Fall Leaf Drop in Midland and Odessa: What Is Normal and When Your Tree Needs a Closer Look
Late October in Midland and Odessa means leaves are coming down. Arizona ash, cedar elm, pecan, cottonwood, and Chinese pistache are all starting to turn and drop. Most of that is normal. But fall is also when a tree with a real problem can hide it, because everybody expects a few bare branches. A quick walk around your trees now can tell you a lot.
Tip: look at how the leaves are coming off
Normal fall drop is fairly even. The whole canopy turns color and thins out over a few weeks. Here is what is usually nothing to worry about:
Even color change and steady leaf drop across the whole tree.
Pines and junipers shedding older inner needles while the tips stay green.
Live oaks holding most of their leaves. They usually do their big leaf drop in spring, not fall.
And here are the signs worth a closer look:
Brown leaves that stay stuck on one branch while the rest of the tree drops normally. That branch may be dead.
Small holes, sawdust, or sap oozing from the trunk or larger limbs, which can point to borers.
Cracked, loose, or peeling bark in patches on the trunk.
Mushrooms or soft, spongy wood at the base of the tree.
Evergreens browning from the tips inward or a whole side turning brown.
Why it matters now
Once the leaves are down, it gets harder to tell a dead limb from a dormant one. Our dry winters and strong spring winds are hard on weak trees, and a limb that is already failing is more likely to come down in a storm. Spotting trouble now gives you time to make a plan before the tree leafs out again in spring.
The soil under the tree matters too. Roots spread well past the edge of the branches, and packed Permian Basin clay makes it hard for water to soak in. Keeping the lawn around a tree healthy and loose helps water reach the roots. Keep mulch rings a few inches away from the trunk.
What Tejas does
Tejas Pest and Weed Control looks at trees for homes and businesses across Midland, Odessa, and the Permian Basin. If something looks off, we check the trunk, limbs, leaves, and root zone and talk through what we see. Depending on the tree, treatment can include:
Wood borer treatment
Mite treatments
Disease and fungus treatments
Malnutrition support
Trunk injections and soil injections
Foliar and systemic treatments
Take a few photos of anything that looks odd and send them our way. Tell us the kind of tree and your town, and we will help you figure out next steps.
Call or text Tejas
Call or text 432-934-5248 or visit https://www.tejaspwc.com/tree-services to set up a tree check.
Tejas Pest and Weed Control · Midland yard: 3112 E County Rd 139, Midland, TX 79706 · Andrews yard: 2184 SE 2460, Andrews, TX 79714 · 432-934-5248 · office@tejaspwc.com
