What Can Kill Your Tree Other Than The Weather
Posted on: 11 February 2021
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While weather conditions are to blame for many downed trees, they're not the only thing that can kill a tree. And many trees that fall in a storm may have been damaged or even killed by something else beforehand. Here are some of the things that can kill your tree other than the weather.
1. Accidental injury
Accidental injury can come from a multitude of sources. You could accidentally injure your tree by mowing around it. Or your kids could accidentally injure your tree by climbing in it and playing in it. Even tying something around a growing tree's trunk and leaving it there could eventually girdle the tree and kill it.
2. Inhospitable soil
Some soil conditions, such as too much or too little water, can be related to weather. However, other soil problems can also cause tree death. For instance, soil that has Verticillium fungi living in it could infect and kill a tree via Verticillium wilt. Soil that's contaminated with chemicals or salt (such as road salt or salt from the ocean) can also kill a tree.
3. Disease
Verticillium wilt isn't the only disease that can kill a tree. Some other potentially deadly tree diseases include root rot, chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease, cankers, and more. Often, you can tell that your tree is diseased because the leaves will look odd.
For example, the leaves on a diseased tree may turn yellow or brown out of season or display spots, or some of them may start to wilt. If you see signs like these, contact a tree care professional for help discovering what's wrong.
4. Livestock damage
If you live on a farm, homestead, ranch, or another large piece of property, you may have livestock as well as trees. But keep in mind that livestock can cause problems for your trees or, in some cases, even kill them. Goats can be some of the most damaging livestock, as they often love to chew off the bark in a ring around the tree. This can girdle the tree and kill it.
However, other livestock can damage and kill trees as well. Sheep, cows, and even horses may chew bark sometimes as well. And large heavy animals like cows may damage or even snap young trees by rubbing against them to scratch an itch.
These are just a few of the things that can damage and kill your tree other than hostile weather conditions and storms. For more information about what to do next if your tree appears to be dead or needs removal for some other reason, contact your tree service professional today.