3 Ways That A Professional Tree Service Can Help Stop Your Trees From Being Damaged By Excessive Sunlight Exposure
While all trees need sunlight in order to grow and thrive, excessive amounts can cause severe damage to a tree's trunk. Ultraviolet light from the sun damages the cells in the tree's trunk in a similar way to how it can damage the cells in your skin. Long periods of direct sunlight exposure on a tree's trunk can cause sunscald, which causes the surface of the trunk to die.
When a tree is damaged by sunlight exposure, the first sign that you'll notice is the bark becoming discolored. Lesions will form on the bark as the surface layer dies off, and this exposes the center of the tree to infestation from pests, fungi, and disease. Young trees are more vulnerable to severe damage from sunscald because their bark is thinner, and they can even die if too much of the bark is lost.
Preventing excessive sunlight exposure will help keep your trees healthy, and the best way to do it is to work with a professional tree service in your area. To learn three ways a professional tree service can stop your trees from being damaged by too much sunlight, read on.
1. Professional Tree Trimming Preserves Branches That Are Shading the Trunk
To keep the trees on your property healthy, you should always have them trimmed by a professional tree service. Having a professional trim your trees ensures that too many branches won't be removed when they're trimmed. Removing too many branches stresses the tree, and it also makes it more susceptible to being damaged by sunscald. Removing branches that were providing shade to new growth on the trunk can lead to the new growth rapidly being damaged by sunlight, causing harm to your tree.
2. A Tree Service Can Paint Your Trees to Reflect Direct Sunlight
A professional tree service can paint your trees to protect them from excessive sunlight. Silver or white paint reflects sunlight, preventing it from damaging the bark of the tree. If you notice that your trees are starting to show signs of being damaged by sunlight, you can have them painted to prevent sunscald.
3. A Tree Service Can Also Wrap Your Trees to Shade Them From Sun Exposure
If you don't like the appearance of painted tree trunks, a professional tree service can wrap your tree instead. Wrapping a tree with a lightweight tarp will shade the trunk, preventing it from being damaged by sunlight. It affects the appearance of the tree less than painting it, and the tarp can also be easily removed once the bark has thickened enough to resist being damaged by excessive sunlight.
If you notice that one of your trees is starting to develop damage because it's exposed to intense sunlight, call a tree service in your area and have them inspect your tree.