Visual Tree Inspections And Identifying Trees That Require Removal
If you have a variety of trees that surround your business, then it is your responsibility to make sure that they are not a hazard to your employees or your customers. If a potential hazard is overlooked, then you may be seen as negligent for any incidents that occur due to a falling branch or a completely overturned tree. This can be avoided by visually assessing your trees and identifying when a tree may need to be cut down. Keep reading to learn about some things to look for.
Heaving Soil
Your visual inspection should start at the very base of each tree trunk and completely underneath the canopy. The canopy is the spread of branches and leaves that fill out the tree. When looking at the earth, investigate for signs of soil heave. Soil heave is when the upper layer of soil starts to move upward unevenly. Soil heave can occur for a variety of reasons, but it is often an indication of a tree that is diseased, dead, or in ill health.
The soil heaves or shifts upward as water infiltrates the ground and causes the dirt to expand. The earth has nowhere to expand but up. The ground may heave a small amount during the spring as snow melts and rain falls a bit more. However, this temporary heaving is minimal. Heaving will be more expansive at the base of the tree when water levels in the earth remain elevated. This happens when the tree roots no longer remove as much fluid from the ground.
If tree roots cease to pull water from the soil, then the tree is likely dead or dying and removal may be necessary.
Cracks In The Tree Bark
As you continue your inspection, look closely at the tree bark. The bark is an extremely important part of the tree and must remain mostly intact to keep a tree alive. The bark allows fluid to move through the small channels that line the spongy tissues of the tree. These channels are much like your arteries and veins and allow water and nutrients to reach the upper parts of the tree. If bark is damaged or removed from the circumference of the tree, then nutrients cannot pass the damaged area. The tree will then die.
Cracks and missing bark are also a sign that the tree may not be transporting as many nutrients that the tree needs. If the tree is in ill health, then it may be susceptible to viruses and fungal infections.
Tree bark may also start to break away from the trunk if it has an insect infestation or if a fungal infection has already set in. Bark also will dry up and fall off if the tree is already dead or dying. It is best to have a commercial tree service professional assess the tree to determine the cause of the missing bark and the best course of action.
Large Cavities
Once you are done looking at the bark, look at the main structure of the tree for signs of cavities. When a tree is injured, it can repair itself. Typically, a tree will form a layer of new tissue to fill in the injury. Tissues form in concentric circles and are slightly elevated, much like a scar on the skin.
If a tree is healthy, wounds will heal fairly quickly and cover the exposed tissue. However, this does not always happen. If the injury goes deep into the heartwood tissues of the tree, then this can allow decay-causing fungi into the tissue. Decay can develop and eat away at the tree. This causes a cavity.
If you see a wide, open, and dark hole or cavity in the tree, then this is a sign that the injury could not be healed. Decay has set in and will likely spread further and further into the structure of the tree. While decay will not spread quickly, especially if the tree is relatively healthy, decay should be noted. The tree will weaken over time and will eventually deteriorate. A tree expert can tell you if deterioration is imminent and timely removal is necessary.