Preventing Tree Disasters and Spring Maintenance for Your Yard

Monster Tree Service was recently featured on About.com in a Q&A titled "Preventing Tree Disasters and Spring Maintenance for Your Yard." The article was based off an interview with editor Vanessa Richins Myers and Max Wahrhaftig, Monster Tree Service ISA Certified Arborist. The Q&A goes in-depth to decipher a variety of important issues that may arise with your tree (e.g. if your tree is dead, what trees are most susceptible to storm damage, how close you should plant a tree near your house, how you can tell if the root system is compromised). Read an excerpt from the article below: 

1)How can I know if my tree is dead and not just dormant? What changes and signs can you look for in your tree?

There are several ways to tell if a tree has died. First, in North America, all trees should have leaves on their branches by the end of May. If it's June and your tree has no leaves, it has died. Second, check the buds. Are there buds at the tips of the branches? Are they soft and moist, or dry and crumbly? If the buds are dead or absent, your tree has died. Third, use a fingernail or a knife to scratch off a small area of bark on a small stem. If you can't find any green tissue underneath, or at least moist and bright white wood, it's time to say goodbye. If your tree is rapidly losing its crown year over year, has a profusion of new shoots along the stems, or very early leaf drop, then you are seeing signs of late decline, and the tree is dead or nearly so. When in doubt, have an Arborist check your tree.

2)Which trees are the most susceptible to storm damage?

In general, Bradford Pears and White Pines break very easily under wind or slow loads compared with other trees. Norway Spruces uproot much more easily than other trees. Specifically, your tree may have certain risk factors present that make it a hazard. Aside from being one of the aforementioned species, there are other warning signs to look for, including cracks, poor branch attachments (included bark), fungal fruiting bodies on the stems ("mushrooms"), irregular trunk diameter (bulges), and flat sections of the trunk flare. Again, when in doubt, ask an Arborist to have a look.

3)How close should you plant a tree to your house?

How close a tree should be planted depends on many things, most importantly the species of tree you've selected. Contrary to popular opinion, there is little risk that a tree will grow roots which will punch through your foundation or otherwise damage your house from below (aside from getting into pipes). However, a tree can become a problem in other ways by pushing up driveways and walkways, by casting dense shade to kill grass, by blocking windows, and by growing onto and over your roof. When selecting a tree to plant near your house, consider the species and its mature size, and how long it will take to get that large. For example, an American Dogwood (Cornus florida) will have a sparse crown 20-30 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide at maturity and might be acceptable planted 8 feet from a house, while a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) may exceed 80 feet in height with a medium to dense crown spreading 60 feet, which might be a problem any closer than 30 feet from the home.

4) How can you tell if the root system is compromised, or if the soil is so loosened by rain that the tree might go over in a storm?

There are several warning signs you can look for which might indicate a tree is especially likely to uproot. A flattened or died-back section of the trunk flare, the part of the trunk which meets the ground, may indicate that part of the root mass has died. Also, construction, including the digging of foundations, the installation of pavement or sidewalks, or "trenching" for the installation of utilities, can all result in roots being cut. Movement of trucks or construction equipment under the canopy of trees can compact the soil structure, starving the roots of the oxygen they need to survive, causing dieback and a possible hazard. Finally, if you see the ground moving, or "heaving," as the tree is rocked by wind, the tree is probably going to fall down very soon and any nearby buildings should be evacuated until the tree is taken down.

5) My tree is covered in snow and/or ice. Should I remove it?

If you can, removing snow and ice from small trees and shrubs can help them weather storms well. Simply tapping Arborvitaes with a rake, for example, can knock off snow and help keep the stems from bending over. Most trees will survive snow and ice just fine, but if they appear to be bending under load and you can safely remove the weight, it won't hurt to do so.

Read the entire article here.