Tag Archive for: storm damage prevention

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Why tree surgery is essential for storm damage prevention

The benefits of trees are vast. Firstly, trees are amazing for the environment. They are fantastic at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, cooling air temperatures and are great for wildlife. Secondly, we all enjoy the aesthetic of a leafy green street or garden.

However, many tree owners are already aware of the risk trees can pose. This is especially important during times of turbulent and unpredictable weather.

Tree owners have a responsibility to ensure that their trees are healthy and stable. Therefore, they should ensure that any trees on their property do not pose a risk to people or property. Expert tree surgery can ensure that storm damage is prevented or minimised.

At Simpson Arboriculture, we have seen first-hand the catastrophic damage trees can do to homes and gardens during heavy storms. A falling limb can quickly destroy a garden fence or greenhouse. Moreover, a whole tree can cause huge damage to a roof or wall of a house, not to mention anyone unlucky enough to be nearby at the time.    

Simpson Arboriculture have an experienced and fully qualified team of arborists who can help. With careful inspection, pre-planning and expert tree care, these worst-case scenarios can be pre-empted and avoided.

The Role of Tree Surgery in Mitigating Storm Damage

Structurally sound trees should be able to withstand high winds and heavy rainfall. However, if trees have a weak point, overgrown branches or an unbalanced crown, storms and gale force winds can cause trees to snap and break, or even become fully uprooted. This paints a worrying picture for any homeowner and the fear of such a scenario arising can cause a huge amount of stress and worry.

Assessing and identifying potential hazards

We would always suggest keeping on top of your tree maintenance. At Simpson Arboriculture, we will come out and assess your tree work needs and advise you on what is required to keep your trees strong and healthy. This can ensure that any potential issues can be addressed. We can then plan for our team to come back and carry out the work, hopefully before any bad weather.

Techniques for storm damage resistance

As with any tree surgery we carry out, this will depend on the tree. Any work that we suggest will depend on the size, shape and health of the trees concerned. However, strategic pruning, including crown thinning and reduction can help reduce wind resistance and minimise the likelihood of branches breaking or trees falling.

Get in touch about storm damage prevention

Our team at Simpson Arboriculture are always happy to discuss your tree surgery needs with you and advise on what work might be needed. We can help keep your trees strong, stable and minimise the risk of storm damage. You can get in touch with us via our website anytime, or give us a call in the office to discuss.

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Assessing your trees: How to spot signs of decline

Ash tree

Benefits of healthy trees

Trees are an integral part of our environment. They provide natural beauty as well as being essential for providing oxygen, storing carbon dioxide and helping to keep the earth cool. In essence, we cannot live without trees. So how can we make sure that our trees thrive?

Firstly, by giving your trees what they need. In terms of young trees, this may be regular watering and use of supports such as tree guards. For more information on this, please see our blog on caring for new trees. Later on, assessing your trees becomes key!

Assessing your trees

Assessing your trees regularly, particularly more mature trees, is the best way to help ensure that they remain strong, healthy and prosperous. We recommend assessing your trees several times a year. We believe this is the most effective way to notice and monitor any changes. If a tree is healthy, you should see new growth every year. We always advise assessing your trees after severe weather such as storms or strong winds, in case your trees have been damaged.

Spotting signs of decline

Knowing what to look for when assessing your trees is essential if you are to spot the signs of decline early. This can help to avoid more problems in the future.   

There are ample ways in which trees can let you know that their health is compromised, so it’s really important to know what to look out for. Trees can show signs of decline in their trunk, branches or in the canopy so it’s important to assess all parts of the tree to give you a clear picture of its health. 

Some of the common signs to spot are listed below: 

  1. Cracks/ splitting. What does it mean if there are cracks or splitting in the bark? This can be caused by freezing weather or sun scald. However, it can also be a sign of fungal disease. Large cracks or splits in a tree can cause it to become unstable and pose a risk to individuals and property.
  2. Dead or broken branches. It’s advisable to prune any dead branches as these can weaken a tree over time.
  3. Decayed roots. Root rot can be a serious problem for a tree, affecting its stability and its ability to get nutrients from the soil. Other tell-tale signs are stunted growth, small pale, leaves and thinning around the canopy. In this case, we may have to remove the tree to prevent the disease from spreading to other nearby trees and plants.   
  4. Fungus growth. The bark should be free from any fungi or moss. Presence of either could mean that the tree is infected with rot. This can cause the tree to become unstable and needs to be assessed as soon as possible.

What can we do to help?

At Simpson Arboriculture, we are passionate about helping to maintain the health of the trees we work on. Pruning and trimming, if carried out correctly by professional arborists, can improve the appearance of the tree and contribute to its overall health. Our arborists work within the guidance set out in BS3998 (British Standards for tree work). This means they ensure that any work carried out will not compromise a tree’s health and stability. Instead supporting and encouraging new growth. When quoting to carry out tree work, our professional arborists will discuss with you what you want to achieve (e.g. more light in your garden) and balance this with the needs and health of the tree. Keeping our customers happy and trees healthy is always our intention!   

But what about when a tree is showing signs of decline? Our team have years of experience in spotting the signs of decline early on. This means that we can take appropriate action. Our aim is to save and maintain trees wherever possible and carry out the essential work to improve and maintain the health of a tree, thus helping to ensure its longevity. This may involve removing deadwood. It may also involve rebalancing a tree or targeting specific branches or limbs that are failing.

In the event that a tree has become unsafe and poses an immediate risk to the public or surrounding property, we would suggest removing the tree as soon as possible. We have many approaches to this ranging from climbing the tree, sectional dismantle, rigging or use of machinery depending on the job.

We are able to grind remaining stumps and treat stumps and roots using eco-plugs. This will then allow for replanting which we always encourage wherever possible.

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