Tree Trimming 101: 3 Surefire Signs It’s Time to Trim Your Tree

By December 31, 2020Tree Trimming
Trim your tree

There are probably a few trees in your yard that seem to be looming over your house, threatening to break and crash into your home any minute.

These trees make you nervous about your family’s and home’s safety, but you don’t know the safe ways to remove or trim your tree.

Trying to prune trees on your own has its own set of risks and potential injuries. Not every tree needs trimming because a few branches fell down in the last storm.

Learn about a few of the major signs that it’s time to remove or trim trees and how often you should trim your trees right here.

Broken Branches

Rain and snowstorms, especially those with heavy winds, can cause branches to break off and fall. However, not all branches will fall off the tree during the storm.

Make sure you survey the trees in your yard after storms to assess if there are any branches that are broken and at risk of falling.

Removing these branches as soon as possible is critical. They can fall at unpredictable times and cause serious injuries and damage.

Another potential problem with branches is that they can become crossed if they aren’t pruned regularly. This contact and friction can cause decay in the branch, which can spread to the rest of the tree.

Deep Cracks

Trees can develop deep cracks in their bark, most commonly from extreme temperature changes. These cracks have two frequent causes, frost and sunscald.

Frost cracks occur when the cells in a tree freeze, and the water escapes. This causes tension within the tree trunk because there are frozen and unfrozen sections of the tree. The tension can cause the bark the crack.

Cracks from sunscald may not be noticeable for years after the damage has begun. They occur during the winter months when trees may be exposed to intense sunlight during the day followed by freezing temperatures at night.

This heat change causes the activation of tissue beneath the tree bark, which then freezes when the sun sets and the temperature drops.

Tree Cankers

Trees may be experiencing decay if there are parts that are sunken in or missing on the trunk or branches. Tree cankers can be caused by certain insects, fungus, or even standard environmental conditions.

When a tree endures such damage, it can make it more susceptible to breaking or falling from wind or during storms. Make sure to remove cankers from trees before they become a hazard to your home or other people.

When to Trim Your Tree

You may have a forest of trees in your yard, or maybe just one. Either way, knowing when it’s time to trim your tree is crucial.

Finding professional tree trimming and removal services is the next step to keeping your trees and your family safe and healthy.

If you feel encouraged to try out our tree trimming services, check out what great things we can do for your lawn, too. Find more information on our website.