Most homeowners love having healthy, full-grown trees adorning their property. Not only do they look attractive and provide much-needed shade in the New Jersey summers, but they often increase the value of your property as well. But the beauty of the trees can turn sour in a hurry when a damaged tree threatens to fall in your yard. Learn why trouble trees are so dangerous, how to tell if you may have a tree that needs attention, and what can be done about the problem.
Why Trouble Trees Are Dangerous
Trees may be integral to our planet’s survival by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and beautifying our world, but residential trees can wreak serious havoc if they fall unexpectedly. In a worst case scenario, your family or pets could be seriously injured by a tree falling over. Even if there are no personal injuries, any falling tree has a high-percentage chance of causing damage to your home, personal property, or simply tearing up your yard. Power lines are another danger that is often looked past. Live power lines that have been damaged by tree limbs carry fire risk, and emergency services should be called immediately in such a case.
Potential Warning Signs
It’s wise to frequently inspect all of the mature trees on your property to look for advance warning signs that they might become hazardous. Check for any deep cuts that are visible in the bark, and also inspect the top of the tree from a distance in order to spot any dead wood or leaves.
Your tree doesn’t have to be growing completely straight to be healthy, but if it is leaning too much, it may be suffering from damaged roots. Inspect the soil around the roots to see if it looks cracked, and also check for exposed roots at the base.
We often think of trees with multiple trunks as interesting abnormalities, but the unsound weight distribution of these oddities can cause them to become unstable. Check where the trunks meet each other for deep cuts and signs of damage that could cause the tree to split during a storm or in the presence of strong winds.
Can It be Saved?
Depending upon the circumstances faced by your trouble tree, you may be able to save it with proper maintenance before it falls. Leaning trees can be pruned to achieve optimal weight distribution. In more severe cases, they can also be secured to the ground with cables and stakes. Trees with multiple trunks can sometimes be stabilized as well, but this is usually best left to professionals.
What To Do When It Must Come Down
If other solutions aren’t working, or the situation is dangerous enough that the tree needs to be taken care of immediately, you will likely need to hire an arborist to safely remedy the situation. It may not be the least expensive option, but it’s certainly preferable to the worst case scenario of a tree falling unexpectedly.