In the middle of summer, every branch on a healthy tree should have leaves. That makes July one of the easiest times of year to spot true deadwood, but a lot of homeowners still aren't sure what they're actually looking at when a limb looks bare.
A quick scratch test tells you a lot: scrape a small patch of bark on a suspect branch with a fingernail. Green underneath means it's still alive, even if it looks rough. Brown, dry tissue underneath means that branch is dead and should be removed before it becomes a bigger problem.
Dead branches don't just look bad. They're brittle, unpredictable in wind, and often the first thing to come down in a summer storm, sometimes onto a car, fence, or roof. Catching them now, in full leaf-out, is far easier than trying to spot them in winter when every branch looks bare.
Have you noticed any bare branches on your trees that never leafed out this summer?
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A real photo showing a clearly dead, bare branch against a fully leafed-out canopy, or a crew member performing the scratch test on a suspect limb.
Canva text suggestion: "Summer Makes Dead Branches Easy to Spot" or "Green Underneath? Brown? Here's What It Means"