Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services
Meeting The Needs Of Today With A Vision For The Future
Special Topics
Your Tree May Be in Trouble If . . .
Decay or Cavities are Obvious
Exposed areas of
decayed wood are evidence that a tree’s protective layer of bark was damaged
at some point in the past - often when the tree was under stress
from dry, wet, hot, or cold weather, or the damage occurred at a
time of year when the tree was not able to quickly seal off, or
“compartmentalize” the damaged area, at right.
As decay expands, it can eventually threaten the overall health and structural integrity of a tree.
However,
if your tree is otherwise healthy and properly cared for it can live for many years even with relatively large
cavities, left, because of its ability to seal off healthy wood from damaged
wood through the process of “compartmentalization.”