Trees beautify a property. They provide a cool shade, and they serve as shelters for city-dwelling birds. They remove pollutants from the air, create a restful atmosphere. Trees are indeed an asset when they’re healthy and well-maintained. However, an ailing or dying tree can pose hazards to the people, structures, and other trees around them.
Do you know how to tell a sick or dying tree when you see one? Are you aware of the actions to take when a tree on your property is revealing signs of poor health? As a responsible property owner, you need to know the signs of a diseased tree. If you catch it early enough, you can prevent the tree from dying. But if it’s already dead, immediate removal is required to ensure your safety.
Let this handy guide help you deal with ailing or dying trees.
Why Do Trees Get Sick?
Below are the common factors that affect tree health:
- Improper watering – Inadequate or excess hydration can be dangerous to a tree, especially in younger trees. Consider checking your drainage to see if it’s providing just the right amount of water for your tree. If there’s water pooling, it may be best to improve the drainage. But if your tree is not receiving enough hydration, the two best options are to water the tree manually or develop an automated watering system. This can happen anytime, but it is a common situation in dry weather or drought season.
- Improper fertilizer application – Most people don’t immediately think of this as a cause of tree sickness, but fertilizing the yard and applying the fertilizer too close to a tree can be harmful. Using organic fertilizers made from diseased plant material can also affect tree health, as the disease could spread to the tree. If you think there’s a need to fertilize the soil around your tree, test the area first before proceeding.
- Excess mulch – Mulch is highly useful in making a tree grow strong and healthy. But apply too much and it can cause a number of problems. Excess mulch suffocates the roots, interrupting tree growth. A thick mulch layer can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. These organisms can cause the tree to rot. In addition, insects can take shelter in an area with too much mulch. When this happens, it exposes the tree to parasites. Just put enough mulch around your tree to keep it healthy.
Identifying The Problem
Before trying to save a sick or dying tree, it’s essential to determine the cause of its disease with a tree inspection. Some of the telltale signs that a tree is sick include:
- Absence of leaves
- Discoloured leaves
- Spotted/holed leaves
- Cracks
- Decay
- The tree is bending/leaning
- Dried wood
In many cases, getting to the bottom of the problem requires the expertise of a certified arborist. A mistake in diagnosis might lead to the fast decay of the tree. To prevent this from happening, get the assistance of your local arborist to identify the problem accurately. And from there, you are able to take the next steps towards proper handling of the tree.
Signs Your Tree Is Dead
While an unhealthy tree can still be saved, a dead one requires immediate removal. A tree with brittle branches or missing leaves in one particular area might not be totally dead, but only requiring a judicious pruning. But a tree that has completely lost its leaves and has gone fragile is already dead.
Another sign that a tree could be dead is if it’s leaning to one side. A healthy tree has a strong root system that holds it in place. But when a tree’s root system dies, the tree begins to lose its grip, causing it to lean or bend. A leaning tree must be removed right away, as it might fall anytime and damage anything surrounding it. Have the tree removed before a strong wind or storm knocks the tree down.
What To Do With A Dying Or Dead Tree
A person who’s sick needs prompt attention from a doctor. The same can be said for trees. If you spot signs of disease in your tree, save it right away by calling an arborist. They are tree experts who have the proper tools and knowledge to diagnose and treat diseased trees.
- Treatment applications – If, upon assessment, your arborist finds out the tree can be saved, they will suggest a treatment. These treatments can include pest control methods and antifungal applications.
- Pruning – Cutting off the dead parts of the tree to keep them from affecting the rest can also save a sick tree. Various dying trees require specific pruning techniques, so it’s important that you’re familiar with these techniques. A little bit of research may be needed so you’d know how to tackle the job. After pruning the diseased areas, proper disposal is needed to prevent the disease from spreading to healthy trees.
- Tree removal – If the tree is dead and treatment methods are no longer an option, tree removal is the recommended option. The size and location of the tree can determine the gravity of the job. Regardless, call in a professional arborist. If the tree is close to power lines or encroaching an area of a home, your arborist needs advanced tools and methods to prevent damage to surrounding structures.
In several cases, a tree removal expert will deal with a large tree by removing it in sections. Using a cherry picker, the larger limbs are removed first, until the entire tree is removed. Your arborist may climb the tree if it’s located in a hard to reach area. The trunk is then taken down in sections. Smaller branches will be fed into a wood chipper, and the larger sections cut into manageable sizes and then disposed of.
Disposing Of A Dead Tree
You have two options for disposing of a tree after it’s been cut down.
- For a small tree, you may contact your local solid-waste company and arrange to take away the pieces. You may be able to place them in a “green bin” if your municipality has a garden-waste pickup service.
- A larger tree must be reduced to smaller pieces before it can be hauled away. For ease of transport, the pieces are frequently 2-3 feet in length.
After the tree has been cut down, you will be left with the stump. For a smaller tree, you can dig up the stump; for a larger tree, you will have to grind it down to remove it. If you decide to leave the stump in the ground for aesthetic reasons as a feature in your garden, you should paint the stump with an herbicide to discourage water sprouts from growing out of the stump.
Dealing with a sick and dying tree (from assessment, treatment, to removal and disposal) can be a tough job to handle. To breeze through the entire process, leave it up to Dave Lund Tree Service and Forestry Co Ltd. We provide a wide range of tree care services in Richmond Hill and nearby areas. Our ISA-certified arborists are trained and equipped with the right tools to take care of any sick or dying trees.
Call us today at (905) 884-0511 to book an appointment or leave a message on our Contact Page.