If you have trees on your property, it is up to you as the homeowner to make sure that they are alive and well. When you have dead trees, they can be a danger to your property and anyone that goes near them. However, many trees will go into dormancy during the winter months. For some, it might be difficult to determine what trees need to be removed and what trees are simply dormant. Arbor Improvements is here to talk about the way that you can tell if your tree is dead or dormant this spring.
Methods to Determine Tree Death or Dormancy
When you have a tree on your property that is dead, it is important to have the tree removed as soon as possible. Here are some of the ways that you can determine whether or not your tree is dead or just in dormancy.
– Buds: The first way to know whether or not your tree is dead is to take a closer look at the crown of the tree. If the tree is still alive, you should see buds starting to form. Buds start to form in the crown of a tree long before the tree starts to bloom out in the spring. If the tree is dead, it won’t start to grow buds when springs starts to peek through.
– Snap & Scratch Branch Test: Another helpful tip in determining whether or not your tree is alive is the snap and scratch test. When you bend a branch on a tree that is alive, it should simply bend rather than snap. When the branch snaps, that branch clearly has no life in it. You can also scratch the surface of branches to see if there is any green color poking through which indicates life.
– Evaluate Tree Roots: You can tell a lot about the health of a tree from the roots as well. If you look at the tree roots and find that there are signs of decay, it means that the tree is either close to death or has already died. If this is what you find, you should also look for any fungi around the base of the tree as it is also a sign that decomposition is in progress.
– Assess Tree Trunk: Along with the roots, the trunk of the tree is a great way to see the health of the tree too. You shouldn’t be able to see any cracks, decay or wounds in the trunk of the tree. You also don’t want to see any swelling or shrinkage in the trunk. It should stand straight and should be the same diameter all the way around.
Trimming, Pruning, Emergency Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, & More in Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Union and Spartanburg, SC
If you are inspecting your trees and suspect that they are in trouble, you can turn to Arbor Improvements to come take a closer look. We will inspect the tree and determine whether or not it is still alive or is dead and needs to be removed from your property. We will take care of all your tree care needs. Call us today!
