Is Your Tree Safe?

Tree Risk Guidelines

Tree risk assessment has been undergoing dramatic changes in recent years. Arborists in the know are following studies out of Europe, the US, and Asia, helping us to determine the real safety of trees. For the purpose of this article, I am talking about trunk safety - whether or not a tree will fail in its entirety. How can a homeowner tell if their tree is safe?

• LEAN - Has the tree begun to lean recently?
• DECAY - Advanced decay could indicate the presence of a hollow trunk.
• SOIL issues - Have the roots begun to lift out of the ground, especially during winds.
• DESTRUCTION - Has there been excavation of the root zone for construction or irrigation?

If any of these things are noticed - give a professional arborist a call. There are several methods of conducting tree risk analysis, and several methods for reducing the risk of tree failure.