Author
Andy Carter
Founder, ArborScout
Andy Carter runs PineCloud Labs, the company behind ArborScout. He builds the product and writes ArborScout's guides for homeowners and for tree care companies.
The guides draw on the same approach as the ArborScout risk check: describe what is visible, separate how likely a failure is from what it would hit, and say plainly when a photo is not enough and a professional needs to see the tree in person.
Learn more about ArborScout.
Written by Andy
Is My Tree Dropping Leaves Early? Normal Fall vs. a Sign of Stress
A tree going bare in September looks alarming, and most of the time it is the tree doing exactly what it should in a dry year. Here is how to tell ordinary early drop from the patterns that mean something is wrong.
Read the guide For tree care prosHow to Pre-Qualify Tree Service Leads Before You Drive Out
The free estimate is not free. Every drive to a job that was never going to happen costs fuel, an afternoon and a slot you could have spent on paid work. Here is how to sort the leads before the truck leaves the yard.
Read the guide For homeownersCracks and Splits in a Tree Trunk: Which Ones Are Dangerous
Most warning signs a tree gives you are slow. A crack is not. It is the one sign that records a failure that has already happened, and the trick is telling it apart from the ordinary furrowed bark every mature tree has.
Read the guide For homeownersDead Branches in Your Tree: What Canopy Dieback Means and When to Worry
Every tree drops a branch now and then. But when dead limbs start clustering at the top of the canopy or spreading through the crown, the tree is telling you something, and most homeowners read it too late.
Read the guide For homeownersIs a Leaning Tree Dangerous? How to Tell If Your Tree Is About to Fall
A leaning tree isn't always dangerous. Many trees lean for decades without issue. But the signs that separate a stable lean from an imminent failure are subtle, and most homeowners miss them.
Read the guide For homeownersMushrooms at the Base of a Tree: What It Means (And When to Worry)
When fungi appear on a tree, the visible growth is just the tip of the iceberg. Here's how to tell the difference between a harmless mushroom in the grass and a sign of serious structural decay.
Read the guide For homeowners7 Warning Signs Your Tree Is About to Fall
Most falling trees don't fall without warning. These seven visible signs are what tree care professionals look for first, and every homeowner should know them.
Read the guide