Even if you're not much of a gardener or landscaper, there's something undeniably beautiful about trees. These majestic plants tend to dominate any landscape and can often act as central features in residential and commercial landscaping. Their long lives and relatively slow growth also mean that they typically represent a significant investment in your property.
Unfortunately, trees face many threats. Physical damage, pest infestations, and disease can slowly wear down even the hardiest tree, leaving you with a potentially hazardous problem on your hand. Falling trees kill several people annually, and many of these deaths may be avoidable with better awareness of their dangers.
Why Do Dead and Dying Trees Fall?
Trees often seem like immovable objects, but their stability is far from guaranteed. A tree relies on the strength of its trunk and root system to remain firmly in place, and health issues can weaken these elements. A dying tree may become especially dangerous if its root system is already rotting away since these roots are necessary to help it withstand strong winds.
Dying trees can also cause damage without uprooting. As a tree weakens with age or disease, its branches become more brittle and less flexible. This flexibility is necessary to allow the branches to bend rather than break in the wind, so stiff and lifeless branches can be a severe hazard. Large trees may have branches heavy enough to cause severe damage or injuries all on their own.
How Do You Know If a Tree Is Dangerous?
Like people, trees can exhibit a wide range of symptoms when sick or injured. It can be challenging for many homeowners to spot all the common signs of disease, especially since they can vary between tree species. Instead, you can look for a few telltale indications that a tree might be in serious trouble or even dying.
Common symptoms include visible rot, heavy fungus growth on the trunk or around the base, and missing or heavily discolored foliage. Trees usually begin to form leaves as temperatures warm up in mid-Spring, so pay close attention to trees that seem to be struggling to develop foliage. A tree that remains bare as summer starts is a sure sign of trouble.
What Can You Do?
If you notice a severely damaged tree on your property, you generally only have two options: attempt to save it or remove it. Both options generally require the help of a professional tree service. While you can probably take the steps necessary to save a tree on your own, you'll want to rely on a professional to evaluate it, suggest a course of action, and determine if you can still salvage the tree.
In the event that an expert examines your tree and determines that it can't be saved, it's crucial to schedule a removal as soon as possible. Dead and dying trees can be unpredictable, losing branches or even falling without warning. Hiring a professional to remove these trees from your property is the best and safest way to prevent your trees from causing a serious accident.
If you need professional tree removal, call a tree service in your area.
Share18 July 2022
After we moved into our house, we knew that something had to be done about our trees. The branches looked off-kilter, and we could tell that someone had pruned them incorrectly at one time or another. Unfortunately, we weren't really sure how to repair the damage. A family friend talked with us about hiring a professional tree trimmer, and so we called them the next day. The difference that they made was astounding. They removed dead branches, trimmed up the shape, and let more sunlight through. My blog is all about improving the look of your trees by hiring a professional.