During the natural growing process, a tree sometimes "gives up" on the odd limb for no apparent reason. There’s usually an underlying cause that’s not readily apparent. Sometimes it’s because a limb becomes damaged through storms or by contact with vehicles etc. The Limb can become diseased and begin the process of die-back. Badly pruned stumps may also become deadwood and crossing branches that rub in the wind are often the primary cause of subsequent disease in a branch.

Not all dead wood is bad: It provides a habitat for Saproxylic organisms (bugs and beasties” that feed on dead or dying wood) which become the meal of choice for birds such as Woodpeckers and other creatures. Striking a balance is necessary when “dead wooding” , so……if it is safe we really should leave some deadwood in a tree for bio diversity. A thick long branch that has deadwood at its end is less likely to cause a tree poor health, unlike a short stub near to the trunk which could allow disease into the trunk through the inability for the tree to complete its natural healing process.

When “dead wooding”, we would normally inspect the crown of the tree and carry out a systematic check for different types of deadwood and assess whether it is unsafe and then remove / cut out crossing branches and trim stumps back to the branch collar to permit the callusing over of the wound, and if reasonable to do so, leave some dead wood for the insects that birds will then feed on.

Dead wooding is normally done at the same time as Crown Cleaning.