Should You Have Your Special Tree Cabled And Braced Before Storm Season?
Do you have a tree that is really special to you? Maybe it is a unique species that you had to look far and wide for, or perhaps the tree is decades old and its value lies in its age. Storms damage trees pretty indiscriminately. A storm doesn't care whether the tree is a common maple or a rare ginkgo; if the wind is strong enough, it will take the tree down. However, there is one preventative measure that may help your valued tree survive: cabling and bracing. Below, take a closer look at this procedure and what it involves.
What are cabling and bracing?
As the names suggest, cabling and bracing are strategies that involve using cables and braces to give a tree structural support. More specifically, the tree will be hooked to something else, or its own branches may be cabled together to keep them from cracking. Tree care services customize the bracing and cabling techniques based on the tree's unique needs. For instance, if one limb looks particularly weak, that limb may be double-braced to one of the tree's stronger limbs to keep it from developing a crack in its crotch should a heavy wind blow through.
How do cabling and bracing work?
Cabling and bracing essentially work by keeping the tree's limbs from swaying in the wind so much. It's this swaying that often causes the branch to crack and then break away from the tree entirely. Your tree care expert will consider the direction of the prevailing winds when placing the braces and cables. For example, if the winds in your area tend to blow from east to west, then the tree care company may place cables to the east and west to prevent sway in this direction. Those same cables will offer some, but not as much, support to the north and south.
Which trees need to be cabled and braced?
Any tree that you deem valuable and prone to storm damage can be braced and cabled before storm season. This service is particularly useful for any tree that has multiple large limbs or a crotched trunk. Trees with a strong single trunk and multiple small branches are less prone to storm damage and may not need to be braced. Have a tree care expert take a look; they'll tell you where bracing is and is not needed.
Cabling and bracing are great for storm damage prevention. Reach out to a local tree service to learn more.