How To Tell If Your Tree Is Dead Or Dormant In Winter
All trees go into a dormant stage in the winter months to rest and prepare for the spring and summer months.
Deciduous trees can be hard to determine the health condition during the winter months when there are no leaves to any homeowner.
While it is best to have a certified Arborist in Athens determine the health of your trees, we have a few easy steps to follow to determine if your tree is in fact dead or if it is simply in dormancy for winter.
Check for buds
Inspection of the trunk and branches is first and foremost. Even in dormant season, your trees should still have buds throughout.
If the branch you are looking at doesn’t show any signs of buds or they are shriveled and dead, check another, as this might just be a dead branch.
If you see multiple branches with dead or nonexistent buds, it is important to contact a certified Arborist in Athens to come out and assess the health of your trees and form a tree health care plan.
Check for missing bark
The bark of your trees naturally sheds and replaces itself regularly.
However if you notice bark on the trunks of your trees that has shed and hasn’t grown back, this could be an indicatior that your trees need a health assessment by a certified arborist in Athens.
Scratch the trunk
Last but not least, the oldest and most accurate way to tell the health of your trees is to take a knife or your nail and scratch the surface of the trunk of your tree or a twig.
Being careful not to damage the cambium layer of the tree, you will be looking for a moist, green color.
If under the first layer is brown and brittle, you might need a certified Abrorist in Athens to come evaluate your trees fully.
If you still have questions about your trees in Athens, or need further assistance to determine the risk of your dead or dying trees, please contact North American Tree Service to have a free estimate on your trees today!