It can be difficult to tell whether a tree is beyond saving and should be cut down and removed altogether, or whether it simply needs a little bit of love. Honestly, the easiest way to handle this if you’re unsure, is to simply call the professionals to come and assess the trees on your property. However, there are signs that you can look for yourself, which we will go through in this post.
First of all, tree pruning is an effective tree maintenance technique that can often restore a tree back to its former glory. The process is intended to cut away all of the dead and dying branches, and the misshapen oddities that can otherwise hinder the future health and growth of the tree. So, if your tree is still very much alive, but in need of some serious love, then this is your best course of action. However, how can you tell if your tree is still alive?
Is my tree dead or alive?
With high temperatures and little rainfall, trees can really suffer as a consequence, causing them to brown and struggle with growing fresh leaves. But just because a tree appears to be dead, it doesn’t mean that it actually is.
The first test is to simply walk around and inspect the tree yourself. If the tree does have some healthy-looking branches with leaves then the chances are that it simply needs a little bit of love and some pruning to restore it.
However, if your tree doesn’t have any leaves and the branches look to be worn and dead, then there are still other tests that you can carry out. Start by grabbing at a few branches and bending them. If they snap off with little resistance, then they are dead. However, if they are able to bend then their may be life in them yet.
Another test is to scratch off a small section of the dry outer layer of a tree or branch. If it’s brown and dry, then the tree is likely dead. However, if there is a little moisture and green exposed beneath, then there’s still plenty of life in your tree! That said, this test doesn’t always work because certain parts of the tree might be dead, whereas others are still functioning. This is why you really need to call in the professionals so that they can give you an accurate assessment on the tree’s status. If the tree is indeed beyond saving then they can recommend tree lopping to you, so that you can have the tree removed before disease and fungal growth sets in and runs the risk of infecting nearby trees and plant life.
Hopefully, you won’t have to turn to such drastic measures and will be able to hire a professional to bring your tree back to life and restore it to its healthy, natural state. The sooner you jump on this, the better chance your trees have of thriving and surviving, so don’t waste any time and contact your local arborist today!
