Are Your Trees Ready for Spring Storms?
March through May can be a stormy time in North Texas. Thunderstorms, strong winds, hail and tornadoes. And while many of you know how damaging these weather events can be to roofs and, consequently, insurance premiums, have you considered the cost to other parts of your property, namely your trees?
Protect Your Trees, Protect Your Investments
Trees, especially large, mature ones, add thousands of dollars in value to your property. A study done by the US Forest Service found that a mature, well-cared for tree can add the equivalent value of an extra bedroom to a home’s value.
Which Trees are Most Likely to Fail in a Storm?
Trees, of any species, can be vulnerable to damaging strong winds and heavy rain. That is why it is important to have your trees pruned properly. Hiring a ISA Certified Arborist will help you determine the safety of your tree as well as any other health care concerns that might need to be addressed. Your tree’s health plays a big part in its ability to maintain strong limbs and trunk.
Structural Pruning Makes Trees Stronger
Ensuring that your trees are well-cared for includes structural pruning. The goal of structural pruning is “to develop and maintain structurally stable trees.”
How can pruning make a tree more stable? Aren’t healthy trees stable already? Trees planted in the suburban environment grow differently than trees in a forest. When planted in isolation, a tree faces no competition for sunlight. No competition can lead to the growth of unnaturally large limbs. For a tree to weather strong winds, it needs to be well-structured.
Structural pruning improves a tree’s structure by removing limbs that contribute to weaknesses in the canopy and uneven weight distribution. A robust central trunk with well-spaced limbs protects the tree from breakage and enables it to be strong in a storm. This not only helps preserves the tree from failure, it also adds aesthetic value to the tree while reducing maintenance costs in the future.
Lion’s Tailing and Topping Weakens Trees
Lion’s tailing and tree topping are negative examples of pruning. The practices are damaging to a tree and often fatal. Lion’s tailing creates imbalance by removing lower branches that are necessary for growth and preserving a strong central trunk.
