Identify and Manage Hazardous Tree Defects and Tree Damage

Practicing proper tree pruning is excellent “preventive medicine” for reducing the occurrence of defective, high-risk trees. By pruning properly, early in a tree’s life, you can prevent or correct many of the problems that cause trees to fail as they mature.

Improper pruning techniques can worsen the problem, and may ultimately result in the formation of cracks, decay, cankers, or poor tree architecture that lead to very high risk situations. (See How to Prune Your Young Trees for more information.)

• Perform a property tree inspection for defects and hazards!
• Inspect every tree for overall health and integrity!
• Dead wood and tree cracks, the first of seven high-risk tree defects!
• More defects: weak tree branch unions and tree decay!
• More defects: tree cankers, tree root problems and poor tree form!
• Spotting high-risk situations as your tree's defects increase!
• Practicing proper tree pruning is excellent “preventive medicine”!
• Consider creating wildlife habitat, tree cables and braces or tree removal!
• Use a tree care professional!