Being able to spot a dangerous tree can save you from experiencing a preventable disaster. However, identifying a dangerous or a dead tree isn’t as easy as it sounds. Below, we will be going over specific tips that you can use to help you spot one.
Some of the key tips for spotting a dangerous tree:
General Assessment
For one, you are going to want to make a general assessment of the tree. When assessing the tree, you should be looking to position yourself in a way that would allow you to see the entire tree. By making a general assessment, you should be able to quickly figure out whether or not further examination is needed. Some of the critical things that you should be looking out for would be having the tree sway to one side or the other. Any tree that is showing signs of leaning is a significant indicator that a tree’s health isn’t right. Along with this, you should be examining the limbs of the tree. It is reasonably easy to detect whether or not there are damaged limbs. By looking for damaged limbs or branches, you will be able to tell a lot about the tree and whether or not there are significant problems with it. Along with looking for limbs, you can look to see whether or not there are dead branches around the ground and falling from the tree. If you notice one or all of these signs, it is likely pointing at a tree that is showing signs of becoming dangerous if it isn’t already.
Look At Its Trunk
When you are looking to figure out if the tree is becoming dangerous, you also want to try to look at its trunk. The trunk of the tree can tell you a lot about the health of the tree in total. One of the crucial things that you should be looking for is cracks in the tree. Any significant cracks that you can spot in the trunk can make the tree itself very dangerous. Therefore, you want to spot whether or not there are significant cracks in the tree which can compromise its structural integrity.
Look At The Ground Surrounding The Tree
Another big thing that you should be doing when you are trying to figure out if a tree presents any danger would be to assess the ground that surrounds the tree. It is important to assess this area around the tree because you want to try to see if there is any significant damage to the roots of the tree. You want to ensure that the roots of the tree look entirely healthy. After all, the roots of the tree are one of the most important parts because they deliver the nutrients to the tree which can keep the tree healthy. Therefore, you want to find healthy roots surrounding the entire tree. As soon as the root system of the tree begins to fail or as soon as it becomes compromised, it is likely to kill off the tree in short order. One of the big things that you should be looking for when you are trying to assess the root system would be the presence of fungus overgrowth around the roots because it can severely compromise the integrity of the entire tree.
Inspect The Branches
If you are looking to make your tree safer and you want to inspect it to ensure that it is in optimal health, you want to go even further to inspect to see if there are any dead limbs that you have to worry about. Many times, you will be able to spot dead limbs of the tree relatively easily because they are the limbs that have no leaves on them. As soon as a limb dies, it loses its ability to grow leaves. Therefore, you should be specifically looking for limbs that do not have limbs present when other limbs have them. By cutting these limbs off and removing them safely, you should be able to make your tree much safer.
Call On A Professional Tree Service Company
The best way to really tell if your tree presents any sort of danger is by calling on a professional. By calling a professional, you will be able to get their expert advice as to whether or not there are any issues with the health of your tree and they will have the experience and equipment needed to remedy them. They will be able to provide you a lot of peace of mind knowing that you don’t have to worry about the health of the trees surrounding your property.
Overall, there are plenty of different things that you can look out for when you are trying to figure out if the trees surrounding your property are unsafe. By using the tips above, you should be able to figure out much easier whether or not your tree is structurally intact or ifs structure is compromised. While you can do some of the initial steps and assessments yourself, you want to call on a certified Arborist to handle the full inspection. After all, they are going to have the experience and the knowledge to know exactly what to look for and how to tell if the tree is healthy. By calling on a professional, you should be able to have much greater peace of mind knowing that the tree is actually safe.