Check Your Trees Before A Hurricane

By Jack Rowe, Regional Extension Agent with Forestry, Wildlife and Natural Resources and Board Certified Master Arborist

Welcome to Mobile, Alabama. We have trees. We have so many trees that we don’t pay much attention to them. Unless we get a hurricane. Wow! Do we see them then! Especially the ones lying on the ground needing some expensive cleanup or sticking out of a roof needing some expensive repair, or the ones that snapped the wires so now we are all sweating to death in the post-storm cleanup.

If your first reaction to trees and hurricanes is, “They survived Katrina, they’ll survive another hurricane,” please understand, the tree that withstood Katrina is NOT the tree you have right now.

That tree took damage from Katrina and has taken other weather since. It’s taken damage from animals and insects, decay and disease and, most importantly, from the most serious pest of all: us. As any landscape tree ages, it accumulates new issues and problems. The tree that you have now is no longer the tree that withstood Category 5 winds. This is now a different tree.

So, you need to get out there and check your trees. You have a “duty of care,” particularly about trees that might do damage to your neighbors, not just in a storm but anytime. As you are not an arborist but simply a tree owner, that duty of care isn’t too strict. You just need to make a genuine effort to be sure your trees aren’t an obvious danger to yourself or anyone else.

Even if you don’t know much about trees, you can still get an idea of what might go wrong in a storm. Here are a few items to check:

Roots, particularly the root crown. The root crown is the flare at the base of your tree where the main roots dive into the soil. The root crown and the strong, fat roots coming out of it are what your tree stands on. Think of that for a moment. All those branches and leaves up there with their serious tonnage are being held to the earth by those roots. Those roots are what the tree pushes and pulls on in the wind. If that root crown or the big roots are damaged or decaying, get an arborist to examine it.

Trunks, especially the middle point of the trunk between the root crown and the beginning of the main branches. This is where the most stress will be placed on the trunk in high winds. Decay, cavities or structural flaws in that middle area are very important to watch. The tree will do its best to compensate for the problem, but it is important to be certain the problem isn’t too big, allowing the trunk to snap in high winds.

Branches, particularly dead branches, excessively long branches and branches that attach to the tree at very tight angles. Dead branches, particularly in excess of one inch in diameter, are just missiles waiting to happen in a hurricane. Have them properly pruned out.

There is also a kind of branch length called “over extension.” This means the branch has grown so far out and has so little side branching or diameter that it will likely break in high winds. Tree branches grow supporting side branches to help dissipate the pressure of the wind. Often created by pruning, very long, slender branches with few side branches are more likely to crack or break in the wind. Excessively raising tree canopies or clearing out all the interior branches can create a similar problem.

How a branch attaches to the trunk is very important. Sharp, tight angles are a structural problem for trees. Because the branch bark and trunk bark are pressed to each other inside the angle, there is often little wood connecting the two. That bark in between doesn’t go away; it’s embedded in there. As that branch and trunk grow, the amount of embedded bark increases, and the union becomes weaker.

The above are only a few major, easy-to-see reasons that trees might fail in storm winds. If you find problems that you think are of concern, get a Tree Risk Assessment done by a qualified arborist.

When buying tree work, understand that pruning of large trees is a skill that is equal parts science and art and shouldn’t be done by just anyone. Try to hire experienced, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists.

Locating a qualified arborist is pretty easy. You can go online to treesaregood.com and search for one near you. If you are looking for a Tree Risk Assessment, the qualification will be listed as one of their credentials. Pro tip: Search by zip code rather than city when you select “Alabama” as your state to search.

We have some breathing room right now. Tree care before a hurricane does increase tree survival and reduce damage from storms. Do some checking yourself. If you find something concerning, call your local Extension office or an ISA Certified Arborist. You’ll be glad you did.

Gardening Events for Your Calendar

What: Market On the Square (Look for the Master Gardener tent for gardening info)

Find: Local produce, homemade bread, jams, preserves, honey, crafts, music

When: Saturdays through July (7:30 a.m. to noon)

Where: Cathedral Square, 300 Conti St., Mobile

What: Monthly meeting, Mobile County Master Gardeners

When: Thursday, Aug. 1 (10-11:45 a.m.)

Where: Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile

Program: Q&A with Extension Horticulture Agents

Cost: Free

What: Landscape 101, How to Have a Beautiful Yard

When: Aug. 29 and 30, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile

Presenter: Jack LeCroy, Extension Agent

Cost: $10 for the two-night course

Registration required: Call 251-574-8445

Master Gardener Helpline: 877-252-4769, or send your gardening questions to coastalalabamagardening@gmail.com