Recognizing When a Tree in Your Yard is Dead

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Recognizing When a Tree in Your Yard is Dead

Most landscaping incorporates trees into the mix to add shade and interesting design elements to the property. Trees can really provide a lot for your landscape, which is why it’s important to focus on keeping them healthy and know when the first signs of problems are apparent. That way, you can address the issues that might be impacting the health of your trees and avoid having them slowly wither away. A dead tree can actually be dangerous for your landscaping because it can potentially fall over and cause serious damages.

Trees are interesting plants in that they shed all of their leaves in the fall to conserve energy. This is when your trees enter into a “dormant” state. Having your trees lose all of their leaves in the fall is absolutely natural and nothing to be worried about, but it’s easy to confuse dormant for dead if you don’t know what you are looking for. For example, if your trees have brown leaves that aren’t falling off, there’s a good chance that it is dead. We’ve decided to prepare a short guide to help you recognize when a tree in your yard is dead. Keep reading below to learn more and remember to reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you have any questions about landscaping products or keeping your property looking great.

Testing Your Tree

In order to determine whether or not a tree on your property is dead, there are several tests you can perform to confirm your suspicions. These tests are fairly simple and straightforward and will provide you with a lot of insight into the health of your trees. Let’s take a look at a few ways to test whether or not your tree is dead.

Inspect the Bark

The bark of your tree is an important way to determine just how healthy it is. A healthy tree will constantly be shedding its bark and replacing old bark with a new layer. That’s why you should check the bark of your tree and see if it is having difficulties with regenerating its bark over time. If it is not able to reproduce its old bark, the chances are good that it is dead.

Check for New Buds

Trees will be producing new beds even when they are in a dormant state, which is why another good way to test whether or not your tree is dead is to check for them. Buds will be coming out of the crown of the tree, so check there if you are in the middle of a dormant season. These buds can potentially be different colors and might not be green, so keep that in mind. They can also grow in red or brown, but the main thing you are looking out for is whether or not buds are growing at all.

Examine the Tree Trunk

A tree’s trunk is absolutely vital to its overall health. It supplies the tree with nutrients and water and provides a great way to check on the status of the trees in your landscaping. If the trunk has cavities, cracks, splits, or missing bark, there’s a good chance that your tree is dead or dying. If you notice a long streak of bark that is missing from the trunk, the tree could have been struck by lightning. If that’s the case, there’s a chance that your tree can come back, but keep in mind that your tree will be under extra stress as it recovers.

Inspect the Soil and Roots Beneath the Tree

Trees can run into trouble when their roots start to rot or get damaged. That’s why another way to test whether or not your tree is dead is to inspect the soil and the roots beneath your tree. Fungi can impact the roots of your tree in a negative way and lead to its death if you aren’t careful. You should be concerned when you notice mushrooms or fungus that are growing at the bottom of your tree trunk and act quickly to avoid letting your tree die.

Why You Should Remove a Dead Tree

If you are able to confirm that a tree on your landscape is dead, the best approach is to remove it entirely. Leaving a dead tree unchecked can present a variety of safety risks that you need to be aware of. A dead tree can fall over at any time and lead to serious damage if you aren’t careful. If a dead tree falls on someone, you could be left paying their medical bills. Dead trees can also fall on power lines or damage your own house. Branches can also fall off of your dead tree and present plenty of problems for you.

Dead trees can also spread the disease to other trees and plants on your landscaping, which means you could be dealing with even more issues if you don’t take care of it. Obviously, a dead tree detracts from the curb appeal of your landscaping and can be an eyesore. Trees that are past their prime can also attract pests such as ants and termites that can take over your landscape before you know it. The bottom line is that removing a dead tree is the best way to go. It’s easy to have a dead tree removed and usually doesn’t cost a lot of money, so make sure you take action as soon as you confirm that a tree on your landscaping is dead.

Part of keeping your trees healthy is investing in the right landscaping products. For example, landscaping supplies such as topsoil and mulch can protect your trees from harm and ensure that they are getting the right amount of nutrients throughout each season. Reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you are interested in purchasing landscaping supplies that can take your landscaping to entirely new heights. We even offer discounts on bulk purchases and can deliver our products to the location of your choice.