As winter weather sets in, it’s the time of year to be aware of major snowfall and the impact it can have on your trees. The buildup of heavy snow combined with rain that turns to ice can become too heavy for trees to bear, resulting in critical damage. That’s why the certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Care would like to provide you with the following Salem tree care tips to protect your trees this winter.
Assess the Damage
When a winter storm has passed, it’s essential to go outside and assess what has been damaged. Are there small branches on your tree that have broken? Are larger branches damaged? Before you do anything further, it’s essential to make sure there are no tangled or downed power lines nearby. If so, it’s important to contact your city and local power company immediately.
Don’t Shake Branches
Once you’ve assessed the damage a storm has caused and know how much of your tree is left intact, the last thing you want to do is shake the branches to remove any snow. At Westcoast Tree Care, we can’t stress this enough. Shaking snow burdened branches can cause them to snap and seriously damage a tree while putting you at risk of harm. Instead, simply wait for any snow or ice to melt naturally.
Pruning
The goal of pruning after a winter storm is to minimize the amount of exposed damage. Any open wounds can increase the chance for disease or insect infestation to infect a tree causing additional problems down the road. Done by a certified arborist, pruning will help minimize this risk along with any objectionable branches from failing. While we’ve offered a wide variety of pruning tips in previous blogs, generally, this is the best time to give the certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Care a call.
When to Call for Help
The ISA certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Care can assess the situation and develop a recommended plan for a damaged tree. If you find yourself in a situation where you need the help of a professional, contact us as soon as possible so we can ensure any damage is minimized. We have the education, formal training, and specialized equipment to minimize risk from damaged trees. We can also provide you with additional preventative tree care services to help your trees endure the cold winter month ahead.
Preventative Tree Care
The most effective protection for your trees is to ensure they are healthy and well maintained. We offer a wide variety of preventative tree care services to create a healthy, beautiful tree that is more able to withstand a storm successfully. Furthermore, the best time of year to prune most trees is during the dormant winter months.
Recovery
Concerned homeowners often ask us what the likelihood is for a tree on their property to recover from any storm-related damage. While the answer varies case-by-case, a good measurement is if a tree’s central leader is intact, and it still has 50% of its crown, which means it is more likely to recover.
Salem Tree Care
If you have any questions about how to inspect your trees for winter storm damage or would like to speak to the certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Care about any of our services, contact us by filling out our online form or give us a call at 1.800.767.8733 today. We would be more than happy to assess the trees on your Salem, Oregon property, and provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation quote.