Though trees are absolutely vital for the environment, as they grow older and larger, they are more likely to fall, or have their branches fall, or develop root conflicts. Not only that, but extreme weather such as torrential rains, or heavy winds, can cause a tree to fall and the impact of s big tree falling can be very dangerous. Consequently, you need to ensure that you know how to keep your space so you can continue to enjoy the benefits of your trees. 

Assess Tree Risk

Understanding tree risk is best done through an arborist, who may suggest that you:

• Move the target: There are certain things that are immovable, such as your home, or power line, but you can move things like cars, picnic tables, or landscape features, to protect them from a falling tree. 
• Prune your tree: This is obvious, you will likely have to prune the tree of branches likely to fall. Pruning is very dangerous because, done badly, it can weaken the tree and make it more likely to fall. So, only an ISA Certified Arborist should prune your tree.
• Support the tree: You may have to create physical support for any fragile stems and branches so that they are stronger and more stable. Physical support reduces the risk of falling but that doesn’t mean your tree can’t or won’t fall.
• Routinely care for your tree: the older a tree the more routine care it needs. This means you will have to regularly water, mulch and prune it, and perhaps even provide it with nutrients, depending, of course, on the season and the tree’s structure. 
• Remove it. At times, the risks are so high and there’s so little that can be done, that the only thing to do is to contact a tree service removal company and remove the tree. In order that your net effect on the environment is zero, you should try and plant a replacement tree elsewhere.

How to Safely Respond to Storm Damage

Any number of extreme weather patterns can cause lasting damage to your home and your trees. High speed winds and torrential rains can erode the soil and upend trees. Lightning can generate heat so intense it dries up a tree, resulting in the tree splitting open. Either of these events will not only damage a tree but also your property or power lines. 

Assess the damage after a storm and take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Going DIY is the last thing you should do. You need to hire an ISA Certified Arborist. 

Keeping Your Construction Area Safe 

We all love trees and often this means that we try to build our homes as close to trees as possible. Unfortunately, construction activity is often dangerous for trees. It’s important that in planning construction activity, time is taken to consider how best to protect existing trees. It may be that certain trees cannot be adequately protected and must be cut down to prevent accidents. It may also be that some trees can be saved. A properly certified arborist will be able to help you assess which trees can be saved and which must be cut down. If there’s one thing we all want it is to create an environment where we can enjoy the benefits of trees without having to worry about the risks.