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May 27, 2004 Taking Care of Trees After a Storm The late spring storms that blew through the region recently caused quite a bit of damage to trees in cities and towns, in individual yards and in rural shelterbelts. Injury from storms is unfortunate and usually unpreventable. However, there are things homeowners can do in the aftermath of a storm that will help the trees on the road to recovery. “Before beginning any tree work, several words of caution are in order,” according to Joe Zeleznik, North Dakota State University Extension Service forester. “Look for power lines that may have come down during the storm. Don’t touch them or anything that is contacting them. Fences, broken branches and even pruning tools can conduct electricity, causing a worker to indirectly contact the power line. Look for hanging branches that may present a hazard. These ‘widow makers’ might be caught up in the remaining tree crowns or in power lines.” What can a homeowner do to properly care for their trees after a storm? “The first thing to do is prune out any dead or broken branches,” Zeleznik says. “Proper pruning will allow the trees to recover more quickly and will also minimize the chances of infection by insects or diseases.” If bark is torn away from the tree, use a knife or sharp chisel to carefully trim the edge back to where it contacts the tree, where the inner bark becomes green. Don’t enlarge the wound beyond this point. The living tissue just below the bark is vital to re-establishing the tree’s water- and nutrient-conducting system. To learn more about proper pruning techniques, get a copy of the NDSU Extension Bulletin “Pruning Trees and Shrubs” from your local Extension office or online at http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/trees/h1036w.htm. Don’t take on jobs that are too big, Zeleznik advises. If large limbs are broken or hanging, or if high climbing or overhead chainsaw work is needed, then you may want to hire a professional arborist. Also, don’t overprune the tree. It is okay if the tree’s appearance isn’t quite perfect. The tree will fill in the bare spots fairly quickly. “Most importantly, don’t top the tree,” Zeleznik says. “Some people may encourage you to cut back all of the main branches with the mistaken idea that this reduction in branch length will help avoid breakage in future storms. What really happens when a tree is topped, though, is that a lot of weakly attached branches will grow back, and these will be even more likely to break during a future storm. Also, topping removes a lot of leaves, which the tree needs for food and energy as it re-grows.” Take the time to do it right. There’s no need to have everything cleaned up within a few days. Improper pruning after a storm can cause more damage than the storm itself. And if there’s a lot of work to do or if the trees and branches are too large for you to clean up by yourself, consider hiring a professional arborist. Here are several steps to help you find qualified tree-care specialists:
“Most importantly, don’t be pressured into making a decision,” Zeleznik says. “It’s already unfortunate that trees were damaged by the storm. It would be more unfortunate if they were damaged further by improper post-storm care.” For more information on proper tree care, contact Zeleznik at (701) 231-8143 or go to the ISA’s Web page at http://www.treesaregood.com/. ### Source: Joe
Zeleznik, (701) 231-8143, joseph.zeleznik@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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