Blog
How to protect your trees from summer storms
In summer, trees can be damaged by strong winds and heavy downpours. This can be detrimental to the trees and make them a safety hazard. Here are a few ways to protect your trees and mitigate possible storm damage.
Inspect trees for weakness in the spring
If a tree is weakened by pests or disease, it’ll be much more susceptible to cracking and splitting during a severe weather event. It’s important to identify vulnerable trees early in the season so you can take appropriate measures to prevent damage.
Tree assessment services offered by professional arborists include an inspection of each tree’s condition, from its foliage down to its roots. Arborists can also make recommendations for how to support and treat diseased trees and how to prevent an infestation from spreading to other trees on your property.
Prune trees to maintain a healthy shape
If a tree has structural defects, such as multiple leads or a disproportionately large crown, it’ll be more likely to suffer damage in high winds than a properly shaped and maintained tree. For this reason, regular pruning is an essential part of protecting your trees from storm damage.
In addition to removing potentially hazardous branches, pruning promotes the overall health of the tree. Shaping techniques such as crown thinning and structural pruning also help ensure the structural integrity of your trees. Overall, pruning makes trees more resilient against severe weather.
Reinforce vulnerable trees in advance
If a tree is weakened by disease, infestation or previous storm damage, it may require the intervention of an arborist to reinforce the tree’s structural integrity and protect it against severe weather. The most common techniques used for this purpose are cabling and bracing.
Cabling involves the installation of rods and straps between major branches in the upper canopy to secure them against strong winds. It’s often used in conjunction with bracing, which uses steel rods to reinforce a cracked or split trunk. These techniques can also help damaged trees heal after a storm.
If one or more of your trees are damaged during a severe weather event, an arborist can assess the situation and take steps to save your trees and help them recover. You’ll also benefit from clean-up services to remove fallen branches and remove damaged or hazardous limbs still attached to the tree.
Arborist services in Edmonton
ArborCare is a trusted source for all of your tree care needs. We offer tree assessment, pruning and restoration services to ensure your trees are healthy and ready to face summer storms. For more information about our tree services or to request a free quote, contact us today. We proudly service Western Canada including Calgary, Edmonton and the Okanagan Valley.