Signs Your Tree Needs a Certified Arborist!

It’s hard to count on both hands (or feet) how many times  I’ve heard a client say after a site visit, “Boy, I wish I had talked to you last year…two years ago, etc.”. Without a doubt, proactive tree work is far better, and usually more economical, than reactive tree work.  It’s no surprise that many people are still unsure when to call a Certified Arborist and often wait until it is too late, resulting in limited options.

Although every circumstance is different, here is a hypothetical situation similar to one I’ve run into:

Spring arrives and a landowner notices that their beautiful mature Sugar Maple is late to leaf out, when it finally does, the leaves are smaller and lighter in colour than the adjacent Maples. In fall, the leaves skip the colour show and just fall off. That winter wood peckers are seen chipping away at the upper branches. By the next summer the tree has less than 50% of its leaves, there are many dead branches and the bark is falling off.

Did you see the tree’s many ‘Calls for help’?  Knowing the signs could be the difference between an Arborist  inspecting, diagnosing and treating a tree to keep it standing versus  removing it. In short, trees do not die overnight and identifying and treating tree issues before it’s too late is the best option.

Consider calling an arborist when:

• buying or selling a home/property
• building or renovating
• you are unsure of the health and safety of your trees
• you want to plant trees properly
• you see dead branches/cracks/seams/holes in your trees
• your trees are making sounds i.e. creaking, popping
• your tree loses its leaves during the growing season or is late to leaf out
• the leaves are small and/or discoloured
• you see mushrooms on or around the tree
• you find insects (i.e. ants) in or on the tree/or find saw dust around the base of the tree
• there is no trunk flare
• the tree is hazardous or dead
• the tree is blocking a view and you would like to prune for site lines
• the tree is making contact with a structure
• branches are broken or hung up in the tree

And finally, if you are not sure – call anyway! We are here to help you and your trees! For more information contact Logan Tree Experts to speak to an ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessor.  Call 705-657-6916 or email contact@logantreeexperts.com.