Have you noticed any of your large trees losing an unsual amount of limbs in the summertime? This is is a warning sign of stress related injuries that can eventually cause the tree to succumb to a host of cyclical problems, such as disease and fungus. The most common cause of such stress is nearby construction or grading, which can harm the trees massive undergound root system.

The instinctive approach to dealing with this problem is pruning, but hang on to your loppers - You dont want to do this without preparation.

Think of your tree like your grandfather. To prepare it for "surgery" you need to first be sure the tree is in a healthy condition, and ready for pruning, a new shock to its system. Take the time now to stimulate the trees root growth. A root stimulation in the winter will make your tree ready for pruning in the early spring.

If your tree has large dead limbs, the more important issue is safety. Go ahead and get those taken care of now.

If you are planning to do some landscape this spring, remember not to plant too close to the tree, and avoid digging out vital roots. Breather roots and feeding roots come to the surface of the ground as small as human hair, when you dig near the tree you are killing the root system that the tree needs to remain healthy.

Keep at least 2/3 of the area inside the tree's dripline undisturbed. The dripline is the imaginary line that marks the area where rain water would drip from the tree, usually 8-10 feet from the base of an adult tree.

Gray Smith is a consulting arborist and active member of the Forsyth County Community Click Here to view his website