How To Prepare Your Trees For An Incoming Storm
If you have one or more trees growing on your property, storms might leave you feeling worried. This is especially true if a nearby tree could fall on your home if brought down in a storm. Some homeowners choose to remove trees that might put them at risk during a storm. But with the right preparation, before a storm's arrival, you can ensure that your trees are well-prepared for storms.
If storm season beckons, or there is stormy weather on the way in the coming days or weeks, prepare your trees in the following ways.
Inspect your trees for defects or dangerous branches
Examine your trees and look for any of the following defects or problems:
- Weak branch unions
- Broken branches
- Dead branches
- Rubbing branches
- Dense foliage
A healthy branch union is u-shaped, whereas a weak branch union is v-shaped. V-shaped branch unions can break under the stress of powerful winds during a storm. Likewise, broken, dead, or rubbing branches are weak and may break and become dangerous during storms.
Trees with dense foliage may fall in strong winds since there are no gaps in the foliage to allow the wind to pass through the tree.
Hire an arborist to inspect for hidden problems
Some problems are difficult to spot for the untrained or inexperienced eye. For instance, a tree may have a root issue, such as root rot. Unless you know how to check the root system, you might not see the issue. A weak root system combined with strong winds and rain may cause a tree to fall over in a storm.
Dense foliage may also hide problems like disease and dead branches.
Hire a professional to trim your trees
If you spot potential problems in your tree's canopy, or your tree's canopy appears too thick, call an experienced arborist. A good arborist can remove problem branches without harming your tree and ensure that there is enough space in the canopy to allow wind to pass through.
Clear away all tree debris before the storm arrives
If you carry out any tree maintenance, make sure that you clear the debris away before the storm arrives. Tree debris, such as branches, can become airborne in a storm and cause damage to your home and property. If you hire a tree service to inspect and trim your tree, then that tree service can remove any resulting tree debris for you before the next storm arrives.
Contact a local tree service to learn more.