Healthy, well-maintained trees add value to properties and boost their curb appeal. Trees with infestations, severe trunk damage and other issues put homes and homeowners at risk. Identifying structurally unsound trees on your grounds is part of fulfilling your duty of care. With the right interventions, you can avoid costly liability issues, roof damage and personal injuries. Check your trees for the following five warning signs that they are unstable.
1. Overly Dense Canopies
Even healthy trees are at risk of being uprooted or losing multiple limbs and branches if they don’t receive the right care. Having your trees’ limbs trimmed before a big storm will stabilize them in multiple ways. Not only does professional pruning service remove weak, breakage-prone structures, but it also thins out dense, heavy canopies.
If you have a tall tree with a relatively thin trunk, a dense canopy will make it structurally unsound, especially during times of heavy wind. Fortunately, the solution is easy. Schedule tree care service today.
2. Mushrooms and Other Fungal Growths
Mushrooms at the base of trees give backyards a fairy-like, forest aesthetic. However, certain types of mushrooms and the wrong locations for them could indicate serious, progressive problems that make trees unstable.
When mushrooms grow on the base or trunk of a tree, the tree could have fast-advancing root rot or other internal decay. When honey fungus grows on a tree, this clustered, honey-brown mushroom attacks its roots. Given that the right mushrooms in the right locations could be a sign of healthy, fertile soil, it’s best to have a tree care expert inspect your trees whenever they have mushrooms on or around them.
3. Leaning
Sudden changes in tree posture are a sign of instability. If the last storm that swept through the area left one of your trees leaning, have it inspected right away. Leaning is often the result of root trouble, wind-force damage, disease or overly dense canopies.
4. Cracked, Split, or Hanging Limbs and Branches
Large cracks and splits along limbs and branches greatly increase their risk of breaking off and falling. A falling tree limb can crush or collapse your roof, seriously damage a nearby car, or cause potentially fatal injuries. If you have dead or hanging limbs on any of your trees, have them cut off right away.
5. Massive Infestations
Every tree is filled with countless creeping, crawling and flying creatures. Some are visible to the naked eye, while others require a magnifying glass or microscope to see. Although most of what lives on your trees supports tree health, trees with major infestations are rarely structurally sound. They can also spread their problems to other trees.
Several common tree pests to look out for are:
- Aphids
- Spider mites
- Scale insects
- Emerald ash borers
- Bark beetles
If your trees have exposed, yellowing inner bark, chewed leaves, or multiple holes drilled into their trunks and branches, have them inspected for infestation and instability.
Checking for and addressing structurally unsound trees will give you peace of mind. When the next storm rolls in, you won’t have to worry about tree-related property damage or potentially devastating injuries. For expert tree trimming or tree removal services in Mobile, AL, contact South Coast Outdoor Service.
