Four Ways Homeowners May Accidentally Kill Their Own Trees

Mature trees aren't just attractive; they're also worth quite a lot of money. For a homeowner, a tree that is ten or twenty years old could be worth many thousands of dollars. Because of that, it's often ideal to hire a professional arborist to inspect and care for the tree at least periodically. There are many ways you could accidentally kill a tree if you don't care for it properly. 

1. Over-Trimming the Tree

Trimming a tree is actually a very careful and time-consuming process. Tree branches should be cut close to the tree itself while still leaving an area around the branch so that the tree can self-heal. If a tree is trimmed or pruned too excessively, the tree itself can die. Trees transport and consume many important nutrients through their leaves -- and a tree will need to adjust to having fewer leaves slowly.

2. Putting On Too Much Mulch

Too much mulch or fertilizer can actually damage trees. Not only does too much mulch attract pests, but it can also cause the bark of the tree to rot. Once the tree begins to rot, the entire tree becomes unhealthy. Fertilizer is also dangerous and toxic to trees in larger quantities; the goal of fertilizer is to balance out the nutrient and chemical content of the soil. When you fertilize too much, you throw the soil off in the other direction.

3. Digging through Root Systems

The root system for a tree can be deceptively far away from its actual trunk. If the root system becomes damaged, the tree itself will fail to get the nutrients that it needs to survive. For this reason, always take proper care when digging into a yard, whether it's to put in a sprinkler system or a new in-ground pool. Septic tank installations and repairs also have a tendency to potentially disturb tree roots.

4. Putting Heavy Items On Top of Soil

Many homeowners decide to do their landscaping by stacking bricks around their trees or putting in heavy pathways. Anything heavy on top of the tree's roots can potentially damage them or compact the soil, making it harder for the tree to thrive. In general, heavy items should never be placed around the tree itself. Likewise, trees shouldn't be located in heavy traffic areas.

Tree maintenance can be more complicated than it seems. An arborist service like 770 Tree Guy can take away many of these worries, especially when doing something dramatic such as trimming a tree's limbs.