It’s that time of year again when the skies over central Florida begin to darken late in the afternoon to bring heavy thunderstorms. It’s also the beginning of hurricane season, a time of the year that keeps every Floridian on their toes. Many times in heavy storms or hurricanes, trees can suffer from damage brought on by wind, rain and lightning. When this post-hurricane tree damage happens it’s tempting to take on the clean up on your own to ensure it gets out of the way faster. There are things to consider when providing “first aid” for your property’s trees.
Assess the Situation
Before making any hasty decisions ask yourself a few questions:
- Is the trunk broken? Is the tree missing any of its major limbs?
- Are at least 50% of the trees branches still attached to the tree?
- How big are the wounds on the tree?
If the trunk is unbroken and most of the major limbs are still attached then the tree is likely to survive from the damage and should not be torn down. Similarly, if at least 50% of the branches are still intact with the tree then survival is likely. If the wounds on the tree are deep or extremely large then removal may be considered.
Safety Over Speed
It’s unwise to take storm damage clean up into your own hands. Look up and down at all your surroundings. You’ll want to avoid fallen power lines and hanging branches that could come unattached at any second. Same goes for any downed utility, telephone or cable lines. If a tree is close to or has fallen on any electrical lines, leave the clean up to a professional. Incorrect removal in these situations could result in serious injury or death. We suggest letting an ISA Certified Arborist operate chainsaws and remove loose hanging branches or trees by wire. This is always a safer route!
Don’t Over Prune
When tree damage from storms happen its often tempting to over prune your trees. Often times you don’t even know you’re over pruning and are just trying to restore the aesthetically appealing balance to your tree. Don’t worry if a tree looks unbalanced after hurricane damage, they have an amazing ability to restore that balance on their own. Also, do not top your trees! This means cutting back all the branches to stubs. Many will think this will keep a tree from falling during storms, but in fact you are only weakening the branches of a tree and making it more likely for them to fall during heavy storms.
Save the Trees, Hire an Arborist
So this year if a hurricane rolls through your area and damages the trees on your property first assess the situation, use caution and don’t over prune your trees! Don’t take these matters into your own hands, hire an ISA Certified Arborist to help you tackle your hurricane tree damage. Here at Anglin Brothers Tree Care we have the knowledge and the skills to help you clean up your property and restore your trees. So before you make the decision to remove a tree, call Anglin Brothers!
