After the hurricane, check your trees for damage. Here's what you should know.

As we start the task of cleaning up our yards and landscapes from the wind and rain of Idalia, we also need to check out our trees to see if there is any damage that needs to be addressed. There may be broken branches, uplifted roots or even cracks that could cause problems later if not taken care of now. Providing proper care and performing tree restoration ensures that our trees not only survive this storm but gets them ready for storms to come.

First, a little about performing tree restoration. If you need to use a saw on a ladder or use ropes to direct the fall of cut branches, you should probably enlist the help of a tree professional. Tree care professionals have the equipment, expertise, and insurance to handle these duties. To find or verify an ISA Certified Arborist go to: treesargood.org/findanarborist/arboristsearch. 

Additionally, watch out for scams. Storms and emergencies seem to attract unqualified individuals with chainsaws and equipment wanting to make a quick buck and move on. If a company cannot provide you with the phone number to verify insurance, demands payment up front, or will not provide a written estimate before beginning the work, proceed with caution.    

Many trees that are damaged in storms can recover. The ability of the tree to recover depends on the health of the tree, its capacity to reduce the spread of decay, the extent of damage, the skill of the arborist and the patience and persistence of the homeowner. Tree restoration may take more than one pruning and may take several years.

Broken branches are the most common type of damage caused by wind. Branches that are broken above the branch collar can be pruned at the branch collar, as long as you make sure not to cut into the branch collar. If a branch is broken below a branch collar, then the tree should probably be pruned at the next branch union using a reduction cut. 

In some cases, the next available place to perform branch reduction is a long distance away from the wound. A heading cut can be used as a last resort. However, this requires a lot more follow-up. The branch will produce many sprouts at the site of the heading cut. Continued maintenance will eventually produce a desirable branch collar at the heading cut.

Split trunks and cracks are probably the most serious damage that can occur to trees. They can occur because of included bark, or from internal decay. Either way, they can be braced and cabled by a certified arborist. This treatment does not fix the defect, but reduces the risk of failure. Cabling and bracing is expensive and should be reserved for high-value trees.

Leaning trees are also a concern. The key to treatment is to figure out why the tree is leaning. If it is leaning because it was recently pushed over by the wind, it needs immediate attention. If you notice that the tree has an uplift of soil on one side of the tree and a depression on the other side of the tree, it is a sign that it is losing its grip on the soil and is unstable. If the tree is small and less than four inches in diameter, you might be able to right it and stake it back up. The support should be left on until the tree has grown new roots that can support it on its own. This is typically three months for every inch of trunk diameter. Sometimes trees lean because that is the way the tree grew. Perhaps it is leaning to capture sunlight from a far-away opening in the canopy. If the lean is less than 40 degrees on a naturally leaning tree it may be fine. Again, if there is some question about a leaning tree, a certified arborist should be called in to evaluate the tree.

Our trees are important additions to our landscape. Not only do they add value to our property, they also provide critical services such as habitat, shade, water storage and carbon sequestration. By restoring them properly after storm damage, we can be assured that they will continue to provide these important ecosystem services. For a  more detailed look at storm restoration, go to hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/stormy.shtml.

Larry Figart is an urban forestry extension agent with the University of Florida/IFAS.