Major storms can significantly damage your property, including the trees on your lot. Whether it be pruning or tree removal, you’ll need to assess and determine the best course of action to undertake for your trees when unfavorable weather strikes. The primer below will help you identify problems and enact preventative measures to safeguard your property.

A Guide to Saving and Securing Your Tree

What Type of Damage Occurred?

Severe weather could jeopardize your trees. High winds fracture roots, lightning snaps branches in half, heavy rains over-saturate soils and enfeeble trunks, and snowstorms crush trees under layers of ice that stunt growth next season. Old trees are weather-sensitive, with a greater probability of uprooting and long-term damage. Leaning and sparse, clustered branches gathered at the top of the trunk are signs that your tree’s at its end and should be taken care of with a tree removal service. Young trees are also at the mercy of the elements, as flooding and strong winds could compromise their integrity and weaken branches and roots, inhibiting growth.

What Can You Do?

There are many steps you can take, such as: 

• Corrective Pruning: By pruning a tree, you’re removing weak and dying branches to nurture it back to health. It also staves off insects and other organisms that eat away at the bark and infect the rest of the tree. This stimulates root growth to produce sturdier branches. Pruning also prevents branches from becoming too large or hazardous, as low branches could hang above sidewalks or ruin surrounding foliage.

• Fertilization: Proper nutrition is essential to root vitality. Fertilization ensures that trees are getting the nutrients they need to prevent disease and promote growth. Your tree may need to be fertilized if it makes little growth despite rainfall or if your leaves get smaller every year. Fertilizer stabilizes the soil and reinvigorates sickly trees that have been stripped of nutrients from storms.

• Tree Removal: In the case that your tree doesn’t respond to treatment, it may be time to get it removed. Branches and roots may be too weathered and brittle to recuperate, and the tree itself could be in a state of irreversible decay. You should enlist the help of professionals to assess the condition of the tree and determine if it’s at risk for property damage and other liabilities.

Avoid safety hazards when the next big storm hits by contacting the tree removal professionals at Alton Tree Services in West Hartford, CT. Over a decade of experience in the industry has allowed them to efficiently diagnose, correct, and manage tree conditions for optimal property security. High-grade equipment and skilled technicians combine for effective service. Call (860) 236-8027 for storm damage cleanup, or learn about their services through their website and Google reviews.