Trees are a huge time commitment for property owners and managers. If all goes well, they should outlive us and continue to provide shade for decades. Unfortunately, trees are susceptible to damage, disease, and rot like any other plant, and they’re not always equipped to give us obvious warning signs when rot does take hold. Let’s take a look at some of the causes of rot in trees and how you can prevent rotting trees on your property.
Rot and Tree Health
What causes tree rot? It’s well understood that a fungal infection is responsible for most types of tree rot. There are dozens of different types of fungi that can contribute to rot, and their warning signs aren’t always obvious. Some of the most common forms of tree rot include white rot, soft rot, heart rot, and root rot, but there are even more. Fungi feed on the cellulose and lignin in a tree’s wood. Basically, cellulose composes the softer but still sturdy wood you’re used to seeing in flexible saplings, whereas lignin constitutes the harder exterior and bark of a tree. No matter where these natural compounds are in or on a tree, they’re a perfect home to fungi. The fungus consumes the plant material within the tree and greatly weakens its structure. Rot can prevent water and nutrients from being transported within the tree, effectively starving it. Rot is not necessarily a death sentence for a tree, but prevention is the best method to keep your trees from dying prematurely.
Tree Maintenance
How do you stop a tree from rotting? Poor pruning and improper maintenance (or a full lack of maintenance) are huge factors in allowing trees to rot. Trees have natural defenses to fungal pathogens, but in nature, a certain population of trees is supposed to die. In a perfect world, without deforestation, natural diseases and infections like this would act to prune and balance the natural equilibrium. Trees do try to hold their own against rot, however. Their ‘immune’ systems work to isolate infections through a process called compartmentalization. This process essentially seals off an infected portion of a tree’s structure, preventing the fungus from traveling internally. But there are a lot of factors that can make a tree unable to properly protect itself. Compartmentalization works when the damaged areas are small, but if too much of a tree is damaged and exposed to fungal infection, it can kill itself by doing this. After hundreds of years of human influence on the environment, the odds are stacked against trees. That’s where we have to step in and help out. Here is how to prevent tree rot.
Pruning your trees yearly helps to prevent disease and further damage to the tree. By spotting and removing dying or dead limbs and branches before they’re allowed to fall, you give the tree a much better chance at healing properly. When a branch breaks free due to storm damage or rot, it leaves behind a wound that can allow fungal infections to enter through contact with other trees, birds, and insects. Even if a tree has already begun to rot, there are ways to stop or slow the effects of infection. This requires a proactive and watchful attitude on your part toward your trees.
How an Arborist Can Help
A rotting tree can hide its symptoms very effectively, because many external signs and symptoms don’t show up until it’s too late. Since fungi thrive on the interiors of trees far better than on the bark, it’s hard to spot rot without looking for it closely. That’s where the expertise of an arborist can make the difference between a dead tree and a healthy tree. An arborist is a trained tree technician who has unique knowledge and skills for effectively caring for trees. Arborists are tree experts who are skilled in planting, trimming, maintaining, and removing trees. While you might think you’re skilled enough to trim your trees on your own, consider that improper pruning can kill a tree if done poorly. Hiring an arborist is critical for protecting your landscaping and preserving the health and beauty of your trees. An arborist can look for signs of internal rot by analyzing the early, external signs that something is wrong. The early indications of issues include: wilting, spotty leaves, discolored leaves (out of season), and mildew coating leaves. A tree’s leaves are usually a good indicator of its health, but other factors like drought and heat can also cause leaves to dry out and yellow. That’s what makes it important to consult professionals at the first sign of an issue; the broad range of things that can go wrong extends beyond tree rot.
Other observable signs of rot in a tree are seen at the ground level or on the bark of a tree. Conks, or mushroom growths that develop like shelves on the outside of a tree, are obvious red flags for fungal infection. You’ve undoubtedly seen mushrooms on a tree’s exterior before, so it’s an easy thing to notice. Unfortunately, these kinds of symptoms are only visible after significant internal infection. Additionally, if root rot is occurring, you may observe mushrooms growing from the ground and trunk of the tree. This isn’t a sign that’s always noticeable, but if you see it, get help ASAP.
Once an arborist has identified rot in a tree, they will get right to developing a plan to treat the infection and prevent further damage. The best way to stop a fungal infection is by culling infected branches. If a fungus has infected the trunk of the tree, it’s not usually so simple. In some cases, arborists will recommend fully removing infected trees to prevent the fungus from spreading to nearby, healthier trees. Whether an arborist can cull branches or not, it’s important to note that the best option is prevention. The best defense is a good offense, so schedule yearly landscaping check-ins with a trusted arborist. If you’re in Nashville or the surrounding area, consider The Parke Company for your tree rot concerns. We have decades of experience in diagnosing, preventing, and treating wood rot of all kinds in a variety of local tree species.
Don’t let tree rot kill your trees and disrupt the beauty of your property’s natural landscape. Call the experts at The Parke Company today for a free estimate and consultation for comprehensive tree services.