour — especially if more rain follows.

Call (602) 216-0400 — We Respond 24/7

7. The Trunk Sounds Hollow When Tapped

Additionally, internal decay is invisible from the outside — but it dramatically reduces a tree’s structural integrity. Tap the trunk in several places. A solid trunk produces a dense thud. A hollow or decayed trunk produces a noticeably hollow, resonant sound.

If your tree sounds hollow — especially in the main trunk or at the base — it may be far more compromised than it looks. Consequently, that tree needs a professional assessment right away. Internal decay combined with storm damage is one of the most dangerous combinations our arborists encounter. 

8. Mushrooms or Fungal Growth at the Base

Furthermore, mushrooms or fungal growth at or near the base of a tree indicate active fungal decay inside the root system or lower trunk. The root system may already be significantly compromised — even if the tree looks healthy above ground.

A tree with root rot gets worse over time — not better. In other words, this does not resolve itself. It requires immediate professional assessment and often emergency removal before the next storm makes the decision for you.

9. The Tree Has Dead Wood Throughout the Entire Canopy

Moreover, a tree with more than 50% of its canopy dead is not just stressed — it’s likely dying or already dead. Dead wood is brittle. It breaks unpredictably under wind. During a storm, a tree full of dead wood becomes a source of flying debris.

Use the scratch test. Gently scratch the bark on several branches with your fingernail. Green, moist tissue underneath means the branch is alive. Brown, dry tissue means it’s dead. If most branches test dead throughout the canopy — that tree needs to come down before the next storm.

10. The Tree Is Hanging Over a High-Risk Target

Finally, target assessment is a critical part of any hazard evaluation. The exact same damage can be a low-priority situation or a genuine emergency — depending entirely on what’s underneath the tree.

High-risk targets include:

• Your home or any occupied structure
• Vehicles parked underneath or nearby
• Swimming pools and outdoor living areas
• Children’s play equipment
• Utility lines
• Neighboring property or structures

Simply put, a damaged tree hanging over an open dirt area can often wait for a scheduled appointment. That same tree hanging over your master bedroom cannot wait an hour.

5 Factors That Determine Whether Your Tree Will Survive

Factor 1: Where the Branch Broke

First and foremost, location is everything. A branch that broke further out from the trunk — on an outer limb — is much easier to survive than one that failed right at the trunk or at a major crotch union.

Here’s why that matters. Breaks close to the trunk remove critical structural wood. They also expose a much larger wound surface to pests and disease. Consequently, the closer the break is to the main trunk, the more serious the impact on the tree’s overall survival.

On the other hand, an outer limb break — even a large one — leaves the tree’s core structure intact. As a result, the tree has a much stronger foundation to recover from.

Factor 2: How Much Canopy Remains

Furthermore, the amount of healthy canopy still on the tree directly affects its ability to survive. Trees produce energy through photosynthesis — and they need leaves to do that.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb our arborists use:

• 75% or more of the canopy still intact — strong survival odds
• 50% to 75% of the canopy remaining — moderate odds with proper care
• Less than 50% of the canopy remaining — serious concern; removal may be the safer option

In other words, the more healthy green canopy that survived, the more energy the tree can produce to fuel its own recovery. A tree with very little canopy left simply doesn’t have enough fuel to heal itself.

Factor 3: How Clean the Break Is

Additionally, the nature of the break itself makes a big difference. A clean break is actually easier for a tree to recover from than a jagged, splintered tear.

Why? Because trees don’t heal the way humans do. Instead, they compartmentalize damage — growing new tissue called callus around the wound to seal it off over time. A clean break gives the tree a smaller, more defined surface to work with. A jagged tear creates a large, irregular wound that takes much longer to seal.

As a result, a professional corrective cut — made at the right location by a certified arborist — can significantly improve recovery odds even after a messy storm break. Our tree trimming team makes these corrective cuts every day across the Valley.

Factor 4: The Health of the Tree Before the Damage

Moreover, a healthy tree going into storm damage has dramatically better recovery odds than one that was already stressed. A tree dealing with drought stress, pest damage, or disease before the branch fell is starting from a much weaker position.

According to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, pre-existing tree stress is one of the most significant factors in whether a storm-damaged tree recovers or continues to decline. In other words, a well-cared-for tree is a resilient tree. Our certified arborists can assess your tree’s overall health and give you an honest recovery outlook.

Factor 5: How Fast You Act

Finally, timing is critical. A fresh wound on a tree in Arizona’s summer heat is an open invitation for bark beetles, wood borers, and fungal spores. These threats can arrive within hours of the damage occurring.

Therefore, the faster you get a professional assessment and proper corrective cut done, the better your tree’s chances. Don’t wait a week. Don’t wait a few days. Act today.

Call (602) 216-0400 — 24/7 Storm Damage Response
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