Early spring is an excellent time to evaluate the structural integrity and condition of trees on your property. It’s common to notice storm-damaged branches following the winter season and its adverse weather. Attempting to repair or remove such branches is dangerous work. Find out more about assessing damaged or diseased branches and why you should leave pruning, trimming, and other tree maintenance tasks to the professionals.

Assessing Dead or Damaged Tree Limbs

In some instances, you can spot problematic areas in your tree on your own. Severe sagging, areas that are broken, and limbs that are crossing are all signs that your tree needs an arborist.

The first thing an arborist will do when evaluating tree-limb damage is conduct a thorough and careful inspection. It’s important to determine the nature and extent of the damage. That will guide the entire approach when it comes to effectively treating the situation.

After all, a branch may be suffering or dead due to disease or an insect pest. Major branch damage may be causing structural stress to other parts of the tree canopy or trunk. If enough of the tree crown is compromised, the best course of action may be removing the entire tree.

In many instances, the tree can be saved with prompt action and well-selected arboricultural techniques. An arborist may even be able to repair certain damaged branches via specialized methods such as cabling or screw-rod applications.

Branch Removal

If a branch must be removed, an arborist will do so safely while exposing the tree to as little risk as possible. Small limbs may be taken out with a single cut. Larger ones require a step-by-step process that removes the wood piecemeal to prevent tearing or splitting.

Why You Should Act Promptly to Deal With Damaged or Dead Tree Limbs

It’s important to address branch damage or deadwood expeditiously. Impaired, broken, or dead boughs pose a real hazard to human life, limb, and property. Strong winds occur frequently in the springtime, raising the likelihood that these weakened limbs will come down.

Furthermore, with the growing season getting fully underway, you want your tree as healthy and stable as possible. It’s funneling energy to produce buds, leaves, new shoots, and the like. A wound or diseased wood can definitely hamper this seasonal growth and tax the tree’s resources.

For your own safety as well as the good of the tree, don’t try to undertake spring tree-limb repair or removal yourself. A professional arborist knows how to identify damaged branches and remove them safely. If you have concerns or require commercial tree services, contact John The Arborist in Bellingham, WA.