How Can You Tell If A Tree Is Dying?
If you're a homeowner, it's important to take a few minutes every couple of months to inspect the trees on your property for signs of trouble. A sick tree will send off warning signals long before it dies. If you catch the problem early enough, you may be able to save the tree. If you don't, tree removal is the best option.
Here are the signs that one or more of your trees is in trouble:
The Leaves Are Discolored or Dying
If a pine tree's needles are turning brown or a shade tree's leaves suddenly yellow in the summer or develop discolored spots, that could indicate a pest infestation, a disease, or some missing nutrients in your soil.
The Canopy Looks Thinner
Healthy trees usually have thick, full canopies of leaves — and a dying tree will usually have sparse foliage, including small or misshapen leaves on some branches and no leaves at all on others.
There Are Dead Branches Everywhere
One dead and hanging branch could be the result of an injury in a storm, but several are a signal that something's amiss. If you see several dead branches with no leaves at all or there are dry, dead sticks all around the tree's base, that's a sign of a tree in serious distress. Healthy trees have flexible branches that don't look brittle or break off with every gust of wind.
The Bark Is Peeling Away From the Trunk
Aside from some trees that naturally produce loose bark, like white birches and sycamores, peeling bark on a tree's trunk is usually a sign that the tree is starving to death or infected with something. In those situations, you may need to have the tree cut down before it spreads the contagion to any other trees on your land.
There's Visible Mold or Rot
Rotted wood and fungus on a tree are never good. You may even be able to see inside the tree once the rot takes hold, and that usually means the tree is too far gone to save.
A dead or dying tree on your property poses a threat to your property and your safety. If you believe that you've identified a sick or dying tree, the wisest thing you can do is seek immediate professional advice. If your tree can't be saved, a tree removal service can get the tree down without putting your home or your family in danger.
For more info, contact a local tree removal service.