tree diseases and the symptoms to watch for
4 Reasons To Remove A Leaning Tree
Wesley Perry
Trees tend to lean for two reasons. In areas with a lack of access to sunlight, a leaning trunk may be just part of the growth form for a tree that was seeking the sun. The tree is well anchored, so removal may not be needed unless the lean worsens. The other reason trees lean is because they are no longer well-rooted, either due to poor root formation or root damage. These trees pose an immediate hazard.
1. Structural Risks
A leaning tree can pose a risk to nearby structures, such as your house or overhead power lines. A strong wind can push over a leaning tree, or gravity may bring it down eventually. Damage to your home or whatever other structure is in the way of the leaning tree is likely. If the structures at risk happen to be power lines, there will also be fire and electrical shock risks.
2. Tree Entanglement
If you have multiple trees growing closely together, either all on your own property or on both your and neighboring properties, then you are at risk of losing several trees in the event the leaning tree comes down. When the tree does finally blow down, it may fall into the neighboring trees and become entangled. In some cases, one tree may knock down another. Even entanglement requires a lot of branch removal from otherwise healthy trees to remove both the damage caused by the fallen tree and the fallen tree itself.
3. Pedestrian Safety
Never leave a leaning tree in place if it is overhanging an area with a lot of pedestrian traffic, with the exception of those that have been well cabled and are under the care of a tree service. If the tree comes down, it can cause major injury or even death. Further, trees that are leaning due to root damage tend to experience branch dieback. There will be the risk of branch fall injury long before the tree comes down completely if you don't remove the problem tree.
4. Landscape Damages
Don't ignore a leaning tree just because it is small or in an area where it won't pose an obvious risk to people or structures if it does fall. When a tree blows down or falls due to its own weight, the root system also comes up. This can destroy a large patch of lawn, including breaking irrigation lines or any other underground lines that run near the tree. Proper removal of the leaner before it falls can save you the damages and cost of landscape repairs.
Contact a tree removal service if you have a tree that you are worried will soon fall over.
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Do you love the trees on your property? Are some of the trees looking as if they are not as healthy as they once were? Do the smaller trees get enough sun to grow tall? Sometimes, trees can develop diseases or become infested with insects that can cause them to die. If you catch these diseases and infestations early, you can oftentimes save the tree, or the surrounding trees. To learn what to look for on your trees, visit my website. There, you will find a long list of diseases and the symptoms to watch for to protect your trees from destruction.