People are diligent about lawns and gardens, but trees are so slow to change that homeowners often miss signs that something may be wrong with a tree. Trees need more attention than most people are aware of. Caring for trees can be very time consuming, and requires extensive knowledge and training. Hiring an arborist is the best course of action, particularly if you have a large piece of property, and/or a number of mature trees. Trees that are at risk or unhealthy may have one or more of the following symptoms:
• Yellowish, spotty, or faded color in the leaves
• Leaves that are smaller than normal, curled, or bumpy
• Reduction in the number of trees on all or part of the tree, or significant reduction of leaves in one area
• Trees that change to fall color early, before other trees do
• Cracks in the trunk of the tree, or spots of visible decay
• Flaking bark or woodpecker damage
• Branch tips that may be dying or dead
• Fungus, abnormal growths, or oozing on the trunk or root area
• Stunted growth, lack of growth, or growing in a way that does not seem right
• Carpenter ants on the tree
• Bark becoming brittle and falling off
In order to prevent a tree from dying, it’s important to call in an expert to diagnose the issue. Think of it as going to the doctor when you feel sick. The big difference is that – your trees can’t tell you they’re sick, and their symptoms aren’t clearly obvious to a lay