Let It Blow, Let It Blow: 4 Ways to Prep Your Trees for Strong Winds
Trees, like people, are sensitive to extreme weather. While these firmly rooted landscape specimens can certainly withstand more gale force than you can, they don’t like to be battered about by strong winds – and can eventually suffer severe damage without protection.
If you live in areas where tornado/hurricane warnings are common, you’re probably wondering what you can do to better prepare your trees for the madness. Also important, which things can you do yourself, and which do you need to call in a pro for? Let’s talk about that today.
- Prune Judiciously in Spring and Fall
First and foremost, prune. It’s tempting to “leave well enough alone” when a tree is doing fine, but weak branches are hard to spot visually. You need a pro up there examining them and removing anything unstable. That way, when a storm comes through, only the strongest branches must withstand it.
Depending on the tree, summer may also be a good time to prune. Typically, when it’s cold and resources are reduced, you should avoid pruning in winter.
- Remove Older Trees
Although it may seem harsh, some trees simply aren’t storm-safe. If you have a tree on your property that drops limbs frequently because it’s old and brittle, it probably needs to go. Consider getting rid of it before the storm hits.
- Create a Windscreen
Although we usually think of windscreens as for the benefit of other types of plants, trees can screen trees as well. If you want to protect your yard, it pays to play a long game and set up strong trees around the perimeter.
- Be Especially Careful with Trees Close to Buildings
Damage during storms frequently comes at the hands (or would that be twigs) of dropped limbs. Examine each tree near a home carefully and remove anything that looks even slightly suspicious if it is overhanging a structure. That’s another task that requires a pro.
Looking for that pro today? Call in Premier Tree Solutions for help. We specialize in helping tree owners feel secure and keeping their landscapes safe. In addition to preventing trees from wind and floods and other natural disasters, we also do branch thinning and pruning, storm cleanup, tree removal, stump grinding, and more. We invite you to call 404.252.6448 for a consultation today, or in an emergency, 404.569.8897.
Let us help you today!
