Symptoms of a Dying Tree in Enka, NC (Part 2)
One of the most accurate places to look for an idea on your trees health is its roots. Unfortunately, being that the roots are somewhere between a foot, and two feet under the soil means that the roots will difficult to access safely. Over time roots can be damaged by bad quality soil compaction, harsh climates, lack of water, lack of sunlight, infestation, infection of disease, and intersecting roots of other trees. This means that it’s highly possible your trees are either weakened from the roots up, or actually dead from the roots up.
However, in some cases you can see the effects of root damage on the outer bark of the tree trunk. The first clue is that there is a slight lean or altercation in the growing path or structure of the tree. The second idea is that there branches growing far lower than normal close to the foundation of the tree. These branches tend to be smaller, and act as signs of horrible stress. Fungus can also be a large problem for trees as well. Wood conchs or shelf fungus grows on the outside of the tree and normally means there is extreme rot and decay on the inside of the tree.