How To Tell If Your Tree is Dying
With so many of us spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only natural that you would spend more time out in the yard admiring your garden and trees. While rainy season is upon us and the trees in Vancouver are starting to lose their leaves, it can be difficult to tell if your tree is sick or just getting ready for winter. Dead trees come with a lot of risks to your property and family. When a tree dies, it no longer transports moisture or nutrients from the soil to its wood. In these cases, the wood is much more fragile and likely to break. Property damage and injuries from fallen branches can have catastrophic results. Here are a few things to watch out for when it comes to your trees.
Signs of a Dying Tree
Dying trees and dead trees can be a bit difficult to distinguish from each other, especially if you don’t have the experience and know-how. That’s why if you’re concerned about a tree on your property, you should call the tree specialists at Arbor City Tree Care to come and take a look. In the meantime, you can look for the following signs that your tree is dying.
1. Bent Structure
Dying trees often lean to one side or even bend due to the roots losing their strength. A leaning tree is a symptom that can indicate a sick or dying tree.
2. Cracks and Other Trunk Damage
A dying tree may have a continuous crack on the tree trunk. Severe damage to the trunk of your tree can greatly impact the likelihood of the tree’s survival. In addition to watchin gout for vertical cracks in the trunk, pay attention to the bark on the trunk. As a tree ages, it usually sheds its bark and replaces it with a new layer of bark. If new bark doesn’t appear and areas of smooth wood remain there, you may have a sick tree.
3. Bare Branches
The experts at Arbor City Tree Care can help remove a dead or dying tree from your property. Call today to find out more!
Healthy trees won’t have bare branches in times of year they should be covered in leaves. You know you have a tree problem if the leaves don’t drop off of the tree branches when they’re supposed to or if they don’t grow back when they’re supposed to (on deciduous trees). In some cases, deciduous trees will cling to dead leaves instead of dropping them. A dead branch could fall and cause problems for you or your neighbors if left untreated. Make sure to have a certified arborist or a tree service such as Arbor City Tree Care out to look at your tree if you believe it has dead branches.
4. Damaged Roots
Another warning sign that your tree is dying is root damage. The tree’s root system is critical to its health. A damaged root system can be evident in a few different ways. For example, you may have a leaning tree (as mentioned above) or you may actually be able to see exposed roots due to extreme elements or other weather conditions. The root zone for large trees is especially important to maintain. Mature trees still need healthy root systems to endure in any environment. Another symptom of a damaged root system are small branches sprouting out of the tree trunk near the ground. These branches are known as epicormic shoots. Epicormic shoots usually indicate poor tree health and that the tree is under a lot of stress.
5. Bracket Fungus
Another indication of poor tree health or a dead tree is the presence of certain types of fungi. If you notice large fungus such as shelf or bracket fungi on the tree trunk or branches, that could mean you have a dead tree or internal rot.
How Can Arbor City Tree Care Help You?
Weak branches and dead trees pose a potential hazard to both property and life. A falling tree can be a huge headache if not a disaster. If you suspect you have a dead tree or a dying tree near any power lines, it’s especially important to call the professionals at Arbor City Tree Care to investigate the issue. We can provide tree removal services along with maintenance of other trees on the property, especially during growing season. If you notice that the tree bark has fallen off or any of these other common symptoms of a sick tree, call us to set up an appointment!