Dead Branches in your Trees

Dead branches are a natural phenomenon and provide habitat and food for many creatures such as birds, bats, insects and fungi. So why would you have these pruned out?

Well primarily because they are dead, they become dry and brittle and have a tendency to break off in strong winds. Especially the winds of our Nor’easters in the NorthEast. Also dead stubs and branches can be entryways for fungi and bacteria to enter live healthy wood at the attachment points and spread to other parts of the tree.This is especially a concern if the tree has an aggressive or infectious pest attacking it and/or trees nearby. Lastly, on some species, pruning out dead also will greatly enhance a tidy appearance of your trees, giving them a less ragged and messy appearance.

When weighing whether or not to spend the money to have them pruned out, some Q’s to ask yourself are;

• Is there property or people below that could get hit by these branches? Further, if there is a walkway, how often is it used? e.g. what is the risk level?
• What is the cost of trimming vs. the cost or repairing a fence or shed?
• Is the branch of a large enough size to cause damage if it were to break?
• How important is the health and appearance of this tree to you?