Preparing Your Trees for Hurricane Season: 3 Things to Do!

New York City NY

26 July, 2021

7:44 AM

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If past experiences have taught us anything, it’s that hurricane-proofing your trees is not optional. We have seen people slapped with costly damages after a severe hurricane. And let’s not forget about the times when damaged trees bring down power lines, causing unplanned blackouts. That’s why experts from Manhattan Tree Care advise homeowners to do an annual hurricane tree inspection to avoid getting caught up in a sticky situation. Plant the Right Trees The type of trees you choose play a significant role in the overall safety level of your property. You want to go with trees with high wind resistance that also grow well in your area. Then throw in proper care and maintenance to create a situation that can handle pretty much everything nature throws at it. The size at maturity is also another factor to consider when shopping for a tree. A massive tree goes well with a big yard because you need to plant it far away from the house or any other structure. Additionally, you should allow a 10 ft by 10 ft area for the roots to grow. That means you can’t do excavation work in this spot to avoid damaging the root system. It’s also worth noting that younger trees are easier to train as they heal faster and grow in whatever shape you like. For example, if you notice a tree is trying to branch out to two trunks, you might want to get rid of one stem or replace the entire tree with another one. Trim Your Trees Be sure to practice tree trimming and pruning religiously from an early age. The idea is to create a spaced framework of healthy branches with every trim. And most people can get this done in a few minutes. However, you will need an expert to prune trees that are taller than 15 feet. Sometimes, people whack off the entire canopy of a tree, thinking they can make the tree safer during a hurricane. This is really sad as it deprives the tree of food until it eventually dies. You would rather call in the pros to remove the entire thing from your property instead of being cruel. Brace and Strap Limbs to the Ground After pruning and trimming, you might want to secure the limbs further to create peace of mind. This is particularly important for trees with dual trunks or those that produce a heavy crop of fruit. That said, here are some of the ways of securing a tree. The first one involves bracing dual trunks with a huge rod. The arborist screws the trunks on both sides pushes the rod inside and fastens the setup with bolts on either side. The second one involves strapping the trunk to the ground with cables. An incision is made in the stem to attach the strap, and the other end goes into the ground. This provides extra support to the tree. Manhattan Tree Care 2823 Roebling Ave New York, NY 10464 (917) 993-9919 [email protected] https://manhattantreecare.com/