A concern many homeowners have is when seeming healthy, strong trees in their prime glowing in the summer warmth and then one or more of their limbs drops off without warning. A rather perplexing matter to tree enthusiasts, the sudden summer limb drop, promotes questions as to why it is happening and if the reasons are serious. This phenomenon is rather common to a handful trees, Oak trees being the most common, as well as Bradford Pear trees, Modesto Ash, Redwood Ash trees, Raywood Ash trees, Maple trees, Sycamore trees, and Chinese Pistache trees. To help homeowners better understand the sudden summer limb drop event, we at Milam’s Tree Service would like to further elaborate on the subject.

Trees Dropping Branches in Summer

A process known as evapotranspiration takes place in trees. This process involves releasing moisture into the air through the trees leaves after they draw up extreme amounts of water during the day. As a science experiment, take a potted plant and securely tie a plastic bag around it. After a short time, you will see the bag engulfed cloudy with moisture. Taking this experiment into account, trees doesn’t get the opportunity to shed out the moisture it withdrew from hot days, hotter than hot days, toasty hot days and there is a sudden drop in temperature in the evening hours. When this happens, the branches become overburdened with increased weight, causing them to drop off. These limbs will appear healthy green and pliable with no signs of disease or pest infestations, where it looks like feathery cuts were made.

Why Do Oak & Other Trees Drop Limbs?

A small crack or fissure produced by the moisture’s weight that didn’t cause it to completely remove the limb in some cases can fall off from the activities of birds or another wild animals that agitates the damaged and weighted limb in some instances. The limb can begin to decay, in addition to the initial crack or damaged sustain by the unshed moisture weight, where the limb eventually drops off. The limb will crack or break off completely in case when the limb gets increasingly large amounts of water before it is able to expel it through the leaves. Limbs will also fall with little notice as the trees gathering extra water on the hot days when the branches have been poorly maintained and improper DIY pruning is involved, and the branches are unnecessarily heavier.

Signs Branches are About to Break Off Tree

Generally, there are not any obvious signs your tree’s limbs are in distress. If you know what to look for, you can potentially spot the sudden limb drop if you notice a bit discoloration, a darker spot where the water is trying to bleed out. However, without any evidence to the potential occurrence, this phenomenon can take up to 5 years or more before the limb will break.

Tree Trimming, Pruning, Removal & More in McDonough, Jackson, Jonesboro, Fayetteville, Hampton, Sunny Side GA | Fayette, Clayton & Henry Counties, Georgia

To help prevent the summer limb drops there is little that homeowners can do, however, there are a few things you can do that minimizes the risk of summer limb drop. Be sure to have the specific tree species pruned correctly and every 7 years or so, have the tree’s crown thinned out. To ensure effective and proper pruning and thinning needs are executed, call in professionals. The experts of Milam’s Tree Services can properly maintain your Georgia trees. Contact us today!