How should you assess your trees for damage after a severe storm?
The first major storm of the season hit Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday, bringing hail, high winds and tornadoes.
That type of weather can wreak havoc on trees. So how should you properly assess your trees after a storm rolls through?
Tyler Hesseltine, a Board-Certified Master Arborist, works for Davey Tree Expert Company. He said there are three things to investigate after a storm:
- Inspect the tree's base. Check the soil around it. Has the soil moved or cracked? Has the tree started to lift due to water logged soil?
- Inspect the tree's canopy. Look for branches out of place or at a weird angle. That's a good indicator that some have broken or twisted and are hung up in the canopy.
- Listen to the trees, as creaks can indicate damage.
"Often times the trees do get shear plane cracks or any sort of damage. When they move about in the wind they start to creak or moan. It may be now that a tree that is starting to leaf out is scraping your gutters, scraping maybe an overhead powerline near your home," said Hesseltine.
Basically, if the tree and its base do not look or sound like it did prior to the storm it might be time to call in an arborist.
Another reminder after experiencing many drought years recently is to let Mother Nature do her job.
In the Twin Cities and surrounding counties, rain has been plentiful this spring. The area is not in a drought.
Rather than worrying about watering trees or keeping up with your irrigation schedule, Hesseltine said to allow the trees to dry out after these storms. That will prevent disease and mold.
