How to Deal With a Structurally Unsound Tree

Prune Off Recent Weak Growth

In some cases, your tree professional may be able to prune the tree back into shape. This is especially the case if the tree has only started to grow weak or have unbalanced growth in the past couple of years.

For example, if you have a young tree and it's started to grow water sprouts, which are structurally undesirable, tree experts can prune them back. This type of pruning can keep the tree from becoming more and more unstable.

Add Cables and Braces

Cables and braces are support materials that can help a tree survive a less-than-ideal structure. For instance, if your tree has grown with a dual leader for too long, it will have a large Y-shaped fork part way up its trunk. If it's too far advanced to prune back to a single leader, a brace may help to strengthen a weak fork.

Some of the other structural issues that cabling and bracing can help solve include:

• A tree that leans slightly due to an unstable root system
• A weak branch that sags closer and closer to the ground
• A branch that's started to crack

Your tree service experts can inspect any weak tree structures to see if cabling or bracing treatments may be necessary.

Remove Diseased Portions to Preserve the Remainder of the Tree

In some cases, structural unsoundness may come from ailments such as disease and rot. For instance, if the tree has a branch canker that has weakened the wood of a particular limb, you may simply need to remove the entire branch. Bracing the limb won't stop the progression of the disease, and if the limb isn't removed, the damage could spread.

In this scenario, you may end up having to remove the damaged branch simply to keep the rest of the tree from succumbing to the same problem.

Replace the Entire Tree

If your tree has significant structural damage in the trunk or too many of its limbs, your tree expert may advise simply removing and replacing the tree. For example, if the tree has an advanced canker problem or if it was struck by lightning and split down the middle, the tree may be a lost cause.

You'll need an experienced tree services professional to help you decide whether your tree may be salvageable or whether you should simply schedule a removal. A tree services company can help you get the tree safely out of your yard and remove the stump via grinding so you can replace the tree with a new sapling.

Treat Pest Problems to Stop Structural Damage

Pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer can cause structural damage by tunneling inside the trunk of a previously healthy tree. If your tree has an infestation, this means it has some of these tunnels in it, which start to weaken the tree's structure.

Tree removal may be in order if the tree is too weakened by the pests already. However, if you catch it early enough, a treatment to kill the pests may be enough to save the tree.

The options for how to proceed with a structurally unsound tree depend on what the root cause of the instability is and how bad the problem is. The local tree services professionals at Baumann Tree will be able to help you determine exactly what your tree's situation is and the best way to proceed with remedying any structural instability.