Article by Sam Waggener, City of Lone Tree Forester
Get ready Lone Tree, it is spring in Colorado! The longer days lead to shifting weather patterns will give us glimpses of tulips and warmer days to come, but for those new to Colorado, do not be fooled- a seasoned resident can tell you from experience don’t plant those flowers until after Mother’s Day for annuals. March and April are the front range’s two snowiest months. Just last May, Colorado experienced a winter storm that wreaked havoc along the entire front range, including here Lone Tree! So here’s a quick list of things to do once a storm hits no matter where the storm damage comes from.
How bad is it?
The first thing you want to do after a storm is assess the damage. Look to see if your tree or plant is generally healthy. Trees have an amazing ability to bounce back and heal themselves, but you’ll want to check major branches for any cracking, breakage, or major structural damage.
Is the main leader still intact? If the main leader is damaged a tree can still survive, but the growth may be stunted or deformed. If more than half of a tree is in bad condition, with major loss of foliage, then the tree might not produce enough sugars for dormancy and next year’s buds.
How large are the wounds? The increase of wounds can create vulnerability to the tree increasing the chance for pests, diseases, and decay.
Executive Decision
The main decision you’ll make now is whether or not you’ll keep the tree. No matter which direction you go, always double check your surroundings and take safety precautions for next steps.
If you’re keeping the tree, the your next step will be to start pruning out the broken branches. Check out our handy how-to guide here to learn proper pruning techniques. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Large trees that become damaged may require a certified arborist to climb the tree and make sure they are insured!
Also, make sure to not over prune. Trees that are pruned more than 25% at a time can cause stress and lead to other issues down the road.
Preventative measures
There are many ways to prevent storm damage. Somethings may be out of your control, but certain steps can be taken to ward off storm damage.
First, make sure to create a pruning cycle for that specific tree. Depending on the age/size of your tree, species, and growth form/health, pruning cycles can have a substantial effect on how a tree reacts to storms. This can range from how wind loads effect a tree, how much heavy wet snow will break a branch, or how a tree might be leaning and has an unbalanced center of gravity.
What is a pruning cycle you might ask? This is the schedule tailored to each tree, dependent on the needs specifically for that tree. Pruning cycles improve structure, reduce risk, provide clearance trimming, maintain health with infected, infested, damaged, or rubbing branches, reduce/thin, and restoration. Pruning cycles can range depending on species but a good start is to prune every 4-6 six years. This is the sweet spot for trimming trees, but always do your homework.
One easy way to mitigate branches from breaking is to cut off double tops. Double tops are when two main stems are co-competing with each other, when trees have a “V” growth form- this is always the weakest point in the tree. It is best to prune out one side or the other while the tree is still young.
Encourage branches to have angles of 45 degrees, and side branches should have diameters less than ¾ the diameter of the trunk. Don’t cut branches to stubs when these get larger, they will break more easily from the pressures of wind, ice and snow.
DON’T TOP TREES! Topping trees is cutting the main leader from the top of the tree, initially this will lead to primary growth and increase the amount of new growth, but this leads to weaker branches which are unable to handle future storms. Topping a tree removes a lot of leaves and decreases the ability to photosynthesize and produce sugars. In the end, topping trees usually proves to be a costly mistake, and the tree will need to be further pruned to stay alive or they’ll eventually die and need to be removed.
We’re here to help
Sometimes stepping into new routines can be daunting, but we’re always happy to help if you want help or would like additional resources. Feel free to contact me at sam.waggener@cityoflonetree.com if you ever want to talk through tree maintenance ideas!
Good luck to you, and happy storm-proofing!