Now that it’s officially autumn, you expect the leaves to change color and drop, but what happens if a number of them have fallen already? If you’re worried about early leaf drop causes, read on to learn about some of the reasons why it happens and what to do.

Early Leaf Drop Causes

Trees lose their leaves for a number of reasons. However, if the leaves start to brown and drop in late summer, these reasons may not be good. Here’s what could be causing the change:

1. Drought. When trees don’t receive enough water, leaf drop is a sign of stress. In order to conserve the hydration they do get, they’ll shed the leaves to limit the amount of water it needs.
2. Over-watering. Too much water also causes stress. Drowning the root system makes it harder for the tree to pass nutrients to the leaves. A wet summer can lead to leaves turning yellow early and dropping before fall.
3. Disease. A sick tree drops leaves at any time. Leaf spots are one sign of disease. You may also notice one section of a tree with dead leaves, which is a sign something isn’t right.

Preventing Tree Disease

While you can’t control the weather and if your area gets too much or too little rain, you can do your part to help prevent and treat tree disease. Proper tree pruning is one solution. Remove any dead or diseased branches to help prevent the problem from spreading.

Contact Elite Tree Care for help diagnosing leaf drop causes. Take advantage of professional tree pruning services for older, larger trees or ones too close to your home. Once you know the cause of early lead drop you can work to solve the problem and then enjoy the rest of the colorful season.

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