What to Expect When You’re Expecting (A Tree to Fall)

Trees are a perfect addition to any space. They clean the air, provide us with extra oxygen, and even add value (and a little pizzazz) to our homes! Unfortunately, trees can also be a huge hassle when they’re about to fall – sometimes toppling unexpectedly, giving you no advance warning. Luckily, trees that are about to tip over do display a few signs that are easy to spot if you know how to look for them. Check out these common signs that your tree might be readying to go timber.

Keep an Eye on Certain Species

Some trees are much more susceptible to dropping limbs or snapping than others. These include willows, silver maple, box elders, oaks, and sycamores. While any tree can drop a limb, these species may be brittle or subject to summer limb drop, which is when hot temperatures cause them to cast off branches. Keep an extra close eye on these species.

Look for Leans

It is natural for a tree to lean, but when it goes too far, it is more likely to fall. This is especially true when severe weather hits, but a fall can happen any time the tree can no longer support its weight at the unstable angle.

Scan for Splits and Breaks

Split or cracked bark and partially broken limbs are sure signs that your tree is unstable. Particularly when the split or break occurs near the base of the tree, it is in danger of falling.

Check for Dead Areas

Trees with bare or dead-looking branches that don’t leaf out or branches that seem otherwise sickly may have internal damage that reduces their structural integrity. This may be due to disease, old age, or simply due to damage. If you see dead branches but the rest of the tree looks healthy, your tree may need deadwooding, the process of removing dead, diseased, or dying branches from the tree. If the whole tree appears to be dead or dying, contact Premier Tree Solutions for assistance in removal.

Beware Construction Damage

Construction can take a heavy toll on trees, especially if workers aren’t careful. Digging up the ground around roots can shock the tree, and while it may look normal for a while, it might become unstable. Disturbing soil beneath or around roots can also lessen the tree’s stability, leading to a fall later on.

Now that you know the signs, you can watch your trees to keep your home, family, and property safer. Think you’ve got one that’s ready to go any day? Get professional help by calling Premier Tree Solutions today at 404-252-6448 or get in touch online.

It’s Not Easy Being Green: The Lives of Trees

We’ve seen trees around us all our lives, so it’s often easy to take them for granted – but inside, the world’s favorite foliage is so much more complex than most people may imagine. Take a look at the facts below to learn a little bit more about the secret lives of trees.

From Seed to Sprout

Trees of all types take root as a single seed, which may come in the form of an acorn, pod, or papery cone. After establishing its roots, the tree often grows in the direction of the sun. For some trees, constantly blowing wind currents may influence the tree’s direction of growth as well. Growth starts within the trunk of the tree, which is made up of several distinct stratums, or layers. Each year that a tree lives, another layer is added to the trunk, creating growth rings, which spill the seeds about the age of any tree.

Tree Anatomy 101

Let’s start with the trunk, the main source of a tree’s growth. The trunk connects the roots and the top leafy portion of the tree, known as the crown. The outer layer of the trunk is the bark. This serves as the tree’s thick skin, protecting it from weather conditions, cold temperatures, excessive heat, and pests. Peel back the bark and you’ll discover the phloem, or the inner bark. The phloem constantly grows along with the tree, absorbing water and nutrients. Living for only a short while, the phloem regularly dies and becomes cork, i.e. the outer bark.

Barking up a Tree’s Trunk

Other layers in the trunk include the cambium cell layer. This layer works directly with the phloem by stimulating cell growth, which is used for shooting sprouts and leaf buds through the tips of branches. Like the phloem, the cambium cell layer regularly dies and turns to cork. Sapwood is the next layer inside a tree. This is where water is sucked up from the roots. Sapwood shoots water through to the tree’s tiniest twigs. Heartwood, the innermost part of a tree’s trunk, is the life source of any sapling, no matter how big or small. It is like a tree skeleton, neither alive nor rotting, but simply beneficial for holding the tree upright. Don’t doubt the heartwood’s strength, though, as this inner core can be as strong as steel pipe.

Branching Out

Out from the trunk, you’ll find the parts of a tree that you’re probably most familiar with. At the top of the tree trunk you’ll find branches, which are often covered in needles, leaves, or other seed-producing tree parts. This is where a tree absorbs the sunlight necessary for making chlorophyll, which is the vitamin-packed food for trees. The root system holds the tree into place, while simultaneously providing a connection to a water source.

The next time you’ve got a question about a tree that’s becoming a thorn in your side; contact Premier Tree Solutions at 404-252-6448.

Sources

http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeGuide/anatomy.cfm

http://www.gardenguides.com/107428-types-tree-seeds.html