Whether you’ve just planted new saplings in your yard or want to preserve your yard’s existing mature trees, it’s worth investing in your foliage. Keeping trees healthy and happy has many benefits for Atlanta homeowners, from elevating property values to lowering air conditioning bills. Unfortunately, many common pesticides and weed killers can thwart these efforts.
The term “pesticides” actually describes a category of chemicals that’s designed to keep unwanted creatures and plants away. There are several common types of pesticides:
- Herbicides, which kill unwanted plants or weeds
- Insecticides, which kill unwanted insect pests
- Fungicides, which kill unwanted fungi, mold, and mildew
- Rodenticides, which kill small mammal pests
While each of these pesticides serve a purpose, they may also be harming nearby vegetation. Without proper use, keeping your yard pristine can cause unwanted effects.
4 Ways Pesticides Can Harm Trees
Most pesticides cause damage due to improper application, overuse, or poor application timing. While weed killer won’t likely cause the death of your trees, it can damage them, stunt their growth, and leave them vulnerable to disease. Here’s how things can go wrong:
- Root Uptake
When herbicides are applied to the ground near a tree’s root system, those chemicals absorb into the nearby ground. Trees pull nutrients and water from the ground using a process called root absorption — and if chemicals are nearby, tree roots will pull those pesticides in, too.
- Leaf Exposure
When herbicides are applied liberally or on windy days, spray drift can deposit chemicals directly onto a tree’s leaves or trunk. Since these chemicals are designed to halt nutrient absorption, killing the weed in question, they do the same work on larger vegetation like trees. The tree’s size will keep it alive, but it could still suffer leaf and branch damage.
- Direct Contact
In high concentrations, pesticides can penetrate through bark, giving the trunk direct exposure to toxic chemicals. This is especially true in trees with thin bark, which includes some varietals of beech, maple, and pine.
- Soil Contamination
Some pesticides are designed to kill on contact, while others also provide ongoing protection. While this is good for keeping harmful pests and plants at bay, prolonged exposure can lead to contaminated soil in your yard, which harms all nearby plant life.
How to Identify and Prevent Tree Damage
Should you throw away all pesticides forever? Of course not — but you can ensure your trees stay healthy through careful monitoring of your existing vegetation and proper application of any herbicides or insecticides you use in the future.
Signs of Tree Damage from Pesticides
Tree damage from pesticides is easy to spot. Look out for these symptoms:
- Yellow or brown leaves, especially out of season
- Premature falling leaves
- Stunted growth of branches or entire trees
- Leaves that “cup” or roll up
- Dead branches
Some of these symptoms are not exclusive to pesticide damage, but they all warrant a closer look. Trees with dropping leaves, dead branches, or stunted growth are battling some sort of disease or damage. If you’re not sure of the cause, a certified arborist in Georgia will have local expertise on how to best care for your trees.
3 Most At-Risk Tree Types
While all trees can are susceptible to pesticides on some level, these situations make chemical use particularly dangerous.
- Trees with shallow root systems or thin bark — Some trees grow thick bark and deep root systems, while others have widespread, shallow roots and thinner bark protection. Know which trees are in your yard before choosing a pesticide.
- Deciduous trees during spring and summer — When trees enter their growth season, they take in more nutrients and water to support that new growth. If pesticides are present during these times, the damage could be more significant than in other seasons.
- Broadleaf tree species — Many herbicides target broadleaf weeds, leaving broadleaf trees more susceptible to their effects. Many native trees in Georgia fall into this category, so it’s important to research before you spray.
How to Use Pesticides Safely
If you want to kill unwanted pests while supporting tree health and growth, keep these tips in mind.
- Read your labels. Pesticides come with specific instructions, and following them minimizes damage to the rest of your yard.
- Apply at the right time. Avoid spraying pesticides on windy days, when gusts could affect nearby trees.
- Choose the right pesticide. Some pesticides are meant to kill anything they touch, while others are formulated to affect only certain plants or insects.
- Attempt a holistic approach. While chemical pesticides are sometimes necessary, manual weeding and mulching can help limit their effects around your yard.
Tree Professionals You Can Trust
Whether you’re worried about the effects of weed killers or just want to keep your trees healthy and happy, Northside Tree Professionals can help. Since 1968, we’ve been Atlanta’s top rated tree service, and we plan to continue providing attentive customer service and unparalleled expertise for many more years to come.
At Northside, we offer comprehensive tree services at competitive prices. We’re committed to careful safety practices in trimming and tree removal, and we can help you keep your yard’s trees fertilized and disease-free.
No matter what tree-related need you may have, call Northside Tree Professionals. We’d love to help!