Need help figuring out if your tree is dying and what to do about it? Recognizing the signs of a dying tree will help you get professional help to save or remove it before it falls, causing catastrophic damage or harm.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following information and signs of a troubled or dying tree and what you can do to help or remove it.

What Causes a Tree to Die

While trees may appear impervious to severe weather and their surroundings, there are several factors that can cause a tree’s decline and death. These factors include death from the following:

• Its environment
• Drought
• Harmful insects and diseases
• A catastrophic event or impact
• A lightning strike
• Severe weather events (causing blowdown, windthrow, or windsnap)
• Age-related collapse (starvation)
• Timber harvesting

Note: Sudden tree death can occur from Armillaria root rot, fatal fungal diseases, or drought.

Signs of a Dying Tree

Property owners often see a concerning tree and wonder is my tree dying? Some fail to follow through when they disregard the warning signs. You can prevent catastrophic damages by learning the signs of a dying tree and how to respond to them. These are the most obvious warning signs that a tree is dying:

1. Leaning Tree – Leaning trees may signal damaged or dying roots, structural imbalance, or failure of soil structure. When a tree is leaning more than 15 degrees, this is typically a result of wind (storm) or root damage and is unlikely to recover.

Recommendation: Hire a professional tree service to evaluate the tree’s condition. Leaning trees can sometimes be preserved by cabling or bracing them. However, most leaning trees must be removed.

2. Root Damage – Construction, digging, trenching, and landscaping projects often disrupt or compact the soil around a tree, causing distress or root death. Severe damage can also occur from lawnmowers or weed eaters if you get too close to the trunk or roots.

Recommendation: Consider the following preventive measures:

• Protect the soil (and roots) within the tree’s drip line by applying a 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch.
• Prevent foot, vehicle, and equipment traffic beneath the tree.
• Keep digging and trenching activities from disturbing or severing roots.
• Never allow equipment or material storage under a tree.

Note: If roots have been damaged or severed, have the tree inspected to determine restorative measures or removal.

3. Bark is peeling or falling off – Diseases like hypoxylon canker and boring insects can cause sufficient damage in a tree’s cambium layer to cause its bark to fall off. These pests are opportunistic, typically attacking already distressed trees.

Recommendation: Have a professional tree service inspect the tree to determine what is happening to the tree, how to prevent nearby trees from being infected, and if the tree should be removed.

4. Mushrooms Growing on Trunk or Roots – When mushrooms grow from a tree trunk or roots there is typically extensive decay occurring in its heartwood. Mushrooms are the fruiting structure of most fungi and should be addressed soon as they are seen around a tree trunk or roots.

Recommendation: When caught early, you can save the tree by pruning infected limbs. You can also apply fungicides if the disease hasn’t spread. However, prevention is the best solution. Proper watering, sunlight, mulching, fertilizing, and fungicide applications can help prevent fungal infections.

Note: When mushrooms appear on a tree, it is often too late to save the tree. Seek immediate professional help.

5. Brittle and Fallen Branches – Frequently seeing sticks or twigs on the ground and brittle or weak tree branches may be a sign of diseased or dead branches, which could signal the majority of the tree is already dead. This symptom may be caused by drought stress, over-fertilization, pest infestations, or disease.

Recommendation: Have your tree evaluated ASAP. With professional help, you might save your tree.

6. Oddly-Shaped or Chlorotic Foliage – Oddly-shaped or discolored tree leaves typically represents a soil or root problem. It may signal severe root rot or be an insect infestation.

Recommendation: Ensure your soil isn’t mismatched with your tree (nutrients, pH, etc.) by testing the soil (contact an arborist or local university extension). If it’s not a soil issue, consult a tree professional for a proper evaluation and diagnosis.

Learning to Identify Dying Trees

In this article, you discovered how to recognize the signs of a dying tree, when to remove it, and what actions to take to save it or prevent further decline.

Knowing how to identify a dying tree will help you take prompt action to either save or remove it.

Failure to recognize when a tree is troubled or dying will leave your property and well-being at risk if the tree starts shedding limbs, collapses, or falls.

Sources:
extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1100
extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP686.pdf
tfsweb.tamu.edu/EffectsOfDroughtOnTrees
extension.missouri.edu/publications/g5200

Your dead tree may pose a harmful threat to your property and human life in the event of a disaster. Knowing the possibilities and consequences of keeping a dead tree in your yard can lead you to an informed decision about its fate.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on how to determine whether to keep or remove a dead in your yard and how it can be repurposed either way.

My Tree Is Dead

A tree, like every other living thing, will eventually die. What to do with it when it dies depends on the following factors:

Diseased Tree – If your tree met its demise due to disease, remove it from your yard. Diseases that infect and kill trees are highly transmissible to plants, shrubs, and other trees.

Insect Infested Tree – If your tree died from insect infestation problems, or became infested after it died, have that tree removed immediately. Insects, especially boring insects, can multiply quickly and spread even faster.

Root Rot – Many tree diseases attack the root system and typically occur in poorly-drained soil, causing root rot. Trees dying or dead from root rot can fall at any time, even in the mildest of weather conditions. Trees with this condition should be removed as quickly as possible.

Leaning Tree – If your dying or dead tree starts to lean, take immediate action to have it removed before it loses its center of gravity and falls. For example, a poplar tree that grew to over 100 feet high and weighed well over 10,000 pounds would obliterate whatever it landed on.

Overstory Trees – These are trees that reach or exceed 60 feet in height. Dead overstory trees should be removed to prevent catastrophic damages if they were to fall.

Understory Trees – These are trees that reach heights below 50 feet. In fact, these trees are generally between 12 and 20 feet tall. A dead understory tree can be left in place if:

• After a tree hazard assessment, it is found that the tree poses little to no threat to its surroundings.
• The tree remains disease free and free from infestation.
• Your municipality’s tree ordinance does not require its removal.

For more information about tree hazard assessments, visit toddsmariettatreeservices.com/why-do-i-need-tree-hazard-assessment/

Realistically, there are very few circumstances that support leaving a dead tree standing. However, if these circumstances permit, there is much you can do with the tree.

What To Do With My Dead Tree

Have the tree wholly removed by a professional tree service, unless a certified arborist declares your tree safe. There are many repurposing options for your tree in the following scenarios.

If your tree must be taken down and is free from infestation and disease, consider the following:

• Have the tree cut up for firewood.
• Have the tree turned into wood chips for use as organic mulch.
• Turn the tree into a part of your landscape. As it decomposes, it will provide shelter for wildlife, natural fertilizer for the earth below it, and bark eating animals will have a long-lasting food source.

If your tree poses no immediate threat and remains in place, it can be used for the following:

• A standing dead tree, known as a stag, can serve your local wildlife as a sanctuary.
• Paint and decorate your tree to become a conversation piece in your yard.
• Turn the tree into a bird and squirrel feeder (stick seeds and nuts to it using honey and/or peanut butter.
• Apply seasonal decorations to liven up your yard during holidays and events.

Tip: If you add lights to your tree, use an LED type light which generates minimal heat and make sure the lights are rated for outdoor use. As your dead tree dries out, it will naturally become more flammable.

Note: Some tree species like aspen or eucalyptus are self-pruning when living (they drop branches suddenly) and should not be left standing after dying. Once dead, self-pruning trees can pose a higher risk of personal injury or property damage as they lose their limbs.

For more ideas about recycling or repurposing a fallen tree, visit toddsmariettatreeservices.com/repurpose-recycle-leave-fallen-tree/

Dead Tree Removal

In this article, you discovered what factors determine the necessity to remove or the ability to keep a dead tree in your yard and what purpose it can serve.

By having your dead tree evaluated by an arborist, you can make an informed decision about the next part of the tree’s journey and purpose.

Your failure to address a dead tree in your yard may result in fines imposed by your municipality, the spread of an infestation or disease, and if the tree should fall, catastrophic damages to your property and/or wellbeing.

Sources:
gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/removing-trees.html
blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2020/01/29/the-living-dead-trees/
wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/backyard

Your half-dead tree can cause a significant accident or infect the rest of your yard if you are unaware of its cause. By first knowing why your tree is dying, you can take action that may save it from falling and causing significant damage to your property.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information about the causes and treatments for a tree that is half dead.

My Tree Is Dead on One Side

You may be asking, “How can a tree die on one side?” Several possibilities can lead to this condition, and all of them require immediate action. For deciduous and evergreens alike, consider the following causes and their treatments:

Tree Diseases

Verticillium Wilt – Verticillium wilt is caused by a fungus called Verticillium dahliae or another less common species, Verticillium albo-atrum. This soil-borne fungus germinates when plant or tree roots grow near it, infecting them through wounds or natural openings. The fungus spreads through the host’s vascular system and causes the plant cells to clog themselves. Once the xylem is infected, water can no longer reach the leaves because of the clogging.

Treatment: This disease is challenging to manage because it persists in the soil indefinitely. Infected trees that are not yet dead can sometimes survive the fungus. Dead or affected branches should be removed to help the tree regain its vigor. However, this disease can be transmitted on unsterilized pruning tools.

In cases where an entire side of a tree has succumbed to the disease, the tree should be removed before falling during a storm or unexpectedly.

Fusarium Wilt – Commonly found worldwide, Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum that enters its host through the roots and interferes with its water-conducting vessels. As the disease spreads into the stems and leaves, it restricts water and nutrient flow, causing the foliage to wilt and turn yellow.

Treatment: Similar to Verticillium wilt, affected stems and branches should be removed. Fusarium wilt can also be treated with biological fungicides.

Phytophthora Root Rot – Many tree and shrub species are susceptible to Phytophthora root rot, developing root and/or crown rot, mainly if the soil around the base of the plant stays wet for long periods. The leaves of an infected tree will appear drought-stressed and may die quickly in late spring or early summer.

Treatment: You can combat Phytophthora root rot by increasing soil drainage, pruning out affected branches and stems, and by maintaining the root flare of the tree free from soil, mulch, and debris.

These diseases are easily transmitted from one host to the next by overhead watering or splashing, pruning activities with unsterile equipment, and improper disposal of infected clippings.

Environmental Causes of Tree Decline

Soil Compaction – Soil compaction occurs when heavy equipment, machinery, vehicles, or other factors lead to the compression of the soil surrounding a tree. Soil compaction reduces the amount of air, water, and nutrients available to tree and plant roots.

When tree roots on one side of a tree are impacted by soil compaction, an entire side or portion of the tree can wilt and die.

Treatment: Avoid parking, driving, or storing any vehicles or heavy equipment near or under any tree. Once the soil is compacted, a professional tree service should be hired to aerate the soil and monitor the health of the impacted tree.

Lightning – If it doesn’t blow it up, a lightning strike can severely compromise a tree’s vascular system by vaporizing the liquid within it. Depending on the location of the strike and how it travels through the tree, only a portion of it may be impacted.

Treatment: If you suspect that your tree has been struck by lightning, have a tree hazard assessment performed immediately to assess the need for treatment or removal. Read more about tree hazard assessments at toddsmariettatreeservices.com/why-do-i-need-tree-hazard-assessment/

Surface Root Damage – Due to erosion, poor soil quality, or improper watering, tree roots may surface over time. When these roots are damaged or pruned, they are highly vulnerable to infection by opportunistic diseases like Fusarium, Verticillium, and Phytophthora.

If surface roots on only one side of the root plate become infected, only a portion of the tree will likely display symptoms of infection, decline, or death.

Treatment: If the roots cannot be buried, they should be protected from damage by people or machinery. Once surface roots are damaged, a professional tree service should be called to evaluate the situation and recommend a course of action.

Stem Girdling Roots – Stem girdling roots are dysfunctional roots that circle the stem (trunk), choking off the flow of nutrients and water between the roots and the rest of the tree. They can also compress and weaken the trunk of a tree at the root collar, causing it to lean and lose stability. Trees with stem girdling roots are at a significant risk of declining health, premature death, n and falling suddenly.

Treatment: Stem girdling roots can be removed by using saws or pruners if they have not caused extensive stem compression. If one has caused severe damage, removal treatment must include measures to avoid damaging the stem. These roots are frequently left in place when their removal cannot be performed safely. It may be necessary to consult with a professional tree service to determine what coarse of action to take.

Boring Insect Infestations

Boring insects like beetles can quickly cause the decline of a portion of a tree. As they burrow through the tree’s bark, they will sometimes begin channeling through the xylem and phloem. In other cases, they may burrow into the heartwood of the tree, carrying fungi with them that infect the tree and disturb the flow of water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the tree.

While initial symptoms may only appear on one side of the tree, the tree will eventually succumb and die, as more beetles successfully attack the tree as it weakens.

Treatment: Once a tree has been successfully attacked by beetles, treatment is challenging and will likely result in the removal and destruction of the infected tree. Most treatments for beetles are preventative and include:

• Setting traps
• Treating the bark of un-infested trees
• Removal and disposal of infested trees

However, the most exceptional line of defense for a tree is its health. In the case of insects or diseases, healthy trees can resist infestations and infections. Help your tree by:

• Watering it regularly
• Proper seasonal pruning
• Mulching with organic material
• Fertilizing when necessary
• Having it inspected annually

Read more about tree cutting and pruning at toddsmariettatreeservices.com/right-time-cutting-pruning-emergency-tree-removal/

Half of My Tree is Dead

In this article, you discovered what can cause half of a tree to die and what actions to take to either treat the tree or have it removed.

By taking immediate action when you notice the decline of your tree or a portion of it, you increase the possibility of saving the tree and returning it to a healthy state.

When you ignore the symptoms of disease or infestation, your tree can rapidly decline and die. Trees left untreated are more likely to fall during storms, causing catastrophic damages when landing on property, vehicles, and people.

Sources:
mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-diseases/verticillium-wilt
missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/environmental/girdling.aspx
extension.psu.edu/phytophthora-root-rot-on-woody-ornamentals
extension.umn.edu/soil-management-and-health/soil-compaction
ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r280100811.html

Don’t let your trees threaten your property or life as they destabilize during severe weather. Regular tree assessments and preventative measures can help your trees survive severe storm conditions intact.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on why trees need regular hazard assessments, what is examined during an evaluation, the types of damages trees suffer in different storms, and preventative measures you can take.

Tree Hazard Assessments – Emergency and Storm Safety

Tree hazard (or tree risk) assessments provide crucial information to the surveyor and the homeowner about the health and stability of the trees being surveyed. These assessments are used in determining:

• The overall health and stability of a tree
• Whether a tree will remain stable during severe weather events
• If the tree poses an infestation or disease threat to surrounding trees
• If the tree is a threat to surrounding structures or people
• A course of action including pruning or removal

The older your trees become, the more they require hazard assessments. As trees age, they become more massive, less flexible, and in many cases, more susceptible to disease and infestations.

Just as necessary is the assessment of the soil where the tree is rooted, soil erosion can become a significant problem for a tree’s stability. This erosion can cause the root plate to lift during the slightest of winds resulting in an emergency, and the toppling of an otherwise healthy tree.

Without these assessments, your trees can develop irreversible damages from diseases, infestations, girdling, compacted soil, and many other conditions (detected in an assessment) that weaken the tree. All it takes is one severe storm to bring down a weakened tree and cause catastrophic damages.

Follow the link for signs and symptoms of a troubled tree toddsmariettatreeservices.com/troubled-tree-signs-symptoms/

What is a Tree Hazard Assessment?

Tree hazard assessments happen when a tree professional or certified arborist physically survey the overall health and stability of a tree. A typical assessment looks for the following:

• Signs of disease
• Signs of infestation
• Abnormal growth habits
• Leaning
• Dead, missing, or damaged bark
• Cracks
• Lightning damage
• Balance and density of the crown
• Dead twigs or branches
• Mushroom conks
• Cankers

These examinations are comprehensive and include assessments of:

• Cut or damaged surface roots
• Lifting of the root plate
• Soil conditions and/or erosion
• Soil compaction
• Pavement over roots
• Topography
• Surrounding structures (targets)
• Typical weather for the location
• Wind exposure
• Vines and other potentially harmful plant species

When a tree professional or arborist performs a tree hazard assessment, he is looking for anything about the tree, its root plate, or environment that could be alarming. Read toddsmariettatreeservices.com/how-to-identify-tree-emergency/ for some warning signs and things to look for that indicate a potential tree emergency, and call an arborist or professional tree service if you suspect something is wrong.

Disaster Tree Damage Caused by Storms

Tree hazard assessments take into account the weather patterns common to the tree’s location. Different elements of weather impact trees differently and may require specific actions to prevent irreversible damages to the tree. The following are some of the weather conditions that can cause a weakened tree to topple and preventative measures:

Wind – When wind speeds are high, they can impose tremendous force on a tree. During hurricanes or tornadoes, trees may be stripped of their leaves and branches. These winds are capable of twisting, breaking, and uprooting trees. Also, during major storms, debris may debark the tree requiring its removal after the storm.

Course of action: Promote the health of the tree by fertilizing, mulching, and pruning. Provide deep watering to promote deep root growth, and hire a professional tree service to thin out the crown, reducing the tree’s wind-resistance.

You can also create wind diversions by planting shrubs upwind from your trees or by installing fences along your property line.

Flooding – Erosion caused by flooding can be devastating to all plant life. Floods typically result in the complete saturation of the ground and can quickly destabilize the roots of the oldest and strongest of trees.

Course of action: Plant trees on elevated land and reconfigure your landscaping to facilitate water runoff from your property.

Promote the health of your trees by fertilizing, mulching, and pruning. When floods are caused by storm surge, it is the health of your tree and the depth of its roots that will help determine whether it topples or not.

Lightning – By their height, trees are a common target for lightning. Your tree’s bark may be blown off or scars left on the trunk when the electricity is conducted along the outside of the tree. When the electrical charge penetrates the tree trunk, the moisture within the trunk may be converted to vapor and cause the tree to explode.

The most susceptible trees to lightning strikes are poplars, pines, oaks, and elms.

Course of action: Install lightning rods on your property and to the top of your home to divert lightning from your trees.

Ice – Winter snow or ice storms may deposit ice on the foliage and branches of your tree. The weight of accumulated ice on a tree together with wind can break branches or cause the tree to fall.

Trees resistant to ice damage include oaks, beech, birch, and American hornbeam.

Course of action: As always, maintain the health of your tree throughout its growing season. In the fall, have your trees pruned, and crowns thinned to reduce the potential of ice accumulation.

In some cases, storms can unleash tremendous amounts of rain, wind, flooding, etc. that can bring down weakened and healthy trees alike. However, annual hazard assessments allow you to take actions that minimize damages to your trees and property when they fall.

Tree Health and Hazard Assessments

In this article, you discovered the importance of tree hazard assessments, what tree professionals look for during an assessment, what damages are caused by storms, and what you can do to help your trees through storms.

By scheduling annual tree hazard assessments, you create the possibility to catch and reverse potential threats to your tree’s health. These assessments also enable you to remove trees that can cause catastrophic damages when toppling in storms.

If you neglect to have hazard assessments performed, infestations, soil compaction, or disease may weaken your tree to the point where it falls during a weather event. Thus, endangering your property, home, and life.

Sources:
http://gatrees.org/community-forests/management/trees-storm-safety/storm-preparation/index.cfm
https://www.southernforests.org/urban/trees-and-storm-safety

Do you have mushroom conks growing out of your tree trunk? Don’t mistake these fungi as a regular thing, they are a grim sign that your tree is dying or already dead.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on why mushrooms grow on tree trunks and the immense danger they represent.

Mushrooms Growing on a Tree

Mushrooms are a common sight in fertile garden soil, healthy landscapes, on outdoor woodpiles, and fallen trees. This may contribute to the misplaced sense of normalcy when you see them growing on tree trunks or root flares.

You should be alarmed when you see mushroom conks on a tree:

• Mushroom conks are the reproductive part of fungi.
• Fungi require rotting organic material to thrive.
• When mushroom conks grow on the trunk of a tree, it is a sign of rot within the tree.
• When mushrooms grow from a tree’s root flare or on surface roots, it is a sign of root rot.

By the time mushroom conks appear on a tree trunk or root flare, the responsible fungus has already caused severe damage to the host tree.

Signs of a Fungal Tree Disease

Your tree may be succumbing to a fungal disease without the immediate appearance of mushroom conks. The following signs of disease may precede the presence of these reproductive bodies:

• Dieback occurring on one side or throughout the crown.
• Early leaf drop.
• Stunted leaf growth
• Severe wilting or drooping of the tree’s foliage.
• Chlorosis (leaves lose their vibrant green color) of the tree’s foliage.
• Branches and twigs die and become brittle.
• Cankers appear on branches and the trunk.
• The tree may begin to lean.
• Carpenter ants nesting in the trunk or limbs.
• Boring insects successfully attacking and infesting the tree.

If one or a combination of these symptoms are present in your tree, hire an arborist to evaluate the tree and recommend a course of action.

Tree Fungus Types and Identification

Many types of fungi grow on trees. Some of those fungi are harmless to a mature tree, while others signal certain decline and eventual death. Take the following fungi, for example:

Lichens – A lichen is a symbiotic relationship between algae and a fungus, and poses little to no threat to a tree. Lichens come in many shapes, sizes, and colors but appear most commonly as a low, flat, crusty, greenish substance branching out like a doily.

Lichens do not penetrate tree bark; they attach themselves and spread along the surface. This organism may grow on trees, cement pathways, park benches, brick structures, windows, etc.

Powdery mildew – This fungal disease affects the foliage of various trees and plants. Powdery mildew diseases can be caused by many different fungal species from the order Erysiphales. These fungi appears as a white powdery covering of foliage and stems. It is rarely fatal to mature trees unless widespread infection weakens the tree, allowing subsequent infections and insect infestations.

Polyporus Alveolaris – This is a species of fungus in the genus Polyporus, and poses a significant risk to trees. It causes white rot in dead and decaying hardwoods. Commonly growing on decaying logs and rotting trees, conks of this species have a yellowish to orange scaly cap and hexagonal or diamond-shaped pores. This species of fungus is widespread across North America.

Ganoderma Applanatum – Rot caused by this fungus may take several years to kill a tree but makes the tree very susceptible to secondary infections, infestations, and wind-throw. The shelf-like fruiting structure forms at or near the soil line. It appears brown to reddish-brown on top with a white-colored margin. The underside of the shelf contains millions of pores in which spores are formed.

Ganoderma Lucidum – This species causes root rot and forms a shelf-like structure on the wood similar to that of Ganoderma Applanatum. Fruiting structures occur singly or in clusters and have a varnished appearance.

Armillaria – Fungi from this genus cause Armillaria root rot on many species of conifers and hardwoods. The mushroom is a fleshy, firm, honey-colored conk growing in clusters of up to 100 or more. The cap of the mushroom can reach from 1.5 to 6 inches in diameter with a depressed center.

Laetiporus Sulfureus – Signs of this fungus include massive clusters of bright, yellow to salmon or bright orange shelf-like conks that turn white with and fall off as they age. The underside of the conk has millions of pores in which spores are formed. These conks appear long after the damage has occurred. Infected trees are prone to wind breakage long before the fungus forms its fruiting structures and should be removed when an infection is confirmed.

How a Tree Fungus Spreads

Fungi are spread easily from tree to tree by the following means:

Spores – Millions of spores can be produced and released by a single fruiting structure or conk. These spores can be spread by:

• Wind
• Splashing Water
• Rain

Human Activity – Handling diseased plants and trees with gardening tools and pruning equipment, then using those “infected” tools on healthy plants and trees.

Tree Fungus Treatment

The most recommended method of treatment for trees against fungal infections is prevention. By promoting the healthy growth and proper seasonal pruning of your trees, they can resist infections and infestations that can lead to disease.

However, once a fungus infects a tree, the tree cannot be fully cured. Treatments that stop the progression of the disease, allowing the tree to compartmentalize it, can be applied to restore your tree’s health.

Steps you can take to prevent fungal infections include:

• Ensuring proper drainage of the soil around your trees.
• Avoid overwatering your trees.
• Mulch your trees to maintain optimal levels of moisture and ground temperature.
• Apply fungicides like neem oil to tree bark and surface roots.
• Sanitize pruning and gardening tools between trees.
• Fertilize your trees in late winter or early spring as they enter the growing season.
• Have your trees and landscape inspected annually by an arborist.

To avoid widespread infections or catastrophic tree falls, have your trees inspected at the first sign of trouble. The earlier you address fungal infections, the easier it is to treat them.

Tree Fungi and Conks on Trees

When mushroom conks grow on your tree trunk or root flare, there is a grave problem within your tree that must be addressed. Otherwise, a potentially catastrophic tree fall may occur.

In this article, you discovered the signs of fungal tree diseases, types, and identification of fungi, how they propagate and spread, and how to treat them.

Your slow reaction to the signs of fungal infections on your tree may result in the loss of the tree. The tree may eventually fall on your vehicle, home, or causing severe physical injury to people.

Sources:
extension.psu.edu/tree-diseases-that-create-hazards
ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74109.html

Is your tree changing color when it should be green? Tree foliage will change color for several reasons. Some of those reasons may lead to the death of the tree, while others are merely seasonal.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on why trees change color, and when a color change signals severe problems with trees.

Deciduous vs. Evergreen Trees

In a very general sense, trees may be classified in one of two categories; deciduous or evergreen. When their foliage changes color, it can be interpreted as:

Deciduous Trees – A deciduous tree keeps its green color throughout spring and summer. During autumn, its leaves will change from green to vibrant yellow, orange, red, or purple before falling to the ground.

This color change occurs as the days shorten and temperatures drop. As the leaves cease their food making process, the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color fades away, and so begins the fall color change and leaf drop spectacle.

This process also enables the tree to conserve energy as it prepares to enter dormancy throughout late autumn and winter.

Evergreen Trees – As the name suggests, these trees remain green throughout the year. Typically, they will drop small amounts of foliage as new growth takes its place during the spring and summer months.

While healthy evergreen trees slow down considerably during autumn and winter months, they retain their foliage and green color.

Diseased, Infested, and Dying Trees

When a deciduous tree changes color during spring or summer months, or an evergreen changes color at any time, there is cause for concern. One or a combination of the following may be causing the tree to decline in health or die:

Drought – Drought conditions can happen any time throughout the year, and trees viscerally respond to hydraulic failure.

When there is a lack of water within a tree, the entire crown may be affected in the following ways:

• Chlorosis (loss of color) of the foliage
• Wilting
• Premature leaf drop
• Hardening of branches and twigs
• Self-pruning (shedding of entire branches)

If a regular water supply is not restored to the tree at the onset of drought symptoms, the tree will likely die.

Solution: Maintain a watering pattern throughout the year, increasing the frequency during dry stretches and decreasing during rainy seasons.

Root Rot – Excess water may deprive tree roots of getting the air that they need, leading to decay. To avoid root rot, it is best to only water trees when the soil becomes dry, and to plant the tree in well-drained soil.

Symptoms of root rot are very similar to those of drought, including chlorosis, and premature leaf drop, as both ailments cause hydraulic failure within the tree.

One of the significant differences between drought and root rot is the destabilization of a tree affected by root rot. Without firm roots to anchor the tree, the lightest of storm activity may cause it to topple.

Solution: Avoid overwatering trees and plants located in poorly drained soil. If root rot has already occurred, contact a tree service professional to evaluate the situation and recommend a course of action.

Heart Rot – Trees are susceptible to heart-rotting fungi that produce a lightweight, soft, spongy, stringy, or powdery heart decay. Signs that a tree is rotting from the inside are:

• Leaf chlorosis
• Wilting
• Premature leaf drop
• Dead and brittle branches
• Mushroom conks growing from the trunk
• Bark abnormalities (swelling, deep cracks, or holes)

While trees are very good at compartmentalizing (isolating) damaged or diseased portions of themselves, some fungi can cause massive amounts of potentially fatal damage before the tree can react.

Solution: The following will help a tree avoid heart rot:

• Promote the tree’s health (watering, pruning, fertilizing, mulching)
• Prune in late fall or early winter
• Avoid bark damage
• Remove storm-damaged branches

Trees with symptoms of heart rot should be evaluated and treated or removed by a tree service professional, as soon as possible to avoid severe damages should the tree topple or collapse.

If your tree is dying, learn more about what you can do at toddsmariettatreeservices.com/my-tree-is-dying-what-do-i-do/

Anthracnose – Anthracnose can attack a tree (fruit trees are more susceptible) at any stage of its growth and can affect leaves, stems, pods, fruits, and roots. The symptoms of anthracnose are:

• Small irregular yellow, brown, or black spots that expand and merge together on foliage. Severe infections can affect entire portions of the crown.
• Cankers on stems and branches that cause extreme defoliation and rotting of fruit and roots.
• Fruits develop sunken circular spots that darken with age, eventually producing gelatinous pink spore masses.

Solution: The following can help prevent an anthracnose infection:

• Promote your tree’s health (watering, pruning, fertilizing, mulching)
• Transplant only healthy seedlings
• Remove and destroy infected tree parts
• Harvest unripe but mature fruits
• Plants species that are resistant to anthracnose disease
• Keep the landscape free of weeds

If your tree has become severely infected with anthracnose, the best containment of the disease may be the complete removal and destruction of the tree. Hire a tree service professional to evaluate the tree’s situation, and risk to surrounding vegetation before deciding on a course of action.

You can learn more about tree diseases and treatment at toddsmariettatreeservices.com/5-marietta-ga-tree-diseases-identification-treatment/

Insect Infestation – Severe infestations by honeydew-producing aphids, leaf-consuming caterpillars, trunk burrowing beetles, and other opportunistic insects can lead to a tree being overstressed and dying. Symptoms of an insect infestation may include:

• Chlorosis of the foliage of a portion of or the entire crown
• Wilting and leaf drop
• Damaged or eaten foliage
• The appearance of sooty mold on infested foliage
• The presence of ants (colonizing and tending to aphids)
• Severe premature leaf drop
• Burrowed circular holes in branch or trunk bark

Solution: Upon detection of an insect infestation, the infected and surrounding trees should be treated and protected with:

• Insect traps (tree bands, ant traps, beetle traps, etc.)
• Neem oil spray
• Insecticide

In cases where beetles and other burrowing insects are involved, a tree service professional should be contracted to survey the tree, property, and surrounding landscape to attempt to gain full control over the infestation.

Climbing Vines – If left uncontrolled, climbing vines are capable of ascending to the top of a tree and spreading across its crown. As the vine spreads its foliage, it absorbs the sunlight otherwise intended for the tree, leading to the following:

• Leaf chlorosis
• Wilting
• Premature leaf drop
• Nutrient deficiency (weakened health)

When vines take over the canopy of a tree, you may see green, healthy foliage (from the vine) mixed with wilting or dying foliage (from the tree). As the tree weakens, it will become susceptible to insect infestation and disease, compounding its health decline and hastening its death.

Solution: Sever the vine from its root system near the ground and let it die off. However, don’t try to remove the vine from the tree. As the vine was climbing, it anchored to the tree’s bark, any attempt to pull the vine down may severely damage the bark, resulting in the girdling of the tree.

To learn more on how to save your tree from clinging vines, read toddsmariettatreeservices.com/saving-trees-clinging-vines/

Trees Changing Colors

Is your tree turning yellow or brown when it’s supposed to be green? There are several reasons that trees will change color, and many of those reasons may indicate serious problems that can kill the tree.

In this article, you discovered why trees change color in the fall, and problems that may lead them to change color and suffer leaf drop in the spring or summer months.

While it is normal for deciduous trees to change color in the fall, ignoring an off-season color change or leaf drop can lead to the death of your tree.

Sources:
https://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chlorosis/
http://www.oisat.org/pests/diseases/fungal/anthracnose.html
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/be_careful_where_you_spray_that_stuff

Don’t let your dying tree fall on your house. All trees grow, age, and will eventually die, knowing the signs of a troubled tree and how to respond will keep your property and loved ones safe.

Illness and disease can slowly eat away at the health of your trees, and when this happens, knowing what to do becomes critical. In some cases, the signs are so subtle that trouble is overlooked, and the tree subsequently falls on your car or house.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com explains how to identify a tree emergency, the signs of a troubled tree, and what to do when your tree starts dying.

Dying Tree Emergency

There are tree emergencies that are obvious and require immediate attention. The following situations will generally end up requiring an emergency tree removal:

Leaning Tree – When a tree can no longer secure itself to the land it is growing in or has broken away from the roots holding it down, it may lean before falling. This is a tree emergency and may require its immediate removal by a professional tree service.

Mushrooms Growing on the Tree – One of the most alarming signs that a tree is dying is the growth of mushrooms on the trunk.

Mushrooms require decaying organic material to flourish. If they are growing on your tree, it means that the inside of the tree is decaying and is an immediate hazard to its surroundings.

As with the situation of a leaning tree, this is an emergency requiring immediate professional action.

Insect Infestation – Boring insects can wreak havoc on the inside of a tree. If severe enough, an infestation can kill stressed or healthy trees, and continue to spread from tree to tree.

If you have detected the presence of boring insects, it is imperative that a professional tree service is called to evaluate the extent of the infestation, the amount of damage your tree has sustained, and a plan to halt the spread of the infestation to neighboring trees.

To learn more about the signs and symptoms of a troubled tree, read toddsmariettatreeservices.com/troubled-tree-signs-symptoms/

My Tree is Dying – I Think

As trees grow, they go through many phases which may appear as if they are dying. That’s not always the case. Take the following into consideration:

Deciduous Trees – At the beginning of fall, you may notice your tree’s green leaves turning shades of red, orange, and yellow. Within a couple of weeks, all of the leaves fall to the ground leaving the trunk, branches, and twigs bare.

In this scenario, your tree is likely doing what it needs to do in preparation for dormancy. Dormancy may cause your tree to appear dead, but in reality, this process is its protection against freezing temperatures and severe winter weather.

If however your tree loses its foliage before the fall season, or shows no sign of life into late spring, have the tree evaluated by a professional to determine a course of action.

Falling Branches – Without warning, an entire branch comes crashing to the ground. While this may be an alarming event, there are tree species such as the eucalyptus, Carolina poplar, American elm, aspen, or pecan tree that will drop a branch unannounced.

These trees are considered self-pruning. They are shade intolerant, and when the leaves of a branch don’t get enough sunlight to provide sufficient photosynthesis, the tree may simply dispatch the entire branch. Read northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/woods-whys-self-pruning-branches for more on self-pruning branches.

Before using the branch for firewood or disposing of it, inspect it for signs of infection or infestation. When a tree species that is not self-pruning drops a branch, it is an indication that something serious may be occurring within the tree.

In the absence of disease or infestation, professional crown thinning and seasonal pruning will help your tree avoid self-pruning.

Discover the right time for cutting, pruning, and emergency tree removal at toddsmariettatreeservices.com/right-time-cutting-pruning-emergency-tree-removal/

How to Handle a Dying Tree

While trees add value to their surroundings, benefit the environment, and are naturally beautiful, they can become a deadly liability as they age, become ill, and eventually die. Knowing how to identify and handle the signs of a dead or dying may save your property and the well-being of your loved ones.

In this article, you discovered what a tree emergency looks like, the signs of a troubled tree, and what to do if your tree is dying or dead.

Once you have detected a tree problem, you must take action to treat or remove that tree before it falls and causes catastrophic property damage or physical injury.

Sources:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40595781?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1100&title=Is%20My%20Tree%20Dying?
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree

Once a tree has died, fallen, or been professionally removed, its journey is far from over. If the tree is free from disease and infestation, there are several ways it can be upcycled or used in your landscaping.

The following will offer a look into the life cycle of a tree and present ways to maximize their benefits, even after they have died.

My Tree Was Cut or Fell Over, How Can I Upcycle It?

Depending on the size of the tree and its branches, a fallen tree can offer several innovative ways to decorate your landscape, serve as pieces of furniture, or be made into decorative wall pieces:

• Stumps, smaller branches, and pieces of the trunk can be used or woven into seating fixtures along a path or in front of a garden.
• Trunks and larger branches can be cut into thick discs and in the place of stones or bricks to create pathways.
• Slabs can be cut from trunks and combined with ecopoxy to create stunning tables or wall art.
• Carved out sections of the trunk can be used as planters.

• Branches and stems can be used to create trellises and fencing.
• Cut and painted logs can become end-tables or coffee tables.

• Smaller branches and twigs can be woven into frames for wall pieces.

There are countless uses, and the more creative you are, the more you will be able to upcycle a fallen tree. In this video, see how resin is combined with wood.

Tree Logs for Landscaping

Tree logs and larger limbs may serve a greater purpose in your landscaping by slowing the effects of erosion by enabling you to create tiers along sloped areas. They also make incredibly effective garden barriers, or when stacked can make a raised flower bed for the garden.

When placed along cemented, paved, or block pathways, not only are they visually appealing, but they impede erosion and protect the pathway’s physical integrity.

Turning Trees Into Mulch and Fertilizer

Another use for a fallen tree in your landscaping is to have the tree chipped and turn it into mulch. Mulch is extremely valuable and beneficial when properly used around the base of trees. It will not only help the soil by retaining moisture, but also by delivering nutrients as the wood chips slowly decay.

However, note that this option is not viable when a tree falls as a result of or is removed due to disease or infestation. Otherwise, the pathogens and diseased matter get exposed to and infect your healthy trees and plants. Learn the signs and symptoms of a troubled tree here toddsmariettatreeservices.com/troubled-tree-signs-symptoms/

Leave a Fallen Tree Where It Lies

When a tree falls or it’s time to be cut down, consider preserving the ecosystem and leaving it as a part of the landscape. It has the potential to serve a greater purpose than if it’s removed. Here are some benefits of allowing a fallen tree to remain:

Light – When a tree comes down, its canopy comes with it. Introducing direct sunlight to the ground that was previously shaded will spark the growth of dormant seeds and other plant life.

Leaving the tree in the area its canopy once covered will help the soil to retain moisture and provide a sort of shelter for the new budding life.

Food and Shelter – Deer and other bark eating animals will have a lasting food source, while smaller animals like rabbits and squirrels can take advantage of the shelter the tree provides.

Natural Fertilizer – Perhaps the greatest benefit of all is that as the tree decays and breaks down, it is adding natural nutrients to the soil. This benefits all of the surrounding plant life, and is “nature’s” perfect ending to the life cycle of a tree.

Nothing is wasted when left to nature. Thus, learn the life cycle and benefits of allowing Mother nature to care for her trees.

A Tree’s Life Cycle Stages and Benefits

The life cycle of a tree begins as a seedling and ends after its last remnants have decayed or been eaten. Below are a few of the benefits a tree offers during each stage of its life cycle:

Living Trees – While living, trees are able to offer support to large wildlife. Providing shelter, food, nesting sites, and locations to hunt from.

The benefits to your landscape are as follows: they shade and keep property cool, they can serve as landmarks or property line markers, they help soil remain fertile, they filter water and air to reduce soil erosion, and provide a barrier from cold winter winds.

Dying and Dead Trees – It’s common that a tree sporadically falls when not cut or removed in time (learn what to look for and when is the right time here toddsmariettatreeservicesga.blogspot.com/2017/07/right-time-cutting-pruning-emergency-tree-removal.html).

Often referred to as “snags”, these trees draw the attention of birds and smaller animals during their nesting periods; likewise, they provide a haven for food storage, and as nurseries for the animal’s young.

In forests and larger landscapes, “snags” will often fall into waterways. When this occurs, they help to purify the water, regulate water temperatures, delay floodwater, and even control erosion.

Decaying Trees – The moisture and nutrients retained by a decaying tree provides food for plant growth and greatly benefits the soil.

Sometimes referred to as a nurse log, a fallen tree or limb may have young trees growing from or through it. This is a result of the dead tree providing ground cover which slows erosion and keeps wildlife away from the seedlings.

The wood eventually softens, breaks down, and decomposes as wood-boring insects eat through it. Once ripe for invasion, bacteria or fungi further advance the trees’ decomposition, and it returns to the soil as part of natures perfect plan.

This video shows how fungal decomposition benefits an ecosystem.

Before Tree Removal and Hauling Away, Consider Your Alternatives

So, your tree fell or was cut down. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have it removed. Have the tree professionally evaluated, and if it poses no threat to people or structures, consider leaving it. Birds and smaller animals will thrive from the shelter and storage it provides.

If the tree has fallen or is threatening to fall, the prudent choice is to have it brought down. In this case, consider repurposing the tree or finding a location for it to quietly decompose while enriching the soil, plant life, and wildlife.

In the case of infestations or disease, the tree should indeed be removed and professionally disposed of. Repurposing these trees will only serve to further propagate the infestation or disease.

For property owners in the City of Marietta or Cobb County Ga, the following tree removal permit information will help you better understand the city and county requirements you must meet for a tree removal permit.

City of Marietta Georgia Tree Permit

The information above is an excerpt from toddsmariettatreeservices.com/removal-permit-ordinance/marietta-ga/

PRIVATE PROPERTY – (single family dwelling) within Marietta City limits, notification of tree removal or a tree removal permits IS NOT required for the removal of trees on that property. However, here are a few things to be mindful of:

Troubled, diseased, dead or dying trees must be addressed. Failing to address these trees is considered negligence and in the event they fall, the property owner may be held fully responsible for all resulting and subsequent damage and repairs.

Should a tree (on City property) fall onto private property. The City of Marietta will only remove the section of the tree up to the property line. The remaining portion of the tree is the responsibility of the property owner, unless the tree had been previously reported as a hazard to the City’s Streets Department.

Should a tree (on private property) fall onto City property. The property owner is responsible for the portion of the tree up to the property line. The Streets Department (for public right of way) or the City’s Parks and Open Space Manager (for parks and City owned land) should be immediately notified of the fallen tree and its location.

Should a tree (on private property) fall onto adjacent private property. Each property owner is responsible for the portion of the tree on his/her property.

COMMERCIAL & MULTI-FAMILY – Within the City of Marietta, notification of tree removal and acquiring a tree removal permits IS required for commercial property, multi-family dwelling, and/or apartment building properties.

All non-emergency tree removals on commercial property and multi-family dwelling properties require authorization from the Department of Development Services.

If you wish to improve your landscape, or have a dead or dying tree needing removal, you must complete and submit a Tree Removal Permit Application form.

City staff will verify the condition of your tree and issue a decision no later than 10 days from receipt of all required documents.

Issuance of the Removal Permit

Major land work requires the completion of a Land Disturbance Activity Application. Tree removal permits are not issued until the plans have been reviewed and approved by the Department of Development Services. Find contact info for the relevant offices are listed below:


Rusty Roth
Department of Development Services
Planning & Zoning
Email: rroth@mariettaga.gov

Phone: 770-794-5670

The Cobb County Tree Removal Permit Process

The following is an excerpt from toddsmariettatreeservices.com/removal-permit-ordinance/cobb-county-ga/

The Cobb County Community Development Agency has and enforces its tree protection ordinance. Land disturbance activities such as residential subdivisions, commercial development, and fill/site grading (other than “minor landscaping”) require a land use site-plan review. 

The Community Development Agency will then evaluate the scope of a project, and advise whether a land disturbance permit is required.

*Some cases may not require a permit, but we suggest contacting the Cobb Development Agency (770) 528-2147 when unsure, or to ensure you are acting lawfully.

Site Plan Review for Your Permit – Permits are issued once site-plans have been submitted, reviewed, and approved by Cobb County.

Site Plan Review
(770) 528-2147

Your Marietta Tree Removal Service

Our Marietta tree removal service can guide you through the permitting process. We also provide emergency tree removal in the event and aftermath of a severe weather event.

In the event of a tree emergency, no permit is required, so give us a call. Our emergency tree removal team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week to all homeowners and businesses in Marietta, Georgia and throughout Cobb County.

Thus it’s critical you know the warning signs and visual cues. Listed below are some of the major signs and tree damage symptoms to help you avoid a tree disaster.

Signs of Deteriorating Tree Health

While some of these signs might be obvious, there are some signs of tree damage that can make it look like your tree might actually be growing. That is why it is so important you understand these signs and recognize them.

Insect Infestation – Some insects will create their nests in tree foliage and then spend their lives eating all the greenery. Because the leaves of a tree provide it with the vital food and nutrients it needs, parasites can cut off the food supply for your tree and starve it. There are also insects that will burrow into the tree, which gives rot and disease the chance to work their way into the tree and start destroying it.

Dying or Dead Tree Limbs – Perhaps the most obvious sign that something is very wrong with your tree is noticeably dead or dying tree limbs. These limbs will be brittle and appear gray. There could be some leaves left on a dying limb, but these leaves will be smaller and there will be less of them on a dying limb.

New Growth Around the Base – If you were to see growth or shoots around the base of your tree you might think it would be a good sign, but this is actually a sign that the roots of your tree are being suffocated, or that the leaves have become so damaged that your tree isn’t getting enough nutrients.

Leaning Trees – If the tree starts to lean then it means that the top could be damaged or that the roots are weak. Your trees are less likely to lean if you provide proper care for them when they start growing. Unfortunately most people inherit a tree after they have been growing for a while; when it is likely too late.

Mushrooms Around the Base – If mushrooms start growing around your tree it is a likely sign that the tree is dying or dead on the inside. Mushrooms can only grow when there is decaying material. So if you notice that there are mushrooms on or around your tree you need to get an arborist to come check the tree out for additional damage.

Have Your Damaged Tree Treated

If you want to control diseases and insects that maybe affecting your trees and shrubs, you should call in a tree professional. An arborist or tree expert can determine whether disease or insect infestation is affecting your tree and how you can treat it. Knowing the warning signs is a simple way to remain safe and prevent unnecessary damage to your property.