How To Handle Ice And Snow Damaged And Downed Trees

Winter is coming and with it comes ice and snow in the more northerly regions. No matter how strong a tree is, its branches can only hold so much weight, so piles of snow or ice and cause catastrophic damage, even toppling entire trees.

Be Patient

There is nothing you can do for damaged trees until the snow or ice melts. Trees whose limbs are only bent, not broken, will likely recover on their own. Of course, you should remove limbs that are endangering your home, cars or other structures, but leave the others alone.

Assess the Damage

Before deciding what to do with a damaged tree, think it over carefully. Of course you should remove broken branches, but you'd be surprised how much recovery a tree can make. Young trees, especially, can often make a full recovery if the central leader isn't broken.

Remove Severely Damaged Trees

If a mature tree has lost over half its limbs, it likely won't recover and should be removed. While most trees with broken trunks should be removed, it really depends on the tree. Some trees will sprout back out from a broken trunk and some won't. Conifers, such as pines, have central leaders that go all the way to the top of the tree, so they will not recover from a broken trunk and should be removed.

Deal with Fallen Trees

Young trees that have not been in the ground too long can usually survive falling over. Cover the exposed roots to protect them from freezing or drying out, then follow  extension service guidelines for saving small, uprooted trees. Mature trees with trunks over 10 inches in diameter or that have over 1/3 of their roots exposed typically cannot be saved and should be removed.

Mitigate Damage

For small trees or low-hanging branches, sweeping the snow carefully off the branches with a broom can help save them. Sweep upward because sweeping downward puts more pressure on the limb and can cause branches to break. Shaking already stressed trees to remove snow can cause further damage. Bent limbs can sometimes be staked to prevent breaking.

The thought of losing mature trees is never pleasant, but if you are dealing with large, severely damaged trees, it is best to call an arborist who can assess whether or not the tree can be saved. The tree may be a little lopsided for awhile, but regrowth will soon fill in and re-balance it. It's always safer to have a professional tree service take down or prune large trees, especially those with large twisted, broken limbs. For more information, contact companies like Able Scape, Inc.