If you’re a homeowner and you have lingering questions about your trees, there’s a few things you can observe and perform on your own before having a professional arborist provide a consultation and assess the state of your trees. You may have questions and concerns regarding your trees because you’ve recently moved into your home or because it’s been some time since you’ve had your trees serviced, whatever the reason it’s always a good thing to arm yourself with as much information as possible. Not only does this knowledge protect you, the client, but the additional information provided will assist the arborist in making the correct determination in an expedited manner. As a client, being familiar with a few of the basics can also help tailor the services that need to be performed to your liking.
Whether your trees in question are smaller ornamentals or large shade trees, juvenile (newly planted) or mature, there are a number of things that apply to all trees that arborists use in their systematic approach while assessing the overall health and value of your vegetative stock.
Starting from the ground up, if you simply observe the trunk of your tree where it meets the ground, there should be a trunk flare, or a tapering off into the root flare. If the trunk disappears straight into the ground forming a 90-degree angle, there could be a problem. If there is no taper, and the flat side of the tree continues deep into the ground, make a note of it and communicate that to your arborist when setting up an appointment. On larger trees this could point to a problem that has persisted for some time, being proactive can make an impact on the options of course correction.
Another item you can observe working your way up on your tree is the trunk itself. Are there old wounds? Have they healed over or on the way to healing? Are there fresh wounds or cracks? Is there decay in the form of holes? Is there fungus, liquid, or frass (dust-like shavings) in or around these areas of injury? What is the size of these wounds in proportion to the size of the trunk? Any wound on the trunk is concerning. Again, take notes on this and provide this information to your arborist. Not to sound alarmist, but the discovery of a hole or crack any size could mean the difference of scheduling an appointment within a week or a call to emergency where the arborist needs to come out immediately.
Continuing to observe the tree into the canopy, where the branching and foliage persist, take care to note any dead, dying, or broken branches. Dead branches have no leaves and may have shed their bark and become bare, dying branches exhibit browning of leaves or exfoliation of bark, and broken branches, while they may still be alive, should be removed as their structural integrity is usually compromised. While pruning these branches may be something you can do yourself, it’s best to have an arborist perform the work for your safety and to ensure the pruning cuts are done correctly. In addition to correct pruning cuts to your tree, the sanitation practices of clean up being completed immediately on site will provide the best healing outcomes for your tree.
Other items to note in the canopy are the leaves themselves. Note any discoloration of leaves during the growing season, it may point to a pest or a systemic stress the tree may be undergoing. These signs are useful to an arborist in the discovery of symptoms during the diagnostic process.
These simple observations are a part of what an arborist does automatically, almost second nature, when assessing trees during a consultation. Arming yourself with information such as this also arms your arborist! Before you call to make an appointment, take a peek and observe your way up the trunk of your tree. Find that root flare, make a note if it lacks one. Observe the physical state of the trunk, are their injuries, holes, or cracks? Finally step back and observe the canopy of your tree. Note any dead and broken branches, observe the leaves. You may even find this process peaceful and relaxing while interacting with your tree!
When you’re ready, let the arborist in you communicate this information to your tree professional! You may be surprised, but any true professional arborist will be excited to hear from a potential client that is educated in the basics of arboriculture!
