Help! My Trees Got Caught in the Storm!

“If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,” is a common saying in Colorado. We have had our fair share of sunny and mild weather turn to major storms in the blink of an eye. By being proactive, it is possible to help your trees ride out the storm safely with minimal to no damage.

Are certain trees more likely to get storm damage?
There are several factors that go into why a tree was damaged by a storm. Some trees such as Ash, Hackberry, Boxelder, Willows, Maples, Cherries, and Lindens are more likely to get storm damage due to their natural growth habits. Some trees are planted too shallowly/deeply, in compacted clay soil, in oversaturated soil, or in confined areas where roots have issues expanding and are thus more likely to be damaged by storms. Trees with girdling roots (roots that encircle the trunk of the tree) have a weak point at the bottom of the tree which can lead to them falling in high winds.

What can I do to try to prevent storm damage to my trees?
One of the best ways to prevent storm damage is to make sure your trees are healthy. Trees planted in well-draining soil with adequate sunlight, nutrition, and water will usually survive a storm with little to no damage. If they are lacking in any of these areas, it can lead to unhealthy trees that are more prone to damage. For more prevention, prune out interfering, weak, crowded, or dead branches ahead of time and treat your trees for diseases and pests. We highly recommend practicing good landscape management by avoiding mechanical damage (i.e. lawnmowers, grass trimmers, poor pruning, staking damage, etc.) to your trees, and making sure they are not over watered or over mulched*.

My tree was damaged by a storm, what should I do?
The best course of action is to examine the tree. As a warning, assume all powerlines are live and do not approach a tree that has broken powerlines on it or lying on the ground! If limbs, debris, ice, or large clumps of snow are threatening to drop from the tree or look hazardous, do not approach the tree! If it is safe to approach the tree, assess the damage caused by the storm and consider a few things. If it has only lost small branches or one main branch, still has its leader (the main upward-trending branch), and has more than 50% of its crown (combined branches and leaves) still intact, it will likely be okay. Trees are resilient, and, if it is healthy outside of the damage, it will begin to repair itself after some minor clean up. However, if the tree has lost 50% or more of its crown, lost its main leader, lost several main limbs, or is unhealthy in any way such as experiencing decay or has been weakened by diseases or pests, we recommend calling our arborists to assess whether the tree can be saved or will need to be removed.

My tree has minor storm damage. How can I clean up?

First, start by removing and cleaning up any torn bark. This will eliminate hiding spaces and entry points for diseases and pests that could potentially attack the tree while it is vulnerable. Don’t remove extra bark beyond the areas that are already damaged.

Next, if there are small branches you can clean up from the ground without a chainsaw, use the three-cut method*.

1. Make a partial cut several inches away from the trunk on the underside of the branch.
2. Make a second cut a few inches away from the first on the top of the branch. This should allow the limb to fall safely with minimal damage.
3. Make a final cut just outside the branch collar (the raised area surrounding the branch’s attachment at the trunk). Please keep in mind that trees will naturally heal over cuts done properly, so painting over wounds is often unnecessary and counterproductive. Do not over prune your trees or remove major limbs. If only one small limb is broken on a major branch, it is better to remove the small limb instead of the entire branch.

Never top a tree or cut main branches back to stubs. This will cause the tree to grow thin, weakly attached limbs that will have a higher chance of breaking in the next storm.

My tree has major storm damage. What should I do?

If you need chainsaws, the branches are not easily reachable from the ground, or if you have any questions about your trees or the damage caused to them by the storm, please feel free to reach out. Our ISA certified arborists can take a look at the damage and provide you with a free estimate to help get your landscape put back together after any storm.

*For more details on pruning trees, please see CSU Extension Training and Pruning Fruit Trees
– 7.003 (https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/training-and-pruning-fruit-trees-
7-003/)
** See our other blog for more details on how to correctly mulch
(https://trimmingdenver.com/blog/i-know-this-mulch-is-true/)