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My tree looks like it is dying and I am worried about it falling on my house. Can you help me?

This is actually a frequent question that I receive in the extension office. Trees decline for various reasons. Most of the time, it can be traced back to a root issue having to do with disturbance around the root zone, adding soil over the top of the root zone, compacted soil, or just too much water.

If you are having construction done on or around your home, block off areas around the trees at least one and a half times the distance from the trunk to the dripline, such that heavy equipment will not traverse over the roots.

The dripline of a tree is the average edge around the circumference of a tree where the branches end. The dripline is also where you would want to fertilize your tree and take soil samples from to send to the NCDA testing lab.

If your yard is low in elevation, you can’t just add soil to bring it up in elevation. If you add soil over established tree roots, the roots will be cut off from essential nutrients, moisture, and oxygen, causing the tree to be stressed and, in most cases, die within a season or two.

If the soil is compacted from new development or past heavy equipment, the roots will have a very difficult time growing. This causes nutrient deficiency, leads to stress in the tree, and eventual death. Take care to amend and aerate soils before planting trees to avoid this situation. Too much moisture leads to stress in the tree because there is no oxygen available to the roots when soils are saturated. Plant roots must have oxygen in the root zone. This will also cause a problem called root rot. There is no cure for root rot and it will cause sudden to slow death of plants in general.

Cooperative Extension is here to help you by providing education and diagnosing all of these issues. I have a series of classes coming up in February called “What You Need to Know, So You Can Grow.” In this series, I teach classes about soils, vegetables, fruit, turf grass, and ornamentals.

However, there is one thing that Cooperative Extension is unable to help you with: Risk Assessment. If you have a tree that is in poor health or declining, and it is in a high-traffic area, public area, or near a structure, then you need to have a risk assessment of the tree. Historic districts or Homeowner’s Associations may require a risk assessment before allowing a tree to be cut as well.

A risk assessment is a difficult service to provide, especially on a living tree. An Arborist is a person who is trained and knowledgeable in tree care and management. They go through classes and examinations to be certified in different areas of tree care. To be a certified arborist in the area of risk assessment, it takes years of experience, in addition to satisfactorily passing a rigorous written exam and carrying a hefty amount of liability insurance.

To hire an arborist, NCSU Cooperative Extension suggests going through the International Society of Arborists to make certain the potential arborist is certified in the area of expertise you are seeking and has all of the necessary credentials. You can visit this site at treesaregood.org to search for a certified arborist near you. There is a charge for their services, which range from risk assessment to rehabilitation to pruning and removal of trees.

While our landscapes can contribute as much as 30% of our home’s value, they can hinder our value as well. Large trees are a major consideration when purchasing a property. Trees may provide a center focal point around which a landscape is built. Trees may provide shade and shelter from prevailing winds which can reduce your electric usage in the summer and winter. A tree assessment is often an afterthought. However, it is imperative that we pay attention to our trees. In an area where we often receive high winds, a landscape must be prepared. A certified arborist is a person who can aid you in maintaining your trees to create a resilient, functional landscape.

If you are having an issue in your home garden or landscape, send your questions to Gene Fox, Consumer Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, at (252)946-0111. Check out our Facebook page, Beaufort County Master Gardeners, for The Plant of the Week and Finding Info Friday. Your question might just make the paper!