Storm Preparedness: Protecting Your Trees from Hurricane Damage

Storm Preparedness – Protecting Your Trees From Hurricane Damage

Trees are some of nature’s strongest structures, but a severe storm can bring them down. To limit the damage to your landscape investment, it is crucial to have your trees checked for health issues prior to a stormy season.

The best way to protect trees is to plant wind and hurricane resistant species. Ideally, select compact trees with low center of gravity and a single dominant trunk.

Pruning

Hurricanes and tornadoes can uproot trees or blow them over. Every proactive step you take to protect your property and reduce damage is worth the effort.

Trees that are pruned regularly have a much higher survival rate. Pruning removes dead limbs and encourages healthy growth, minimizing wind resistance. Prune before a storm hits by reducing limb lengths and removing forked branches, as well as hatracking (which causes the canopy to become top-heavy).

Also consider inspecting, or have professionals inspect, your property’s trees to look for forks in trunks, mounds and divots near roots, deep wounds or decay and rot. Trees that are more susceptible to damage during severe weather events include those with a high center of gravity, large or dense canopy and …