Recent winter storms have caused many trees throughout Walla, Walla to fall or become severely damaged. While mature shade trees are an asset to any home, they can become especially hazardous; capable of smashing through the roof of your home or leveling a car during the winter.
Over the winter months, trees accumulate ice and snow on their branches. If a tree is weak, diseased or previously damaged, the weight of the snow combined with heavy winds puts additional stress on a tree causing it to break or collapse. That’s why preventative tree care is so important. By staying ahead of the storm with winter pruning, you can ensure the safety of your home and property while saving time and money along the way.
Preventative Tree Care Tips
Identify Problems Early
A tree’s survival often depends on the preventative tree care you give it before a winter storm. High winds coupled with heavy snow and ice can cause severe and excessive damage. By having your tree inspected by a certified arborist, you will be provided with valuable insight when it comes to potential problems. This, in turn, will help you prevent costly and potentially dangerous damage to your home and property.
Branches that hang close to your home, roof, driveway or nearby power lines should be cleared. Dead and decaying branches are also potential hazards. Lifted soil around the base of a tree’s trunk can also be a sign of an unsound root system that can cause your tree to fall in severe weather. Other warning signs include oozing sap, stains or sawdust-like residue that are often caused by disease or insects. Cracks, decay, and hollow areas should also be addressed.
Prune Your Trees
Pruning is the practice of selectively removing branches throughout the interior and crown of your valuable trees. Not only does is contribute to the aesthetic look of your tree but aids in reducing limb drop during bad winter storms. Pruning is a way of cutting off limb growth while structuring the look of a tree so that it looks well kept and beautiful during the spring, summer and fall months. By having a certified arborist remove struggling limbs, you will, in turn, strengthen the integrity of the entire tree. That’s why pruning is one of the best preventative tree care services you can have done during the winter.
Remove Dangerous Trees & Branches
Preventative tree care also includes removing dangerous trees or branches during the winter. Snow and ice can weigh down the foliage of your trees causing them the hang precariously over the roof of your home and other structures. That’s why it’s important to remove any overhanging trees or branches before a winter storm sets in to prevent a dangerous situation from happening while keeping your property safe.
Inspect Your Trees For Damage
No one looks forward to inspecting the damage a winter storm has caused. However, once the snow clears, one of the best things you can do is have your tree inspected by a certified arborist for snow or ice damage. Preventative tree care includes having your trees inspected to make sure they don’t pose a risk to your home and property. It only takes one bad storm to put a damper on your tree causing it to crash to the ground. That’s why it’s important to rule out any potential dangers that can result from damage caused by a winter storm.
An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure
Most people assume a tree will thrive and survive on its own. However, if you want to ensure the trees on your property are safe year-round, preventative tree care is essential to keeping your trees healthy. By removing a dead or dying tree or dealing with broken limbs and damage, you will not only improve the aesthetic look of your property but keep it safe from potential hazards.
If you are uncertain about the trees on your property withstanding winter storms, contact the certified arborists at Westcoast Tree Care. We can help you assess the situation and provide you with preventative tree care services with a no-cost, no obligation quote.
Contact us at 1.800.767.8733 today.
