Trees provide beauty, shade, aesthetic landscaping, fruits, and homes for plenty of urban and rural wildlife. No matter where you live, the prolonged health and long life of the trees in your area will increase property value and denote a commitment to the care of the land and the local ecosystem. But, what signs should you look for, and what can you do if your trees are stressed? Just like their human counterparts, you don’t want to just “leaf” the problem alone. Before looking for just tree removal services in Kitchener, there are also pruning and other arboreal solutions for tree stress. Learning the early signs of stress and how to provide your trees with the right kind of support will help them heal faster and with greater ease.
Cracks or Splits
Cracks or splits in trees can be no problem and occur naturally or can signify a vast and severe problem. Cracks and splits most often occur as a response to something called frost cracking or sun-scald. Trees may not show these cracks or splits for seasons to come. More minor splits and cracks may heal themselves, while others sadly may not, causing irreparable internal damage. One way to look for a crack or split that has caused irreparable internal damage is the presence of mushrooms. Mushrooms at the site of the cracks or separations or at the tree’s base will almost always indicate decay. Whether the decay is visible to the naked human eye is debatable, but the fungi always know.
Leaning Trunks
Some trees just lean with it. A little lean is no problem, and that’s just the way they grow. Consider the leaning tower of Pisa; it’s a national monument for the lean it brings. However, if the lean becomes extreme or if a tree wasn’t leaning and then suddenly does, you have a problem on your hands. The best time to check for unnatural lean is after severe storms. If there have been severe storms and you wake up to a leaning tree, the tree or the roots may have been damaged in the storm. Damaged roots or impaired structural grounding is a severe problem that could put people and buildings in danger.
Leaf Drop
When leaves drop for the winter months, this is normal. If it is late spring or mid-summer and you have a tree that drops all its leaves, you also have a problem. Trees often drop leaves to manage their stress. Think about it like hearing your mother say, these kids have me tearing my hair out. A tree will indeed just up and drop all its leaves as a stress response. The leaves drop to conserve resources. The tree draws resources back to the trunk and the roots to try and survive. The tree is most commonly affected by extreme temperatures, too much or too little water, diseases that cause stunting, or pest infestation.
Early Fall Colours
So, it’s late spring, and your trees are exhibiting fall colours? This is beautiful, but it is also a problem. Nutrient deficiencies, soil compaction, and pest problems can cause trees to conserve water too early in the season or the wrong season entirely. The onset of fall colours when tree leaves should be vibrant green lets you know that your tree is stressed and needs attention. Think about those early fall colours like those of caution, yield, and stop signs.
Solutions
Most of the time, certified arborists can accurately identify what is stressing your tree out and work to fix it. This may include irrigation systems, nutrient schedules, root structure reinforcement, etc. However, sometimes the damage is too significant, and the risk to people or buildings is not one you wish to take. In that case, tree removal specialists can remove your tree without damaging the surrounding trees or landscaping.
For arboreal and tree removal services in Kitchener, call Martin’s Tree Service for a consultation today.
Steve Martin
