Roots are integral to a trees health, and when the roots get damaged, the tree weakens and becomes dangerous. Depending on the extent of the damaged roots, it may be wise to remove such a tree before it accidentally falls. Here are some of the telltale signs of a tree with damaged roots.
Some Parts of the Tree Is Losing Its Canopy
One of the earliest signs of tree root damage is declining canopy. The canopy refers to the outer layer of the tree, mainly the leaves, but may also include other parts such as flowers and small branches. If you notice these parts of the tree falling off or drying off, then you should suspect root damage. The decline occurs because the damaged roots can no longer transport water and nutrients to the tree's canopy. This is especially true if only one side of the tree is affected. This makes sense if you consider the fact that root damage rarely occurs on all sided of the tree simultaneously; it starts on one side before spreading to other parts.
The Tree Is Increasingly Leaning To One Side
Tree roots don't just transport water and nutrients; they also anchor the tree onto the ground. This means a tree whose roots are damaged or dying will be weak on that side of the tree, and it will lean towards the opposite side. For example, if the eastside roots of the tree are damaged, it will tend to lean westward. Therefore, suspect root damage if a tree that has been upright all along gradually begins to lean towards one side.
Fungi is Attacking the Base of the Tree
You should also suspect tree root damage if fungi is growing on the tree, especially at the base of the tree. The fungi attack and damages the roots of the tree, and this eventually causes the roots to die off. At the same time, the fungi can also grow on already rotten wood. Therefore, the fungi can either mean the tree roots are already rotten or are about to rot; in either case, this spells doom to your tree's roots.
The Tree is Producing Lots of Suckers
All living things, including trees, are hard-wired to survive at all costs. Survival, in this context, doesn't mean that the existing tree itself will try not to decay or dry off – here survival takes the form of offspring's. Therefore, a tree with dead or dying roots will try to survive by producing lots of seeds and/or suckers so that it can continue surviving in the new generation. The moment your trees starts producing lots of suckers is the moment you should suspect its getting weaker by the day, and tree root damage is one of the causes of such weaknesses.
Contact a service like Frank's Tree & Lawn Service for more information.
After I decided to list my home for sale, I realized that there were a few things I needed to do if I wanted to sell my property quickly. For starters, I knew that I needed to have a few trees in my yard taken down, since they were too big and blocking the view of the street. I also wanted to have the trees in my yard pruned so that they would bloom properly in the spring. After they were trimmed, the entire yard looked incredible. Check out more about tree trimming by reading this handy website. You won't regret it!