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| Urban Tree Inventory |
Healthy & Unhealthy Trees
There are several clues to determine health or lack thereof in trees. One simple test
you can perform yourself to see if your tree is getting enough water is shown here.
Push a 2-foot screwdriver into the ground at points all
around the tree. Follow the 'drip line' where water would naturally fall to the ground
from the outer-most branches of the tree. If the screwdriver easily penetrates the soil to a depth
of 11/2 to 2 feet, then the ground is probably moist enough to keep your tree from dying of thirst.
However, ground that has dried out and is difficult to penetrate may indicate a lack
of sufficient water.
Testing the soil for adequate moisture needs to be done at least once a week,
especially when you are first learning how long your soil holds water. This is
an excellent opportunity to become familiar with your trees and what they look
like in normal conditions.
After adequate soil moisture, good soil structure is essential for tree health. Mulch around the tree, not quite touching the trunk will aid in maintaining moisture as well as providing nutrients and helping to prevent soil compaction and reducing competition with grass. Keeping grass away from the tree trunk will prevent damage to the bark from string trimmers, a fatal condition all too common in managed landscapes.
Other warning signs include:
- fungus growing on the sides of the tree, particularly at breaks in the bark or mushrooms growing next to the trunk at ground level.
- cracks or splits may indicate a potential structural failure
- holes that penetrate the bark may point to a hollow core
- tilt, especially if roots on one side are uplifted
- tips of branches dying back
- excess needle fall
- abnormal browning of leaves or needles
If you observe any of these symptoms, a professional arborist can assist you in
deciding on the proper course of action.
Department of Forest, Range
and Wildlife Resources
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-5215
435-770-3035 (cell)
jdhubbell(at)cc.usu.edu