Thunderstorms and excess winds can be something you’re unprepared for when they do strike your landscape.
They can stir up leaves and even drop twigs and branches in your yard.
But they can also cause some more extreme damage, like knocking down bigger branches or even full trees that can damage your vehicles or property.
And some years are better than others when it comes to storms. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-normal temperatures for the duration of summer in Boston and the surrounding areas.
You may not be able to stop the storms from hitting your area, but you can prepare your landscape to ensure less damage on your property. After all, it’s the healthy, strong trees that have a better chance to withstand storm damage.
Let’s talk about tree storm preparation and preventative tree care so you can get your trees in Needham, Concord, Danvers, and Cape Cod in good health and ready for whatever Mother Nature brings.
How To Improve Tree Safety On Your Property
Weather is certainly something you can’t control. Mother Nature will deliver a storm, despite your wishes that she take it easy on your landscape that day.
But you can avoid a lot of the trouble storms can cause by amplifying tree health and safety on your property. There are 3 key ways you can reduce the storm’s impact.
1. Tree Assessment
Tree storm preparation starts by conducting a tree risk assessment, which is the process of looking at the structural condition of a tree to determine its failure potential.
When a certified arborist conducts a thorough tree assessment, he or she looks at some very specific things:
- Overall tree health
- Soil health and conditions
- Symptoms of tree stress
- Signs of decay or disease
- Weak or broken tree limbs
As the certified arborist inspects trees, they look for some common signs of weakness that could make that tree riskier in a storm, such as:
- Ground heaving or severed roots
- Bark falling off
- Dead or decaying branches
- Leaf discoloration
- Leafless or bud-less branches
- Tree pest infestations
- Needle loss
Tree assessments are important because the sooner you identify if a tree is at risk, the better chance you have to quickly explore options to mitigate the issues. An arborist may even recommend a tree support system that includes cables and braces to provide your tree with additional support during harsh weather conditions.
2. Tree Trimming & Pruning
When a storm comes through your yard with its high winds, weak tree branches and even full trees can fall.
By being proactive with tree pruning, you can avoid breaking tree branches. That is because, through the trimming process, a certified arborist will remove dead limbs, branches with poor structure, and diseased branches, as well as reduce the weight of heavy limbs and even add cabling or bracing support to help your tree stand strong.
3. Prioritize Tree Health
Ensuring your trees are strong and stable can be best done through a proper plant health care program.
Through plant health care, a certified arborist will manage your trees and shrubs with routine monitoring and preventive maintenance.
This includes tree fertilization, which delivers essential nutrients your trees may be missing; relieving soil compaction with the addition of organic matter; and diagnosing and treating tree pests and diseases.
At Hartney Greymont, we have local arborists throughout Massachusetts located in Needham, Concord, Danvers, Cape Cod, and the surrounding areas.
Contact your local Hartney arborist for a tree consultation to help prep your landscape for storm season.
