Home Home & Garden How Do You Know When It’s Time To Cut Down A Tree?

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Cut Down A Tree?

by Tracy Finke

Making your home look better and helping your vegetation grow healthier means that you need to get rid of unhealthy plants as well, and cutting them down when needed. But when should you do this? Many homeowners make the mistake of waiting for too long before they remove their trees, and some go to the other extreme and cut things down when there is still a chance of salvaging the vegetation.

Here, we are going to tell you how to know when it’s the right time to cut down a tree and what are warning signs you need to do it as soon as possible.

Visually inspect the tree

Source: weforum.org

You should always visually inspect your vegetation to know when it is time to cut it. There are many reasons that we are going to talk about that sign to the fact that the tree should be removed, and all of them will be noticeable easily.

You should see if the tree is growing too high or too wide and if it is posing a threat to your home or the power lines. In some cases, the plant may be growing to your neighbor’s property, and this could cause problems, so if this is happening, try to prune it, or just cut it down.

In case the roots are becoming too big, they can crack the foundation of your home, or just damage the garage or the walkways. So, go around the plant, see how it is growing, check for discoloration or damage on the leaves and branches, and if you notice anything out of the ordinary, act as soon as possible.

Are there any bugs and pests?

Source: arboristnow.com

You should always check to see if there are a lot of insects and pests around your plants, and if you can notice them constantly, you need to do something about it. In most cases, insects are a sign of a disease, and you need to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Sometimes, the pests can be treated and they can get removed before they do too much damage to the vegetation, but in other cases, they are there just because the tree already started rotting away. In this case, even if you kill all the bugs, the problem is still going to continue and you will have to get rid of the plant.

Know that a moderate number of insects is normal, and they are always going to be on the trunk and the branches, but there are too many of them, which means that there is a bigger issue that you need to tackle. Know that if you don’t do anything about it, the pests are going to feed not only from that tree, but every other plant around it as well, and sooner or later, they are going to get in your home as well and damage all the wooden surfaces.

If it’s not growing properly, chances are, you need to get rid of it

Source: treecaretips.org

Sometimes the tree will just not grow properly, it may start leaning, or branches or even fungus may appear in places where they should not be. This is not a good sign, and as you can if you click here, if you noticed that the tree is leaning or not growing in the right way, it is better to call a tree service that will help you remove it.

Know that a leaning tree is not something you want to have in your home, and sooner or later, the crown or the fruits are going to become too heavy for the trunk to bear and it will rip, break, and fall. So, instead of waiting for the worst to happen, and hoping that it won’t, you should act right away and get rid of the plant that is going to cause you a lot of trouble.

Are there too many dead branches?

Source: independenttree.com

If there are a lot of large, dead branches in the crown of the plant, this may be a sign that you need to get rid of the tree. Sometimes the branches may get damaged and dry out because they were broken by the wind or some other external force, and in this case, you just need to remove the ones that are damaged beyond salvation. With pruning, you will get rid of the ones that are not healthy anymore, but if dried-out branches keep on appearing, it may be a sign of something worse.

If the pant is infested or diseased, more and more dead branches will appear, and there won’t be anything that you can do to get rid of all of them and stop the other ones from getting infected. In cases like this, a tree service can help you just cut the plant down.

Check the state of the trunk

Source: pixabay.com

You need to check the state of the trunk and see if it can hold the whole vegetation. Sometimes, because of weather conditions, fires, pests, and diseases, the trunk may become hollow. There are several issues with this, and the biggest one is that sooner or later, the base will not be able to support the weight of the branches, and it will break or completely fall down.

Trees just falling in your yard can do a lot of material damage, but they can also injure anyone near, so you need to inspect the trunk regularly, and see if it is properly developed if there are any rips and if it is hollow. In case there are any issues with it, you have to react as soon as possible, and you need to cut down the plant.

Make sure you know how to properly do it, use the right gear and protective equipment, and know that it is better to collaborate with a tree service that will help you get the job done than to do things on your own. There are many signs that your vegetation needs to be removed, and most of the signs are easily visibly noticed.

So when you sit and relax in your garden, look at your trees, see if there are any issues with them, and know that even though some of the problems can be treated with the right products, for other issues there is nothing else to be done but to remove the plant fully.