The right type of trees in the right place will come in handy, especially during a hurricane. Trees act as a buffer for your commercial or residential property against strong winds.

If your trees get uprooted or blown by the storm, there are several steps you can take to mitigate the damage to your property and ensure they live to see another day. Here’s what experts at Island tree service in Botanica Spring in Florida recommend.

Getting ready for the storm

Failing to prune your trees properly increases the chances of tree breakage and falling during a storm. After a storm, huge amounts of damaged and fallen trees usually result from improper cutting or pruning.

Here’s what property owners need to do several months before the hurricane season:

• Prune your trees in early spring or during the trees’ dominant season.
• Ensure you hire a certified arborist like Island Tree Service, FL, for tree trimming or lawn care. Always ensure that your tree pruning expert has the requisite license and insurance.
• Never hatrack any trees in your garden. Hatracking is when a tree is cut so badly that it’s left with very few leaves on its branches.
• Don’t cut the tree root system.
• Don’t remove more than 25% of the tree canopy.
• Mainly remove the internal branches. That will reduce the tree canopy and allow wind to pass through easily.
• Ensure you properly dispose of any tree cuttings. That’s because fallen trees and branches can become projectiles in a storm.

What to do after a storm

Proper tree care is among the simplest and most effective ways to protect your property from storm damage. Saving trees also has various other benefits, although storm-damaged trees can do more harm than good. Here are simple guidelines for tree clearing and salvage after a storm.

• Survey your area for downed power lines and call the Florida power and lightning company on 1-800-468-8243 as soon as possible. Maintain a safe distance from broken power lines to avoid the risk of electrocution.
• Cut any fallen trees or branches blocking roadways to make way for heavy machinery and vehicles delivering emergency services.
• Survey your property for fallen branches and dangerous trees that can cause further damage and cut them off.
• Cut any splits or leaning branches that are likely to fall and cause further damage to your property.
• Remove trees blocking access to utility boxes and poles. Remember that some wires might be live, so you’ll need emergency storm tree service to deal with trees lying on power lines.

You can save partially uprooted trees by digging the roots and placing them upright. However, you’ll need to prune big trees before pulling them back up.

If the right machinery isn’t available, watering the roots regularly and covering them up with soil, tarp or mulch can help. The tree might also need pruning, which might eliminate most of the branches and leaves.

If there’s no leafy canopy remaining after pruning and pulling the tree back up, paint its trunk with light latex paint to protect it from sunburns. Yes, trees also get sunburns. Additionally, Some trees might need support using tie-down to help it grow back stronger.

Tips to save small fallen trees after a storm

You don’t need emergency tree removal services to deal with all storm-damaged trees. Most young trees can be nursed back to health, although you’ll need a certified arborist for the best results.

Young trees are yet to establish a complex root system, so they’re highly susceptible to falling during hurricanes. However, a tree fall shouldn’t make you feel helpless.

If a young tree falls in your yard during a hurricane, here’s why you’ll need to do:

• Assess the potential danger when approaching a fallen tree while keeping an eye on broken power lines and branches in overhead wires.
• Get rid of branches blocking access to your vehicle, home and other areas on your property.
• Cover and shade exposed roots using old sheets, towels, burlap or some newspaper and thoroughly water the tree. You also need to cover exposed trunks to avoid sunburns but don’t use plastic.
• Keep the roots wet for several weeks while taking care of other pressing emergency tree services.
• To reset your tree, dig around its rootball side. You can use a cushion of towels or other soft materials to protect the trunk when pulling the tree back into the hole you’ve dug.
• Make sure your tree is straight and level, sitting at the same level as it was originally.
• Fill the hole with half of the soil you’ve dug out and add water to remove air pockets. You can then add more soil and water it thoroughly.
• Avoid staking the tree unless it needs support.
• Cover the area under your tree with about five inches of organic mulch and thoroughly water it for the next six months. You should treat the tree like you’ve newly planted it.
• Safely remove broken or damaged branches by cutting outside the trunk’s juncture. You can cut some branches for appearance or structural stability, but you shouldn’t shear or shorten the remaining branches.

Do I need emergency tree removal services after a storm?

Even when you trim your trees regularly and hire trained arborists to maintain your trees’ health, you might need an emergency tree removal service after a storm. While the trees can be stable and sturdy, high winds might make the branches lean and break. In that case, you’ll need to call a certified emergency tree service to control the damage.

Looking for an emergency tree service in Bonita Springs, Florida? Island Tree Service is here for you!

Island Tree Service offers 24-hour emergency tree services to Florida residents after a storm. Besides emergency tree services, we help homeowners maintain healthy trees earlier as they grow by guy wiring, trimming, pruning, and other proactive measures. Contact 239-463-5121 for a free estimate.