Problems Your Tree's Growth Pattern or Shape Could Indicate

If you notice a change in the pattern or shape of your tree's growth over time, that could indicate problems as well. Here are some types of potentially abnormal growth and what they could mean for your tree.

If your tree is growing a lot of sprouts from the base of the tree, or it’s has fast-growing, vertical, straight sprouts from its branches or trunk, you have a sucker problem. Sometimes called water sprouts when they appear on the trunk or branches, suckers are a type of growth that trees form when stressed or damaged.

Some types of stress that could lead to this growth pattern include:

• Water stress (the tree has too much or too little water)
• Physical damage stress, such as bark damage from a lawnmower
• Stress from pests eating too many of the tree's leaves or from disease damage
• Stress from being pruned back too severely

If you're unsure of the cause, a tree expert can help you identify possible sources of the tree's stress along with solutions. And don't forget to have your tree-trimming expert remove all water sprouts and suckers. Because of the angle at which they grow and the type of rapidly formed wood they consist of, these sprouts aren't considered structurally sound tree components.

While some trees thrive as understory plants in shady sites, other trees require full sun to thrive. A tree that needs full sun may create long, thin branches reaching towards the light if placed in shade. These thinner branches are likely not as strong as they should be. The tree may also flower less and lose some leaves.

In this scenario, you may need to prune back some of the surrounding trees or even remove one that's blocking the light if you want your spindly tree to thrive.

If your tree exhibits a really strange growth pattern in one area, it may have a disease. Odd clumpy growths sprouting from a branch or leaf may be due to a gall, which is often caused by a fungal or other disease.

If the tree has a lot of twigs sticking out from one spot at every angle in an oddly dense clump, the tree may have a condition called witches' broom. A disease or pest typically triggers this condition.

However, witches' broom can look similar to mistletoe growth (mistletoe is a parasitic plant). To complicate things further, mistletoe growth can also trigger witches' broom. So be sure to check with a tree expert to ensure you know what you're dealing with. Treatment will likely include trimming off affected parts of the tree.

If your tree's trunk appears to grow straight out of the ground like a fence post, rather than flaring at the bottom in a classic tree trunk shape, you could have a problem. The flared-out bit is called a root flare, which often is simply buried underground when a sapling is planted.

If the root flare is buried, it won't grow back above ground; it will simply suffer. A tree may live for a long time battling the results of root flare burial and failing to thrive, or it may succumb more quickly to rot. Some tree varieties may have a more easily identifiable root flare than others; if you're unsure whether your tree is planted too deep, ask your local tree expert.

These are just some of the growth habit clues that could alert you to a problem with your tree. In many cases, such as with a diseased tree or one that has too many suckers, tree trimming can be the solution. Get in touch with Baumann Tree today to learn more about how we can help.