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My tree does not look so good. How can I tell if it is dead?

healthy-tree1

Healthy tree

dead-tree1

Dead tree

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Distressed tree

An oldie, but goody as we get asked this one a lot.

Once winter has passed, in the spring your dormant (lose/drop leaves in winter) trees will begin to flush and promote more leaves and foliage. If you do not see this transition taking place by late spring, perform the following test:

Take a pair of scissors, a pocket knife or a strong thumb nail and scrape on a branch of the tree to see the inside coloring.

Once scraped, one of the following 3 scenarios will occur.

1. The branch insides are a vibrant yellow and green.

Result: Congratulations, you have a happy and healthy tree.

2. The branch insides are less vibrant yellow with a little green.

Result: Your tree is showing signs of distress. Our best advice in a situation like this would be to cut back all the dead branches back to where the green foliage is and start giving it more water. A tree in distress usually comes from a lack of water or a deep freeze.

3. The branch insides are light brown/beige in color with no signs of green color and looks dry.

Unfortunately, this reveals signs of a dead tree.


Call us if you have questions or need advice on what kind of replacement tree to pick.

Gardening Tips, ,

What is a “code” tree?

From time to time, a tree in your yard may need to be removed for various reasons ( tree died, home room addition/construction, pool installation, etc.), but by county standards an approved county “code” replacement tree must be planted in its place. Hence, the terminology “code” tree comes to play. A code tree is a county approved replacement tree.

Each Florida county may have different approved code trees, so please confer with your specific county for the most up to date and accurate code tree guidelines and regulations.

What fits the description of an approved Pasco County, Florida code tree?
Pasco County code tree must be at least 1.5” – 2” caliper (circumference of the trunk,) and 8’+ in height.
This is typically a 30 gallon sized tree.

Do we grow/sell Pasco county approved code trees?
Yes, we grow and sell many varieties of Pasco County, Florida approved code trees. These code trees also make excellent shade trees and summer is the most opportune time to plant these trees as the summer rains are beginning to set in.  Code trees that we grow and sell include the following and of which many are on our great tree specials list:

  • Elm (Winged)
  • Holly (East Palatka & Savannah)
  • Magnolia (D.D. Blanchard, Little Gem, Southern Charm & Sweet Bay)
  • Maple (Red)
  • Oak (Live)
  • Sycamore
Gardening Tips, ,