The ABC's of Tree Service: Tips for Everyone

Signs That You Should Have That Tree Removed

12 November 2015

Roberto Palmer

Eventually, that tree on your property is going to get old or diseased and simply collapse on its own. The danger here is obvious: if it collapses on its own, it may harm one of your family members or damage your property. It is therefore important to take preemptive action to prevent such occurrences.

In order to do that, you need to know when the time has come for your tree to be cut down. Here are a few indicators that can help you make that decision.

How does the trunk look?

You may not be an expert on trees but you can tell when your tree starts looking strange. If you see vertical cracks or seams on the trunk along with large, older wounds, your tree may be decaying internally and should be removed. However, if the wound is not too large i.e. less than 25% of the trunk, then it could heal on its own and there would be no need to remove it.

It is also important to check how hollow the tree is. Granted, for most trees the outer edges of the trunk can live for years even with a hollow trunk. However, if the trunk strength is compromised then it may be dangerous to keep the tree. As a rule, if a third of the interior of the tree is hollow or rotten, you should have it removed.

An arborist like Woodpecker Tree Services is better placed to make these assessments conclusively, so be sure to contact one when you see any of these signs.

How do the branches look?

Damaged branches are a normal occurrence especially for large trees. However, if the damaged branches are all on one side of the tree, the tree will be lopsided and a potential danger to you and your family. Further, this one-sided damage could be an indicator of root or trunk damage on that side. In this case, you need to call in a professional arborist to assess the health of the tree immediately and determine whether to have it removed or not.

How does the base of the tree look?

The roots of a tree are a great indicator of how the tree is doing. If there is obvious damage to and decaying of the roots then it means the tree has lost structural support and could fall at any moment. Also, if there is some space between the tree and the ground at the base of the tree, then it may be leaning and structurally unsound. In both cases, you need to have the tree removed.

If any of these are unclear, you can call in an arborist to check the fungus at the base of the tree, and determine how much damage has been done to the root system.

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