Marietta Tree Damage After a Storm and How to Respond Effectively

Apparently, trees are extremely important and have always been necessary for improving the human condition.

Since the beginning, trees have furnished humans with of life’s essential, oxygen and food. As the human evolved, trees provided additional necessities that included shelter, tools and medicine. The importance of trees has continued to grow as their roles continue to satisfy the needs created by modern lifestyles.

Unfortunately, despite the focal role trees plays in the human life, many trees are lost every year from storm-related events.

Unforgiving weather conditions in Marietta, Georgia that are punctuated with strong winds, snow, and ice can cause major damages to parts of a tree or even the entire tree.

The extent of the havoc left behind by seasonal storms and tree damage is dependent on the timing and intensity of the storm. In the aftermath of a storm, deciding what to do with damaged trees is very crucial.

Mostly, then initial impulse of property owners is usually along the lines of ‘Let’s get this mess cleaned up.’ However, hasty and ill-executed decisions can result in removing trees that could have been saved.

Coming up with well-thought decisions after your Marietta trees have been damaged can make the difference between giving trees a good chance of survival and losing them unnecessarily.

In order to withstand the forces of wind, some trees develop extra strength and flexibility due to constant swaying. Some trees are also adaptive and will initiate changes in their development to compensate for the loading patterns. Such trees will fine tune their fiber strength and flexibility so that the impact of winds can be minimized.

Unlike the wind, ice, and snow cause damage by exerting excessive force on tree branches.

Normal weather conditions pose no danger to trees. In fact, trees are biologically engineered to withstand normal conditions. However, when storms strike, trees mostly find themselves on the receiving end.

The aftermath is mostly tree damages. It is highly advisable that home and property owners to take relevant stems to administer ‘tree first aid’ after a storm. The assistance of a trained tree service professional can be very advantageous.

Tree first aid is very crucial as it helps to determine which trees can be saved and which ones requires removal.

Factors to Consider When Assessing Tree Damage after a Storm

After a storm damage in Marietta, it is important for home and property owners to take time and assess the tree damage before cleaning up the mess. There are two important factors that help when assessing tree damage after a storm – Risk and Sustainability.

There Can Still Be Risk After The Storm

After a storm, there are trees that are damaged to a point that they might become a risk. If a damaged tree becomes an imminent or likely danger to people, property or activates, the decision to be taken leaves little room for options.

Such a tree is supposed to be removed. On the other hand, if the damaged tree is viewed pose no risk at all, then mitigation may be possible to save the tree.

Sustainability

When assessing tree damage, sustainability and risk goes hand in hand. If the risk posed by a damaged tree is determined to be of an acceptable level, there the property owner can take relevant steps to save the tree and reduce the danger posed by the tree.

When assessing tree damage, it is imperative to note that there are several types of tree damage that can result from ferocious weather. Each of the tree damage has its specific assessment considerations. One of the most common damage is wind damage.

Wind Damage To Trees

Wind damage mostly involves the entire tree being ‘pushed over’ by high winds. This kind of a damage is as a result of the wind forces overpowering the root system of the tree. Mostly, the trees is overpowered due to poor anchorage or health, which can be due to construction damage, poor maintenance, or vermin infestation.

To make sure that the trees anchorage is sturdy, it is important to inspect the root plate of each tree on a regular basis. You should carefully determine if there is any fungal fruiting bodies or exposed roots.

Trees with defects on their trunks should be examined carefully in order to establish if they pose any risk. It is important that the assessment be thorough and careful. A close investigation is necessary to spot subtle cracks on the trees.

Branch damages are easier to mitigate. However, if the damage is on the tree’s truck, it is imperative that the investigations be thorough as the tree can pose a risk to anyone around it. This is because the tree might break from its weakest point, which in this case is the trunk.

Helping Trees After A storm

Trees And Storms: Root Stability And Anchorage

Tree roots play a very big in not only improving stability, but they also act as anchors. The roots help any plant to stand tall and straight. Both root structural parts; the woody part and the fine absorbing roots create an effective network that ensures the tree is strong and could with load or strong winds.

As a tree grows, it experiences stress at the roots to maintain stability. For this reason, if a tree root is damaged, dead, or restricted, it will cause the tree to lean or even fall.

This is why careful root plate examination is required to determine if a tree’s anchor is compromised. This could be achieved by looking for heaving roots and soil around the tree’s trunk, which could a high-risk situation.

To know if a tree’s root has been compromised, you will see indications of broken or pulled roots or mushrooms growing around the tree as an indication of dead roots. In addition, the age of the tree, size and the degree of exposure does play a big role in determining its stability. As you probably know, a younger tree is most likely to be health and stable compared to older trees. If 30% of the roots are exposed, this means that it is not stable and tree removal is the best way forward.

The tree’s branches are always an easy victim to loading force. It does not matter if it is an axial loading from snow, ice accretion, or wind, branches are constant victims to damages. Because branches could at times be poorly attached to the main stem, they easily become damaged.

At the same time, the structural arrangement of the branches allows them to be disposable, flexible and easily sheltered in times of stress to help reduce the effects of such stresses to minimize damages. If there are poor growth and branch developments like codominant stem, which includes barks in the branch’s junctions and many others are often the first to experience damages.

The best thing is that, if a tree experiences such damages, it could be easily repaired and the process is not harmful to the tree, not unless more than half the crown has been destroyed.

As you know, if these branches have gowned in a wrong strategic way, it could cause serious damages. This is why it is very important to learn ways to identify hanging limps, broken and even dead branches including any other signs. The truth of the matter is that, identifying cracked and twisted branches is a difficult thing and does require a keen eye, through a professional Marietta Tree Removal expert.

If you want to do it by yourself, it is advisable to consider using best pruning practices. Tree damages could also be caused by other factors such as lightening, which is known to be lethal to trees. However, through a Marietta tree service professional, you will receive the best consultations need to maintain your tree. The truth of the matter is that, it is quite difficult to prevent storm damages to your tree. However, there are ways you could follow to minimize tree injury.

Well, the best way to prevent your tree from damages does begin when the tree is still young or newly planted. Below are ways to do this:

• Do not shake the tree unless if it is necessary. Doing this does compromise root development that does help it fight against strong winds.
• Give the tree the opportunity to adjust to local weather by leaving it alone. Trees do know who to protect themselves against harsh weather conditions, and this could be achieved by letting them grow naturally.
• Functioning pruning is a great way to ensure the tree is strong and healthy. All that is needed is constant inspection and corrective pruning to make them strong.
• In case the tree starts developing codominant, ensure that you do eliminate it through pruning as well.
• Ensure you do a great pruning job. If not, you will be causing more harm than good. At the same time, choose a good strong central leader for younger trees.
• Look for exposed roots after a high windstorm. Root failure causes the tree to lean.

Tree And Storm#: Prevention

If a tree had to be removed because of one reason or another, ensure that you do prevent this in future. This could be achieved by:

• Leaving branches with even spacing all around the whole tree for a great tree balancing
• Look for any broken, dead, or dying branches and remove them.
• Ensure you perform a visual inspection of the tree after a big windstorm. As mentioned, you have to be keen because at times it might not show. At times, crossing branches are signs of broken, dead or even dying branches.
• Ensure you maintain branches with a ‘U’ shape or having a more than 45 degrees incline angle. These types of branches do have a high probability of not breaking no matter the load it is applied on it.
• Remove branches with bark inclusion, tight or even narrow branch junctions.

Well, branch and tree-maintaining tips are so important, which do help in maintain your precious tree even after an occurrence of strong wind.

Topping a try may seem like a good idea; but, did you know there are many small sprouts growing on a tree even after topping? Well, these sprouts grow poorly and tend to have weak joints? This results in making the tree prone to damages.

Moreover, topped branches often develop decay and dead stems, which does further weaken the tree.

Therefore, topping may seem safer but in actual sense, results to the death of the tree. At the same time, when mature trees develop unsymmetrical crowns, you should prune it to improve symmetry. While doing all this, you should keep in mind all great pruning practices.

The truth of the matter is that it may take few years through great pruning techniques for crown restoration to take effects. All you need to remember is that, when it comes to trees, everything happens slowly.

Therefore, a lot of patience is required. Did you know that proper pruning methods do help the tree to heal faster? It is also important to ensure that you do not wind proof any tree. What many people do not know is that trees rely on proper branching habits and placement to fight against wind energy. Generally, you have to ensure leave the tree to grow naturally. Proper tree health care include:

• Vigor: This is a way of removing sick, dead and even dying braches, poorly grown branches and more.
• Pruning: As you all know, pruning is a technique that involves cutting or removing unwanted branches.

Keep in mind that a healthy tree is the best defense to any challenge a tree may face; may it be from nature or any other challenge. Other ways to take care of a tree is through proper watering techniques and using manure/fertilizers where appropriate. This does also help the tree protect itself from diseases and infections.

Trees And Storm: Risk Assessments

In case of any storm or environmental factors, it is equally important to perform risk assessment. If there are no damages, it is important to perform few treatments. By doing this, you will be increasing the life span of your tree. At the same time, little tree maintenance techniques do really help in ensuring the tree is healthy. Below are for tips to follow to ensure you achieve the best results as possible:

1. Post Storm Response

The first thing is to ensure that you are safe. For this reason, you have to be careful by watching out for any dangerous hanging limbs, broken branches and other failures before you begin. At the same time, ensure that others are safe as well especially those who are willing to help you and they are stranding beneath the tree. At the same time, you have to be alert for any power lines that could be involved with damages.

2. Damage Assessment

The next step is damage assessment. This is where you have review the affected tree top determine the level of injury. There are other trees that do not require any maintenance since they have the power to repair themselves. However, to the trees that cannot repair themselves, you have to do the work yourself by locating all areas that do require care.

3. Matching Skills With The situation

With all the skills you have acquired throughout your life on tree maintenance, it is time to match them to ensure success. In this stage, you do not only have to be careful, but also know the techniques of handling different situations.  Contacting a professional Marietta Tree Service is highly recommended.

4. Basic Cleanup

After you have completed the whole process, it is important to perform basic cleanup. This is where you have to remove downed limbs and branches. At the same time; performing basic pruning procedures on smaller injured branches and trees does help in speeding the recovery process. Contact Us today to remedy or prevent any tree damage.