Tree Trimming Service: Knowing the Signs of Diseased or Dying Trees | Dallas Fort Worth Area

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Here’s one thing you should know about trees: they’re never going to die of old age. Free of disease, a tree could live for centuries or even longer without ever needing you to worry about calling a tree trimming service.

However, outside of forests, it’s rare for a tree to last for centuries without getting attacked by a pest of some kind. In recent years, the dreaded emerald ash borer has made its way to the Metroplex, and estimates suggest that about 1 in 20 trees in the forests of the Dallas Fort Worth area is vulnerable to this pest.

Because of its presence and the existence of diseases, it’s important that you know the signs that a tree needs your help. That’s because when a tree is sick in just one area, a service can save the tree by cutting away the diseased wood and saving the rest of the tree. But as with most potential problems, early detection is critical to save trees and allow them to recover. Here’s what you should look for so that you can call a tree trimming service in time to save a diseased tree!

Leafless Branches

Tree branches are meant to have leaves, as they provide the food the tree needs to grow properly. A portion of your tree that isn’t showing any leaves during the spring is a portion of the tree that’s got some kind of problem.

The time to worry and look at calling for a tree trimming service is when there are no buds forming in the springtime. That’s a sign that the problem isn’t related to the weather, but instead has something to do with disease. Unfortunately, if it’s allowed to fester in your tree, disease can spread to other parts of the tree and prevent it from producing the fuel it needs to survive. That’s why it’s important to call in a service so that you can remove the diseased branch before the disease has a chance to spread.

Branch Fractures

Under normal conditions, a tree branch can hold a fair amount of weight without even buckling. That’s one reason that tree swings and tree houses have long been popular with kids: they’re usually a safe way to have a lot of fun. But when the emerald ash borer gets involved with a tree, branches can start to fracture even without carrying weight on them. When branches show signs of splitting apart, bending at a slight touch or otherwise collapsing, that’s a good sign that a borer has gone to work on the tree and ruined that branch.

Once you see an issue with branch fractures, call in a tree trimming service mitigate the damage. Even if the borer kept the damage to one area of the tree, that branch is still going to have to come down, because the damage done to its integrity will cause it to fall eventually — and you don’t want to have you or a loved one standing under it when that day comes. It’s a much better solution to call in an expert to get rid of the branch before it causes injury.

Missing Bark

When you’ve got a healthy tree, you’ll find it covered in bark. When something has gone wrong with the tree, you might find sections of bark missing, leaving the wood exposed to the elements. But here’s something you might not know: your tree’s bark is absolutely critical to keeping nutrients where they belong. If your tree has lost some of its bark, it’s not holding all the things it needs to stay healthy, and it’s going to weaken over time.

Again, if you find bark missing in only one area of your tree, you’ll want to call a tree trimming service as soon as possible. If you catch the problem early enough, you’ll be able to get help from experts who can save your tree with just one or two branches missing — a small price to pay to keep a tree alive.

Why Do I Need a Tree Trimming Service?

Given that the problem seems fairly straightforward, some homeowners might be wondering why they should bother calling someone to trim the branches off of their trees. After all, isn’t it as simple as identifying the problem branch and getting rid of it?

Here’s the thing: it definitely isn’t. Tree trimming is not something for the average person to try to do on their own, because there’s a lot more that goes into taking care of your trees. For example, did you know that a tree’s branches will grow back weaker after being cut, if they regrow at all? A tree trimming service will know that and will know exactly when it’s necessary to trim a branch and when the tree will be just fine without trimming it.

Tree trimming also isn’t for the average person because of the high chance of making a mistake. Even if you follow all safety precautions for yourself, that doesn’t mean that you know the right place to cut a branch on your tree. If you cut in the trunk wood instead of into the branch, you’ll have done serious damage to your tree that will likely require the help of an expert anyway. Instead, it’s a much better idea to simply call in a tree trimming service in the Dallas Fort Worth area and let them put their expertise to work to help save your tree from disease.

Remember, disease can strike your trees at any moment, and if that occurs, the last thing that you want to do is make the problem worse. At S&P Tree Service, we’re proud to have the knowledge and skills necessary to save the trees of the Metroplex, and we pride ourselves on providing a tree trimming service that only cuts what’s necessary to help the tree fend off disease and pests. Contact us today to get help with removing a diseased branch!