elise's Blog

Dead wood
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:59 PM PST
Tags: dead , wood , tree , fallen , storm , woodpecker , pruning , logs , insects , birds

What to do with large pruned branches, old dead trees, and trees killed by snow and wind:

The key is to keep dead wood in your yard. It might no longer produce nice leaves or flowers or fruits, but dead wood makes a great hideout, nesting area, and food source for bugs, birds, and small mammals.

If you have a dead tree standing in your yard, and it's far enough from your house to not pose a risk for fire or falling on the house, the best thing to do is to leave it there. Bugs and grubs will seek it out and the tree will eventually become a natural woodpecker feeder. If the tree appears to have died from a disease, check with a local arborist to make sure the wood can't spread the disease to nearby living plants.

If you have large branches lopped of from a pruning project, find somewhere in your yard to place the branch(es) on the ground. Best practice is to partially submerge one end into soil to speed up the decomposition process while leaving the other end out in the air. Be wary of stacking many logs in a heap - this can be a danger to children playing and can also be a good home for rats. It's better to disperse the dead wood.

Large logs can be incorporated into landscaping features such as benches and steps while smaller branches can work well as plot dividers and path edging.

Trees knocked down by weather can be left in place or chopped up and spread throughout the yard, or consider leaving the trunk and removing the smaller branches which take up the most space.