Tree Service in Gretna, LA

Tree Service in Gretna starts below ground. The USDA's official description of the Harahan soil series lists its type location in Gretna, in Jefferson Parish. Harahan soils are very fine clays formed in alluvium on the backswamp of the lower Mississippi flood plain. They are poorly drained, with very slow permeability and a water table 12 to 36 inches down most of the year. Levees keep floodwater out and pumps keep the water table down. The native cover on this ground was bottomland hardwoods.

What heavy, wet clay does to a tree

Roots need air as much as water. In soil like this, with the water table often within three feet of the surface, most of a tree's roots stay in a shallow layer. That has a few consequences we see in Gretna yards: 1. Trees develop wide, flat root plates instead of deep anchors, so a soaked lawn plus strong wind can tip them. 2. Roots surface along sidewalks and driveways because that is where the air is. 3. Compaction from parking or construction hurts more than usual, since there is little deeper soil for roots to fall back on. 4. Species adapted to bottomland, such as live oak, bald cypress and swamp red maple, generally do better than upland trees.

A long-settled city

Gretna is one of the oldest settled places on the West Bank. John McDonogh founded McDonoghville in 1815, the first subdivision in Jefferson Parish, and Gretna itself was settled in 1836 as Mechanikham. The city incorporated in 1913 and is the parish seat. Older blocks near the river have trees that have been in place for generations, while the neighborhoods farther from the levee are newer.

During Katrina, Gretna did not flood, although it lost power, water and sewer service. Trees here were spared the long soak that killed so many across the river, which is one reason the city has a good stock of older canopy trees today.

Grading and fill around trunks

Because Gretna sits behind the river levee at roughly sea level, homeowners sometimes bring in fill to raise a low yard or a driveway. Piling even a few inches of soil over a tree's root zone on clay like this can smother the roots that are already crowded near the surface. If you are planning fill or a new slab near a large tree, talk to us first so we can mark where the main roots run.

A lot of renters, a lot of shared trees

Census QuickFacts for 2020-2024 shows a 48.8% owner-occupied rate in Gretna, so many properties are rentals or multi-unit buildings. A large tree on one of those lots is the owner's responsibility, but tenants are usually the first to notice a cracked limb. Owners and property managers can call us to inspect and quote; we send the written estimate to whoever is paying.

Public trees

Gretna is an incorporated city, so for trees on the public strip or city property, contact the City of Gretna before any work begins.

Phone (504) 384-7694 or use the request form to arrange a visit. Get a free estimate