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Emergency Summer Storm Tree Care Tips To Prevent Damage And Save Your Trees

21 April 2017 by Tanya Green

The summer months bring a lot of storms, which cause damage to homes, as well as trees in landscaping. Damage to trees is something that may get overlooked when repairs and restorations are done. Leaving trees uncared for may expose your property to hazards. Here are some emergency tree care tips to ensure summer storms do not cause problems with the trees around your home:

1. Spring Pruning to Prepare Trees for Summer Storms

The trimming of the trees around your home needs to be done during the early weeks of spring. Early spring is when you can cut the limbs of trees before exposing them to disease and insects. In addition, pruning trees will also help to reduce the vulnerability of trees to summer storms that cause damage. Removing the weak branches is important to make sure your trees are ready for the summer months, because these are where damage is most likely.

2. Removing Broken Limbs That Can Weaken Trees

The limbs of trees are often weakened by storms, which may not always be obvious and visible. Look for limbs that look like they may be too weak to carry their own weight. This is often due to wind damage and branches that have been fractured under stress. Gently pull down on the branches to see if they feel strong or if they are weakened and easily to pull down. Cut the weak branches to prevent them from splitting down the trunk or exposing your tree to disease.

3. Weakened Limbs That Cannot Hold the Weight of Growth On Them

The limbs of your tree can also be weakened by the growth on them. Large branches may be overgrown and start to collapse under the weight of new growth. To avoid problems of weighted-down branches, prune new growth and keep heavy branches trimmed. If a storm causes damage to these branches, start trimming the growth furthest away from the trunk.

4. Protecting Wounds from Insects After Doing Emergency Tree Care

When you have done trimming of your trees during late spring or summer, this exposes them to insects and disease. Make sure that you take care of the wounds to seal them and protect the tree. In the past, tar products have been used to cover cuts on trees, but today, there are products that allow the tree to breathe but that still protect wounds from exposure to insects and disease.

When summer storms cause damage in your neighborhood, inspect the trees around your property for problems. Contact a landscaping service to help with pruning to prevent damage and with emergency care when storms have caused damage to the trees around your home. 

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