Sometimes, trees shed branches due to severe storms, disease, and poor overall health. Limb loss can certainly affect a plant’s appearance. If branch shedding is normal, you might wonder, “Do dead branches hurt a tree?”
As a top-rated tree service in Sandy Springs, GA, ATL Tree Work knows the answer. Keep reading to learn everything about tree limb loss and its effect on plant health.
How to Spot Deadwood on Trees
Fallen branches might seem like a clear indicator of branch death. However, that’s not always true. Trees sometimes lose healthy limbs due to external damage.
Locate a small twig, snap it off its branch, and look at its interior structure to check if a limb is dead. A healthy branch has good structural integrity, flexibility, and a greenish interior.
A dead or dying limb, on the other hand, is more brittle and dry, so it breaks more easily. Its inner tissues also appear brown instead of green.
Why Branches Die
In most cases, natural tree branch death occurs in the plant’s inner canopy. Scientists still don’t know how a plant could have a dead or decaying limb and grow a healthy one right beside it. The general understanding is that since most dead branches fall from within the inner canopy, the problem is likely due to a lack of sunlight or other resources.
Pests also prove problematic. Insects like the emerald ash borer can infest a tree and feed on its inner tissues. Their eating habits prevent the tree from supplying water to its limbs, resulting in branch death.
Will a Dead Branch Harm a Tree?
Do dead branches hurt a tree? They absolutely can. Having dead or dying limbs leaves the plant vulnerable to a host of diseases and pests.
The problem impacts trees as well as people and property. Heavy branches can break from trees and fall onto a roof, a vehicle, or even a person. The weight of the dead wood could cause substantial property damage or severe injuries.
Can Trimming and Pruning Improve or Hurt Tree Health?
It might seem counterproductive to cut a branch willingly, yet pruning and trimming are essential for tree health, disease prevention, and aesthetics. Tree care experts utilize specific tactics and equipment to cut branches strategically. Their methods minimize injury to the plant and promote healthy healing.
If you worry about dead branches affecting the trees on your property, schedule a professional pruning appointment in the winter or early spring. Plants enter dormancy then, making it easy for arborists to identify problematic branches. The pruning will encourage new springtime growth.
Turn to ATL Tree Work for Help With Your Tree’s Dead Branches
Do dead branches hurt a tree? Dead, dying, and diseased branches cause more harm than good. As such, professional trimming and pruning aid plant health and beauty.
ATL Tree Work specializes in tree care for plants on residential and commercial properties throughout Sandy Springs, GA. Our certified arborists and skilled technicians offer everything from emergency tree services to stump grinding.
Call (470) 357-3741 today to request services or learn tree maintenance tips for healthy trees.