While the fall and winter are the best times to trim your trees since they are dormant, many homeowners may find more time during spring and summer to do this. With trees growing new branches and leaves, it’s easier to distinguish between areas of the tree that are alive or dead. Deadwood in trees, as its name suggests, is a branch or other area of a tree that has died. While deadwood does not always indicate a serious tree health issue, it can pose a threat to your safety and property if left unaddressed. Brittle, dead branches can break and cause damage to your home.
At Timber Works Tree Care, we provide experts in efficient affordable tree services to safely trim or remove hazardous branches with precision. Our team is highly trained and experienced in finding signs of decay or disease in trees, and we offer a variety of services to maintain the health and safety of your property, including tree removal, stump grinding, land clearing, and more.
Below, we discuss how and where you can spot deadwood, its causes, and how we would remove it:
How To Spot Deadwood
The first step is learning to identify deadwood at a distance to assess the situation. Here are some characteristics of deadwood you can easily spot with a quick inspection of your trees:
- Leafless branches while others have green leaves. This is a fairly obvious indicator of death in spring or summer.
- Missing bark, revealing wood underneath. Like a snake shedding its skin, bark will naturally fall off a tree. However, a healthy tree will generate new layers of bark. When a branch has died, no new bark replaces it.
How Does It Occur?
There are several reasons why deadwood may occur in your trees. These causes provide additional signs and opportunities for you to promptly respond and perhaps even prevent the accumulation of deadwood within your trees. Some common ones include:
- Storm damage
- Damage from animals (squirrels, birds, etc.)
- Drought/lack of water to branches
- Fungal diseases
- Lack of sunlight
Deadwood Removal
Deadwood usually occurs in mature trees and in areas that are hard to reach. Accessing them can be difficult, so it is important to call a professional to have deadwood removed. Professionals will have the right training and equipment to properly deal with hazardous dead branches.
Timber Works Tree Care: Quality Tree Services in Fairfax County, VA
While pruning the plants in your landscape, it can be difficult to determine if trimming is enough for trees with deadwood, or if tree removal is necessary. That is why it can be beneficial to hire a professional service with years of experience in tree care. At Timber Works Tree Care, we are dedicated to providing professional local tree services to ensure the beauty, health, and safety of your property. Our team of experts have worked with trees for several years, along with providing numerous residents throughout Fairfax, VA and Northern Virginia with quality tree services, including tree removal, land clearing, and stump grinding.
Contact us at (540) 254-5773 for more information about our services and to receive a free consultation.
