Do not injure the trunk or roots with lawn mowers or weed whips, trenching or changing the soil level. See fact sheet 2.926, Healthy Roots and Healthy Trees . Prune limbs properly. See 7.207, Pruning Deciduous Trees . Remove dying limbs with proper pruning techniques.
Dead limbs attract insect and disease-causing organisms.
Healthy, vigorous trees are less likely to succumb to decline and gummosis. Prevention is the best defense. Go to top of this page. Updated Wednesday, May 02, 2001. Contact Cooperative Extension Web Manager .