Trees are sometimes difficult to understand. They add beauty and variety to your landscape, but they can also be tricky to prune and train properly. One of the most confusing aspects of caring for a tree is knowing when the tree is at the end of its life. You might wonder if the tree could bounce back with good pruning or more water or better fertilizer.
If you have a tree that seems to be struggling for survival, here's how you can know if the tree can be saved or if it really is dying and beyond help.
Check the Foliage
One of the easiest ways to know whether or not your tree will make it is by assessing the foliage. Trees use their leaves to make food through photosynthesis. If most of the leaves are missing or if they are all dying, it's difficult for a sick tree to recover because it needs the energy that the leaves make for the tree. If your tree is infected with an insect or blight that kills leaves you may still have a chance to save it. An arborist can provide you with the right pesticide or treatment to kill the infection and get the leaves growing again.
Look for Missing Bark
Bark provides protection for the tree, but it has another essential function: transportation of nutrients. The innermost layers of the bark have the phloem that sends sugars down from the leaves to the roots. If the bark is removed, the pathway of nutrition is interrupted and the roots will begin to die. Sometimes, patches of bark can be fixed with grafting and patching, but this requires the skill of a tree service. If the bark has been removed in a full circle around the tree, it cannot be saved. This sometimes occurs in the winter when bark is eaten by rabbits or deer for food.
Check Major Branches for Damage
Finally, the third most essential part of the tree is the major structural branches. The trunk of the tree flows up into a central leader that directs and supports the growth of all the other branches. If the trunk or leader is severely damaged, like the kind of damage that comes from topping a tree or from a bad storm, the tree will most likely die. Losing major branches can also be a problem because the tree is left unbalanced. Structural balance gives a tree stability in inclement weather.
If you have a tree that needs to be removed because of severe growth troubles, infection, or damage, contact a tree removal service in your area.
Share15 August 2017
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
