You might be one of the best people out there when it comes to caring for your trees. Unfortunately, the potential of damage caused by severe weather and thunderstorms is not something that you can truly prepare for! Sometimes, this damage is inevitable. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do! We give you the best tips for caring for storm-damaged trees so they can properly recover from it.
What’s The Damage?
Before you can determine if a tree is salvageable, you’ll have to assess the damage done first! There are three key things that you need to assess before you can determine if your tree will survive:
- Structural Damage: The survivability of a tree will largely be determined by this factor. If a lot of the green parts of the bark can be seen, it’s generally not a good sign. You should also check for ripped bark as well, as that has the potential to attract termites.
- The Tree’s Crown: The crown, or the branches that make up a tree, will also play a big role here. The general rule of thumb is that if at least 50% of the branches are intact, your tree is salvageable.
- Major Limbs: If a tree’s major limbs are mostly intact, the odds are good that it will survive. You’ll want to pay closer attention to the larger limbs, as damage to these could be a bad sign for your tree’s survival.
If you’ve assessed these things and the outcome looks good, you’ll be able to care for it properly! Here are some things that you should keep in mind.
Administering Care
Once you’ve determined your tree’s survival, the next step is to properly administer care. There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your tree recovers from the storm damage.
- Repair Bark: In some areas, your tree may have pieces of bark ripped off. To tend to these wounds, use a knife to smoothen out the wound’s edges. This will help to prevent further damage to the wound, but be careful when you cut!
- Remove Broken Branches: The next step is to remove remains of broken branches still attached to your tree. You should also prune your tree when necessary, but don’t overdo it!
A crucial thing to remember is to not cut back on all the branches! Some people might tell you it will help, but it does a lot of harm to a tree’s recovery.
Administer Tree Care With Elliott Tree
Have a storm damaged tree you need pruned? Elliott Tree is here to help! We offer tree pruning services to help get your tree back in shape. If you’ve determined that it’s dead, we can help you clear it off of your property with stump grinding and tree removal services. Our expert team will be able to determine just how much pruning your tree needs to recover, and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have. To take advantage of our landscaping services, contact us today for a free estimate!
