Most trees in your yard will need to be trimmed at some point, but not all signs are obvious. When you know what to look out for, you can catch potential problems early and ensure your trees stay healthy all year long.

Dead Branches Around Base of Tree

All trees will lose leaves and branches throughout their life cycle. However, if you're suddenly noticing more dead branches around the base of the tree than usual, this can hint that something else is going on that needs attention.

Tree branches can die and fall off for a variety of reasons. If your tree isn't getting enough light because there are too many branches and leaves, this is one way it can thin itself out. A tree may also lose branches if it isn't getting enough water. Alternatively, some pests and diseases that attack trees will start to affect individual branches first, which die off and fall.

Whatever the reason, an influx in dead branches means that your tree likely needs to be trimmed, whether to help the tree get more light or to cut off diseases or infested sections of your tree before pests and diseases can spread.

Tree Branches Touching the House

Trees make for beautiful additions to your landscaping but can pose certain risks. If trees are growing big enough to start touching the roof and walls of your home, they need to be trimmed back.

Trees touching your home can cause harm by damaging roof shingles, creating a fire hazard, and giving pests a bridge into your home that bypass pest prevention measures.

Any trees that have started to touch your home need to be trimmed back. Further, if your trees are simply planted too close to your home or have gotten too big overall, you might consider having them moved farther away.

Branches Drooping or Bending

Sometimes, trees can grow a little too quickly, leaving branches with more weight than they can carry. This can also happen if you have a fruit or nut-bearing tree where fruits and nuts are adding significant weight to the tree's branches.

Branches that appear to be drooping or bending can do so because of this extra weight, but they can also do this if the branch itself is weak. Branches that bend can end up causing stress for the tree, which can negatively affect its health.

While drooping and bending doesn't necessarily indicate that anything is seriously wrong, it should still be trimmed to ensure branches don't break and pose any risks to you or your home and that your tree remains healthy.

Contact a tree trimming service for more information.

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