The UK has faced lots of stormy weather in recent times, causing havoc to trees, whether they’re planted in gardens, parks, commercial sites or public spaces. However, there are some great ways to improve the health of trees and help them become as weather resistant as possible.
Here’s our expert advice about wind protection for trees.
Will your tree fall down in strong winds?
When stormy weather is on the way, many people worry about whether their trees will survive when faced with harsh conditions and heavy winds. After a storm, professional tree surgeons often get calls about damaged trees, and unfortunately, some of these can’t be saved.
It’s important to look after and maintain your trees all year round to help them stay as robust as possible, withstanding extreme wind speeds. Always ask a professional tree surgeon to assess them, as they may be able to advise about any areas of vulnerability, including diseased trees, weak branches, top heavy structures (e.g. overgrown or dense crowns) and compromised root systems.
Luckily, there are some ways to help your trees become more storm resistant.
How can you make trees more wind resistant?
While you may want to make trees wind ‘resistant’, the trick is actually to help air move more freely through the crown. If wind can’t penetrate an overgrown canopy, it’s more likely to knock it down. Therefore, one of the best ways to protect your trees from damage in strong gales is crown thinning.
This technique requires expert knowledge and methods to ensure the pruning process doesn’t cause the branches to become more vulnerable and uprooting more likely. DIY tree pruning often ends up with large branches being removed that were keeping the tree safe and stable.
How does crown thinning work?
Crown thinning reduces the density of the top part of the tree, removing some carefully selected secondary branches to prevent ‘sail’, which is often one of the reasons trees become vulnerable in storms and strong winds. This allows air to move naturally through the crown without harming the tree’s natural shape and size.
Other benefits of crown thinning include letting more natural sunlight into your garden, removal of dead or weak branches and reducing the weight of some of the limbs.
However, there are other pruning methods your tree surgeon may recommend. This includes crown lifting to prune low hanging branches or formative pruning to improve the yield of fruit trees.
Maintain your trees all year round
If you’d like to find reliable, local tree care solutions, contact the team at DH Tree Services. We offer expert advice and services, including professional tree pruning, helping trees to remain strong and healthy in all weathers.
We cover South West London, Surrey and surrounding areas, coming out to gardens and grounds in Cobham, Coulson and Epsom.
For expert advice or to arrange a visit, call now on 01737 215 718 or 07872 615 504. Alternatively, send us a message at [email protected], and we’ll get back to you.
