If you’re feeling under the weather, you probably communicate your symptoms to your doctor by scheduling an appointment or at least calling them on the phone. But trees don’t talk, so they communicate the status of their health in other ways. If you’re listening, and willing to learn the signs of various health conditions in trees, you can diagnose any problems early and treat them quickly.
Look for these signs of tree health in their leaves, so that you know how to proceed with watering tree trimming, or other methods to save them.
Leaves are changing earlier than usual. If your trees’ leaves begin to change, you might assume fall has arrived. But fall is not supposed to arrive in the summer, and you shouldn’t celebrate prematurely. If you notice your deciduous trees changing to yellow, gold, or red before the usual time, something is probably wrong.
In many cases, drought is to blame. Your trees might simply need more water. But if you’ve been watering your trees faithfully and still see signs of autumn before September, an insect infestation or certain diseases might be to blame. It’s time to call an expert.
Or, the leaves don’t change on time. Generally speaking, this part of nature should be predictable. So when unpredictable things happen, it’s usually a sign of something wrong. When autumn arrives and your trees’ leaves have not started to change color, drought or another problem might be afoot.
Leaves begin to drop at the wrong time of year. We expect the leaves of deciduous trees to change color and fall off the tree in autumn. But if they begin to drop earlier than about October, your trees are trying to tell you that they’re sick or thirsty (and perhaps both).
Always contact an expert at the first sign of an infestation or disease in your trees. With prompt attention and sometimes tree trimming or other service, we can often save your tree if the problem isn’t too advanced.
