How to Find Out if My Cedar Elm Tree Is Dead
The cedar elm, Ulmas crassifolia, grows primarily in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. If healthy, it reaches a height of 70 feet, and its branches can spread to a diameter of more than 50 feet. Since the tree is a member of the elm family, it can fall prey to several fatal diseases that plague elm trees including Dutch elm disease and bacterial leaf scorch. The best way to see if your cedar elm is dead is by examining it carefully. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Check for signs of new growth. Small new branches will sprout from existing ones, and leaf buds will form on them if the tree is still alive. Examine any exposed roots for signs of shooters, or sapling trees that grow from the roots of a tree. Healthy-looking shooters are a good sign that the root system is still alive.
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Lean the ladder against the trunk and climb it to reach one of the branches. Slice off the end of a small branch with the pruning shears. Look at the wood on the inside of the branch. Wood that is white in color is healthy and still alive.
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Examine the bark on the trunk of the tree. Large missing sections of bark indicate that the tree is either dead or dying. The bark not only protects the inside of the trunk, but it helps circulate water and oxygen throughout the tree.
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Look for large areas of dead, leafless branches during the spring and summer when the cedar elm should be full of leaves. These are indicators of dead sections of the tree. It is normal for a tree to have a few randomly placed dead branches, but an entire section of them means that something is wrong with the health of the tree.
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Pull up any ivy or other plant growths from around the base of the tree trunk. Look for mushrooms or mold, both of which are signs of a rotting root system. If you see them, your tree is either dead or dying.
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