Symptoms: Bad Crotch Angle in Trees - Plant Insect, Disease and Environmental Problem Information from PlantsGalore.Com

The angle between a branch and the trunk, called a fork or crotch, is normally greater than 45 degrees in most species. If the angle is much less than this, bark is sometimes trapped between the branch and the trunk, preventing the wood from growing together at that point. This weakens the branch. As the branch and trunk increase in length, the additional weight causes the fork to split at the weak junction. A large portion of the tree may fall. Some trees that develop weak forks break more readily than others because of their growth habits and brittle wood.


Animal Damage Bad Crotch Angle Bark Beetles Borer Insects Broken Limbs	Canker Disease Frost Crack Ice/Snow Damage Lightning Damage Limb Drop	Mechanical Damage Oozing Sap Sunscald


Animal Damage Bark Damage Black Needled Conifers Broken Limbs Cankers Crotch Angles Dieback Distorted Leaves Fall Needle Drop Failure to Flower	Frost Cracks Galls Honeydew Leaf Spots Lightning Strike Limb Drop Mechanical Damage Mushrooms Nutrient Deficiency Sap Oozing	Scorch Shelf Fungi Skeletonized Leaves Sunscold Transplant Shock Trees Falling Over Wilt Witche's Brooms Yellow Leaves

Note: We have provided some general information and observations on this topic aimed at the home gardener. Before you take any serious action in your landscape, check with your state's land grant university's Cooperative Extension Service for the most current, appropriate, localized recommendations.