How To Prepare Your Trees For Storms

Each year, Floridians can expect tropical storms and hurricanes. Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean occurs from June 1 to November 30 each year, and storms can occur at just about any time of the year. As we approach hurricane season, high rainfall, and heavy gusts of wind, it's important to prepare for extreme weather conditions. An often overlooked yet critical preventative measure North Central Florida home and business owners must remember is storm and hurricane tree preparation! Are there proven ways of preparing trees for a storm? Absolutely! Here, SkyFrog Tree Service, your certified arborist in Gainesville, FL, discusses how to best prepare your trees and property for storms and hurricanes this year. Contact us today to schedule Gainesville arborist services for your trees, including emergency storm-damaged tree removal!

Storm Threats To Your Trees

During hurricane season and storms, the right tree in the right place can help protect your home or business from strong gusts of winds and debris by acting as a buffer. But in every other case, an unhealthy tree located too close to your building is at risk of being blown over, uprooted, or causing other damage when severe weather hits. During the storm preparation process, consider the storm's threats, including tree-related risks.

• Branches. Branches can fully break off or break and hang downward, often due to wind velocity, pressure, and heavy rainfall, or being hit with other debris.
• Crowns. If your tree's crown is lopsided or unbalanced, the trunk can twist, possibly resulting in the tree toppling over or breaking off from its roots.
• Stems. Tree wounds are hard to heal, and trees usually grow over their wounds. In time, stems can become weak if they've experienced previous trauma.
• Roots. Pests, disease, and other threats to your tree's roots can weaken them and make them prone to failure, particularly during a heavy storm.
• Trunks. Wind speeds can push down or blow over your tree when they reach peak velocity. Trees that are not properly maintained have a particularly high risk.
• Location. The location of a tree is critical, particularly during storms. Trees located too close (closer than 15 feet) to structures or power lines can cause significant damage.

Inspect Your Trees

Healthy trees typically fare better weathering storms than unhealthy and poorly maintained ones. To effectively prepare your trees for impending storms, you must know the health status of each tree on your property. Inspecting your trees for dead growth, disease, pests, infestations, root rot, ground heaving, leaning, broken branches, and other signs of damage will allow you to address and treat the issues before they might have disastrous consequences. If you require the assistance of experts in tree care, contact SkyFrog Tree Service for trusted hurricane tree service that will help keep your trees and property safe throughout storm season and beyond.

Trim & Prune Your Trees

During a storm, broken and dead tree branches are among the top threats to the safety of your trees, property, and loved ones. Scheduling residential tree pruning or commercial tree pruning services regularly can significantly reduce the risk of damage to your trees or property during a storm, especially for mature trees. Having an arborist remove any dead or broken branches and appropriately reduce the tree crown will decrease the risk of tree and property damage, giving you peace of mind. Call our certified arborists for professional tree trimming and pruning services in preparation for the stormy season ahead to help ensure your trees, property, and family are safe. We also offer dangerous tree removal services for trees that pose an imminent risk.

Contact Your Gainesville Arborist

One of the best ways to ensure your trees are ready to weather storms is with the help of our certified arborists! North Central Florida sees its share of heavy rains, high winds, and hard-hitting storms, which can put your home, business, and property in danger of fallen limbs and damaged trees. SkyFrog Tree Service offers complete, comprehensive tree care services, including new tree establishment, mature tree care, emergency storm response, pruning, deadwood removal, dangerous tree removal, tree maintenance, and air spade root pruning to help your trees thrive and your property and loved ones safe and sound. Schedule tree services today!