Trees are always an excellent addition to your backyard. Apart from the serene aesthetic they give your yard and home, they also provide environmental benefits, drastically reducing air pollution, and cooling your home space by reducing heat.
Trees also add value to whatever property they’re on. However, if you don’t take good care of it, trees can prove to be a hazardous feature and sometimes even fatal. There have been incidents where a falling branch, or even worse, a falling tree has destroyed property. In some unfortunate cases, injured or killed people who were unlucky to be present when these domestic disasters occurred. But, this is no cause to be worried. If you exercise caution and are very observant, there will be no chance fate befalling you.
Below are some signs of a dangerous tree in your backyard:
1. Deep Cracks in The Trunk of Your Tree
This is a sign you absolutely need to be on the lookout for. The trunk of a tree is what holds up the tree and supports the heavy branches. If there are deep cracks in the tree trunk, then the tree is becoming weak and could fall apart and break at any moment.
In some rare cases where the tree has two trunks, you must look out for cracks where the trunks connect. If there are cracks where the trunks connect, it could mean the tree is about to split and fall apart, which is a hazardous situation.
A tree with weak trunks is unstable and highly dangerous. Thus, the need for professional tree services and maintenance, such as Bellarine Tree Services, to help you address this concern.
2. The Crown of The Tree
While the trunk of a tree is a prominent place to inspect for dangerous signs, if a tree is potentially harmful, then the crown of the tree will be ripe with signs that are worth looking out for.
The crown of a tree comprises of the leaves and the branches that extend out from the trunk.
The first sign to look out for when inspecting the tree’s crown is deadwood. Dead branches can be spotted quite easily on a tree. Dead branches either have brown leaves or no leaves at all, while the rest of the branches on the tree have green leaves. One must observe the size as well as the weight of these branches. A tree with massive branches means that the dead branches are highly dangerous.
Branches that have no bark on them have been dead for some time; these branches break easily and should be carefully removed with immediacy to prevent them from possibly harming anyone.
3. Leaning Tree
A tree that’s growing at an angle is very unsafe. Now, this doesn’t apply to all trees since some trees naturally grow at odd angles. This becomes an issue, however, when a tree that formerly stood straight is suddenly leaning towards an edge.
This indicates that there may be some serious problems with the tree’s root systems. Roots largely determine a tree’s health and stability, so when there’s a problem with the tree itself, there's a high probability that there’s also a problem with the tree’s root. Fortunately, there are signs to look out for when inspecting the roots, so don’t be discouraged. You won’t need to do any digging.
A sign to watch out for when inspecting a tree’s roots is cracked soil around the roots. Roots with severely cracked soil around them are to be taken note of. Also, any appearance of dark, rank areas at a tree trunk’s base should be taken note of, particularly if there’s fungal growth in those areas. Fungal growth at the base of a tree trunk indicates that the tree’s roots may be rotten and weak. This may mean that the tree’s roots are too weak to hold the tree in an upright position.
It is vital to call for professional help when dealing with this kind of problem.
4. Too Close To Man-Made Structures
Sometimes, a perfectly healthy tree may need to be removed. While this may sound surprising, it is indeed possible for a perfectly healthy tree to cause as much harm as an unhealthy one.
A tree that’s too close to a man-made structure can prove very dangerous. It could be that the tree has grown so tall that it could collide with overhead power lines, and we don’t want to imagine how disastrous that would be. It could also be that the root system of a tree has grown into service lines to your property, the foundation of your or your neighbor’s house.
Final Thoughts
Trees, when taken care of, are an excellent addition to any household. But, in the case of a tree becoming harmful, it’s important to contact professionals in tree services. This way, you can enjoy the full benefits of your trees and sleep peacefully at night, knowing that your amazing trees are healthy and aren’t dangerous.
