6 Ways to Evaluate the Health of a Tree
If you have some trees on your property, you will do well to consider their health and wellbeing. Trees have a way of adding value to the place, which can be important later on. Without you doing some care, trees can become more of an issue, so it is important to stay on top of that with regular tree surveys and tree health evaluations. If you would like to provide adequate care, make sure to consider all of the following indicators for a tree’s health:
Check out the central leader
Ideally, a landscape tree should only have a central leader, which is the goal of every pruning operation. This is the vertical stem on top of the trunk and its job is to provide stability and strength to give the tree its upright structure. If there is more than one leader, the tree can split or have a wound, which makes it prone to pest infestation. Trees can thrive with more than one leader, especially certain fruit trees, so it is important to recognise the species. As long as all leaders are stable and strong, there should be no issue with the tree and that is exactly why you should always start your inspection from this part of the trees.
Check yearly growth
One of the characteristics of a healthy tree lies with the yearly growth they produce. You can inspect this process by measuring the distance between the buds of the tree this season and last year’s buds. A healthy tree will also expand slowly but surely in thickness. You can measure that growth with a tape measure. If there is even minimal growth, it is a good sign that it is expanding.
Inspect trunk health
Some trees come with loosened and peeled bark — eucalyptus, maple and birch. However, for the rest of them, the bark needs to be structurally sound and be free of fungi and moss. You should be careful if you are using any sort of gardening tools and equipment around trees because you can hurt the bark. Inspect the areas for open wounds, because that is where tree diseases enter the tree. If you do locate any large holes and cracks, you will do well to cover them with a tree guard.
Check for broken and dead branches
You need to be mindful of dead and broken branches and prune those as soon as you spot them. Dead branches contribute to insects and pests invading the tree. It is easy to check for any dead branches by simply scraping them with your finger. Living branches are green underneath, whereas dead branches are brown. You can do another test of the branches by bending them slightly. Living branches are supple and easily bend, while dead branches can even snap if you apply a little pressure.
Tend the bare patches
If the trees you are checking are of the evergreen variety — pine, spruce or hemlock — you should be on the lookout for bare patches with no needles on them. Some causes for this might be the lack of nutrients or animal damage, which you might need to fix.
Learn about the signs of disease three diseases present a major issue for trees. Even if you invest good effort into tree care, certain diseases can manifest in various ways. Some of the warning signs to look out for are lack of fruit and flowers, visible insects, leaves distortion, holes within the bark and oozing sap.
