Should You Remove The Dead Branches From Your Tree?

When you look into your tree's canopy, you can easily tell which branches are dead and which are alive. And although dead branches may look harmless, though unattractive, they are not very good for your tree's health. Professional tree trimmers remove dead tree branches to boost the health of the trees they are trimming. Trimming away dead tree branches is beneficial to trees.

If you have spotted dead branches in your tree's canopy, here are some good reasons to have a professional remove those branches for you.

Removing dead branches prevents diseases from spreading

Many tree diseases, such as canker, enter tree branches via wounds in the bark. These diseases then spread through tree branches, destroying the vascular system and preventing the affected branches from receiving food. But after those branches die, the diseases can spread to other parts of an affected tree.

Even if you can't tell if a disease killed a branch on your tree, remove the branch anyway. Removing the branch may prevent disease from spreading through your tree.

Removing dead branches helps trees to heal

Tree branches die for various reasons. Sometimes, trees cut off the food supply to branches that aren't receiving enough sunlight. And sometimes, diseases or pests kill tree branches. In a forest, dead branches eventually fall or break off. At this point, affected trees can fully heal at the branch collar. However, during the healing phase, wounds are vulnerable to invading pests or diseases.

If pests or disease manages to infiltrate the branch collar before it can seal off a wound, then the affected tree will gradually decline. More branches will die, and a hole may even form in the trunk where the dead branch broke off.

You can prevent this from happening by hiring a tree trimming service to remove dead branches early. That way, your tree won't need to wait years for a branch to break off before it can fully heal the wound.

Removing dead branches may protect your tree's healthy branches

Dead branches in a tree's upper canopy are a danger to the live branches below them. For instance, if a large dead branch falls during a storm, that branch may damage other branches on the way down. Damaged branches are vulnerable to pests and diseases. So, if you see large branches that appear to be dead in your tree's canopy, hire a tree specialist to trim them away.

Dead branches are bad for your tree's overall health. If you have seen one or more dead branches in your tree's canopy, remove them before they harm your tree.

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