How to Prepare Your Trees for Texas Storms

Texas is no stranger to storms. The state and Waco itself, is known for its severe weather conditions, which can happen at any point during the year. From high winds to torrential rains and even hurricanes, Texas experiences it all. And while we may prepare our homes and properties for these weather events, it's important not to forget about your trees. Trees are a valuable asset to any property. However, they can become dangerous if not properly maintained during Texas storms. Large branches can break off or even entire trees tipped over damaging your property. In this article, we'll go over some tips on different ways prepare your trees for sudden Texas storms.

Trimming Maintenance

One of the best ways to prepare your trees for storm season is by consistent trimming. This will help remove any dead, dying, or overgrown branches that could potentially break off and fall during a storm. Consistent tree trimming has been proven to keep your trees more healthy by promoting new growth. It also helps thin your trees out so that high winds can flow through easier. Be careful though, there is an art to tree trimming and excessive trimming can be a bad thing. This can lead to insect infestation or nutrition deficiency.  and there is a As a rule of thumb, tree trimming should be limited to 25% of the overall tree foliage, unless most of what is removed is dead limbs.

Check Around Power Lines

Cutting limbs around power lines can help reduce the chances of power outages caused by falling trees or limbs that come into contact with the power lines. This is especially important during severe storms when strong winds can cause trees to fall and disrupt electricity supply to your entire neighborhood. Trimming trees near power lines also minimizes the risk of electrical fires. Limbs can generate sparks when they sway and hit power lines and electrical poles which can cause a potential fire. Clearing your limbs around power lines also makes it easier and safer for repair crews to restore power in the event of an outage. Trimming your trees around power lines is an extremely dangerous task and should not be attempted without proper training and experience. For these cases, it is best to call your local tree service company to take care of these limbs for you.

Inspecting for damage

Another way to prepare your trees for storms is by inspecting them often for any signs of damage. Damage includes and cracks of splits in the trunk of the tree, or an excess of dead limbs. It's important to keep in mind that some damage may not be visible from the ground or by a  regular homeowner. A certified arborist will have the tools and knowledge to inspect your trees thoroughly and identify any potential problems.

Fertilizing and watering

Properly fertilizing and consistent watering of your trees can help keep them healthy and strong to withstand even the most severe storms. Fertilizing can help produce healthy roots which help trees withstand high winds as well as torrential rains which loosen the soil. Although fertilization can be done by homeowners, a certified arborist will know the exact fertilizer to use for different trees. .

Staking and cabling

Cabling is a method that can be used to help support trees that are at risk of falling over during a storm. This is often done for trees with weak root systems or are already leaning and need extra support to stay up. It can also be done for specific branches that are weak and may break off during a storm. Staking involves attaching a support system to the tree and surrounding soil to help stabilize it. This is mainly done for newly planted trees to help it grow perfectly vertical but is also a technique that can be done to support a smaller tree from tipping over during high winds.

In conclusion, preparing your trees for Texas storms requires proper planning, maintenance, and proactive measures to ensure their survival and prevent potential hazards to your property and community. Some of these things can be done by the homeowner themselves, but others require a professional. If you are in need of any of these activities, please contact a local tree service company. They have the experience, knowledge and equipment to help prepare your trees for Texas storms throughout the year.