Being caught in a storm can be a terrifying experience but there is not much that one can do to avoid them, and most people simply hunker down in their homes and wait for the worst of the weather to pass. Trees, however, have no option but to stand tall and weather the storm. But there are a few steps that you can take to protect your trees and help them survive an ice storm.
Preparing Your Trees to Withstand Ice Storms
Ice storms can be devastating for trees and they will expose any structural weaknesses. Dead or dying branches, as well as those with weak attachments or other defects, can easily break and be blown around your yard wreaking havoc. When it comes to protecting your trees from an ice storm, prevention is always better than cure. The best way to help your trees withstand this winter’s ice storms is to hire a tree pruning service to train and prune your trees correctly before the weather turns nasty.
An experienced arborist will remove any dead, dying or diseased branches and they will know how to correct structural defects and remove branches that have weak attachments and are likely to break off during an ice storm. Preparing your trees is not always possible if a storm is imminent and it is best to implement a proper pruning program throughout the year.
If you have any valuable small trees that you want to protect during an ice storm you can secure the trees with strips of sturdy cloth or nylon stockings two-thirds of the way above any weak crotches. This is just a temporary measure and in spring you will need to get the trees properly pruned.
There is Nothing You can do During a Storm
After a Storm, There is Always Work to be Done
Plant the Right Trees
To protect your trees from future ice storms you need to implement an annual pruning program and the best way to do this is to use a tree pruning service like Martin’s Tree Service.
Steve Martin
