Seeing the signs of disease on any part of your tree will cause you significant concern, and for good reasons. Ignoring that disease means it will likely spread to other trees and shrubs across your landscape.
When the disease ravages the tree deeply enough, it will become a safety hazard. A tree with a weak trunk or weak branches and trunk threatens everything and everyone around it. This post offers various approaches to dealing with a diseased tree, including pruning.
The most experienced tree service company in Atlanta discusses all you need to know about pruning a diseased tree in this post.
Identify the Disease First
Before dealing with disease through tree pruning, you need to know the type of disease affecting your tree. Some of the diseases that can plague trees in Atlanta include:
Fungal root rot
Bacterial wet wood
Powdery mildew
Seiridium canker
Fire blight
Oak leaf blister
You can’t stop root-related diseases by pruning.
Do Health-Enhancing Tree Pruning at the Right Time
The best time for pruning a diseased tree is in late winter and early spring. Most trees lie dormant around this time. Pruning won’t cause them too much stress, and the cuts will heal faster.
However, if you notice severe disease on any branch, you can’t afford to wait. Experts recommend removing it immediately to limit the spread.
Use the Right Tree Disease Pruning Techniques
The first thing you should know when trimming a sick tree is to only remove the diseased parts of the tree. You should cut at least six inches into the healthy part of the branch to ensure you remove all infected tissue in the branch.
Don’t go too deep, or you may cause your tree too much stress.
You should also ensure you keep your pruning tools sharp to make clean, smooth cuts. You don’t want to leave stubs or any unsightly tears that can serve as entryways for new diseases.
Also, keep a disinfectant solution on hand when pruning diseased trees to avoid spreading the disease to other parts of the tree.
Dispose of the Branches Properly
If you mishandle the diseased branches, the disease will continue to spread across your landscape. So you must either burn them (if local laws allow) or call a waste removal service to haul them away.
Know When To Call in the Big Guns
Cutting afflicted tree branches without professional help is possible. However, you may find times when it will be unrealistic. If you notice the signs of widespread disease across your tree, hire certified arborists to work out the safest way to handle the pruning (if it’s still practical).
Additionally, you should not attempt to remove any diseased branches that are too far off the ground or those that may cause severe damage to nearby structures or property when they fall. Experienced arborists have the tools and experience to safely remove such diseased branches.
Get Hassle-Free Pruning Services
Do you need professional help with pruning a diseased tree? We can help!
Call Monster Tree Services in North Atlanta today at (770) 872-6759 to request our pruning services!