Deadwood in trees
It is normal for most trees to have a few dead branches (deadwood) over the years.
- As they grow some branches become redundant, and are shaded out by others.
- Sometimes a branch gets injured and an infection gets in
- An injury to the roots or stem of a tree can end the flow of sap to a branch and cause it to die.
These are reasons that a tree that is otherwise healthy can have a few dead branches. We like to clear deadwood out of trees for a few reasons.
- Since fungi thrive in dead wood removing it reduces risk of infection to the rest of the tree
- No one wants to be clobbered by a dead branch when they’re mowing their lawn
- Once a branch is removed at the trunk the tree can start to close the wound, like pulling a troublesome wisdom tooth and letting the body heal.
If your tree has an excessive amount of dead branches there could be a more serious problem. Its good to observe changes in trees year to year, and have an arborist check it out if things don’t look right.