Why Won’t My Tree Come Out of Dormancy?
When it gets cold enough, deciduous trees go into a period of dormancy to conserve energy until things warm up again. This is a temporary state that will break when spring comes. Once the final leaf has fallen, they are dormant, but spring will see the leaves come back. Except, your tree didn’t come back. What happened?
In many cases, dormancy will remain until it is warm enough for the tree to come back. However, if it is almost sweltering out, then this is definitely not the cause. If the temperature is warm, but a tree is still dormant, there are three major causes.
A tree will remain dormant if it:
- Hasn’t gotten enough water
- Has a fungal disease
- Has died
Lack of Water
If you have had a particularly dry year and the tree does not have a deep root system, it may not have adequate water to wake up. When this happens, you will typically find other plants struggling as well.
Fungal Disease
Trees can be susceptible to several types of fungus that can prevent it from coming back from dormancy. When a fungus has caused this issue, you may see other signs like streaks on the trunk or various growths as it attempts to take the whole tree over.
Death
If your tree has died, then there is no coming back. However, usually you will see a lot of problems with a tree before it goes into dormancy if death was the cause. It is very rare for a tree to just die in its dormant period.
Do you have a tree that isn’t coming out of its dormant state or has died? Unfortunately, when a tree dies, it can only be removed for your own safety. However, if it may just be a lack of water or a fungal problem, we can help. Contact us and let Advanced Tree & Shrub Care take a look to see what we can do to help.